This week’s reading centered on the social contract...

This week’s reading centered on the social contract between God and the Israelites. The reader, who had grown up familiar with the Exodus, found a much deeper meaning and contextual understanding in this week’s reading. Specifically, the reader’s attention focused on two key aspects: 1) God’s control over nature as the contextual focus, and 2) how Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus set forth blue prints blue prints for a society. Moreover, the reader was previously familiar with the more traditional version of the commandments in Deuteronomy, but found the unfamiliar expression in Leviticus an earthier contrast. The reader previously read the story of Moses parting the Red Sea as God using the sea to defeat the Pharaoh’s Army. The†¦show more content†¦This lead the reader question why God did not provide defined rules, or expectations, prior to the commandments? Previous covenants focused on God’s obligations: to not destroy mankind again and to provide Abraham offspring and the land of Canaan, whereas Exodus focused on Israelite responsibilities (p. 114). In the end, the reader found Exodus a â€Å"rite of passage† that displayed God’s trust in the Israelites and a formalized relationship with God. Deuteronomy and Leviticus were interesting in their literary differences and detailed accounts of what good is by detailing the social expectations for society. The reader was more familiar with the â€Å"dryer† Deuteronomy during Catholic school growing up. After reading Leviticus, the reader understands why it was perhaps not more focused on for adolescences because of the more graphic explanations. However, a verse the reader related to from his adulthood was Leviticus 33 which states, â€Å"When an alien resides in the land, you shall not oppress them, but treat them as a citizen.† This reminded the reader of the Afghan Pashtun tradition to treat guests with protection, care and honor called Pashtunwali, which is a tribal code that predates Islam. The reader found parallels when reading the building a society expressed in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Leviticus with Plato’s â€Å"The Republic†. Book I of â€Å"The Republic†Show MoreRelatedIM Awesome918 Words   |  4 PagesI’m Awesome!! Life really sucks when one has nobody to talk to and very little friends. It makes days seem like months and months feel like years. One always is left to feel like only songs and family and truly bring you to your happy place in your darkest hour of need. You want to feel accepted, but many people just don’t understand how you could possibly be trapped and not express yourselves to them. Little do they know that expresses oneself to them is as horrible as dropping a 50 tonRead MoreDinosaurs Are Awesome526 Words   |  2 Pages If I had a time machine, I would want to go to a very famous time 67 million years ago. Although no humans were living during that time, I still want to see how different earth was during that time so I could confirm and add to the overall knowledge about the dinosaurs. The Cretaceous time period was the last time period in which dinosaurs are seen. This time period spanned from 144 million years ago (mya) to 66 mya; right after the Jurassic time period and before the Tertiary. This is a timeRead MorePrincipal Of School Is An Awesome Leader982 Words   |  4 Pagesresponsibility is to make sure the school is running good and everybody is doing their job, and the students are learning. Based on my interview sheet question I interview the principal at Tenth and Penn elementary school, the principal of that school is an awesome leader. 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Awesome Asian Bad Guys is the first feature-length movie released in 2014 by National Honor Society perhaps has the answer. This film pays tribute to all of the Asian American actors and actress who have roles as bad characters in classic movie during 80s and 90s. It also examines the lack of representation for Asian American in media well as combating stereotypes. This film â€Å"Awesome Asian Bad Guy† is originated from a 2 minute YouTube video

Hepatitis Essay - 1585 Words

Viral hepatitis are distinct diseases that affects and injures the liver due to the inflammatory cells in the tissue of the organ. They are caused by the contamination of food or water, the practice of unsafe sex, and by the usage of dirty syringes or needles. There are six known types of hepatitis, but the three which are most common include A-B-and C, as they cause about ninety percent of acute (lasts less than six months) hepatitis cases in Canada. Many people infected by this disease mistake it for the flu for its flu-like symptoms, or don’t notice it at all because it’s also possible to experience hepatitis with no symptoms at all. It is a lethal disease, as hepatitis B kills 500, 000 people alone each year. Many people have a†¦show more content†¦Most likely, the hepatitis B will go away on its own. If someone has chronic hepatitis B, treatment will depend whether the infection is worsening and damaging your liver. There are medicines for chronic hepatitis B, although most people who have the infection will endure full and normal lives by eating and exercising right. Getting regular checkups by the doctor is also a must, as the hepatitis might suddenly start attacking at any moment, any time. Every human is susceptible to hepatitis B, and it is advised to take a vaccination of three shots (su ch as twinrix) to prevent the virus. Hepatitis C is a disease infecting the liver, based on the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). The infection is usually asymptomatic, but can lead to cirrhosis as advanced scarring, which may then turn into liver cancer, and liver failure (wikipedia.com). The virus was originally called â€Å"non-A non-B hepatitis† because it was known that hepatitis A and B were not the cause of the non-A non B hepatitis, but was then officially changed go hepatitis C in 1989 (dummies.com). It is spread by the blood of an affected person. The transfer of blood may be because of shared needles to inject illegal drugs, organ transplant or blood transfusion before 1992 (before that year hepatitis C was not checked for), a shot, tattoo or piercing by a needle with infected blood still on it, and by a child that birth was given to by an infected mother. It is still unsure whether hepatitis C can beShow MoreRelated Hepatitis A Essay1051 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction: Hepatitis is caused by a virus that is targeted at the liver, one of your most important organs!! Specifically, it causes inflammation and injury to the liver. Hepatitis comes in many different forms, five to be exact. There is Hepatitis A, B, C, D amp; E. Hepatitis is caused mainly by viruses, all of which are set on shutting down your liver. I will be specifically concentrating on Hepatitis A in this report. 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Managing Recruitment and Induction Process †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About Managing Recruitment and Induction Process? Answer: Introduction Recruitment, selection and induction are three consecutive processes, which governs the filling of vacant positions with eligible candidates. It is a traditional process, which has maintained its traditional touch and by being continually involved in several change in its processing. The present day selection can also be done by means of some telephonic round or by means of some video calling. However, the traditional format of taking interviews and selecting suitable candidates are still the most popular ways for generating necessary bench strengths. Different companies have different rules and regulations set for the recruitment process, which defines their reputation and distinguishes them from rest of the companies. Sometimes it becomes their trademark and people start knowing them with that particular speciality in particular (Armstrong and Taylor 2014). For example, HSBC in India is very well known for its high-end interviews round, which is designed into nine different stages. The main purpose of this assignment is to understand and evaluate the recruitment, selection and induction policy of Woolworths Limited. Moreover, the assignment would also help understand the implementation of some recommended policies for revising the existing policies in the chosen organization. Background of company Woolworths is one of the largest supermarkets in Australia and along with Coles, it makes up 80% of the entire retailing market in Australia. It is mainly a chain of several stores, which has in particular fresh vegetables, foods and groceries items. The organizational goal of the company is to become the first preference for the customers. To achieve its organizational goal, the company has made some strategies such as good pricings, great service, fresh foods and customer oriented culture. The recruitment process in the company is very traditional, which depends on the merit, professionalism and experience. Employees are a valuable asset for the company. The HRM of the company is well versed with the requirement and strictly follows Anti-Discrimination Law and Equal Employment Opportunity Legislation during the recruitment and the selection process. Moreover, the HRM doe also take care of the documents submitted by employees under the Privacy Act. Legislations governing selection and induction The recruitment policies inside the organization identify the organizational objectives of the organizations. The recruitment policies is governed by a framework, which is designed with a recruitment curriculum suited best for the skilled candidates. The selection is fair and traditional in nature. The recruitment process identifies the requirement of the position and odes according to the requirement. This is because of such reasons that the numbers of skilled employees in Woolworths are expanding with the growth of the supermarket stores. The HRM of the company is well equipped with the companys requirement. This is why it does the recruitment, selection and induction according to the companys requirement. The HR department of the company does a strict following of the different rules, legislations and policies at the time of recruitment, selection and induction. This is because of such reasons that the HRM is able to produce bench strength of dedicated and skilled employees. Woolw orths strongly believes in maintaining a high standard privacy of the collected documents of employees. It does believe in safeguarding and keeping those all documents secure. Nevertheless, some other legal adherence is needed to be implemented such as discrimination in employment and wages (Jha and Bhattacharyya 2012). Revised policy and procedures There is a need to revise the selection policy in order to give it a robust method of selecting. Woolworths is a big name, approximately around thousand of employees are working for the company in its different stores. It is an integral part for a supermarket that it has utmost customer service and has skilled employees. The company is well having such employees; however, some of the revising in the policy would be very helpful for the company and for their growing reputation (Berman et al. 2012). The very first thing, which the company chould consider is the selection process and the recruitment of employees. It needs to be taken help of some robust and safest method of ensuring a collection of skilled employees. This can be done by simply modifying the recruitment process a bit. The recruitment needs to be opened towards some other forms of selection process such as hiring a consultancy. Hiring a consultancy helps reduce the burden of recruitment to a notable degree. It also helps find some skilled and potential employees, which may have missed the recruitment walk-ins (Lopatinaa and Abushaeva 2014). Different kinds of consultancies are a good resource to number of skilled employees. It does add extra expenses on the HRM of the company; however, it is a good resource to avail applicants in bulk numbers. To avoid any sort of etiquettes failure, the hired consultancies need to be fully educated on the companys policies and procedures for the recruitment process. This helps ens ure a healthy service from the hired consultancies. This is external kinds of recruitment process. Company can also look for making things possible on different Smartphones and Tablets for the application. This would ensure a high number of applications, which is very important to avail a good number of skilled employees. This also helps applicants know about their selected company, as minimum of the data related to the organization would be available on the line (Ekwoaba, Ikeije and Ufoma 2015). The second most important thing for Woolworths recruitment, selection and induction would be to ensure some other legislative guidelines to attain a maximum employee satisfaction. Nevertheless, a motivated and satisfied employee is a valuable asset for the organization. Some of the advisable implementation of policies is as follows (Stone 2013): The Equal Pay Act 1970 The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 The Race Relations Act 1976 These are some of the legislations, which is of utmost importance for having a peaceful working environment at the workplace. The Equal Pay Act 1970 would ensure an impartial move towards the different kinds of employees. It means that the employees of any origin and standard would be treated fairly and equally. This is very important for having a balanced and friendly workplace environment, which sets standard for the company. Hardly few companies are capable of maintaining a uniform balance in between employees of different kinds. Companies such as Unilever could not protect itself from being criticised for an unequal payment to the different kinds of employees. In Pakistan, the Company was criticized for not paying the minimum wages to most of the employees. Full-timers were not paid the entire amount of their labour. In addition to this, company also hired some part-timers and made them work like full-timers. However, they were also paid wages for their part-times service only. I t is a curse on Unilever, which has also affected its reputation to some extent (Garner 2012). The Sex Discrimination Act is another very useful and important point of consideration while employing the workforces. This is because of the fact that at the workplace different kinds of sexual origins are bound to come across. For example working of women and children are some of the examples of a differentiation in the sex participation at the workplace. At the workplace, it is very important that women are given utmost respect for their work and should not be used for molestation purpose only. The molestation cases are very common at workplaces. This makes things difficult for the women for making their decisions on working in such environment. They are subjugated to work under such circumstances; however, they do not have any will for such jobs. Another very disheartening behaviour is related to the children who are working for fulfilling their requirement. In some of the companies, they are used as labours and are instructed to work harder. Moreover, they are not cared for thei r education. This is one thing, which is preventing different nations from availing an utmost educational standard in their country. For example in India, the rate of illiteracy is very high, which is because of the poor family background of several of children. The poor family background does force them to work on their very early ages. They are used for fulfilling the desire and the requirement of their respective families. Their soft hands hardly find any paying with toys and dolls; they rather are subjugated to play with some unexpected but a hard earned reality of life. The discrimination in any sex is a curse on a country. A country can never prosper if it does not have good cares for the different kinds of sexual groups such as women and children (Shackleton 2015). The Race Relations Act is another very important policy especially for some countries such as the United States, Australia and UK. This is simply because that the racial fights are very common at the workplaces and at some other educational stages. In UK alone, the local residents do blame the people of some other origin behind any fault practices such as fighting, bombing and killing. It has become their mentality that every wrong deed is just the origination of people other than the local one. The racial discrimination has not allowed the Australian to grow to their fullest of capabilities. The indigenous people who had migrated to this country from some other parts of world such as Africa have not found the utmost support of the local government and the local people. This is an undeniable fact that the local government has done some timely and effective moves in this direction but have failed to leave any solid impression on the community. The community is still fighting for their health standard. The high number of inequality in between the local residents and the aborigines is limitless. They have less developed educational system. Moreover, there is a huge gap in between the local communities and the aborigines in respect to the educational standard, the health standard and the employability (Shackleton 2015). Summary of the data collected Recommendations The selection process of Woolworths is well in the line of traditional style of recruiting, selecting and inducting. Following are some of the stages, which do happen in the entire selection process from the publishing of vacancy to the induction: Vacancy creation Advertisements Application acceptance Screening of the received applications Test for the employability Interview Post interview investigation of the provided documents Physical evidence Placement This is very clear from above mentioned points that the system of recruitment, selection and induction is very traditional and well placed. It follows the most usable and used format of doing selection and induction (Kanu 2015). However, it needs some point of recommendations for enhancing the capabilities of the selection process and the reputation of the brand. Following are some of the recommendations for Woolworths: Organization need to focus more on its appraisal and incentive policy and needs to restructure it to bring effectiveness into it as the current system is not that much attractive The selection process needs to be improved in order to have a fair selection method, which does not know any boundary, racial and sexual discriminations because the equal behaviours are a good resource to powerful and skilled employees. Moreover, it is not necessary that the local employees are only efficient HRM of the Company needs to be more partial and less favouring to local residents because this help find a high number of talented skills from every corner of the world Conclusion Recruitment, selection and induction are an integral part of an organization, which perhaps would never die, as the utter replacement of the process is not yet available. The HRM are adding up some options to it but the major operation is conducted on the traditional format only. Woolworths Supermarkets is a big name in the Australian retailing industry; however, it has less incentive and appraisal system. Moreover, the recruitment, selection and induction process are also very biased, which is needed to be excluded from the practices. The exclusion would then bring skilled people from every corner of the world such as local residents, aborigines of Australia and people from other parts of world. References Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., 2014.Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Berman, E.M., Bowman, J.S., West, J.P. and Van Wart, M.R., 2012.Human resource management in public service: Paradoxes, processes, and problems. Sage. Ekwoaba, J.O., Ikeije, U.U. and Ufoma, N., 2015. The impact of recruitment and selection criteria on organizational performance.Global Journal of Human Resource Management,3(2), pp.22-23. Garner, E., 2012.Recruitment and Selection. Bookboon. Jha, S. and Bhattacharyya, S.S., 2012. Study of perceived recruitment practices and their relationships to job satisfaction.Synergy,10(1), pp.63-76. Kanu, A.M., 2015. How Do Recruitment and Selection Practices Impact Small and Medium Enterprises Performance in the Construction Industry in Sierra Leone.Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development,6(5). Lopatinaa, E.S. and Abushaeva, M.E., 2014. RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PRACTICE AS A KEY FACTOR OF BUSINESS DE-VELOPMENT. Shackleton, V., 2015. Recruitment and Selection.Elements of Applied Psychology, p.153. Siavelis, P.M., 2012.Pathways to power: Political recruitment and candidate selection in Latin America. Penn State Press. Smith, R., 2013.Human Resources Administration: A school based perspective. Routledge. Stone, R.J., 2013.Managing human resources. John Wiley and Sons. Wang, G.L., 2012. Co rrelations among selection criteria, recruitment plans, and recruitment performance: a case study of hospitality-related departments of vocational schools in Taiwan.World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education,10(1), p.13.

Social Networking Sites Problems and Benefits

Introduction In the past century, the world has experienced great achievements that have facilitated growth and development in many countries. The invention of computers and the creation of the internet have been among the epic accomplishments made during this period. These two entities have virtually revolutionized information processing and communication, thereby taking it to another level. Social networking has been among the areas that have recorded significant growth in this regard.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networking Sites Problems and Benefits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Online social network sites attract millions of users across the world and have played a central role in facilitating interactions between diverse populations. Despite the advantages documented by proponents of social networks, there have been increasing concerns regarding the harmful effects such networks have on users as a result of the personal information they provide in these networking sites. With these undertones, this paper shall set out to argue that social networks have created more problems5to the users as compared to expected benefits. Problems caused by online social networks Over the past decades, debates regarding the invasion of privacy have taken center stage. Such debates have been necessitated by technological advancements, which have made privacy invasion a real and achievable fete. According to Castro, online social networking sites have created a platform that makes it easy for people to invade the privacy of others (2). As an example, Helfand states that social sites such as Facebook have certain features that allow people to interact with you even when you do not want to (1). For example, ‘friends’ can engage you in chats despite where you are or what you are doing. The problem is that some of the friends are not really friends but people you share common aspect s with. As such, their ability to view your personal information or engage you in online interactions can be viewed as invasion of privacy. On the same note, Castro reveals that there are internet companies that take personal information of various users and redistribute that information to other companies that use it to gain competitive advantage over rival (2). In some cases, sharing of personal information is done without the explicit consent of the owner therefore, constituting to violation of personal privacy. This process is best explained by Gross and Acquisti who assert that most social networking sites encourage people to use real personal information as they register to be members of such sites, thereby exposing such individuals to a myriad of risks (1).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Erosion of identity has also been cited as being among the harmful effects of online social sites. In most sites, people are encouraged to use pseudonyms and create profiles that are appealing to other users. As a result, most people end up publicizing themselves in a manner that conflicts with who they really are. For example, you may find underage children posing overt photos of themselves in parties, bikinis and other obviously destructive situations. While such photos may seem appealing to other users who actively ‘tag’ and comment on them, they affect how people view you in the long run. In addition, Brown asserts that social networks encourage people to create new identities that contradict their personalities (32). In this regard, the author states that it is no longer a matter of who I am, but where, with whom, and when I am (Brown 34). This clearly shows that social networks have encouraged people to be deceiving in order to fit in. Freedom of expression is best utilized through social networking sites. While interacting in these sites, member s air their views freely regarding various matters. However, since there is no fear for repercussions, some people have misused this freedom by propelling radical views to other members of the online community. This may have adverse effects on the masses, thereby leading to mass panic and protest in various parts of the world. In addition, comments posted on such sites can easily be publicized thereby destroying or damaging the professional and personal lives of different members of our societies. Similarly, there seems to be a consensus on the fact that social networking sites expose children to many risks. Traditionally, parents are always teaching there children to be careful of the company they keep and try their best to keep their children away from unwanted attention. However, social networking sites have developed an alternative way through which young children can be preyed upon by dangerous people in the online environment. For example, chat rooms can be used to lure childr en into meeting strangers who later subject them to various forms of abuses (Barnes 21). The author further states that in some occasions, predators have used these sites to stalk their victims (Barnes 24). Such incidences go to show the harmful effects of social networking sites.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Networking Sites Problems and Benefits specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of the major advantages of face to face communication are that the parties involved can express emotions through gestures, body language, facial expressions and tonal variations. Social networking sites are actively eliminating these crucial aspects of communication (Brown 32). Since people do not meet physically in such sites, the emotional aspect of communication and interaction is slowly being phased off. This is fostering a culture that will eventually see people loose connection with their emotions as they interact i n the virtual world. This is very harmful since it tampers with the core aspects that make us who we are. Despite these disadvantages, there are some advantages that can be accrued from the existence of social networking networks. Castro states that the internet has played a pivotal role in ensuring that people have access to information and the ability to make and maintain friendships in a world where time is limited (2). However, Rosen asserts that the internet has to a great extent affected our ability to truly read books and analyze information effectively (1). In her article, the author states that most websites are characterized by distractions, consumerism and attention-seeking behaviors, which present challenges to one’s ability to read effectively. This shows how internet sites affect the quality of learning especially to young children who only scan for information instead of actively reading over the internet. Conclusion This paper has argued that the risks associa ted with social networking sites far outweigh the expected benefits. To support this assertion, the harms that emanate as a result of using such sites have been outlined. As a result, an illustration on how these websites can be used to invade personal privacy, prey on innocent people and spy on individuals has been provided. Despite the advantages mentioned above, it has been clearly shown that the risks that social networking sites expose users to are not justifiable. It can therefore be acknowledged that such sites are more harmful than beneficial to members of society. Works Cited Castro, Daniel. â€Å"The right to privacy is not a right to facebook.† Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (April 2010). Web.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barnes, Susan. â€Å"A privacy paradox: social networking in the United States.† FirstMonday 11.9 (September 2006). Web. Brown, Arnold. â€Å"Relationships, Community, and Identity in the New Virtual Society.† Futurist 45.2 (March 2011): 29 – 34. Print. Gross, Ralph and Acquisti, Alessandro. â€Å"Information revelation and privacy in online social networks (the facebook case).† ACM Workshop on Privacy in the Electronic Society (2005). Web. Helfand, Jessica. â€Å"My Facebook, My Self.† Dialogues: An Arguement Rhetoric and Reader. ‘Comp’. Gary Goshgarian and Kathleen Krueger. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print. Rosen, Christine. â€Å"In the beginning was the world.† Dialogues: An Arguement Rhetoric and Reader. ‘Comp’. Gary Goshgarian and Kathleen Krueger. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print. This essay on Social Networking Sites Problems and Benefits was written and submitted by user Aliana G. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Rose For Emily By Faulkner Essays - A Rose For Emily, Emily Grierson

Rose For Emily By Faulkner In the story, "A Rose for Emily," by William Faulkner, Miss Emily Grierson's struggle with her family, her town, and herself makes her do things that are out of the "norm." Her struggle makes her act inhuman and deranged. Emily is a living a very sheltered life. Miss Emily struggles, in this story, with herself and the society around her. Emily Grierson became very heartless in the eyes of the reader and even a little demented all because of her sheltered lifestyle, closed environment and, conflict with the townspeople. She knew that the people of her town were talking about her. However, she ultimately let their gossip influence her life. Some think that Emily's actions were based on the townspeople's attitudes toward her. Others may say that her father shaped her actions. However, Emily's father, the townspeople, and even Emily herself shaped her motives. They were the driving forces behind Emily's action. This struggle between "an individual and the society that attempts to restrict her" (Brooks & Warren 158) would be unbearable for Miss Emily. This is what ultimately leads to her downfall. Through imagery and conflict, the reader can witness how all of this is true. As Faulkner begins this story, the reader quickly learns that this piece is going to be about death and dying. Not so much as physical death, although physical death is also apparent, but spiritual, mental, and social decay. The physical death is opened to the reader in the first line of this short story. The storyteller informs the reader by saying, "when Miss Emily Grierson died, our whole town went to the funeral..." Just by this line the reader wonders if the town was sad to see Miss Emily past away, or were they glad. Later in the story, the reader finds out that the townspeople were glad. However, not for the reason that one might imply. Because the first line of the book deals with death and dying, does it make "A Rose for Emily" a story of horror? Brooke and Warren writes, "we have a decaying mansion in which the protagonist, shut out from the world, grows into something monstrous, and becomes as divorced from the human as some fungus growing in the dark on a damp wall." (Brooks & Warren 158) This is what makes this piece a horror story. Webster New World says that horror means, "the strong feeling caused by something frightful or shocking." At the end of "A Rose for Emily," the reader finds out that Miss Emily is performing a very deviant action. The reader and the townspeople are very much shocked by this act. This piece is truly "a story of horror." (Brook & Warren 158). What made Emily killed Homer? To answer this, the reader must first expose Emily's character to view. Emily's grew up around her father. Her life was hard. Emily's father was a very strict man. If compared to today's strict father, he would be the type of father that would show off his gun collection to a guy before taking his daughter out. However, in the case of Miss Emily's father, he did not let anyone see her. The narrator in the story says Emily's father "ran off all the men that came for Emily." The reader sees how Emily's father is detrimental to Miss Emily's well being. Because her father blocked her from the outside world, Emily became dependent. Emily became addicted to her father. If her father told her to jump, Emily probably would respond by saying how high. Emily's father was like a depressant drug. This drug made Emily feel safe at all times. The reader also witnesses Emily's father characteristics in a work of art. The portrait hung "by the back-flung front door." The narrator of the story describes Miss Emily in the picture as "a slender figure in white in the background." It continues to say her father was "a spraddle silhouette in the foreground." The reader can see how Faulkner uses the portrait to symbolize how Emily's father shielded her. The narrator goes on to say that, " [her father's] back to her and clutching a horse whip." The picture depicts how Emily's father is in command. It shows how he ruled her. Her father was the dictator in their relationship. Emily's white garment represents how pure and innocent she was. Emily was like a child that is in the first stages on its life. The reader can not help but wonder what happened to Emily's mother.

Free Essays on Taming Of The Shrew

Analysis of the theme of Acting in The Taming of the Shrew In William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, the theme of acting is apparent throughout the course of the play. No one in the play seems to be what he or she appears to be. At least eight characters in the play appear to be in some sort of disguise, each playing a role and pretending to be something or someone they are not. Because of this acting, the plot becomes complicated and humorous from time to time. Through this theme, Shakespeare has made The Taming of the Shrew a play within a play. In the Induction at the beginning of the play, a Lord plays a joke on a drunken beggar, Christopher Sly. The Lord’s servants are to treat Sly as if he was royalty, and because of this the beggar actually begins to believe that he is a Lord. â€Å"Upon my life, I am a lord indeed.† (Ind., ii, 72) In Act II of the play, more examples of obvious role-play can be found. Lucentio disguises himself as Cambio, the tutor, so that he may become closer to Bianca in hopes of wooing her. Therefore, Tranio disguises himself as Lucentio in order to present himself (as his master) as a suitor for Bianca. One of Lucentio’s competitors for Bianca’s love, Hortensio, disguises himself as Licio, another tutor, so that he may be near Bianca as well. When Baptista requires verification of Lucentio’s wealth, the Pedant comes forward pretending to be Vincentio, father of Lucentio, to assist his son in obtaining Bianca’s love. Almost all characters in the play take on identities that are not their own at some point during the play. Sly as a Lord, Tranio as Lucentio, Lucentio as Cambio, Hortensio as Licio, and the Pedant as Vincentio are all examples of this role-play. However, the most effective example of subtle role-playing is seen through Bianca and Kate. In the beginning of the play Kate appears rude, cruel, and terrifying to all of the characters. Her own father... Free Essays on Taming Of The Shrew Free Essays on Taming Of The Shrew Analysis of the theme of Acting in The Taming of the Shrew In William Shakespeare’s play The Taming of the Shrew, the theme of acting is apparent throughout the course of the play. No one in the play seems to be what he or she appears to be. At least eight characters in the play appear to be in some sort of disguise, each playing a role and pretending to be something or someone they are not. Because of this acting, the plot becomes complicated and humorous from time to time. Through this theme, Shakespeare has made The Taming of the Shrew a play within a play. In the Induction at the beginning of the play, a Lord plays a joke on a drunken beggar, Christopher Sly. The Lord’s servants are to treat Sly as if he was royalty, and because of this the beggar actually begins to believe that he is a Lord. â€Å"Upon my life, I am a lord indeed.† (Ind., ii, 72) In Act II of the play, more examples of obvious role-play can be found. Lucentio disguises himself as Cambio, the tutor, so that he may become closer to Bianca in hopes of wooing her. Therefore, Tranio disguises himself as Lucentio in order to present himself (as his master) as a suitor for Bianca. One of Lucentio’s competitors for Bianca’s love, Hortensio, disguises himself as Licio, another tutor, so that he may be near Bianca as well. When Baptista requires verification of Lucentio’s wealth, the Pedant comes forward pretending to be Vincentio, father of Lucentio, to assist his son in obtaining Bianca’s love. Almost all characters in the play take on identities that are not their own at some point during the play. Sly as a Lord, Tranio as Lucentio, Lucentio as Cambio, Hortensio as Licio, and the Pedant as Vincentio are all examples of this role-play. However, the most effective example of subtle role-playing is seen through Bianca and Kate. In the beginning of the play Kate appears rude, cruel, and terrifying to all of the characters. Her own father...

Coffee market Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coffee market - Assignment Example For instance, in 1980s, many of the major producers of coffee had poor technological infrastructures. Therefore, cartels took this opportunity to deceive the farmers concerning the real prices of coffee in the markets. Therefore, they dictated the amount of coffee to reach the market, an aspect that affected the supply of the commodity in the market. As a result, they create an artificial demand, thereby causing an increase in the prices of the commodity. However, on the other side, they maintain a constant amount of money they purchase the coffee from the farmers. Consequently, they make huge sums of money in the expense of poor farmers. The demand in the market determines the amount of the product that producers are willing to supply. Higher prices motivate the producers to increase the amount of products to be produced. However, cartels take all the benefits emanating from higher prices of the products in the market. Therefore, many producers end up being frustrated, an aspect that affects their levels of production. This explains why rising prices of coffee since 2005 have not acted as incentives to farmers. In reaction, majority of the farmers have uprooted coffee bushes and planted fast growing crops such as fruits which are earning higher prices in the global market. Cartels are illegal in many countries because they affect the independence of the market. This is through preventing the forces of demand and supply to dictate the prices of the commodities in the market. For instance, instead of farmers benefiting from high demand in the market, these benefits end up in the pockets of few individual who does not contribute even a single cent towards the production of the commodities. These are people who distort the movement of the goods along the value chain but their presence does not benefit the producers or even the consumers. As a result, they affect the growth of the production sector in the country. In

My Diet Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My Diet Analysis - Term Paper Example The analysis is in two parts, part I deals with the written diet and the motivation codes while the last, part II is where I have done diet analysis. Part I involves three steps of the written diet. Firstly, all that is eaten and drunk for the last three days successively on breakfast includes apple, peas, natural flavor, and pie spiced. For snacks, there was consumption of toaster, coffee, doughnut, glazed spaghetti, pizza, tomato and meatballs, corn flake crust, turkey cheese, fruit cocktail, and brown sugar. The foods taken during the dinner times in the three days included sandwich, chicken, pasta dish, hamburger helper, and fruit cocktail. The foods contained carbohydrates of about 48%, proteins of about 19%, and fats of 33%. The main activities engaged include running, pushups, jogging, and conditioning. All these exercises ensure that enough calories are burnt from the body and enhance the physical fitness. The average time for the exercise is about 30 minutes every day. It is noted that after consuming certain foods like carbohydrate, there was a lot of energy due to a high-calorie intake. A lot of sweating is also noted when fats are consumed. The presented food in the menu form on each day is presented in the table below. The foods have got respective codes entered ranging from A to I that gives the motivation behind consuming that particular food. It is noted that the total grams of fiber intake per day are 6.14 grams while the recommended intake per day is 45.63 grams. Due to this inefficiency of fiber, I would recommend for the realistic intake of high fiber foods like the apples with their skin, dried figs, taking in some banana and grapefruit. This would increase the fiber content in the diet. There should be an intake of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber food, which enhances our health generally. Soluble fiber readily dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance which slows digestion.

The Relationship between Teacher Quality and Students Results Research Paper

The Relationship between Teacher Quality and Students Results - Research Paper Example This essay stresses that students’ reliance on the teacher’s abilities and knowledge is yet another factor which explains the importance of teacher’s contribution in the success of the students. Some argue that student’s success is dependent greatly on the teacher’s capabilities and skills. On the other hand, the counter claim emphasizes more on factors like curriculums, practical application of learnt concepts and group working as the success factors in upholding the student learning and results. However, much research provides that teacher quality can change the results seen in students, their performance and learning abilities. This paper makes a conclusion that a good and capable teacher being assigned to students for consecutive years bring more advantage to the student’s learning pace. The difference between the results after being assigned to three different teachers in 3 consecutive years produce result which is 54 percentile lower than those who study from one good teacher for 3 consecutive years. There has been a considerable amount of literature available which concludes that school input is less likely to make a difference in the learning process and pace of students. However, the recent researches suggest the contrary by concluding that school play a vital role in providing an input to the students which may positively impact the students’ learning and development. Studies specify the contribution of teachers to be a factor which, for the most part, is responsible for positive student responses in terms of learning and results. ... Wright et al. (1997), for instance, suggests that effective teaching works as a strong working force to support student learning than the class size, social statuses and any other factor involving students and the learning environment. They found that teachers who were ineffective could not higher the achievements of the students. The teachers act as mentors of the students and help them to get higher grades in their studies. In these instances many raise the question as to how one can classify the teacher to be effective or ineffective in nature. Research has been carried out to find out different variables that revolve around the teachers. It has been found that the variable of knowledge in the teacher has something to do with his effectiveness. But many argue that subject matter knowledge is not the most important factor in determining the effectiveness of the teacher. Experience is another variable that is supposedly very important in analyzing the effectiveness of the teacher. E xperience and certification of the teacher is believed to help the teacher in delivering to the students. Delivery in the right way is required by the students to achieve higher grades (Hawk et al 1985). People who argue against the subject matter knowledge of the teacher put forward the fact that it can divert the teacher from delivering more than what is needed by the students. This can prove to be detrimental for the students as they would not be able to grasp all the things that the teacher would be teaching. However these teachers can provide excellent knowledge to the students if asked about any particular topic in it because of the qualifications that they have achieved. A research conducted by Monks (1994) found that the achievement of the teacher is directly related

Using The Strategy Of Preemption For Preventing Terrorism Politics Essay

Using The Strategy Of Preemption For Preventing Terrorism Politics Essay Terrorism is a broad phenomenon which can have many subjective interpretations. Even if its definitions vary widely, it is well known that terrorism relies on the use of violence and it can be seen as a result of bargaining failure. Terrorist actions are carried out by non-state actors and are designed to achieve specific political changes. In order to achieve their objectives, terrorists are looking for different targets which, hit, assure not only a considerable loss, but also a psychological impact on public opinion, endangering human lives, values systems, standards and political systems. As terrorism became a global issue, states adopted different strategies such as defensive measures, preemption, or negotiation and compromise in order to prevent and fight against it. In this essay I will analyze one of the strategies mentioned above, the strategy of preemption against terrorism and I will examine its costs and benefits. In the first part of my essay I will present this strategy in detail, explaining what it represents and how it can be adopted. In the second part of this essay I will emphasize the costs and the benefits of this strategy, giving certain examples. I will also try to explain in what sense it can increase support for groups who are using terrorist strategies. In the end, I will state my conclusion, based on arguments. The strategy of preemption is based on taking the initiative and destroy terrorist networks before they attack. This strategy can be applied by destroying terrorist camps or their hiding places, or by assasinating them. This was the most outstanding strategy adopted by the Bush administration as a response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. In September 2002, the President George Bush emphasised the need of using this strategy in order to preempt attacks from states which may posses weapons of mass destruction. Both wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were justified by the President of the U.S. as ways of preventing terrorism.(Haynes, Jeffrey. World Politics. Harlow: Longman/Pearson, 2011. Print) As it has recentely been adopted by the U.S, terrorism preemption could be defined as those offensive military and associated actions by the services and other appropriate agencies that are initiated against terrorists, their organizations, supporters,and sponsor states to prevent or deter acts or c ampaigns of terrorism directed against US citizens and interests.( Sloan, Stephen 2000:39 ) The terrorist attacks on 9/11 had a great impact not only in U.S., but also on the whole international security context. Before these events, the imbalance and balance between the states represented a normal geopolitical framework, but which was seriously affected because of the emergence and development of civil, nongovernmental and transnational organizations which took the shape of terrorist organizations. Washington is dealing with actions carried out by terrorist organizations including Al-Qaeda, which is the most important. European Union may be destabilized quite seriously, if it will not manage effectively with the fate of millions of Islamists whose political culture is totally different from the liberal democratic system. There is emphasized the idea that the destabilization of the current world order has its roots in Washingtons failure in Iraq. Also, it is quite certain that it could reach the same result even if the U.S. intervened elsewhere than in Iraq or Afghanistan. It could reach the same result even if it did not intervene at all, anywhere, because the danger comes from non-state actors, who are determined to end the existence of states, civilizations and cultures that seem to be in conflict with their religious believes. (Amoore, Louise, and Marieke De Goede. Risk and the War on Terror. London: Routledge, 2008. Print.), (Baylis, John, Steve Smith, and Patricia Owens. The Globalization of World Politics: an Introduction to International Relations. New York, NY: Oxford UP, 2008. Print.), (Chomsky Noam, Hegemonie sau supravieÃ…Â £uire. America à ®n căutarea dominaÃ…Â £iei globale, BucureÃ…Å ¸ti, Ed. Antet, 2003) Fighting against terrorism represents a war, strategies made in detail, not only large-scale actions such as the counterblast of the U.S and their allies in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is a conflict that depends on political decisions, information technology and on the capability of mobilizing the resources. The year 2003 represented an important moment during this fight against terrorism, even from its beginning, when in March, the war started in Iraq. The campaign from Iraq is unique, characterized by shock, by the precise usage of the ammunition which occurred at a scale as has never been, and also by the use of overwhelming forces. Using well prepared strategies, allowed the execution of the operation in a sustained manner and minimized the collateral damage. (Amoore, Louise, and Marieke De Goede. Risk and the War on Terror. London: Routledge, 2008. Print.) This brings me to the second part of this essay. Even if the good strategies used during the war minimized the loss, the strategy of preemption remains very costly in many ways. First of all, surveillance must be continuous; otherwise it will be impossible to prevent all the terrorist attacks. Secondly, tracking all the possible terrorist activities is also a hard and costly activity. More than these, surveillance can violate the civil liberties of innocent citizens. Accomplishing all of these, an important amount of financial and human resources are needed. The key to an effective fight against terrorism is the accountability of the democratic states, a process of strengthening their institutional instruments, in order to apply better and strictly impose the law. In the same time, the democratic states have to be trained in an international cooperation of preventing and fighting against terrorism from a political, economical, social and military perspective. The international cooper ation is essential for an efficient monitoring system of the terrorist threat.( Andreescu, Anghel, and Nicolae Radu. OrganizaÃ…Â £iile Teroriste Conceptualizarea Terorii vs Securitatea Europeană. Bucuresti: M.I.R.A, 2008. Print.) Another problem of this policy is that preemption itself is illegal under the international law, which makes it impossible to finance it and to be supported by many countries. There is though an exception of this law, an exception which allows a strategy of preemption when it is known for sure that a state will be attacked. This law appeared right after the Second World War, and because of that it refers to a military threat from other states. Regarding the fact that terrorist networks act on their own, without asking approval from any state, the strategy of preemption can not be approved by the UN. (Shue, Henry, and David Rodin. Preemption: Military Action and Moral Justification. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.) Of course, making public the adoption of such strategy of fighting against terrorism in certain areas, can draw the attention of the terrorist groups and they can use these information to prepare themselves. This will make defeating them much harder and will take much longer than expected. Using preemption as a long term strategy and by attacking all the people involved in terrorist activities, terrorists will be able to adapt themselves and be prepared for a war, knowing the strategies of the target country from previous attacks. This is why, from a practical perspective, this strategy can be used only on a short term. (Chomsky Noam, Hegemonie sau supravieÃ…Â £uire. America à ®n căutarea dominaÃ…Â £iei globale, BucureÃ…Å ¸ti, Ed. Antet, 2003 ) The most important aspect is, when talking about a strategy of preemption, the amount of money spent on financing the war which will prevent a terrorist attack. Since the events on 9/11, the U.S. spent a huge amount of money in order to financially support the war of terror. The Americans invaded Iraq because, as Bush administration affirmed, it was financially supporting terrorism and was possessing weapons of mass destruction. This invasion caused instability in the U.S economy. The economist Joseph Stiglitz said in 2008 that the U.S adventure in Iraq is more expensive than any war that has ever been fought. More than that, 4.421 Americans died when the invasion started, in March 2003 and 32.000 were hurt during the attacks. Almost 100.000 of Iraqi citizens died during the war. In 2009, the U.S. military expenses numbered $663,3 mld, but according to the Congressional Research Service, the costs of the war will be around $802 mld at the and of 2011. (Rosca, Cristina, and Andreea Neferu. US Ended the War in Iraq. Financial Newspaper 1 Sept. 2010. Print.) As it can be seen, the costs of a preemtive war are very high, and not only from a financial point of view. Besides the costly military operations and the suffering caused to civilians, the strategy of preemption also leads to a ruined infrastructure. After the terrorist threat will be removed, more funds will need to be allocated to pay for the reparations that the war caused. Another fact that needs to be noticed when talking about preemption is that foreign countries may find this strategy a disproportionate response to the terrorist threat. Because, by definition, preemptive actions occures before a terrorist attack, the target countries may have good reasons to exaggerate the real threat . Also, because predictions can be sometimes deviant, other states may remain skeptical on this strategy when a country adoptes it. The decision that the Bush administration took regarding the invasion of Afghanistan was seen by many states necessary and totally justified after the attacks on 9/11. On the other hand, the decision of expanding the war from Afghanistan to Iraq, which was never linked with the terrorist attacks that took place on 9/11, excepting by the Bush administration, made people from all around the world to fear a possible invasion. Now, the countries worldwide were at risk of preemptive war if they were accused for terrorism actions or for financia lly supporting terrorism. Many foreign governments opposed to this actions which was seen by them as a violation of the sovereignty of a country.(Haynes, Jeffrey. World Politics. Harlow: Longman/Pearson, 2011. Print.) Using the strategy of preemption, even for fighting against terrorism, can result in more support from the people for those who are carrying out the attacks. As I have mentioned above, preemptive actions can cause many damages in the states accused by terrorist actions. Ruining the infrastructure of a country, and more than that, causing suffering to innocent civilians will make the citizens of that country fight against the state that attacked them, and even support the terrorist networks. In the case of the U.S actions, even if they gained many allies to fight with against terrorism, the Americans also made many enemies in the countries they attacked. When talking about preemption, some people sustain the idea of self-defence, justifying the actions that need to be taken according to this strategy. Other people, espacially those who opposed to the Iraq War, deny the fact that a preemptive action could be ever justified. (Shue, Henry, and David Rodin. Preemption: Military Action and Moral Justification. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. Print.) In conclusion, the strategy of preemption, used in fighting against terrorism is not totally effective. Even if it seems to remove the terrorist threat and it is seen in some countries as one of the best actions that a stat can adopt against terrorism, it can be very costly because of the military operations that it involves. On a first sight it seems to be working but, in order to state this sentance, the damages that it may cause need to be excluded. It can violate the civil rights, it seems to have a lack of legitimacy, creates suffering among civilians, can make more people suport the terrorist networks and, probably the most important aspect, it can not be adopted for a long term period.

Freewill and Predestination Essay

For years Christians have argued about what role God has in humans attaining salvation. The most popular belief in American culture is the concept of free will. Free will is the belief that coming to Christ and being saved is a freewill choice of the person. Most churches believe this concept to be true at least to some degree. The other belief is the concept of Predestination. Predestination is the belief that God chooses who to save and who to damn. The biggest denomination in the United States that believes this is the Calvinists or more commonly known as the Reformed denomination. The debate will probably continue for many years to come. By reading Romans 9:1-29 we can tell clearly which concept Paul believes to be true. While I read Romans 9:1-29 I kept clearly in my mind the two beliefs of freewill and predestination. After reading it was apparent to me that Paul believes strongly in predestination. This, in my opinion, goes against human nature. I, at least, find it very hard to believe that if God chooses not to extend grace to a person that person cannot attain salvation no matter what they believe or what they do. Paul uses an example about Jacob and Esau. In Romans 9: 10-13 Paul uses Malachi 1:2-3 that says that â€Å" I have loved Jacob, but I have loved Jacob† Paul then says that God had decided that before they were even born so as it says in verse 11-12 â€Å" that God’s purpose of election might continue, not by works, but by his call. † If Paul is right about this and you interpret the Bible literally than predestination has to be true. It is completely possible that Paul is biased though when writing about predestination. Paul believes strongly in salvation by faith not works. In Romans 3: 27- 28 Paul says â€Å"Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. † This is just one of many examples of how much Paul hates the idea of faith by works. There are many other examples of this in books written by Paul outside of Romans that convey the same message. Since Paul believes strongly in salvation by faith this would, in theory, make him lean towards predestination. Freewill means that we as humans make a choice to believe in God and be saved. Paul would see this as an example of justification by works and he clearly states in Ephesians 2:8-9 â€Å"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. † Paul believes that nothing we can do nothing to save ourselves which is the main idea of freewill. This makes Paul potentially biased toward predestination. I believe that this passage isn’t trying to address personal salvation as a main point, but I think we infer Paul’s view on personal salvation through the verse. I believe that Paul was more trying to point out that we can do nothing to save ourselves. It is completely up to God. Paul was trying to stress that firstly, but then through that seems to make a case, as far as personal salvation goes, for predestination. He specifically mentions how he picked Jacob over Esau. If God chooses individually like that then I, at least, deduce from this passage according to Paul that God must choose who to save on a personal level. My rational human side tells me that predestination cannot be right, but then I read Romans and Paul says that predestination is right and freewill is wrong. The question then is if I believe Paul just because that is his opinion, even though it is most likely biased, or do I believe what seems right to me? I’m still torn between the two because what I want to believe is contradicted by Paul. Maybe we’ll never know for sure because the concept of God is impossible for our minds to completely understand in the first place.

A Review on the Article: “A Good Way to Pick a Fight”

Charles L. Mee presented an untraditional observation on how the Cold War began in his article â€Å"A Good Way to Pick a Fight†. Providing a compilation of series of events that may have influenced the spark of the Cold War, Mr. Mee gave a different view on why the Cold War seemed inevitable.Charles L. Mee presented opened his article with several incidents from the three respective leaders that were linked to the Cold War: President Harry Truman of the United States of America, Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, and Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. He illustrated some of the statements or actions that the three leaders had done that helped to start the Cold War.The author states that, unlike what most of us know that President Truman started the Cold War, all of the three countries involved in the Cold War made their respective actions for the war to happen.It is not only President Truman who wanted the war but so as Churchill and Stalin. It just so happene d that the United States of America was the one to first declare the war. The author argued that the war is inevitable, that the true starting point of the war was buried in haze because all of the three sides are struggling to be the one to have the upper hand of starting the war.Indeed, all three of them initiated actions that were later became the source of war. But I think that if only all three of them trusted each other’s agreements, there would be no cold war. When a war has ended, the next thing that should happen is peace. People tend to go to war to obtain peace.That is, I think, most of us think. But after studying some of the most famous wars of our times, I think that power is the real source of conflicts. It has always been power. Past leaders thought that to obtain peace, they should have more power. To control order, one must become powerful over the other. And I think that power sparked the Cold War.In a way, I think that Charles L. Mee is right. The United S tates could have started the war literally but it is also true that the Soviet Union was also planning to go to war. Hence, it was just a matter of who will initiate the first move. The â€Å"Big Three†, I think, had each of their contributions for the origin of the Cold War.Upon reading the article, the most important thing that I have learned was the circumstances that occurred when the atomic bombs were launched to Japan. I have learned that the atomic bombing was not merely necessary and was just a mere act of power.The United States Government launched the atomic bombs because they want to threaten their future enemies during that time. A particular line from the article caught my attention. That is the statement of Admiral William Leahy on his explanation of the Japan atomic bombing. He said that the bombs were dropped â€Å"because of the vast sums that had been spent on the project†.Another purpose of the â€Å"unnecessary† Japan atomic bombing was to sh ow to the Soviet Union that the United States has a weapon capable of destructing massive areas in seconds. The American Government did the bombing to control the situation that was arising between them and the Soviet Union, which later developed as the â€Å"Cold War†.Bibliography:Mee, Charles Jr. L. â€Å"A Good Way to Pick a Fight†. American Heritage Magazine. Aug 1977: vol 28, issue 5.

The Great Gatsby -T he American Dream essays

The Great Gatsby -T he American Dream essays What exactly is the American Dream? Does it mean to be happy, successful, famous and wealthy? For Jay Gatsby, the rich, young businessman from F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby it meant all of these things. Set in the 1920s American society, The Great Gatsby explores various aspects of life for many different people, of different classes during this time. The three most important places depicted by Fitzgerald are West Egg representing the newly rich, East Egg the old aristocracy, and New York City the uninhibited, amoral quest for money and pleasure. Another name for the 1920s is the Jazz Age, characterized by freedom, exuberance, and hedonism. Living in this era, Gatsby had to focus on his portrayal of the American dream. His picture of it was special because he desired his early lover, Daisy Buchanan. Therefore his embodiment of the American Dream was much more than a materialistic one. In addition, Gatsbys reason for becoming wealthy was to bring back the days he lost with Daisy. If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, then there was something gorgeous about him, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away (Fitzgerald, p.6). This quote shows how Gatsby was determined to live his American dream. This included the luxuries of his expansive home, and his big car, but most importantly, the love of Daisy. When he (Gatsby) first met her, Daisy becomes the symbol of what he could have attained had he been wealthy(Gross, p.11). Gatsby would climb any ladder, no matter how high, to achieve this dream of attaining Daisy. Additionally, the American dream promised the deepest and richest self-fulfillment for those who would make the most of their natural abilities. It was, of course, partly about money and comfort, but it was also about achievement and digni...

Strangles Prevention essays

Strangles Prevention essays Strangles is a highly contagious infection that plagues horses, and it needs to be controlled. The transmission of strangles is very easy, and its effects on horses are very serious. Vaccines should be required for all horses. Measures need to be taken to control the spread of strangles immediately. Strangles is the common term for streptococcus equi bacterium (Small). The name strangles comes from the effects of the bacteria. The streptococcus bacteria cause abscesses in the throat of a horse(Kunz). These abscesses grow so large they cut off the trachea and strangle the horse(Kunz 1). Infection in one to five percent of cases may spread to other organs of the body(Kunz 1). The infection of other organs is called Bastard Strangles (Prescott 2). This type of strangles can create a brain abscess that has the potential to rupture, which would cause immediate death in a horse. The Animal Health Trust states, The disease (strangles) can be severe and prolonged with up to ten percent of cases dying of complications,(Chanter 1). A horse may build up immunities to strangles, but first it has to contract the bacteria. Of the horses that do contract the strangles bacteria 25 percent do not develop the immunity to the bacteria (Equivac 1). Horses can contract strangles a number of ways. Foals are especially high at risk. The main distribution of the bacteria is by nose discharges and burst abscesses, therefore anything an infected horse is in contact with has the bacteria (Small 1). The Streptococcus Equi bacteria is hardy and can live in straw for months and on any other object for periods of time (Horses in the News 4). This leaves farms with horses traveling in and out and any other horse recreation susceptible to a strangles outbreak. The complications of strangles causes a serious problem in the horse world. Poor horse management is to blame. There is a vaccine available to ...

The Ruritanian Project Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Ruritanian Project - Coursework Example The country is currently politically stable. Governments have been democratically elected for the last twenty years. There are two major political parties in Ruritania. The country is about to go for polling in next couple of months. Recent opinion polls suggest that the present Government currently enjoys a 7% lead over the other major party and this view has remained reasonably stable. So if the incumbent government stays in power, it will continue the reform works. The other major party is also committed to democratic principles and a market based economy. They intend to increase both corporate and personal taxation to provide additional funding for their proposed social expenditure (Case Study). The currency of the country was deregulated nearly twelve years ago. Though there was initially a sharp depreciation of the currency, the currency has gained stability against major international currencies during the past three or four years. There has been a speculation that the government will peg the currency with a major currency as a first step for joining the euro. Ruritania is currently negotiating for membership of the European Union and hopes to join in about 2014 (Case Study). In this case, our company wishes to set up a manufacturing in the country in order to utilize the low cost labor and access the local market. We are going to discuss various long term and short term financial issues and underlying theories that are likely to influence the investment decision (Case Study). Foreign Direct Investment as a Strategic Decision of the Firm FDI refers to the reassignment of the capital, managerial and technical assets of a firm from the dwelling country to the host country. It is a type of international finance which consists of lending and portfolio investments. It is unlike lending because it demands ownership. Also it is different from portfolio investment since it entails control of financed actions over administration. There is no united theory associated to FDI. Basically, three levels of analysis have been differentiated by theories based on conventional trade and location theories, theories based largely on industrial organization economics, and theo ries are based on the theory of the firm and center on the competitive advantage of the firm. Customary international trade theories have been enlarged to FDI with regard to the international movement of factors of production. Examples incorporate such extensions of the international trade theory, as factor endowment theory that includes factor mobility (Helpman, 1984, pp. 451-471) and specific factor models (Markusen & Venables, 1998, pp. 183-204), which both are delegates of the new trade theory. They are valid in the context of FDI, as they let imperfect competition and product differentiation. Also traditional location theory stresses on the least-cost location of production as the best location of the firm. Macro-economic investment theories include Dunning's developmental model of international investment. The theory relates the determinants of outward and inward investments to the developmental stage of the state. According to the model, outward investment beats the inward in vestment as the country grows. The ongoing shift from negative to positive on net investment depends on a country's factor endowments, politico-economic system and its interdependencies with the world economy (Dunning 1993). Vernon pioneered the product life cycle theory in the mid-1960s, but expanded it later to a clearly oligopolistic understanding. The theory elucidates the geographical course of locating the manufacturing units in the four broad stages of development. In the first phase, new products are launched by a firm griping technological headship in

The Environment and Technology in Feed (responses) Assignment

The Environment and Technology in Feed (responses) - Assignment Example However, on the other, it is causes serious environmental problems such as the destruction of Jefferson Park. When more artificial elements are incorporated into life, the natural elements are apparently forced out. Therefore, Feed just like every other dystopian piece of literature shows how the future might end in apocalypse if necessary actions are not taken immediately. It shows how government uses technology to literally control the minds of people, thus, the story serves as a gentle reminder to make young readers see beyond the truth shown to them. The Teen Ink article as well as the Colson Article provide in depth information regarding the genre of YA dystopia and further exemplify how the genre has shifted throughout time. The latter furthermore identifies that it is the â€Å"courage and vision to begin anew† portrayed through stories of this genre that make it so popular among modern day teens (Colson 2012). Hope is identified as the â€Å"most powerful emotion† in YA dystopia, however, in Feed, Anderson does not seem to portray it too much, as in the end, the rebellious Violet dies and throughout the story her thoughts are always dismissed and no one listens to her (Teen Ink 2014). I completely agree with the plot and themes presented in the novel, however, I believe that Anderson could have inclined a bit more towards hope rather than truth so that his readers could end with a better note of â€Å"uplifting sense of triumph†

Managing new ventures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Managing new ventures - Essay Example This research will be carried out by the organization themselves or even by some external agencies. As customer is the â€Å"King† of any business and as the organization manufactures its products or offers its services only to sell it to the customers, they have to be studied as part of market research. That is, customer’s preferences regarding the products’ price, quality, packing, appearance, etc has to be studied and those information can be used while designing the product and also while formulating the marketing campaign. Berman (2007) state customer preferences, buying habits, their demographics, language and other trends of particular markets must be evaluated. Intensive market research can enable an organization to identify the strengths and weakness of its competitors. By understanding those aspects, organization can have good information about the things that were working out well for the competitors, as well as the things that has caused failures. With that information, the organization can design its products and its marketing campaign accordingly, thereby increasing its competitiveness. Moreover, the organization by avoiding the failed strategies can prevent any harm to them at an early stage. The process that can be used to do the market research is market positioning (McMahan 2006). According to McMahan (2006) market positioning process involves 5 steps: an identification of the target market, a understanding of the competitive environment, strategy formulation for improving competitive position, establishing strong brand image, and development of a supply chain program. This process can provide effective results because it focuses on all aspects of external environment and also the management of any organization. Unlike internal forces, external forces are not directly controlled by the management of an organization, so they need to be studied in-depth through this process to get effective

Editing Within Digital Filmmaking Essay Example for Free

Editing Within Digital Filmmaking Essay Lori Landay elucidates that in the present age of digital transformations, communications and storytelling, the saying of McLuhan that the medium is the message can be further said that the media is the mix. Digital forms of narrative are not only characterized by their mixed, hybrid forms and content, but by their recombinations. It is used to draw the spectator into the mix in many different ways. It is through the mixing of the different degrees of non-linearity and interactivity that digital narratives are able to form different kinds of digital spectatorship. She looks at three films and states that in different yet interconnected ways, these ways can tend to divert the spectator from the traditional ways of finding meaning to one’s narrative. Different modes are able to elicit different ways of storytelling and fresh ways of looking, thereby, editing scenes in the process. Source 2: Tsai, Tabitha and Czarnecki, Kelly . Digital filmmaking for the 21st century. Library Journal, 2/1/2008. Machinima Goes Mainstream. Article Retrieved June 9, 2008 http://journal. media-culture. org. au/0104/trans. php Machinima is a filmmaking genre that is used in order to shape video for the 21st century. It is a new term that is coined from the words machine and cinema and is a genre of filmmaking that was originally conceived by gamers in the 1990s. During the past years, machinima has gone more mainstream and creativity has been maximized to the limits. Machinima is filmmaking that is done within a real-time, 3-D kind of environment. Basically, machinima uses real-world filmmaking techniques within an interactive virtual environment where characters and events are controlled by humans, scripts, or artificial intelligence. The video games are the ones that provide the settings, props, costumes, and characters which are needed to be able to tell an original story. Filmmakers are able to capture actual footage as MTV Central and video games like Sims 2 have in-game recording options which help the filmmakers to capture footage. For this to be accessed, there is a need for a screen capture software program in order to import game environments where there are no built-in machinima tools. Remixing audio and video content is also among the newer gadgets available among budding machinimists. Source 3: Theodosakis, Nikos. How Digital Filmmaking Develops Higher-Order Thinking Skills. Article Retrieved June 9, 2008 at: http://www. vste. org/publications/journal/attach/vj_1602/vj_1602_08. pdf This article posits that in the classroom, the process of filmmaking entails that students must be able to imagine what they will need in order to come up with a movie. They need to develop a strategy that involves managerial skills such as planning, production and editing where they will start gathering a logical series of events. The author logical lays out what is entailed in the planning stage emphasizing that feature films are rarely shot in a sequential order in order to save time, money and effort. As part of editing, the scenes are grouped according to location or actors or even according to equipment availability. Analytical skills must also be present to a large measure so that during the editing process, one can see multiple takes of the same shots and multiple shots of the same scene and then decide which information best illustrates the message being set forth (Theodosakis). The author wants to point out that the goal of filmmaking in the classroom must be executed so that students will be able to experience these skills in preparation for the future use in their own worlds beyond the classroom.

The Indian Mind and Heart :: essays papers

The Indian Mind and Heart The mind and heart are common terms personifying intellectual and spiritual characteristics. The mind illustrates the current state of what it describes and the heart describes the undying features of which is portrayed. The mind may change depending on influence but the heart is fixed. These regards, the Indian mind and heart may take on many forms. Starting at the core of India, its heart can be correlated with Hinduism. Hinduism started in Indian approximately the third millennium BC and is still practiced in the present day. Also, as it is of Indian origin, its rightful place can be considered the heart of India. It can be said that Hinduism is substantially â€Å"outdated† by today’s standards as formidable religion of Indian majority. During the period of the caste social structure within India it was en excellent fit. But this ensures its position of the heart of India by being fundamental to the development of ancient India and forming modern India. The Bhagavad Gita is a timeless example of how Hinduism can be applied and seen in Indian life. It also enforces the example of how Hinduism is the heart of India by demonstrating the qualities of ancient Indian culture. These beliefs although outdated, are also seen manifesting in many important values, such as Buddhism, which will be discussed later. It is in this document that both sets of beliefs which provide the foundation of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs are combined. In The Bhagavad Gita Arjuna and Krishna converse and discuss spirituality. This literature is excellent in explaining the Indian theory that true spiritual conduct is beyond what we consider logical. Before Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna to fight in the battle he says â€Å"The impermanent has no reality; reality lies in the eternal. Those who have seen the boundary between these two have attached the end of all knowledge. Realize that which pervades the universe and is indestructible; no power can affect this unchanging, imperishable reality.† (qtd. Easwaran 43) In this document Sri Krishna describes â€Å"the intellectual explanation of Sankhya.† (qtd. Easwaran 44) This is vital in describing Buddhism, which was derived from the Sankhya school of thought. â€Å"Death means the attainment of heaven; victory means the enjoyment of the earth. Therefore rise up, Arjuna, resolved to fight! Having made yourself alike in pain and pleasure, profit and loss, victory and defeat, engage in this great battle and you will be free from sin.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 27. NEEDS

I DIDN'T GET VERY FAR BEFORE DRIVING BECAME IMPOSsible. When I couldn't see anymore, I let my tires find the rough shoulder and rolled slowly to a stop. I slumped over on the seat and allowed the weakness I'd fought in Jacob's room crush me. It was worse that I'd thought – the force of it took me by surprise. Yes, I had been right to hide this from Jacob. No one should ever see this. But I wasn't alone for very long – just exactly long enough for Alice to see me here, and then the few minutes it took him to arrive. The door creaked open, and he pulled me into his arms. At first it was worse. Because there was that smaller part of me – smaller, but getting louder and angrier every minute, screaming at the rest of me – that craved a different set of arms. So then there was fresh guilt to season the pain. He didn't say anything, he just let me sob until I began to blubber out Charlie's name. â€Å"Are you really ready to go home?† he asked doubtfully. I managed to convey, after several attempts, that it wasn't going to get any better anytime soon. I needed to get past Charlie before it got late enough for him to call Billy. So he drove me home – for once not even getting close to my truck's internal speed limit – keeping one arm wrapped tightly around me. The whole way, I fought for control. It seemed to be a doomed effort at first, but I didn't give up. Just a few seconds, I told myself. Just time for a few excuses, or a few lies, and then I could break down again. I had to be able to do that much. I scrambled around in my head, searching desperately for a reserve of strength. There was just enough for me to quiet the sobs – hold them back but not end them. The tears didn't slow. I couldn't seem to find any handle to even begin to work with those. â€Å"Wait for me upstairs,† I mumbled when we were in front of the house. He hugged me closer for one minute, and then he was gone. Once inside, I headed straight for the stairs. â€Å"Bella?† Charlie called after me from his usual place on the sofa as I walked by. I turned to look at him without speaking. His eyes bugged wide, and he lurched to his feet. â€Å"What happened? Is Jacob . . . ?† he demanded. I shook my head furiously, trying to find my voice. â€Å"He's fine, he's fine,† I promised, my voice low and husky. And Jacob was fine, physically, which is all Charlie was worried about at the moment. â€Å"But what happened?† He grabbed my shoulders, his eyes still anxious and wide. â€Å"What happened to you?† I must look worse than I'd imagined. â€Å"Nothing, Dad. I . . . just had to talk to Jacob about . . . some things that were hard. I'm fine.† The anxiety calmed, and was replaced by disapproval. â€Å"Was this really the best time?† he asked. â€Å"Probably not, Dad, but I didn't have any alternatives – it just got to the point where I had to choose. . . . Sometimes, there isn't any way to compromise.† He shook his head slowly. â€Å"How did he handle it?† I didn't answer. He looked at my face for a minute, and then nodded. That must have been answer enough. â€Å"I hope you didn't mess up his recovery.† â€Å"He's a quick healer,† I mumbled. Charlie sighed. I could feel the control slipping. â€Å"I'll be in my room,† I told him, shrugging out from underneath his hands. â€Å"‘Kay,† Charlie agreed. He could probably see the waterworks starting to escalate. Nothing scared Charlie worse than tears. I made my way to my room, blind and stumbling. Once inside, I fought with the clasp on my bracelet, trying to undo it with shaking fingers. â€Å"No, Bella,† Edward whispered, capturing my hands. â€Å"It's part of who you are.† He pulled me into the cradle of his arms as the sobs broke free again. This longest of days seemed to stretch on and on and on. I wondered if it would ever end. But, though the night dragged relentlessly, it was not the worst night of my life. I took comfort from that. And I was not alone. There was a great deal of comfort in that, too. Charlie's fear of emotional outbursts kept him from checking on me, though I was not quiet – he probably got no more sleep than I did. My hindsight seemed unbearably clear tonight. I could see every mistake I'd made, every bit of harm I'd done, the small things and the big things. Each pain I'd caused Jacob, each wound I'd given Edward, stacked up into neat piles that I could not ignore or deny. And I realized that I'd been wrong all along about the magnets. It had not been Edward and Jacob that I'd been trying to force together, it was the two parts of myself, Edward's Bella and Jacob's Bella. But they could not exist together, and I never should have tried. I'd done so much damage. At some point in the night, I remembered the promise I'd made to myself early this morning – that I would never make Edward see me shed another tear for Jacob Black. The thought brought on a round of hysteria which frightened Edward more than the weeping. But it passed, too, when it had run its course. Edward said little; he just held me on the bed and let me ruin his shirt, staining it with salt water. It took longer than I thought it would for that smaller, broken part of me to cry herself out. It happened, though, and I was eventually exhausted enough to sleep. Unconsciousness did not bring full relief from the pain, just a numbing, dulling ease, like medicine. Made it more bearable. But it was still there; I was aware of it, even asleep, and that helped me to make the adjustments I needed to make. The morning brought with it, if not a brighter outlook, as least a measure of control, some acceptance. Instinctively, I knew that the new tear in my heart would always ache. That was just going to be a part of me now. Time would make it easier – that's what everyone always said. But I didn't care if time healed me or not, so long as Jacob could get better. Could be happy again. When I woke up, there was no disorientation. I opened my eyes – finally dry – and met his anxious gaze. â€Å"Hey,† I said. My voice was hoarse. I cleared my throat. He didn't answer. He watched me, waiting for it to start. â€Å"No, I'm fine,† I promised. â€Å"That won't happen again.† His eyes tightened at my words. â€Å"I'm sorry that you had to see that,† I said. â€Å"That wasn't fair to you.† He put his hands on either side of my face. â€Å"Bella . . . are you sure? Did you make the right choice? I've never seen you in so much pain -† His voice broke on the last word. But I had known worse pain. I touched his lips. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"I don't know. . . .† His brow creased. â€Å"If it hurts you so much, how can it possibly be the right thing for you?† â€Å"Edward, I know who I can't live without.† â€Å"But . . .† I shook my head. â€Å"You don't understand. You may be brave enough or strong enough to live without me, if that's what's best. But I could never be that self-sacrificing. I have to be with you. It's the only way I can live.† He still looked dubious. I should never have let him stay with me last night. But I had needed him so much. . . . â€Å"Hand me that book, will you?† I asked, pointing over his shoulder. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion, but he gave it to me quickly. â€Å"This again?† he asked. â€Å"I just wanted to find this one part I remembered . . . to see how she said it. . . .† I flipped through the book, finding the page I wanted easily. The corner was dog-eared from the many times I'd stopped here. â€Å"Cathy's a monster, but there were a few things she got right,† I muttered. I read the lines quietly, mostly to myself. â€Å"‘If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and ifall else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.'† I nodded, again to myself. â€Å"I know exactly what she means. And I know who I can't live without.† Edward took the book from my hands and flipped it across the room – it landed with a light thud on my desk. He wrapped his arms around my waist. A small smile lit his perfect face, though worry still lined his forehead. â€Å"Heathcliff had his moments, too,† he said. He didn't need the book to get it word perfect. He pulled me closer and whispered inmy ear, â€Å"‘I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!'† â€Å"Yes,† I said quietly. â€Å"That's my point.† â€Å"Bella, I can't stand for you to be miserable. Maybe . . .† â€Å"No, Edward. I've made a real mess of things, and I'm going to have to live with that. But I know what I want and what I need . . . and what I'm going to do now.† â€Å"What are we going to do now?† I smiled just a bit at his correction, and then I sighed. â€Å"We are going to go see Alice.† Alice was on the bottom porch step, too hyper to wait for us inside. She looked about to break into a celebration dance, so excited was she about the news she knew I was there to deliver. â€Å"Thank you, Bella!† she sang as we got out of the truck. â€Å"Hold it, Alice,† I warned her, lifting a hand up to halt her glee. â€Å"I've got a few limitations for you.† â€Å"I know, I know, I know. I only have until August thirteenth at the latest, you have veto power on the guest list, and if I go overboard on anything, you'll never speak to me again.† â€Å"Oh, okay. Well, yeah. You know the rules, then.† â€Å"Don't worry, Bella, it will be perfect. Do you want to see your dress?† I had to take a few deep breaths. Whatever makes her happy, I said to myself. â€Å"Sure.† Alice's smile was smug. â€Å"Um, Alice,† I said, keeping the casual, unruffled tone in my voice. â€Å"When did you get me a dress?† It probably wasn't much of a show. Edward squeezed my hand. Alice led the way inside, heading for the stairs. â€Å"These things take time, Bella,† Alice explained. Her tone seemed . . . evasive. â€Å"I mean, I wasn't sure things were going to turn out this way, but there was a distinct possibility. . . .† â€Å"When?† I asked again. â€Å"Perrine Bruyere has a waiting list, you know,† she said, defensive now. â€Å"Fabric masterpieces don't happen overnight. If I hadn't thought ahead, you'd be wearing something off the rack!† It didn't look like I was going to get a straight answer. â€Å"Per – who?† â€Å"He's not a major designer, Bella, so there's no need to throw a hissy fit. He's got promise, though, and he specializes in what I needed.† â€Å"I'm not throwing a fit.† â€Å"No, you're not.† She eyed my calm face suspiciously. Then, as we walked into her room, she turned on Edward. â€Å"You – out.† â€Å"Why?† I demanded. â€Å"Bella,† she groaned. â€Å"You know the rules. He's not supposed to see the dress till the day of.† I took another deep breath. â€Å"It doesn't matter to me. And you know he's already seen it in your head. But if that's how you want it. . . .† She shoved Edward back out the door. He didn't even look at her – his eyes were on me, wary, afraid to leave me alone. I nodded, hoping my expression was tranquil enough to reassure him. Alice shut the door in his face. â€Å"All right!† she muttered. â€Å"C'mon.† She grabbed my wrist and towed me to her closet – which was bigger than my bedroom – and then dragged me to the back corner, where a long white garment bag had a rack all to itself. She unzipped the bag in one sweeping movement, and then slipped it carefully off the hanger. She took a step back, holding her hand out to the dress like she was a game show hostess. â€Å"Well?† she asked breathlessly. I appraised it for a long moment, playing with her a bit. Her expression turned worried. â€Å"Ah,† I said, and I smiled, letting her relax. â€Å"I see.† â€Å"What do you think?† she demanded. It was my Anne of Green Gables vision all over again. â€Å"It's perfect, of course. Exactly right. You're a genius.† She grinned. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"Nineteen-eighteen?† I guessed. â€Å"More or less,† she said, nodding. â€Å"Some of it is my design, the train, the veil. . . .† She touched the white satin as she spoke. â€Å"The lace is vintage. Do you like it?† â€Å"It's beautiful. It's just right for him.† â€Å"But is it just right for you?† she insisted. â€Å"Yes, I think it is, Alice. I think it's just what I need. I know you'll do a great job with this . . . if you can keep yourself in check.† She beamed. â€Å"Can I see your dress?† I asked. She blinked, her face blank. â€Å"Didn't you order your bridesmaid dress at the same time? I wouldn't want my maid of honor to wear something off the rack.† I pretended to wince in horror. She threw her arms around my waist. â€Å"Thank you, Bella!† â€Å"How could you not see that one coming?† I teased, kissing her spiky hair. â€Å"Some psychic you are!† Alice danced back, and her face was bright with fresh enthusiasm. â€Å"I've got so much to do! Go play with Edward. I have to get to work.† She dashed out of the room, yelling, â€Å"Esme!† as she disappeared. I followed at my own pace. Edward was waiting for me in the hallway, leaning against the wood-paneled wall. â€Å"That was very, very nice of you,† he told me. â€Å"She seems happy,† I agreed. He touched my face; his eyes – too dark, it had been so long since he'd left me – searched my expression minutely. â€Å"Let's get out of here,† he suddenly suggested. â€Å"Let's go to our meadow.† It sounded very appealing. â€Å"I guess I don't have to hide out anymore, do I?† â€Å"No. The danger is behind us.† He was quiet, thoughtful, as he ran. The wind blew on my face, warmer now that the storm had really passed. The clouds covered the sky, the way they usually did. The meadow was a peaceful, happy place today. Patches of summer daisies interrupted the grass with splashes of white and yellow. I lay back, ignoring the slight dampness of the ground, and looked for pictures in the clouds. They were too even, too smooth. No pictures, just a soft, gray blanket. Edward lay next to me and held my hand. â€Å"August thirteenth?† he asked casually after a few minutes of comfortable silence. â€Å"That gives me a month till my birthday. I didn't want to cut it too close.† He sighed. â€Å"Esme is three years older than Carlisle – technically. Did you know that?† I shook my head. â€Å"It hasn't made any difference to them.† My voice was serene, a counterpoint to his anxiety. â€Å"My age is not really that important. Edward, I'm ready. I've chosen my life – now I want to start living it.† He stroked my hair. â€Å"The guest list veto?† â€Å"I don't care really, but I . . .† I hesitated, not wanting to explain this one. Best to get it over with. â€Å"I'm not sure if Alice would feel the need to invite . . . a few werewolves. I don't know if . . . Jake would feel like . . . like he should come. Like that's the right thing to do, or that I'd get my feelings hurt if he didn't. He shouldn't have to go through that.† Edward was quiet for a minute. I stared at the tips of the treetops, almost black against the light gray of the sky. Suddenly, Edward grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his chest. â€Å"Tell me why you're doing this, Bella. Why did you decide, now, to give Alice free reign?† I repeated for him the conversation I had with Charlie last night before I'd gone to see Jacob. â€Å"It wouldn't be fair to keep Charlie out of this,† I concluded. â€Å"And that means Rene and Phil. I might as well let Alice have her fun, too. Maybe itwill make the whole thing easier for Charlie if he gets his proper goodbye. Even if he thinks it's much too early, I wouldn't want to cheat him out of the chance to walk me down the aisle.† I grimaced at the words, then took another deep breath. â€Å"At least my mom and dad and my friends will know the best part of my choice, the most I'm allowed to tell them. They'll know I chose you, and they'll know we're together. They'll know I'm happy, wherever I am. I think that's the best I can do for them.† Edward held my face, searching it for a brief time. â€Å"Deal's off,† he said abruptly. â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"You're backing out? No!† â€Å"I'm not backing out, Bella. I'll still keep my side of the bargain. But you're off the hook. Whatever you want, no strings attached.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Bella, I see what you're doing. You're trying to make everyone else happy. And I don't care about anyone else's feelings. I only need you to be happy. Don't worry about breaking the news to Alice. I'll take care of it. I promise she won't make you feel guilty.† â€Å"But I -â€Å" â€Å"No. We're doing this your way. Because my way doesn't work. I call you stubborn, but look at what I've done. I've clung with such idiotic obstinacy to my idea of what's best for you, though it's only hurt you. Hurt you so deeply, time and time again. I don't trust myself anymore. You can have happiness your way. My way is always wrong. So.† He shifted under me, squaring his shoulders. â€Å"We're doing it your way, Bella. Tonight. Today. The sooner the better. I'll speak to Carlisle. I was thinking that maybe if we gave you enough morphine, it wouldn't be so bad. It's worth a try.† He gritted his teeth. â€Å"Edward, no -â€Å" He put his finger to my lips. â€Å"Don't worry, Bella, love. I haven't forgotten the rest of your demands.† His hands were in my hair, his lips moving softly – but very seriously – against mine, before I realized what he was saying. What he was doing. There wasn't much time to act. If I waited too long, I wouldn't be able to remember why I needed to stop him. Already, I couldn't breathe right. My hands were gripping his arms, pulling myself tighter to him, my mouth glued to his and answering every unspoken question his asked. I tried to clear my head, to find a way to speak. He rolled gently, pressing me into the cool grass. Oh, never mind! my less noble side exulted. My head was full of the sweetness of his breath. No, no, no, I argued with myself. I shook my head, and his mouth moved to my neck, giving me a chance to breathe. â€Å"Stop, Edward. Wait.† My voice was as weak as my will. â€Å"Why?† he whispered into the hollow of my throat. I labored to put some resolve into my tone. â€Å"I don't want to do this now.† â€Å"Don't you?† he asked, a smile in his voice. He moved his lips back to mine and made speaking impossible. Heat coursed through my veins, burning where my skin touched his. I made myself focus. It took a great deal of effort just to force my hands to free themselves from his hair, to move them to his chest. But I did it. And then I shoved against him, trying to push him away. I could not succeed alone, but he responded as I knew he would. He pulled back a few inches to look at me, and his eyes did nothing to help my resolve. They were black fire. They smoldered. â€Å"Why?† he asked again, his voice low and rough. â€Å"I love you. I want you. Right now.† The butterflies in my stomach flooded my throat. He took advantage of my speechlessness. â€Å"Wait, wait,† I tried to say around his lips. â€Å"Not for me,† he murmured in disagreement. â€Å"Please?† I gasped. He groaned, and pushed himself away from me, rolling onto his back again. We both lay there for a minute, trying to slow our breathing. â€Å"Tell me why not, Bella,† he demanded. â€Å"This had better not be about me.† Everything in my world was about him. What a silly thing to expect. â€Å"Edward, this is very important to me. I am going to do this right.† â€Å"Who's definition of right?† â€Å"Mine.† He rolled onto his elbow and stared at me, his expression disapproving. â€Å"How are you going to do this right?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Responsibly. Everything in the right order. I will not leave Charlie and Rene without the best resolution I can give them. I won't deny Alice her fun, if I'm having a wedding anyway. And I will tie myself to you in every human way, before I ask you to make me immortal. I'm following all the rules, Edward. Your soul is far, far too important to me to take chances with. You're not going to budge me on this.† â€Å"I'll bet I could,† he murmured, his eyes burning again. â€Å"But you wouldn't,† I said, trying to keep my voice level. â€Å"Not knowing that this is what I really need.† â€Å"You don't fight fair,† he accused. I grinned at him. â€Å"Never said I did.† He smiled back, wistful. â€Å"If you change your mind . . .† â€Å"You'll be the first to know,† I promised. The rain started to drip through the clouds just then, a few scattered drops that made faint thuds as they struck the grass. I glowered at the sky. â€Å"I'll get you home.† He brushed the tiny beads of water from my cheeks. â€Å"Rain's not the problem,† I grumbled. â€Å"It just means that it's time to go do something that will be very unpleasant and possibly even highly dangerous.† His eyes widened in alarm. â€Å"It's a good thing you're bulletproof.† I sighed. â€Å"I'm going to need that ring. It's time to tell Charlie.† He laughed at the expression on my face. â€Å"Highly dangerous,† he agreed. He laughed again and then reached into the pocket of his jeans. â€Å"But as least there's no need for a side trip.† He once again slid my ring into place on the third finger of my left hand. Where it would stay – conceivably for the rest of eternity.