Stefan’s Diaries: Bloodlust Chapter 16-17

Chapter 16 I searched in vain for peaceful sleep but never found it. Instead when I closed my eyes I saw Damon, his legs curled around a hard wooden chair, his arms bound in ropes. His skin bled, the droplets a dark maroon where the vervain-soaked ropes bit into his flesh. Next came the images of Callie, her flame-colored hair flowing behind her, her eyes lit with a frightening passion. She and her father danced around Damon, my brothers form prone on the ground. They threw their hands in the air tauntingly, gripping wooden stakes, the ends so sharpened they reached a fine point. Their movements became more frenzied as they approached, readying their weapons But worst of all were the visions of Katherine. I would see her, looking beautiful as always, her porcelain face hovering above mine and her glossy mane tickling my shoulders. With a coy, knowing smile she would lean toward me, and then she would open her mouth. Her fangs glinted in the lamp light as they plunged into my neck. My eyes flew open. Sleep would not afford me any rest. My mind went to memories of Katherine. The human part of me–or what was left of it–hated her with every fiber of my being. My hand curled into a fist involuntarily when I thought of her, and how shed destroyed my family. But the vampire part of me missed what shed represented–stability and love. And just as that part of my soul would last for eternity, so too would the part of me that longed for her. I wanted her now, beside me, curled up in my sheets. I wanted her to lean against the windowsill and listen as I told her about Damon, and tell me, in her calm, even cold, matter-of-fact way what to do. Being with Katherine had made me fearless, confident. She had made everything seem possible. Even though I trusted Lexi, I knew she didnt trust me to take care of things she didnt believe that any plan I had would work. That was why Lexi reminded me so often of all the obstacles in my path. I longed for the Katherine I had fallen for, the one who seemed both fearless and to truly care for me. I wanted her by my side right now so I would feel less alone. But I knew that couldnt be. That Katherine had never really existed. Besides, she was gone, and she was never coming back. The door opened, and Lexi stood there, a goblet of animal blood in her hands. She brought it to my lips. I took a few deep sips, despite the disgust it called up in me. When I had drained the cup, she put it on the nightstand, then brushed my hair off my forehead. â€Å"Are you still going to the fight tonight?† â€Å"Are you going to try to stop me?† â€Å"No.† Lexi bit her lip. â€Å"Not so long as you simply leave it at saving your brother. Revenge is for humans–and killing Gallagher wont teach humans any lesson.† I nodded, all the while knowing Id use brute force if it was necessary to free Damon. â€Å"Good.† Lexi turned to leave. Halfway toward the door, she turned back and locked eyes with me, and her expression softened. â€Å"Youve cheated death once. I hope youll cheat it a second time.† After dressing, I walked to Lake Road with human speed. By the time I got there, it was past dusk. Lanterns and torches were set up around the perimeter of the fairgrounds, making the entire area look as if it was bathed in daylight. The circus tent was striped red and white, and surrounded by midway games and individual booths. â€Å"Fortunes Told!† a poster above one read. â€Å"See the Worlds Ugliest Woman–If You Dare!† proclaimed another. I could hear the chattering of some type of animal coming from a far corner, but I couldnt get a sense of where Damon was. Just then, Callie walked out of the main tent, trailed by her father and her two henchmen. She was wearing the same pair of overalls shed had on the night before over a mans linen shirt, and her hair fell around her shoulders. There was a smudge of dirt beneath her eye. I had a sudden urge to wipe it away but stuck my hands in my pocket instead. â€Å"Stefan!† she called, her face breaking into a smile. â€Å"Youre here. Father, this is the man I told you about.† Mr. Gallagher looked even more imposing up close. He towered above me, his dark brows knitted together. I kept my expression open, innocent. Lexi said Gallagher was a skilled vampire hunter–would he be able to detect the truth just by staring at me? â€Å"My daughter says youre curious about vampires,† he said. â€Å"Prove youre serious and work the ticket counter. Then we can talk.† â€Å"Yes, sir.† I nodded, feeling like Stefan the obedient child. â€Å"And, boy?† Gallagher asked, turning back toward me. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You want to place a bet on the fight? Winnerll take a lot. Could make you a fortune.† He raised an eyebrow. My eyes narrowed, and blood screamed through my veins, fast and hot. How dare this man ask me to bet on my brothers life? How dare he act so self-important when I could rip his throat out in an instant? â€Å"Stefan?† Callie asked warily. Forcing myself to calm down, I reached into the pockets of my well-worn britches and pulled them inside out. â€Å"Im afraid I have no money, sir. Thats why Im so grateful to have this job.† Gallagher took a step closer to me. â€Å"You say youre from Mississippi, boy?† He gazed at me curiously. â€Å"Your accent sounds more northern–maybe Virginian.† â€Å"My parents were from Virginia. I suppose their accent rubbed off on me,† I said in as casual a voice as I could muster. After a long moment, he nodded. â€Å"Well, when you rustle up some currency, come find me. In the meantime, Callie will show you the ropes. And son?† he called, turning on his heel. â€Å"Yes, sir?† I asked. â€Å"Ill be watching you.† Chapter 17 Dont be bothered by him,† Callie said, once her father was a safe distance away. â€Å"Im not,† I lied. Her green eyes flicked over me, as if she didnt believe my words. But she didnt press the issue. â€Å"Ill give you a quick tour,† she said, taking me into one of the smaller tents. In a corner, a woman was hunched over a mirror. She turned, and I took a step back. Her face was covered with tattoos, which, upon closer inspection, were courtesy of rapidly drying India ink. â€Å"The tattooed woman,† Callie said. â€Å"And the conjoined twins.† The woman and the twins next to her waved at us. The twins bodies were connected at the hip. They were beautiful, with blond hair and sad expressions. A man with flippers instead of arms whispered something in one of their ears. They glanced at each other, then broke into laughter. â€Å"This is the show.† Callie opened her hands wide, and for the first time I noticed a wooden stake dangling on a silver chain from her wrist. She also had a sprig of vervain tucked behind her ear. â€Å"Miss Callie!† A hulking, seven-foot-tall mountain of a man ducked under the door of the tent and walked toward us. He picked her up by her tiny waist and swung her around. â€Å"Arnold!† she said gleefully. â€Å"The worlds strongest man. Married to the bearded lady,† she explained to me before looking back up at Arnold. â€Å"How is Caroline feeling?† The giant shrugged. â€Å"Shes doing well. Cant wait to come back and introduce everyone to the babies.† â€Å"They just had twins!† Callie said fondly. I nodded my greeting to the man and gazed over Callies shoulder. Where were they keeping Damon? â€Å"Are you okay?† Callie asked. She brushed my arm, and I flinched when the vervain touched my skin. â€Å"I just need air,† I said, bursting out of the tent. Callie ran after me. â€Å"Im sorry, Stefan,† she said, her voice cold. â€Å"Some people dont like it here. Theyre not comfortable. But somehow I thought youd be different.† â€Å"No, its not that.† Even surrounded by these human curiosities, I was the biggest freak of them all: the vampire who pretended to be human. â€Å"Ive just got a lot on my mind. I promise you, I like it here.† â€Å"Okay,† she said, not sounding quite convinced. But she continued to lead me farther into the grounds. We passed a two-headed cat, a sad-looking monkey playing â€Å"Old Tom Dooley† on a harmonica, and the skeleton of what a sign declared to be a sea monster. Some freaks milling around were obviously actors, wearing fabric tubes filled with straw to simulate extra limbs, while others had been born that way. â€Å"Come with me,† Callie said as she tugged on my arm. But I stayed. A black iron wagon rolled up to the tent, similar to the one Father had used to round up vampires during the Mystic Falls siege. It stopped, and the driver jumped from the cart. Immediately, five burly men rushed up with stakes. Once they were in place, the driver unlocked the back of the wagon. The scent of vervain wafted in the air, causing my joints to ache. Damon. â€Å"And theres your vampire,† Callie said, her mouth set in a firm line as all five men dragged Damon from the back of the wagon. One burly man, his sweat-stained shirt rolled at the sleeves, kept a stake positioned firmly over his heart. â€Å"Gentle now, Jasper! We need him alive before the fight!† Callie called, her voice sharp. Damon turned, baring his teeth in our direction. I saw surprise in his eyes, which quickly turned into contempt. â€Å"My little brother, the good Samaritan,† he whispered under his breath, barely moving his jaw. Luckily, he said it low enough that only I heard. His voice sent a tremor through my body. Callie cocked her head, and I realized how risky it was for Damon and me to be in such close proximity. Would spite cause him to call me out as a fellow demon? â€Å"Are you sure I cant help with the vampire?† I asked her. â€Å"You heard my father. Well start you at the ticket counter. And if anyone tries to sneak in, let Buck handle them,† she said, gesturing to the hulking man hovering several paces behind her like a distended shadow. A commotion sounded in front of the tent. Callie let out a whistle as we approached. The front flap was closed tight, and a mass of people had surrounded a wooden ticket booth. Some, dressed in tattered britches and with dirt-stained hands, were clearly from the shantytown surrounding the lake. But others were dressed in their finest: the men in top hats and silk smoking jackets, the women in feather-adorned hats and silk dresses, fur stoles draped around their bosoms. Callie turned to me, her eyes shining. â€Å"Its never been so busy. Dads going to be so happy!† she said, clapping her hands together. â€Å"Now, go help Buck,† she commanded before running back around the tent. I stood in the wooden booth at the entrance, listening for Damon. But instead my ears filled with snatches of human conversation. â€Å"Ive got a hundred dollars on the lion.† â€Å"No, the vampire. Monsters always win over beasts.† â€Å"Ive told this pretty lady here that she owes me a kiss if the beast wins.† One man hiccupped, obviously drunk. I ground my teeth, wanting to lash out, to bite each and every one of them, to teach them a lesson. But I remembered Lexis words about revenge. Killing these men would not help Damon. A hand clapped my shoulder. I whirled around, ready to bare my teeth. It was Gallagher, his face flushed with excitement. â€Å"We have to hustle, son! The fights about to start, and the more we pack em in, the bigger the payday.† He hopped on an overturned apple crate standing just outside the entrance. â€Å"Step right up, folks! Welcome to my Odditorium! See the worlds ugliest woman, marvel at the worlds strongest man! But thats just the warm-up act. Because tonight, we have a battle royale, the likes of which have never been seen. Monster versus Beast. Who will win? And who wants to bet? Because this is one death that will lead to riches for some.† The crowd pressed in more tightly around me, swarming like a mass of hungry insects. Gallagher grinned at me. â€Å"Get em in, and get em bidding.† And so I held out my hand, collecting their coins and orange stubs of paper, all the while resisting the urge to reach out and snap their necks, as easily as I would a twig branch, and drink the liquid within.

EXTREME PERCEPTION AND ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE

EXTREME PERCEPTION AND ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE Many animals also have extreme perception. Forensic dogs are three times as good as any X-ray machine at sniffing out contraband, drugs, or explosives, and their overall success rate on tests is 90 percent. The fact that a dog can smell things a person can't doesn't make him a genius; it just makes him a dog. Humans can see things dogs can't, but that doesn't make us smarter. But when you look at the jobs some dogs have invented for them ­selves using their advanced perceptual abilities, you're moving into the realm of true cognition, which is solving a problem under novel conditions.The seizure alert dogs are an example of an animal using advanced perceptual abilities to solve a problem no dog was born knowing how to solve. Seizure alert dogs are dogs who, their owners say, can predict a seizure before it starts. There's still controversy over whether you can train dog to predict seizures, and so far peo ­ple haven't had a lot of luck t rying. But there are a number of dogs who have figured it out on their own. These dogs were trained as seizure-response dogs, meaning they can help a person once a seizure has begun.The dog might be trained to lie on top of the person so he doesn't hurt himself, or bring the person his medicine or the telephone. Those are all standard helpful behaviors any dog can be trained to perform. But some of these dogs have gone from responding to seizures to perceiving signs of a seizure ahead of time. No one knows how they do this,because the signs are invisible to people. No human being can look at someone who's about to have a seizure and see (or hear, smell, or feel) what's coming. Yet one study found that 10 percent of owners said their seizure response dogs had turned into seizure alert dogs.The New York Times published a terrific article about a woman named Connie Standley, in Florida, who has two huge Bouvier des Flandres dogs who predict her seizures about thirty minutes ahead of ti me. When they sense Ms. Standley is heading into a seizure they'll do things like pull on her clothes, bark at her, or drag on her hand to get her to someplace safe so she won't get hurt whenthe seizure begins. Ms. Standley says they predict about 80 percent of her seizures Ms. Standley'S dogs apparently were trained as seizure alert dogs before they came to her, but there aren't many dogs in that category.Most of the seizure alert dogs were trained to respond to seizures, not predict seizures. The seizure alert dogs remind me of Clever Hans. Hans was the world-famous German horse in the early 1900s whose owner, Wilhelm von Osten, thought he could count. Herr von Osten could ask the horse questions like, â€Å"What's seven and five? † and Hans would tap out the number 12 with his hoof. Hans could even tap out answers to questions like, â€Å"If the eighth day of the month comes on Tuesday, what is the date for the following Friday? † .He could answer mathe ­ matical questions posed to him by complete strangers, too. Eventually a psychologist named Oskar Pfungst managed to show that Hans wasn't really counting. Instead, Hans was observing sub ­ tle, unconscious cues the humans had no idea they were giving of He'd start tapping his foot when he could see it was time to start tapping; then he'd stop tapping his foot when he saw it was time to stop tapping. His questioners were making tiny, move ­ ments only Hans could see. The movements were so tiny the humans making themcouldn't even feel them. Dr.Pfungst couldn't see the movements, either, and he was look ­ ing for them. He finally solved the case by putting Hans's question ­ers out of view and having them ask Hans questions they didn't know the answers to themselves. It turned out Hans could answer questions only when the person asking the question was in plain view and already knew the answer. If either condition was missing, his performance fell apart. Psychologists often use the Clev er Hans story to show that humans who believe animals are intelligent are deluding themselves. But that's not the obvious conclusion as far as I'm concerned.No one has ever been able to train a horse to do what Hans did. Hans trained himself. Is the ability to read a member of a different species as well as Hans was reading human beings really a sign that he was just a â€Å"dumb animal† who'd been classically conditioned to stamp his hoof? I think there'smore to it than that. What makes Hans similar to the seizure alert dogs is that both Hans and the dogs acquired their skills without human help. As I mentioned, to my knowledge, so far no one's figured out how to take a â€Å"raw† dog and teach it how to predict seizures.About the best a trainer can do is reward the dogs for helping when a person is having a seizure and then leave it up to the dog to star identifYing signs that predict the onset of a seizure on his own. That approach hasn't been hugely successful, but some dogs do it. I think those dogs are showing superior intelligence the same way a human who can do something few other people can do shows superior intelli ­gence. What makes the actions of the seizure alert dogs, and probably of Hans, too, a sign of high intelligence–or high talent-is the fact that they didn't have to do what they did.It's one thing for a dog to start recognizing the signs that a seizure coming; you might chalk that up to unique aspects of canine hearing, smell, or vision, like the fact that a dog can hear a dog whistle while a human can't. But it's another thing for a dog to start to recognize the signs of an impend ­ing seizure and then decide to do something about it. That's what intelligence is in humans; intelligence is people using their built-in perceptual and cognitive skills to achieve useful and sometimes remarkable goals.

American society Essay

Childcare and early childcare education must be a priority for parents. It can be the difference between success and failure in American society. High quality early childhood education prepare children to succeed and become better citizens, they make higher wages, pay more taxes, and commit fewer crimes. Early education strengthens the foundations of lifelong learning of all children and supporting the educational and social needs for family. Researchers indicate that children who participate in early education programs make significant short-term and long-term gains in cognitive development. Consistency in preschool can impact a child’s cognitive development preschools that provide a curriculum allows children to develop cognitive skills. The curricula build on the Childs existing skills and allow them to acquire new skills. Make believe is also another impact on cognitive and social skills. The preschooler who spend more time in sociodramatic play are seen as more socially competent by their teachers (Connolly & Doyle, 1984). Many studies reveal that make believe strengthens a wide variety of mental abilities, including sustained attention, memory, logical reasoning,  language and literacy, imagination, creativity, and the ability to reflect on ones own thinking, behavior, and take another’s perspective (Bergen & Mauer, 2000; Berk. Mann, & Organ, 2006; Elisa & Berk, 2002; Hirsh-Psek et al. , 2009; Lindsey & Colwell, 2003; Organ & Berk, 2009; Ruff & Capozzoli, 2003). Having the child in the same preschool throughout the year allows them to develop relationship with adults and children, which provide a sense of security. A child that is Benefits of Early Childhood Education 3 comfortable with the willing to learn and participate in learning opportunities. Preschoolers gain  in emotional understanding. Preschooler who spend more time engaged in sociodramatics play are better at taking personal responsibilities for following classroom rules and at regulating emotions ( Berk, Mann, & Organ 2006; Lemche et al. 2003). Parents who take responsibilities to make sure their kids are in a quality childcare/preschool reap the benefits in the long run. Children start learning at an early age, and when they feel confident around the people they are around the more comfortable they will be at enhancing their education. Early education affects: social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional  developments. A child who starts early education has the benefits of completing high school, having above average test scores and positive attitudes towards school among children and parents. Early education seems like a winner to me. Benefits of Early Childhood Education 4 References Berk, L. E. (2002) Tnfants and children: Prenatal through middlehood (7th ed. ). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN:9780205831913 Retrieved August 1, 2014, from http://www. kueducation. com/early-chldhood/benefits-early- childhood-education Retrieved August 1, 2014, from http://www. Nowforlater. org/files/2013/03/The- Facts. pdf.   

Advantages and disadvantages of the different economic types

Advantages and disadvantages of the different economic types What is economics? Economics is the study of the forces of supply and the demands allocate deficient resources. Economics is divided into microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics is something doing with the behavior of firms, consumers, and also about the role played by the government. Macroeconomics is more to inflation, industrial production, unemployment and the role played by the government. Microeconomics is the study about the behavior of small economics unit, for an example, individual consumers or households. Microeconomics is behavior of individual units. Microeconomics main concern is about the factors that affects an individual economics choice. Other than that, economics also can be said as branch of social science that can read the production distribution and the consumption of goods and service. Economics also include scarcity, choice, households, goods and productions as a definition. Economics system are studies of the method and institution where societies determine about the ownership, direction and allocation of economics. There are three types of economics system; Socialist system is a system that can be defined as a centrally planned or can be said as command economics. This system is fully controlled by the government. All the choice about resources are all made by the government. Capitalist system means free market economics. This system is like a freedom economy. This is because of the decisions made by the people. This system is mainly about the people in the country. Mixed economy Mixed economy is an economy based on the free enterprise principle. There is still some form of direct intervention and it is controlled by the government. Mixed economy can be said as a form of organization where both capitalist economy and socialist economy are found. In mixed economy there is the presence of private economic freedom with centralized planning and the common goal of avoiding the problems which comes because of capitalism and social ism. In the mixed economy system the main authorization of the economic activities are mainly by the governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s regulation and the licensing policies. For an example, if someone wants to open a business, they must register and take license from the government for that particular business. So in this way, the government becomes a big power in the country. Mixed economy is also known as dual economy. In a mixed economy, the government runs things as post office, libraries, hospital and many more. Even when there is an industry which is not run by the business, still government get taxes and regulation like wage controls. Most of the people all over our country have no problem with the government take control of things like highway construction, birth certificate, national service economy may seem to be very easy as it is but there are some disadvantages in mixed economy also. The biggest disadvantage is between the public and private sector because they easily get b lurred or sometimes shift one way or another from time to time mixed economy usually increase more government control and less individual freedom. This is why mixed economy is always in an evolutionary process.

White Paper Risk Analysis Metric Machine Parts Supplies Corp Assignment

White Paper Risk Analysis Metric Machine Parts Supplies Corp - Assignment Example To overcome this problem, a better network solution has been proposed by Metric machines parts and supplies Corp., which have the following characteristics: availability, reliability, scalability, security, flexibility, performance management and economic efficiency. The CIO has also proposed that Metric machine parts and supplies will design and implement its own network by using advanced technologies that are highly available, efficient and manage security. This network will be operated by a small Information technology department (White, 2011). He further proposes the use of virtual private network (VPNs) technologies that will connect remote offices and users securely to facilitate the company’s expansion. Availability of the network will enable users to have the data always. The availability will then help the information technology department with the information it requires to track the organization’s network for any problems that may occur and to take the necess ary steps to tackle them. Availability provides the required maximum uptime to business operations. According to White (2011), reliability is vital to Metric machine parts and supplies because of the 75,000 customers it serves. ... To achieve the economic efficiency is paramount to the organization. The ongoing operations and maintenance costs should offset the initial investment costs, and therefore reduce the long-term overall cost of ownership of the network. Finally, the company is going to implement the use of virtual private network technologies designed to help connect the remote offices and the users securely (White, 2011). Policies, laws and technical controls should be implemented to ensure security of data and a better performing network. The organization must implement these policies to ensure availability and security of data (Tyson and Crawford, 2011). The rules must have behaviors that are likeable and unacceptable to employees using the Metric machines parts and supplies facilities. To enforce availability and reliability virtual private network must have the following equipment: the network access server which is responsible for maintaining and setting up each and every tunnel in a remote-acces s virtual private network. For the security of data and network the equipment, such as the firewalls, must be installed and act as a barrier between the private network and the internet. This will help protect against the internet traffic that is malicious (Tyson and Crawford, 2011). For authentication purposes, an authentication, authorization and accounting server needs to be installed. This will confirm who the users are and identify what the internet allows them to access. Impact The proposed solutions have a substantial impact on Metric machine parts and supplies as an organization. For example, data are reliable, and this provides correct and accurate customer information. Availability of data

Fundamentals of Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fundamentals of Reporting - Essay Example Currently, Regent College teaches degree level courses on a variety of subjects. It has in its roll, a wide range of aspiring learners, many of whom represent the international student community, coming from diverse racial, ethnical and cultural backgrounds. However, their current enrolment falls short of 70 for each course. Clarifying the issue, the source further adds that once this enrolment level crosses the benchmark of 70, the college will be designated as a university. Ms Judith also boasts of specific plans of Regent College to further expand their academic focus on areas such as fashion design and law. The college authorities believe that these are core areas where a dearth is currently being felt for institutions offering quality higher education. This contention appears valid in terms of the recent surge in the demand of seats for these courses, as latest media reports indicate. The leading institutions in the locality, affiliated to Regent College, include European Busine ss School and Regent Business School, London, which core focus is on the area of business studies. Regent American College, London, Webster Graduate School London, School of Psychotherapy & Counseling Psychology, London School of Film, Media and Performance and the Inter-Nexus Language School are the other prestigious colleges in this area, being run under the Regent management. However, the community sustains a setback as there are no major colleges that offer any significant education in the fields of fashion designing and law. Recent trends identify these two branches of academics as potential areas for securing employment opportunities, both in England as well as in the other parts of the world. Besides, it also enhances the potential of attracting overseas students to this institution due to its popularity as a prestigious college with a renowned faculty. Ms Judith further mentions that the college envisages more developmental schemes in the near future. One of the priority ite ms in their agenda relates to the expansion of building and other infrastructure including high end technology, vast library facilities and provisions for better playgrounds, stadiums etc. Though this college is now one of the most respected private colleges in the UK, the management believes that they need to upgrade their facilities so as to provide their students with a state of the art learning environment. Regent currently comprises seven top notch schools plus a world class conference centre within their London campus, which offer their students the best avenues for potentials for personal and professional development. Therefore, the management’s aspiration for further improvement in these facilities is laudable. There is no doubt that elevating this group of institutions to the higher status of a university will go a long way in benefiting the students as well as the community in general. In this modern era, London needs more dignified institutions within its precincts to promote world class educational environment in this area. Besides, the quality education that Regent’s is capable of providing will attract not only students from overseas countries but also eminent academicians from all over the globe. Thus, when Regent becomes a university, it will comprise a diverse group of students as well

Hello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hello - Essay Example This fact is proven by the high rates of negative outcomes for patients as well as the percentage of the population that could not afford to purchase insurance plans. Several public opinion polls have indicated that the general public is overwhelmingly in support of a nationalized health-care system, meaning that healthcare should come under the domain of the government, away from private corporations. But, in spite of this unanimous support for a universal healthcare system (that includes universal insurance), the issue never crops up during presidential debates. The limitations of the two-party democratic system are also being exposed as a result. Both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are funded by private corporations during election campaigns, the health-insurance lobby being one of the major contributors to campaign funds. Given such a setup, it is only natural that the public opinion is suppressed or ignored in favor of the vested private interests. Some intellectuals argue that the United States lags behind other industrialized nations in its health-care system, due to its Capitalist economy, which puts corporate profits ahead of public interest. The Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway and Denmark are recognized to have the best universal healthcare systems in place. Although the GDP and per capita incomes of these nations are relatively small, the â€Å"socialist† basis of their political systems has ensured this favorable condition. Also, in these countries the mainstream media is not heavily concentrated in the hands of a few giant corporations, which is the case in America. This makes it easy for the real public opinion to be openly discussed and debated. More importantly, it is in the democratic tradition of these nations to include public sentiments and opinions in the debates leading up to elections. But unfortunately, such open expression of public sentiment is not possible in the American mainstream