Kurds and the Debate over Stateless Nation Essay

Kurds and the Debate over Stateless Nation - Essay Example Among them, Kurds constitute the prominent group as the world’s most numerous people without a homeland. Kurds’ sovereignty has been the bone of contention in the Middle East over several decades between various interest groups including Turks and Arabs and also Britain, France, and US all with their own oil interests over the Northern Iraq, the autonomous region of Kurds. Given below is the list of some relevant sources which could give extensive information on the issue. 1. Gunter, Michael M. â€Å"KURDS: The state and kurds in turkey: The question of assimilation†.  The Middle East Journal,  (2008) 62(2): 344-346. This article is a very good secondary source that closely reviews the findings of Metin Heper, a distinguished Turkish professor of politics who has recently joined the intellectual debate over the Kurdish issue in Turkey. According to Gunter (2008), the basic theme of Heper’s book is that â€Å"the Turkish Republic has not sought to prom ote Turkish ethnic nationalism that would assimilate its ethnic Kurdish population†. Heper also points out that the Turkish stance on the issue that is ignoring the distinctiveness of Kurds’ ethnicity has been deliberate. However, Gunter points some aspects that Heper omitted in his book. For instance, â€Å"the fact that the Kurds came late to the idea of their Kurd-ish identity superseding their Ottoman and Islamic identity† cannot be undermined. Gunter refers to Hakan Ozoglu who has documented this idea in his book Kurdish Notables and the ottoman State: Evolving Identities. Besides, Gunter identifies several other areas where Heper flawed. As the author points out, Heper simply maintains that Turkey has been convincing itself that it did not try to assimilate the Kurds forcefully but only ‘tried to prevent their de-acculturation’. Altogether, Gunter makes a critical evaluation of Heper’s findings on the Turkish position on Kurdish issues. Undoubtedly, the review helps one to reflect on the multiple facets of the debate over Kurds’ nationalism instead of simply agreeing with the arguments raised by authors like Heper. 2. Olson, Robert. â€Å"KURDS: Kurdish notables and the ottoman state: Evolving identities, competing loyalties, and shifting boundaries†.  The Middle East Journal,  (2004) 58(2): 305-307. Olson’s review of Ozoglu’s work KURDS: Kurdish Notables and the Ottoman State: Evolving Identities is unique for its detailed description on the nature and origin of the Kurdish nationalism. The writer closely analyses the process of the evolvement of the modern states in terms of socio-political context and the extent to which they have assimilated the concept of ethno-nationalism and cultural identity. The book actually maintains a very different opinion about the Kurdish movement as compared to the ones proposed by Heper. According to the book, there was no Kurdish protonationalism in the late 19th century and in the early 20th century up to the end of WWII. Olson’s review makes the concept of Ozoglu much easier for researchers as he analyses the author’s arguments chapter by chapter giving specific focus to the way Kurdish nationalism is addressed in them. 3. Romano, David. â€Å"KURDS-kurdish politics in the middle east†.  The Middle East Journal,  (2010) 64(2): 311-312. This is another brilliant book review by Romano on the great work of Entessar (2010) Kurdish Politics in the Middle East. The reviewer has highlighted the author’s ability to simplify the complex and unseen aspects of the Kurdish issue. The book has gone very deep into the actual problems of the population including the Kurdish history and politics other than giving â€Å"

Why Is Water Important in Living Organisms Essay Example for Free

Why Is Water Important in Living Organisms Essay Water is very important in all living organisms, it is vital for many different things. Around 70% of our body weight is due to water. The quantity is high in organs such as lungs and brain and fluids such as blood, lymph, saliva and secretions by the organs of the digestive system. First of all water is vital in the regulation of body temperature to depending on the temperature mammals will alter the amount they sweat. If they are to warm the amount of seat will increase. Sweat reduces the body temperature because as it evaporates off the skin it cools the surface. If body temperature rises above 37 then enzymes will begin to not function properly and reactions will slow. This is because the enzymes are becoming denatured as their hydrogen bonds break and shape change. This is also relevant in plants. When water is evaporated of leaves of the plant it cools it in the same way. This is also important as plants need to be a certain temperatures so that. Plants need to be at the correct temperature so reactions take place at the fastest rate and so they grow as much as possible. This is especially important in crops and agriculture Also for plants to grow at the fastest possible rate they have to have the correct amount of water. Water is also important because without osmosis wouldn’t occur, so many important particles and nutrients wouldn’t be moved around the organism. An example of this is in the root hair cell. In the soil outside the root hair cell is a higher water potential than in the root. This is because the root hair cell has amino acids, minerals and sugars inside them. So water moves down the concentration gradient into the roots. The uptake of water in plant cells creates pressures against the rigid walls. This can also help non-woody plants stay upright. Water is pulled up the stem by transpiration pull which creates a negative pressure this causes the water molecules to stick together. Which is called cohesion tension theory. The water is transported up to the leaves and into the chlorophyll where it is used in photosynthesis. Other nutrients and molecules are transported by the water and used in different parts of the plant. Water is also used in the light dependent reaction of photosynthesis. Electrons are lost from the chlorophyll as they get excited and move done carriers. These electrons need to be replaced; this is done by the photolysis of water. The replacement of these electrons are provided from water molecules which are split using light energy. Water → protons + electrons + oxygen  As well as in plants water is important in the body. Water is the medium in which various enzyme and chemical reactions take place. It moves nutrients, hormones, antibodies and oxygen through the blood stream and lymphatic system. Also inside the body many larger molecules need to be broken down, water is used to do this. Polysaccharides are joined by glycosidic bonds. These can be broken by the process of hydrolysis, the addition of water. This splits the polysaccharides into monosaccharides. One reason this is done is so polysaccharides can be hydrolysied into soluble sugars. An example is Cellulose is first hydrolyzed to cellobiose by cellulase and then cellobiose is further hydrolyzed to glucose. Hydrolysis is an exothermic reaction. It gives off heat as it breaks the glycosidic bonds. This can be used to regulate body temperature, which is very important for the survival of mammals. If it is cold the amount of metabolic reactions will increase. Hydrolysis occurs in the early stage of respiration. Hydrolysis occurs in glycolysis. Energy is needed to activate glucose and energy comes from the hydrolysis of ATP to ADP. Water is vital for metabolic reactions. And if the body is kept at the correct temperature then many processes and reaction will not be carried out correctly. For example body temperature is 37. This is the optimum temperature for enzymes in the body. If that temperature drops the rate at which the reactions involving theses enzymes take place will drop as well.

Analysis and Comparison of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi

Analysis and Comparison of Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi Summary Abstract The complete quality discussion of two organizations products are going to be discussed here. The products are diet-coke and diet Pepsi of soft drinks. The Diet Pepsi versus Diet Coke argues has been increasing in now days. The people are looking easiest way to fewer calories in their diet and fight against obesity in a meaningful way; the world largest soda companies are changing their diet brands.Iam going to give a report of coke and Pepsi company quality systems. Introduction of the Organization Coke-diet Diet coca-cola and Coca-cola light also Coke light is the other names of Diet Coke. This is a soft drink with sugar-free and introduced by the Coca cola Company which is located in United States of America. Diet Coke introduced on 9th of August, 1982 in the United States of America. Diet Coke contains some saccharin to extend shelf life. History of Diet-Coke 1982-Diet Coke-largest selling low calorie 1986-Diet cherry- American markets 1992-Diet Coke 10th anniversary 1997-Diet Coke changes its logo 2001-Diet Coke -lemon 2002-Diet Vanilla Coke 2004-Diet coke with lime 2005-Diet Coke with sweet splendid 2006-Diet Coke Black Cherry Vanilla 2007-Diet Coke Plus The slogan of Diet Coke Love it light Debate on Diet Coke Diet Coke distributed commonly with aspartame which has been noted as a toxic material by internet rumours and sensational media coverage. Finally aspartame is the best intensively scrutinized food actions .American medical association has been deemed it as well as World Health Organization. Quality systems of Coke Diet Coke has advanced plant control system and it was developed by Sumitomo metals. It is mainly constructed by two main control functions. That is, coal blending ration control system to accomplish target coke quality under the planned operating circumstances. Another one is coke oven temperature control system to achieve the target pushing-out coke temperature under the charged blended coal and coking time. The Diet Coke Quality is being controlled by the goal programming method and by using a theoretical coking model and an online coal dilatation sensor. Temperature of coke is being controlled by a heat transfer model in the coke chamber and a world class regulator based on an autoregressive model. Bottling of coke The strong bottling system developed that coca-cola company became the world-wide familiar brand it is today Market. Technology led to world economy, the seller who sold coke merged and evolved into global mega chains. So that like customer required a new approach. Result of that, coca cola introduced small and medium sized bottlers consolidated to better serve giant global customers. Coca cola Company encouraged and invested in many of bottler consolidations to assure that is largest bottling partners would have ability to lead the system in running with world retailers. Marketing Channel of Diet Coke The coca cola company has three primary delivery systems for its business channels, Huge delivery for the channels of big supermarkets and mass merchandisers and club stores Advanced sale delivery convenience stores and Drug stores and small supermarkets and on-premise fountain accounts. Coke-diet Supply Chain Coca cola company produces the concentrates and bottling partners manufacture and packaging as well distribute the product, coca cola suppliers used the include sugar ,citrus and coffee and kind of flavours, water (2008,coca cola). The ingredients for concentrate syrups are provided by the suppliers of those companies. The Coca Cola Company changed their supply chain system in 2004 to increase greater efficiencies (2004 Foley).The coca cola company had to spent the better part of a year gathering three business units in North America to create another more efficient integrated unit and which is streamlined information technology , obtainment process and supply chain actions (2004 Foley). Coca Cola Company had to change in 2006 when it was beginning deliver it products to Wal- mart Warehouses for the following complaints form wal mart those bottlers were not keeping those shelves stocked (2006-supplychannier.com). The coca cola company had to change their 100 year old operational approaches (2006-supplychannier.com). The world biggest singer bottler is coca cola Company in which the coke company have owned a 35% share. Coca cola Enterprises Coca Cola Company has achieved the first service delivery team to the coca cola quality system and ISO 9001:2001 (TCCQS). The globally recognised registrars have checked of ISO9001:2000 Of Coca cola TCCQS adopted the ISO policies and extended the well-structured core with their own specific business requirements. The continual act improvement to offer high quality service to consumers customers. Implication Needed The Complete management system required to enhance scope apart from manufacturing to frame closer running relationships with service providing functions and carry the coca cola company philosophy of whole customer refreshment and constant improvement. It needs a modernized, global structure reaching very quick implementation straightened to world standard. Quality Assurance of Coke To satisfy the world thirst, Coca Cola Company is making people enjoy 1.6 million supplying of our beverages. Coca Cola Company has a greater responsibility to every one of those people as well support life increasing experiences. Coke Company rule main product and cover quality attributes to make sure their beverage items in the marketplace confirmed company needs and consumer expectations. Coke products of consistency and reliability are being urgently important for its products to meet world regulatory needs and company standards. TCCMS for Coke The coca cola management system ensures (TCCMS) the cokes consistency and reliability and coca cola company system. The quality management system is integrated module, which sticks all of company operations system wide to the constant standards for manufacturing and distributing of coca cola beverages. TCCMS guides cokes products safety and quality by merging and aligning business and quality targets with constant metrics to control performance Strength of Coke-Diet Coke has internationally recognition Coke has strong brand name Coke has effective advertisement Coke has categorical taste Weakness of Coke Coke has health issues Coke can not stop certain gender by using it. Coke has not individuality. Revenues of Coke: The coca cola enterprises have earned $21.65billion with net income of $173 million in 2009 and in the quarter of 2010 Coke Company have earned $5.88 billion. Recommendations I would like to add few recommendations for Coca Cola Company and its industry. They are: Coke should stimulate healthcare and should ensure their products will not give any health problems to the consumers. Coke should improve the products what they have doing now so it will make satisfaction to their buyer. Coke should try to find ways for decreasing its prices without having cost problems. Coke must try to give new products that do not involve in beverages so it will increase its revenues. Pepsi-Diet Pepsi-Diet is a carbonated cola with fewer calories and introduced to the world in 1964 as variety of Pepsi drinks with free sugar. The current formula of Pepsi diet is artificial sweeteners aspartame. Pepsi is also known as Pepsi Light. It contains caffeine with amount of 35mg/12 fl oz. Different Flavours of Pepsi-Diet Wild cherry Vanilla Lemon Lime The Slogan  of Pepsi-Diet Light .Crisp. Refreshing Organizations and Background Pepsi produces major carbonated soft drinks and beverages also snack foods. Pepsi Cola Company is the division of beverage. It makes markets and bottles of famous brands of soft drinks in USA and worldwide. Pepsi also produces Aquafina bottled water also sport athletic drinks. Operations Quality in Pepsi Company Many of the sales are done the companys own straight line store distribution (DSD) systems, where they genuinely take the products to stores and place them on the shelf. These systems catch up hundreds of thousands of outlets, from the very small liquor stores to the powerful club store. The DSD systems supply the company the power to merchandise its products for maximum interest to consumers. Pepsi company is adjoin new platforms for growth, which strong the companys portfolio and increase its key important innovation potentiality For instance, January 2001 the company received most of the South Beach Beverage Company, whose So be line of drinks counts to the Pepsi-Cola portfolio some of the speed-growing brands in the fastest-growing segment of the industry, non-carbonated beverages. From another instance, is the aimed merger with the Quaker Oats Company, which is anticipate completing in the second quarter of 2001. This is without question the important step to make sure the bright future of growth for PepsiCo. The merger will form PepsiCo an even more talent competitor in the extending market for useful foods and beverages. It adds two very famous brands to its portfolio, Gatorade and Quaker, and makes new chances for each PepsiCo division. The joined enterprise will align among the worlds five biggest consumer product companies. Pepsi Company has got $383 million worth of goods and services from youth-owned and women-owned suppliers in the year of 2000. The Womens Business Enterprise National Council called the company among Americas Top Corporations for Womens Business Enterprise. Pepsi company young and women business improvement programs were ranked among the top-10 nationally by the National Minority Supplier Development Council. The company give supports conservation, recycling and energy utilize programs that advance clean air and water and reduce landfill. In 2009, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration named two more Pepsi Company facilities to its top STAR status as part of the agencies Voluntary Protection Program. Distribution Channel of Pepsi-Diet Strengths of Pepsi-Diet Pepsi has extensive product line and superior reputation. Collaboration of Quaker Oats produced coactions across the board. Pepsi Record revenues and increasing market share. Lack of capital forces (chance of large free cash flow). Great brands, strong distribution, innovative capabilities Number one maker of snacks, such as corn chips and potato chips Pepsi sells three products through the same distribution channel. For ex :Joining the production capabilities of Pepsi, Gatorade and Tropicana is a great opportunity to less costs, improve efficiency and smooth out the effect of seasonal variance in demand for particular product Failure of Pepsi -Diet Pepsi oppose to attract vision and direction for the global company. Pepsi is considerably away from leader Coca-cola in the global market demand is highly bouncy. Coke-Diet is the best competitor Fear of Pepsi-Diet Food Beverage department industry is mature. Pepsi is accused for pesticide residues in their products in one of their most possibility emerging market (India). Pepsi has competition with Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, and Kraft foods due to the broader product line, which are well-run and financially key competitors. Pepsi is a big company so which leads to demand various marketing programs. Achievements of Pepsi Pepsi Company bounces back its Pepsi Challenge advertising attack. Challenge includes Pepsi Diet and Diet Coke also regular cola. Pepsi associated with yahoo Inc., the world largest web navigation company, in a  multimedia marketing campaign target at teens and young adults. Tropicana, in a joint shared gamble with Galaxy Foods Co., bring forward an icy smoothie soy milk-and-fruit drink, made with juice, fruit puree along with soymilk and soy protein. Pepsi made water bottle branded with aquafina became the best-selling brand of single-serve bottled Water in US retail channels Timeline of achievements: Pepsi Company established Dole single-serve juices in vending machines, coolers  and other retail outlets throughout the United States of America in the year 2000. Pepsi introduced the brave new Mountain Dew Code Red nationwide in United Sates in year of 2001. Pepsi Company launched Pepsi-twist in the year 2001 which led to enter diet version of coke in the USA markets. Pepsi introduced in Italy as orange brand caller Miranda. Pepsi created Marathon Kids, a television program that encourages kids and their families  to be more physically active and it got huge success in world wide (2002). Pepsi Company introduces Sierra Mist nationally 2(003) PepsiCo introduces Get Active/Stay Active program (2003) Quaker Chewy launched Quaker Chewy Wholesome Favourites and Quaker  Chewy Trail Mix. (2003) Pepsi signed an exclusive four-year sponsorship deal with the Canadian  Hockey Association made Pepsi the official soft drink (2003) Pepsi announced four-year sponsorship bond with the UK Football  Association (2003). In 2004 Pepsi trademark turned 100 years old. In 2004 Pepsi Vanilla is launched in the United States. In 2004- Frito-Lay Introduced Doritos Black Pepper Jack Pepsi introduced Pepsi Edge, the first full-flavoured cola with 50% less sugar,  carbohydrates and calories than regular cola. In 2005 -PepsiCo Celebrates 40th Anniversary. In 2005 PepsiCo introduced Quaker Milk Chillers. In 2005 Tropicana introduced All Fruit Smoothies. In 2005 Frito-Lay Launches Quaker Oats in India. In 2005 Pepsi Foods Introduced Weight Control Instant Oatmeal. In 2005Pepsi Lime and Diet Pepsi Lime Lanced. In 2005 Tropicana Twister Soda introduced in April In 2005 PepsiCo international and Lipton came into agreement and introduced new Lipton Original Iced Tea and New Lipton Iced Tea. In 2005 Tropicana Fruit Wise Campaign introduced. PepsiCo Health Wellness Launches Everyday Smart Moves Magazine. In 2005 Pepsi Celebrated 20th Consecutive Super Bowl With New Diet Pepsi Campaign In 2006 Pepsi introduced Pepsi lemon in Peru In 2007 Pepsi made Fortune magazines 100 Best MBA Employers list. In 2007, Pepsi won two awards which was Best Environmental /Wildlife Campaign and Best Cause Marketing Event at Fifth Annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards. Revenues of Pepsi: In the year of 2009, Pepsi have earned $13.3 billion and it was increased of 4.7% form 2008 and in quarter of 2010, Pepsi have earned $9.4 billion. Comparison of Pepsi and Coke: Comparison COKE PEPSI Taste Original cola Little different with coke carbonation more less Marketing approach Coke side of life Hot stuff Advertisings Models Christina Aguilera Britney Spears Key revenues Carbonated drinks Non carbonated drinks World wide share high low Global foot print high low Diversified product offering high low Quarterly Earnings $5.88 billion $9.4 billion Product delivery Service delivery Performance Friendly service with customer Features Speed Reliablity Accuracy of information Conformance Technical knowledge Durability Quality of customer service Serviceability Control and access over dealings with staff Safety Flexible Recommendation to act Innovation and changes and competitions There are 6 steps to analyze the quality of an organization and improvement, Identify the product you create the service Identify the customers for our product Identify strategic target Describe the process for offering service Error -proof the process and delete waste Make sure continuous improvement by calculating, researching and controlling the improvement process. To measure the quality operations, Management must need to set and monitor company targets for continuous improving the process of operation. Identify the following things to measure quality operations, Customer paying for the product Shareholders in the company giving the service Employees working to make the service Suppliers providing the materials to produce the service Benchmarking Analysis Planning determine and indentify critical factor as well critical advantages Analysis know the best practices within the company Response- identify performance measures, current capacity and goals Monitor-construct understanding process of company at all level Improve-review and adjust benchmark Indicatation of assignment I have noticed from above assignment research past many years coke company stock significantly surpassed Pepsi. Really from 2005 cokes stock price was 35% gain while Pepsi was 3% gain. If you consider dividend payments, coke had to deliver a 52% return to investors and Pepsi was 13%. In this decade, most of them on Wall Street believe that the situation is now turning in supporting of Pepsi. Cokes market cap is now 33% greater than Pepsis (eDividendStocks.com). Pepsi now gives over 40% more incomes than coke and coke and Pepsi both offering same dividend gains of 3%. Coke trades at 16* unity 2010 earnings calculation and Pepsi company shares less than 15* 2010 eps unities. As long as both coke and Pepsi continue to benefit form resumption in consumer spending, it shows that coke and Pepsi has very good fundamentals. Conclusion Based on above research, Pepsi surpassed coke with more diversified operational managements systems and Pepsi does better growth potential and more attractive valuation. Coke should stimulate healthcare and should ensure their products will not give any health problems to the consumers and Pepsi should find ways to less price of its product by their effective operations. Operation management of Pepsi company is very effective than coke so that Pepsi Diet sells in market very well. Coca Cola Company should review their distribution channel in emerging countries by doing that they can make more revenues.

George C. Marshall :: essays research papers

	George C. Marshall was born on December 31, 1880, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1901 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. During World War I he was stationed in France and won acclaim for his direction of the Meuse-Argonne offensive. Before the offensive, Marshall was responsible for; the withdrawal of 200,000 men, and replacing them with 600,000 American soldiers, making sure that there were hospitals to treat the sick and wounded, moving more than 3,000 cannons and 40,000 tons of ammunition, all the while hiding these movements from the Germans by moving only at night. 	After World War I he was a high-level aide to General John J. Pershing. Prior to the outbreak of World War II he progressed steadily from assistant chief-of-staff of the U.S. Army (July, 1938) to deputy chief of staff (October, 1938), to chief of staff the following year. In 1944, Marshall was promoted to General of the Army. He spent a year in China in 1945-46 as President Truman's representative, attempting to bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the nationalists and the communists. 	As Secretary of State from 1947 to 1949, he developed an economic program, the Marshall Plan, to help bring relief to war torn nations in Europe. The plan stipulated that the United States war prepared to assist Europe on certain terms. The European countries were to (1) Confer and Determine their needs on a continental basis; (2) show what resources they could put into a common pool for economic rebuilding; (3) stabilize their currencies; and (4) try to remove trade barriers so that goods could flow freely throughout the continent. With the assistance of the Marshall Plan, Western Europe began to recover from the ravages of war. Marshall's effort to include the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in this grand design was rejected by Moscow. As Western Europe rebuilt, Europe was divided both economically and ideologically, and conflicting politics soon laid the ground for "The Cold War". When it became evident that the gap between Eastern and Western Europe would not be bridged, and that the Western European states feared for their safety, Marshall was one of the leaders who created the North Atlantic Treaty Organization which has ensured the security of the West. The establishment of NATO in 1949 achieved a balance of power in Europe that endured until the end of the Cold War.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 17

Meredith and Matt were sitting at the breakfast table, which seemed sadly empty without Bonnie. It was amazing how much space that slight body had seemed to fil , and how much more serious everyone was without her. Meredith knew that if Elena had done her best, she could have offset it. But she also knew that Elena had one thing on her mind above al others, and that was Stefan, who was stricken with guilt for al owing his brother to abduct Bonnie. And meanwhile Meredith knew that both she and Matt were feeling guilty too, because today they would be leaving the other three, even if only for the evening. They each had been summoned home by parents who demanded to see them for dinner. Mrs. Flowers clearly didn't want them to feel too badly. â€Å"With the help you've given, I can make our urns,†she said. â€Å"Since Matt has found my wheel – â€Å" â€Å"I didn't exactly find it,†Matt said under his breath. â€Å"It was there in the storage room al the time and it fel on me.† † – and since Meredith has received her pictures – along, I'm sure, with an email from Mr. Saltzman – perhaps she could get them enlarged or whatever.† â€Å"Of course, and show them to the Saitous, too, to make sure that the symbols say the things we want them to,†Meredith promised. â€Å"And Bonnie can – â€Å" She broke off short. Idiot! She was an idiot, she thought. And, as a hunter-slayer, she was supposed to be clear-minded and at al times maintain control. She felt terrible when she looked at Matt and saw the naked pain in his face. â€Å"Dear Bonnie wil surely be home soon,†Mrs. Flowers finished for her. And we al know that's a lie, and I don't have to be psychic to detect it, Meredith thought. She noticed that Mrs. Flowers hadn't weighed in with anything from Ma ma. â€Å"We'l al be just fine here,†Elena said, final y picking up the bal as she realized that Mrs. Flowers was looking at her with ladylike distress. â€Å"You two think we're some kind of babies who need to be taken care of,†she said, smiling at Matt and Meredith, â€Å"but you're just babies too! Off you go! But be careful.† They went, Meredith giving Elena one last glance. Elena nodded very slightly, then turned stiffly, mimicking holding a bayonet. It was the changing of the guard. Elena let Stefan help her clean up the dishes – they were al letting him do little things now because he looked so much better. They spent the morning trying to contact Bonnie in different ways. But then Mrs. Flowers asked if Elena could board up the last few of the basement windows, and Stefan couldn't stand it. Matt and Meredith had already done a far more dangerous job. They'd hung two tarps from the house's ridgepole, each one hanging down one side of the main roof. On each tarp were the characters that Isobel's mother put on the Post-it Note amulets she always gave them, painted at an enormous scale in black paint. Stefan had been al owed only to watch and give suggestions from the widow's walk above his attic bedroom. But now†¦ â€Å"We'l nail up the boards together,†he said firmly, and went off to get a hammer and nails. It wasn't real y such a hard job anyway. Elena held the boards and Stefan wielded the hammer and she trusted him not to hit her fingers, which meant that they got on very quickly. It was a perfect day – clear, sunny, with a slight breeze. Elena wondered what was happening to Bonnie, right now, and if Damon was taking care of her properly – or at al . She seemed unable to shake off her worries these last days: over Stefan, over Bonnie, and over a curious feeling that she had to know what was going on in town. Maybe she could disguise herself†¦ God, no! Stefan said voicelessly. When she turned he was spitting out nails and looking both horrified and ashamed. Apparently she'd been projecting. â€Å"I'm sorry,†he said before Elena could get the nails out of her mouth, â€Å"but you know better than anyone why you can't go.† â€Å"But it's maddening not knowing what's happening,†Elena said, having gotten rid of her nails. â€Å"We don't know anything. What's happening to Bonnie, what state the town's in – â€Å" â€Å"Let's finish this board,†Stefan said. â€Å"And then let me hold you.† When the last board was secure, Stefan raised her from the lower embankment where she was sitting, not bride-style, but kid-style, putting her toes on top of his feet. He danced her a little, whirled her a couple of times in the air, and then nabbed her coming down again. â€Å"I know your problem,†he said soberly. Elena looked up quickly. â€Å"You do?†she said, alarmed. Stefan nodded, and to her further alarm said, â€Å"It's Love-itis. Means the patient has a whole slew of people she cares about, and she can't be happy unless each and every one of them is safe and happy themselves.† Elena deliberately slipped off his shoes and looked up at him. â€Å"Some more than others,†she said hesitantly. Stefan looked down at her and then he took her in his arms. â€Å"I'm not as good as you,†he said while Elena's heart pounded in shame and remorse for ever having touched Damon, ever having danced with him, ever having kissed him. â€Å"If you are happy, that's al I want, after that prison. I can live; I can die†¦peaceful y.† â€Å"If we're happy,†Elena corrected. â€Å"I won't tempt the gods. I'l settle for you.† â€Å"No, you can't! Don't you see? If you disappeared again, I'd worry and fret and fol ow you. To Hel if I had to.† â€Å"I'l take you with me wherever I go,†Stefan said hastily. â€Å"If you'l take me with you.† Elena relaxed slightly. That would do, for now. As long as Stefan was with her she could stand anything. They sat and cuddled, right under the open sky, even with a maple tree and a clump of slender waving beeches nearby. She extended her aura a little and felt it touch Stefan's. Peace flooded into her, and al the dark thoughts were left behind. Almost al . â€Å"Since I first saw you, I loved you – but it was the wrong kind of love. See how long it took me to figure that out?†Elena whispered into the hol ow of his throat. â€Å"Since I first saw you, I loved you – but I didn't know who you real y were. You were like a ghost in a dream. But you put me straight pretty quickly,†Stefan said, obviously glad that he could brag about her. â€Å"And we've survived – everything. They say long-distance relationships can be pretty difficult,†he added, laughing, and then he stopped, and she could feel al his faculties fixed on her suddenly, breath stopping so he could hear her better. â€Å"But then, there's Bonnie and Damon,†he said before she could say or think a word. â€Å"We have to find them soon – and they'd damn well better be together – or it had better have been Bonnie's decision to part.† â€Å"There's Bonnie and Damon,†agreed Elena, glad that she could share even her darkest thoughts with someone. â€Å"I can't think about them. I can't not think about them. We do have to find them, and very fast – but I pray that they're with Lady Ulma now. Maybe Bonnie is going to a bal or gala. Maybe Damon is hunting with that Black Ops program.† â€Å"As long as nobody's real y hurt.† â€Å"Yes.†Elena tried hard to tuck herself closer to Stefan. She wanted to – be closer to him, somehow. The way they had when she had been out of her body and she had just sunk into him. But of course, with regular bodies, they couldn't†¦ But of course they could. Now. Her blood†¦ Elena real y didn't know which of them thought of it first. She looked away, embarrassed at even having considered it – and caught the tail end of Stefan looking away too. â€Å"I don't think we have the right,†she whispered. â€Å"Not to – be that happy – when everyone else is miserable. Or doing things for the town or for Bonnie.† â€Å"Of course we don't,†Stefan said firmly, but he had to gulp a little first. â€Å"No,†Elena said. â€Å"No,†Stefan said firmly, and then right in the middle of her echoing â€Å"no,†he went and pul ed her up and kissed her breathless. And of course, Elena couldn't let him do that and not get even. So she demanded, Stillbreathless, but almost angry, that he say â€Å"no†again, and when he did it she caught him and kissed him. â€Å"You were happy,†she accused a moment later. â€Å"I felt it.† Stefan was too much of a gentleman to accuse her of being happy because of anything she might do. He said, â€Å"I couldn't help it. It just happened by itself. I felt our minds together, and that made me happy. But then I remembered about poor Bonnie. And – â€Å" â€Å"Poor Damon?† â€Å"Well, somehow I don't think we need to go so far as to cal him ‘poor Damon.'But I did remember him,†he said. â€Å"Well done,†Elena said. â€Å"We'd better go inside now,†Stefan said. And then hastily, â€Å"Downstairs, I mean. Maybe we can think of something more to do for them.† â€Å"Like what? There's not a thing I can think of. I did meditation and Attempt to Contact by Out-of-Body Experience – â€Å" â€Å"From nine thirty to ten thirty A.M.,†Stefan said. â€Å"And meanwhile I was trying al frequency telepathic cal s. No response.† â€Å"Then we tried with the Ouija board.† â€Å"For half an hour – and al we got was nonsense.† â€Å"It did tel us the clay was coming.† â€Å"I think that was me bumping it toward ‘yes.'† â€Å"Then I tried to tap into the ley lines below us for Power – â€Å" â€Å"From eleven to around eleven thirty,†Stefan recited. â€Å"While I tried to go into hibernation to have a prophetic dream†¦.† â€Å"We really tried hard,†Elena said grimly. â€Å"And then we nailed the last few boards up,†Stefan added. â€Å"Bringing us to a little after twelve thirty P.M.† â€Å"Can you think of a single Plan – we're down to G or H now – that might al ow us to help them any more?† â€Å"I can't. I just honestly can't,†Stefan said. Then he added, hesitantly, â€Å"Maybe Mrs. Flowers has some housework for us. Or† – even more hesitantly, testing the waters – â€Å"we could go into town.† â€Å"No! You're definitely not strong enough for that!†Elena said sharply. â€Å"And there's no more housework,†she added. Then she threw everything to the wind. Every responsibility. Every rationality. Just like that. She began to tow Stefan to the house so they could get there quicker. â€Å"Elena – â€Å" I'm burning my bridges! Elena thought stubbornly, and suddenly she didn't care. And if Stefan cared she would bite him. But it was as if some spel had suddenly come over her so that she felt she would die without his touch. She wanted to touch him. She wanted him to touch her. She wanted him to be her mate. â€Å"Elena!†Stefan could hear what she was thinking. He was torn, of course, Elena thought. Stefan was always torn. But how dare he be torn about this? She turned around to face him, blazing. â€Å"You don't want to!† â€Å"I don't want to do it and then find out I've Influenced you into it!† â€Å"You were Influencing me?†shouted Elena. Stefan threw out his hands and yel ed, â€Å"How can I know when I want you so much?† Oh. Well, that was better. There was a little glitter in Elena's side-eye and she looked at it and realized that Mrs. Flowers had quietly shut a window. Elena darted a glance at Stefan. He was trying not to blush. She doubled over, trying not to laugh. Then she stood on his shoes again. â€Å"Maybe we deserve an hour alone† – dangerously. â€Å"A whole hour?†Stefan's conspiratorial whisper made an hour sound like eternity. â€Å"We do deserve it,†Elena said, enthral ed. She began to tow him again. â€Å"No.†Stefan pul ed her back, lifted her – bridal-style – and suddenly they were going straight up, fast. They shot up three stories and a little more and landed on the platform of the widow's walk above his room. â€Å"But it's locked from inside – â€Å" Stefan stomped on the trapdoor – hard. The door disappeared. Elena was impressed. They floated down into Stefan's room amid a shaft of light and motes of dust that looked like fireflies or stars. â€Å"I'm a little nervous,†Elena said. She heeled her sandals off and slid out of her jeans and top and into bed†¦only to find Stefan already there. They're faster, she thought. As fast as you think you are, they're always faster. She turned toward Stefan in the bed. She was wearing a camisole and underwear. She was scared. â€Å"Don't,†he said. â€Å"I don't even have to bite you.† â€Å"You do so. It's al that weird stuff about my blood.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,†he said, as if he'd forgotten. Elena would bet that he hadn't forgotten a word about her blood†¦al owing vampires to do things they couldn't otherwise. Her life energy gave them back al their human abilities, and he wouldn't forget that. They're smarter, she thought. â€Å"Stefan, it's not supposed to be like this! I'm supposed to parade in front of you in a golden negligee designed by Lady Ulma, with jewels by Lucen and golden stilts – which I don't own. And there are supposed to be scattered flower petals on the bed and roses in little round bubble bowls and white vanil a candles.† â€Å"Elena,†Stefan said, â€Å"come here.† She went into his arms, and let herself breathe in the fresh smel of him, warm and spicy, with a trace of rusty nails. You're my life, Stefan told her silently. We're not going to do anything today. There's not much time, and you deserve your golden negligee and your roses and candles. If not from Lady Ulma, from the finest Earth designers that money can provide. But†¦kiss me? Elena kissed him wil ingly, so glad that he was wil ing to wait. The kiss was warm and comforting and she didn't mind the slight taste of rust. And it was wonderful to be with someone who would provide exactly what she needed, whether that was a slight mind probe, just to make her feel safer, or†¦ And then sheet lightning hit them. It seemed to come from both of them at once, and then Elena involuntarily clamped her teeth on Stefan's lip, drawing blood. Stefan locked his arms around her, and barely waited for her to back off a little, before deliberately taking her lower lip in his own teeth and†¦after a moment of tension that seemed to last forever†¦biting down hard. Elena almost cried out. She almost then and there unleashed the Still-undefined Wings of Destruction on him. But two things stopped her. One, Stefan had never, ever hurt her before. And, two, she was being drawn into something so ancient and mystical that she couldn't stop now. A minute of finessing and Stefan had the two little wounds aligned. Blood surged from Elena's bleeding lip and, in direct connection with Stefan's less serious wound, caused a backflow. Her blood into his lip. And the same thing happened with Stefan's blood; some of it, rich with Power, rushed into Elena. It wasn't perfect. A bead of blood swell ed and stood gleaming on Elena's lip. But Elena couldn't have cared less. A moment later the bead dropped down into Stefan's mouth and she felt the sheer staggering power of how much he loved her. She herself was concentrating on one single tiny feeling, somewhere in the center of this storm they'd cal ed up. This kind of exchange of blood – she was sure as she could be – this was the old way, the way that two vampires could share blood and love and their souls. She was being drawn into Stefan's mind. She felt his soul, pure and unconstrained, swirling around her with a thousand different emotions, tears from his past, joy from the present, al open without a trace of a shield from her. She felt her own soul lift to meet his, herself unshielded and unafraid. Stefan had long ago seen any selfishness, vanity, over-ambition in her – and forgiven it. He'd seen al of her and loved al of her, even the bad parts. And so she saw him, as darkness as tender as rest, as gentle as evensong, wrapping black protective wings around her†¦ Stefan, I†¦ Love†¦I know†¦ That was when someone knocked on the door.

Science ; Future

Much of what IVe said would seem uncontroversial or even platitudinous to the scientifically-attuned audiences here in Newcastle this week. But there's one thing that scientific advisors in any democratic system must not forget. When really big and long-term policies are in contention – whether about nuclear weapons, nuclear power, drug classification, or health risks – political decisions are seldom purely scientific: they involve ethics, economics and social policies as well.Such discussions hould engage all of us, as citizens – and of course our elected representatives. Sometimes this has happened, and constructively too. The dialogue with parliamentarians led, despite divergent ethical stances, to a generally-admired legal framework on embryos and stem cells – a contrast to what happened in the US. And Lisa Jardine has chaired the HFEA, another fine precedent. But we've had failures too: the GM crop debate was left too late – to a time when opin ion was already polarised between eco-campaigners on the one side and commercial interests on the other.Scientists have a special responsibility to engage – though they should accept that on the economic, social and ethical aspects of any policy they speak as citizens and not as experts. But despite many worthy efforts, there are habitual grumbles that such inputs don't have much traction with politicians. For them, the urgent trumps the important. The local trumps the global. And getting re-elected trumps almost everything. Anything that gets headlined in the media, or makes their postbag bulge, will get attention.It's volume not quality that counts. So scientists might have more leverage on politicians indirectly – by publicising their research and letting the media do the campaigning – rather than by more official and direct channels. This is one reason – over and above the general cultural value of our findings – why â€Å"outreach† by s cientists is important. And there are special things universities teachers can do. We're privileged to have influence over successive generations of students.We should try to sensitise them to the issues that will confront them in their careers – ndeed, polls show, unsurprisingly, that younger people who expect to survive most of the century, are more engaged and anxious about long-term issues. We fret too much about minor hazards of everyday life: improbable air crashes, carcinogens in food, low radiation doses, and so forth. But the wide public is in denial about two kinds of threats: those that we're causing collectively to the biosphere, and those that stem from the greater vulnerability of our interconnected world to error or terror induced by individuals or small groups.The issues impel us to plan internationally (for nstance, whether or not a pandemic gets global grip may hinge, for instance, on how quickly a Vietnamese poultry farmer can report any strange sickness). And many of them – energy and climate change, for instance, involve multi-decade timescales – plainly far outside the â€Å"comfort zone† of most politicians. One issue that should be addressed is whether nations need to give up more sovereignty to new organisations along the lines of IAEA, WHO, etc.Final message Unlike our 17th century forebears who I cited at the beginning of this talk, we know a reat deal about our world – and indeed about what lies beyond. Technologies that our ancestors couldn't nave conceived enrich our lives and our understanding. Many phenomena still make us fearful, but the advance of science spares us from irrational dread. We know that we are stewards of a precious â€Å"pale blue dot† in a vast cosmos – a planet with a future measured in billions of years, whose fate depends on humanitys collective actions. But all too often the focus is parochial and short term.We downplay what's happening even now in impoverish ed far-away countries. And we discount too heavily the problems we'll leave for our grandchildren. We can truly be techno-optimists. But the intractable politics and sociology – the gap between potentialities and what actually happens – engenders pessimism. We need a change in priorities and perspective – and soon – if we are to navigate the challenges of the 21st century: to share the benefits of globalisation, to prioritise clean energy, and sustainable agriculture; and to handle the Promethian challenge posed by ever more powerful technology.To survive this century, we'll need the idealistic and effective efforts of natural scientists, environmentalists, social scientists and humanists. They must be guided by the insights that 21st century science will offer, but inspired by values that science itself can't provide. And I give the last word to a great scientist who was himself once the president of the BA – the biologist Peter Medawar: The bells that toll for mankind are like the bells of Alpine cattle. They are attached to our own necks, and it must be our fault if they do not make a tuneful and melodious sound.