Writing Sample to be submitted with graduate faculty employment Essay

Writing Sample to be submitted with graduate faculty employment application - Essay Example There are several instances where brain scans are brought as court-room evidences to present that the suspect is somehow mentally challenged and thus cannot, for some reason, be charged with death sentence, and so be given lifetime imprisonment instead. Because of this modernity, criminal justice is challenged, and the issue remains unresolved. Immature Brain Neurolaw is creating a scene in providing judgments, leading experts from different fields in constant debate whether when to consider a brain as normal or abnormal, or when to consider the evidence as a legal mitigating circumstance or as an alibi. One contention raised by neuroscientists is that â€Å"adolescents are not as capable of controlling their impulses as adults because the development of neurons in the prefrontal cortex isn’t complete until the early 20s† (Rosen 3). The American Psychiatric Association backed-up this â€Å"anatomically-based† claim that there are differences between juveniles and adults, emphasizing that immature regions of the brain are those related with regulation of emotions, impulse control, risk assessment, and moral reasoning (Fagan 14). These are shown with the aid of modern technology which â€Å"rationalizes† the deviant behavior of juvenile offenders, and the brain is said to function maturely as the individual transitions into adulthood. This argument was essential in the Supreme Court’s decision for offenders below 18 years old not to be sentenced with death penalty. In addition, this neuroscientific evidence has been recently used several times in juvenile cases to influence the decisions of the judge and the jury. However, the complications neurolaw give our courts do not just end there. Law and Technology It is implied that a bigger concern in integrating neuroscience into the criminal justice system concerns cases where juvenile delinquency is not necessarily involved. There seems to be no clear delineation as to when brain sc ans may be considered adequate evidences, and how members of the prosecution committee would weigh the gravity of these proofs. However, the influence of neuroscience in the courts does not seem to cease. The law generally regards individuals responsible for their actions, but accommodations are sometimes granted to explain misconduct, and in this course neuroscience enters, arguing that differences in brain activity may influence behavior (Society of Neuroscience 38). High technology has made it possible for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scans to link who we are and how we behave, as asserted by neuroscientists. Kent Kiehl is a prominent neuroscientist who has added psychopathy to the list of conditions that can be observed in fMRI scans, other than those telltale signs established for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Haederle). Highly interested in why psychopaths behave the way they do, Kiehl is involved in a research that scanned the brains of prison inmates and conducted interviews. Kiehl is delving on a possibility that â€Å"there are developmental differences associated with psychopathic traits,† where â€Å"the more severe the traits, the more severe the impairment in the paralimbic system† (qtd. in Haederle). Along with his other assertions based on neuroscience, he believes that it is not a good idea to punish convicted offenders who possess malfunctioning brains. Neuroscience and Criminal Responsibility Another aspect, however, concerns the relevance of neuroscience

Black man and white women Essay Example for Free

Black man and white women Essay Black man and white women in dark green row boat The story Black Man and White Women in Dark Green Rowboat, written by Russell Banks, is about an interracial relationship on the brink of disaster. The story opens up on an extremely hot day in August at a trailer park that is right next to a lake with a variety of people who live there. I was not immediately aware that the black man and the white woman were the focus of the story, but those characters gradually emerged and thats when things started to get interesting. It becomes very obvious that white women want to control everything in the relationship and doesnt iew the black man as an equal partner. Before they meet at the beach, the white women walks up in her bikini holding her towel, fashion magazine, and tanning lotion with her blonde hair swinging side to side. I automatically start to view her as an egotistical person. When the white women encounters the black man at the beach, she helps him push the boat to the water, but instead of helping him push the boat all the way from shore, she hops in it before her feet had even got wet. He was left to not only push the boat himself, rolling his pant legs up, but also pushing her in it as well. While he is rowing the boat he realizes he didnt bring a hat and he is sweating. He wraps his shirt around his head and she explains to him that he looks like a sheik and a galley slave. To me this shows how she thinks of him as her own romanticized slave that she can control. She even reassures him that she was not kidding by saying no really. Honestly. (68). The man continues to row and she says shes starting to put on weight and then she tells the man that she told her mother about them and their situation, but she never looked at him when she was talking to him. Her eyes were closed and directed oward the sun. She isnt treating him like she cares; she is Just caring on with her sun bathing. Then she tells him that she is going to have an abortion that afternoon. She does this without even asking the man if thats what he wants to do. Even after he expresses hatred towards the situation and basically tells her he wants her to keep the baby she doesnt listen. She Just insists that everything will return to normal when its done. He asks her what happened and she brushes the question off and explains her mother is 0k with him. You can tell he cares about her mothers opinion f him as he wants the reassurance that her mother actually likes him. The woman explains her mother Just thinks she is fragile from depression. Honestly I feel like the women had had other abortions and Just didnt want to be honest with the man. After some time had passed, the woman asks him how long he was going to fish. He tells her about an hour and offers to row her to a swimming spot if she would rather swim. She turns down the offer and makes appoint to mention the fact that she has to be back in time to make it to her abortion later that afternoon; again aking it known she is making this decision on ner own. The women sta rts looking through her magazine while the man continued for a few more casts then he finally gave up and said, No sense fishing when the fish aint feeding. The whole point is catching fish, right? (71). This is the mans turning point. I think he realized that the relationship he was in was kind of like fishing, there was no point in him being with her if she didnt want to move on to the next level. Before rowing back into shore, he said he wished he could Just leave here there. She gets very nervous when he said hat and tells him they have to go back. Thats when the man decided that it was time to move on with his life and he said, You mean, you have to go back. (71). He rows back and all the people are carrying on like they were before except now things are changing for them. The White woman goes with her towel and magazine to have her abortion and back to living with her mother, while the Black man goes on his own separate way while watching the women leave.

Essay --

Naturalism in Literature Naturalism is the literary movement that directly followed, and was born from, the Realistic Movement. Unlike Realism, which focused on the middle class, Naturalism focused on the lower class. The characters of naturalist writers were usually poor, disenfranchised, living in impoverished conditions and struggling to survive hardships. This is how naturalism is explained according to The American Novel, â€Å"While it is strongly associated with realism, in the shared emphasis on depicting surface reality, naturalism is more than a literary technique, involving as it does the philosophy of determinism. Naturalism is antiromantic in emphasizing the limited ability of humans to impose will upon their own destiny, and also in devaluing the imagination's embellishment of reality. For the naturalist, it is the duty of the writer to present to the reader reality without illusion, to offer a scientific, detached view of it rather than to adorn or mislead or simply please the reader† (Matterson). Naturalism also focuses on nature and how humans are subject to the laws on nature. Naturalists believed that circumstances were what controlled your life. The belief was that your environment is what determined the rest of your life or who or what would become of you. In Crane’s The Open Boat the story is a perfect model for naturalism because of the way it pessimistically depicts life. The four men in the story are at the mercy of the natural setting of the sea. Nature is portrayed as heartless and unsympathetic toward the circumstances of men. The characters of the story are not given supernatural powers to fight and win against nature as they would have been given in romanticism. The motif of the story seems to be ... ...y similarities. Both forms were reactions to and against Romanticism. They both try to simulate and parallel real life and both were to uncover and unmask the social ills and bigotries of society. These bigotries not only related to racial divides but also classism. Naturalism, which is an offshoot of Realism, focused more on the underprivileged and lower classes because Realism seemed to have left this group out. Naturalism also focused more on the power of nature and the environment, whereas Realism focused more on the characters. Naturalists often left their characters unnamed to ensure the focal point was the conditions or surroundings and not the people. Naturalisms themes are despair, cruelty of nature and how uncaring it is about people. The characters in naturalism often end up dying with lengthy periods of reflection of life before the death occurs.

American Dream – American Beauty & Of Mice and Men

Although the roots of the American Dream are founded on opportunity for all, it has become an inaccessible illusion for most. John Steinbeck’s novella â€Å"Of mice and men† explores the fragility of this concept in a more modern context. Whereas Sam Mendez’s film â€Å"American Beauty† uses black comedy to highlight the allusive nature of the American dream that has become perverted by an affiant society. Both of these texts expose a reality that reveals the isolation and loneliness experienced from pursuing American dream. George and Lenny both shared â€Å"The American Dream† of owning their own small farm house. However they too were unable to grasp the reality when their dream became crushed by society’s expectations. ‘Some day – we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and –‘, George and Lenny constantly repeats this phrase continuously throughout the novella, as their personal ambition and aim. It was this specific phrase that allowed our two protagonists to differentiate from others, it gave our protagonists hope as they were unique from all other farm workers ‘Guys like us, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place. They come to a ranch an’ work up a stake and then they go inta town and blow their stake, and the first thing you know they’re poundin’ their tail on some other ranch’. Knowing that they were different from all other farm workers they motivated themselves to believe that they were able to obtain what others could not, as they were different from everyone else ‘They ain’t got nothing to look ahead to’ †¦ ‘But not us! ’ An’ why? Because †¦ Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you, and that’s why’. Our two protagonists can closely compared with the mouse in Robert Burns Poem â€Å"To a Mouse†. The mouse within Burns poems lived on a farm very similar to Lennie and George. Through hard work the mouse creates a home, which was ultimately destroyed by the farmer. The rodents that Lennie often carried around symbolises how fragile they really were, being crushed by Lennie’s petting. The American Dream was supposedly founded on the belief that it was a dream for all and that everyone had an equal chance. However Steinbeck’s choice of emphasizing both the fragility and the selective nature of the American Dream crushes Lenny and George indefinitely. Steinbeck highlights the allusive nature of the American dream by using alienated and lonely characters who are shown to be unable to fulfil their dream. Crooks is a black man who was shunned from society merely because of his colour and race. Unable to belong with the rest of the other characters, he is often shown alone. When Lennie first confronts Crooks, Crook turned his vulnerability against Lennie and lied about George never returning, suggesting that George will never return. He plays a cruel game with Lennie, suggesting to him that George is gone for good. Only when Lennie threatens him with physical violence does he relent. Crooks exhibits the corrosive effects that loneliness can have on a person; his character evokes sympathy as the origins of his cruel behavior are made evident. Perhaps what Crooks wants more than anything else is a sense of belonging—to enjoy simple pleasures such as the right to enter the bunkhouse or to play cards with the other men. This desire would explain why, even though he has reason to doubt George and Lennie’s talk about the farm that they want to own, Crooks cannot help but ask if there might be room for him to come along and hoe in the garden. Similarly, Curly’s wife also had an ambition to be a movie star and famous. Near the start of the novella, Curly’s wife was shown to be a â€Å"tramp† or â€Å"tart†, however as the novella progresses, her lust for attention grows. This desire is shown by her confrontation with other men, even though Curly had told her not to. The lack of attention that the other characters and the story gave her is further emphasised by Steinbeck’s decision of disallowing her a name. Curly wife’s is also another character that demonstrated loneliness, however, unlike other characters, she had little significance. Similarly Sam Mendez also produces unique individuals within â€Å"American Beauty†, each having their own dreams and ambitions, to demonstrate the allusion that the American dream is for everyone. The Burnham’s in particular were bitter and confined even though they were shown to have â€Å"Everything†: a house, a car, a family. Even though the Burnhams had the depicted everything, they did not appear to be content with their life. Lester Burnham, the protagonist, has been slowly deteriorating from the typical patriarchal household. Lester is often showed to be confined within himself shut of from other characters. During the first office scene, Lester’s reflection upon the computer is shown behind green bars of text. Even Lester himself admits that he loser living the same boring life every day. At the beginning of the movie Lester starts of narrating, â€Å"In a way I’m dead already†. During the first dinner scene after Lester walks into the kitchen, Lester tells Jane â€Å"Sometimes Jane you don’t have to wait for me to come to you. You can come to me† however Jane’s response was different from the typical families creating a sunse of unrealistic expectation of what a family should be. When Lester is in the shower, he is also confined within the small shower cubicle. It wasn’t until Lester reverted back to the consumption of pot that he starts challenging everyone, breaking away from the accumulating confinement. At this point Lester breaks away from the facade that he was unworthy, gaining independence. Caroline on the other hand is taken in by the desire for success. Even though Caroline had everything that the American dream states, she continues to long for more. This shows how the American Dream is continuously filled with wants and desires. When Lester and Caroline were alone in the living room Caroline gets distracted by Lester nearly spilling beer on the coach. Lester tells her â€Å"This isn’t life. This is just stuff. And this stuff has become more important to you than living. † Both Mendez and Steinbeck imply through their texts that The American Dream is merely a facade and an allusion that anyone can obtain. However, the selective nature of the dream restricts various people from pursuing this happiness.

Promote Professional Development Essay

PROMOTE PROFRESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 1.1 Explain the importance of continually improving knowledge and practice. As a professional, I have a responsibility to engage in continuous professional development. This means taking action in keeping my skills and knowledge and to seeking to improve my capabilities across the range of task I carry out daily. Continually improving my knowledge is essential to my role and ensures I have the skills and knowledge to create the best for the organisation that I work for. I need to be aware of most up to date legislations and guidelines, and the well fare requirements. As a senior support worker it is even more vital that I am aware and up to date with the above, as part of my role is to guide, support and influence other staff to do well in their own roles. Your own professional development does not only impact on yourself but other staff, the organisation and the service users. Reflective practice is a huge part of professional development and you need to be skilful in this to really benefit from it, criticising your own practice might not always be easy but taking a step back, and taking another look at it can benefit yourself and your skills. To be able to improve my own knowledge is very important to me, to be able to benefit my role or future role. In doing this I feel I am progressing in my career, keeping myself desirable to other employers and maximising my potential to do well in my career. Therefore if I continue to develop professionally and improve my knowledge resulting in me improving my practice I will: Become a positive role model to other staff Be confident in my own abilities and future employment Lead and influence staff positively with the correct information and highest standards 1.2 Analyse potential barriers to professional development. As with all aspects of working in a healthcare setting there is a risk of facing potential boundaries and barriers to professional development. Some of which could be: Training Cost of or development days and whether staffs cover is available – this could obviously impact whether staff member are able to attend training and rations within the setting would undoubtedly  still have to be adhered to, and whether funding would be available to send the desired staff on the course. In order for me to progress within my professional development, I should consider any potential barriers. Once these barriers have been identified I should look at these barriers as challenges to overcome and not problems which may remain unsolved. I consider barriers as a stepping stone to improving my skills and knowledge in the perfect world for myself and every member of staff to attend new and refresher courses would be an accomplishment in itself. Unfortunately there will be barriers to cross. PERSONAL BARRIERS could be in the form of: Intellectual limitations. We all have different learning styles. Some may have no problem sitting in a class in front of a teacher taking notes or seeing visuals. While others will learn better being more practical. I myself will learn better being more hands on. Show me how to do something and I will be able to do it. However put me in a class room and I find it more difficult to learn. I have tried to overcome this classroom issue by teaching myself not to make lengthy notes on everything that I hear. What I now do is make short notes. Language barriers could play a big part in a member of staff understanding what they are hearing and reading. Should this happen managers should encourage this member of staff to get extra help from their managers and Early Years Foundation Stage advisor. English for speakers of other languages or for additional language courses should be suggested for this person to attend. Then you may have a member of staff who is over confident and think training/courses are a waste of time and be less willing to attend. 1.3 Compare the use of different sources and systems of support for professional development Equipped with an understanding of the types of barriers faced in healthcare, we now have to identify the barriers that our organisation faces. This will involve looking at the specific barriers for different individuals in our organisation in relation to a particular piece of evidence-based guidance. When implementing any new policy or guidance, it is essential to identify the gap between recommended practice and current practice (baseline assessment). Ideally, this assessment will also help to identify the potential and actual barriers to change, allowing you to pinpoint the practical actions needed to implement the change along with the groups of  professionals who are key in bridging this gap. Those affected by change maybe the managers or support staff and individual roles and how people work with others will need to be considered. Talking to a key individual or a group of key individuals is an informal way of gaining Insight into a particular problem or situation. This method has a number of advantages, For example: †¢ It enables ideas to be explored in an iterative fashion †¢ Detailed information can be obtained †¢ It is quick and inexpensive. There may be some disadvantages, for example: †¢ It relies heavily on the key individual(s) †¢ The responses may be subject to bias †¢ It may be difficult to find the right person (or people) to talk to †¢ Additional corroboration may be needed. Talking to a key individual may be used, for example, when you are considering Introducing a new procedure on to a service. By discussing the potential barriers That might arise as a result of introducing the new procedure with key individuals that Will be affected, you can get specific details of the problems you are likely to face. Several ways Direct observation Sometimes the best way of assessing current clinical practice in your organisation is by Observing individual behaviours and interactions. This is especially appropriate if you are Looking at events that happen quite often, for example, personal care. This method has A number of advantages, for example: †¢ It enables detailed analysis of current behaviours in context †¢ It eliminates reporting bias †¢ It can provide a useful method for monitoring progress, if repeated on a  regular basis. Use a questionnaire A questionnaire is a good way of exploring the knowledge, Beliefs, attitudes and behaviour of a group of geographically Dispersed healthcare professionals. Careful thought Needs to be given to the design of the questions, as the Quality of the answers relies heavily on the quality of the Questions. Both electronic and paper formats can be used to encourage responses. This method has a number of  advantages, for example: †¢ It allows rapid collection of relatively large amounts of data from a large number of people †¢ It enables statistical analysis of standardised data †¢ It provides the opportunity to highlight the need for change through communication of the results †¢ It is relatively inexpensive. Team meeting Team meetings are a powerful means of evaluating current practice and testing new ideas. They comprise a facilitated discussion or interview involving the full support team. Open questions are posed by the facilitator, who then encourages the group to discuss their experiences and thoughts, and reflect on the views of others. This method has a number of advantages, for example: †¢ It enables a representative group of people to share ideas †¢ It allows a wide range of in-depth information to be obtained †¢ It encourages new ideas and perspectives †¢ It helps get people engaged in the change process Supervisions/Appraisals The primary functions of supervision are: administrative case management; reflecting on and learning from practice; personal support; professional development; and mediation, in which the supervisor acts as a bridge between  the individual staff member and the organisation they work for. Organisations are likely to succeed by having workers who are skilful, knowledgeable, clear about their roles, and who are assisted in their practice by sound advice and emotional support. This should come from a supervisor with whom they have a good professional relationship. Research into what happens within supervision suggests that effective supervision generates good outcomes for workers while experience suggests that â€Å"the consequences of absent, inadequate, or negative forms of supervision poses a threat to workforce stability, capacity, confidence, competence and morale.

Sun Gods essays

Sun Gods essays You climb the steep stairs of the temple. As you look around, you see the blood of your fellow prisoners pooled on the floor. You see the priests. They are caked with the blood of their former victims. You hear the drums start. They will muffle your screams. The time is 1531. The place is the great Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. You are about to have your heart ripped out of your still living body to appease the angry gods. This is an example of sun worship. In some cultures, the sun was a blood-hungry deity that required human hearts to shine. To others the sun was the creator of the earth and every thing on the earth. The three most noteworthy cultures that had solar religion were the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs. All of these civilizations had a belief of sacred kingship and an extremely well developed urban culture. For example, when the Spanish conquistadors came to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan they were amazed by the city. "We were amazed....on account of the g reat towers and temples and buildings rising from the water, and all built of masonry. And some of our soldiers even asked whether the things we saw were not in a dream." 1 Their rulers governed by the power of the sun and their royal families believed that they were descended from the sun. Forms of sun worship still exist today, in the mien of some of Christianitys most revered holidays and our modern customs. "Cults of the sun, as we know from many sources, had attained great vogue during the second, third and fourth centuries. Sun-worshippers indeed formed one of the big groups in that religious world in which Christianity was fighting for a place. Many of them became converts to Christianity and in all probability carried into their new religion some remnants of their old beliefs. The complaint of Pope Leo in the fifth century that worshippers in St. Peters turned away from the altar and faced the door so that they could adore the...

A comparison of two television adverts Essay Example

A comparison of two television adverts Essay Example A comparison of two television adverts Essay A comparison of two television adverts Essay Television is the most important medium for advertising, and advertising is a vital component of traditional TV business models. It has always been difficult to assess the benefits of TV advertising as advertisers have traditionally had only a vague idea of who may have seen a particular advert and the actual impact on them. However, they can try and target an audience specifically e. g. time, channel of advert, etc. Most channels gain over 50% of their revenue from TV advertising firms. Without TV adverts, we probably wouldnt buy half the products that are on show in shops. TV advertising also generates millions of pounds for TV channels, and this keeps the channel running. In fact, the main source of income is through advertising. Television is also the most reached audience, more than newspapers, the internet, the radio and even magazines. On the other hand, television advertising is the most expensive type of advertising to use. A 30 second clip on a national channel can cost up to i 20,000. I will compare two adverts promoting similar products, and see the differences in advertising methods and measure the successful effects on its target audience. The advert for the Vauxhall Corsa is 40 seconds long, consisting of 26 scenes. The car can be seen many times during this short advert. This instantly attracts the viewers attention. At one point 11 cars can be seen at once. This advert was found on ITV at a prime-time slot where Vauxhall believed it would attract the most number of people. The advert starts off with one vehicle and a voice over say, 1, 2, 3, as the car parks into a car park. This is a close-up shot of the car. The next scene is the original vehicle being surrounded by 10 other cars of the same model. Repetition is a good device to use for adverts as it creates a lasting memory effect in the viewers mind. The vehicles are all of bright colours e. g. red, white and blue. Bright colours are also useful as they can commonly create a positive link with the viewers perception. Once the voice-over has counted to 3, then the other vehicles start to drive off in different directions. As this happens, music is introduced into the advertisement. This is touch sensitivity by the fall. This song is happy and joyful. It has a guitar melody playing alongside with the cars movements. We see the cars doing various manoeuvres and trying to hide as the vehicles are playing hide and seek. This game between the vehicles creates a fast paced advert; another device commonly used by companies which can either create a good or bad effect depending on other various factors such as music, background colour and product. The first impression is effective because it instantly has the attention of the viewer. The catchy music plays a big role, but also with a lot of cars moving around fast and close together it is easy for viewers to remember. The cars are seen hiding in various places such as a lift, a supermarket and a rubbish skip. By using common places of public interest, the viewers can easily identify themselves with the product. The way the vehicles manoeuvre into and hide in such places, show the small size and practicality of the car to its target audience which would probably be people who are looking to buy a small, economical car. During the advert there is a good varied use of close, middle and long-distance shots. The close-ups are mainly when there is only 1 vehicle in sight. Long distance shots are used when there are a multiple number of cars. All the way through the advert there are many sound effects including the original vehicle being driven on gravel. Also, there is a vehicle jumping into a rubbish skip which is full of rubbish, causing a sound. There is also the sound of a bell in a lift when the doors open revealing the car, once again creating familiarity with the audience. This emphasizes the small size of the car to its target audience. As the original car has counted up to 100 in the game and starts to travel to find the others, another car is revealed from just behind a metal sheet off a building site. This leaves a comedic, lasting effect on the audience that helps them remember the advert after its gone. As the advert finishes off with the word Corsa and Vauxhall the logo and website address are also displayed. The advert for the Volvo 850 T-5 is 39 seconds and is very different to the first advert. It uses different devices to promote the product as it has a different target audience and because it is a different vehicle. The advert begins with a very short half second close up of a man, the viewer can instantly tell the fear on his face and in his eyes even in such a short scene. The next scene is a long distance scene of cloud and lightening going to the floor. So we already know that this is a very different advert from the Corsa advert. This has a completely different tone and mood. The viewer already sees that this advert is using a different method to promote its advert and the image created is dissimilar to the first advert. Whereas the first advert is a very happy and joyful advert with music that matches it. On the other hand this is a tense, serious advert. We see the vehicle being driven through the twister pathway and there is a lot of rubbish flying around, this shows the vehicle in an unrealistic environment. A deep south talking American man is used as the voice-over. There is also a camera shot of a woman screaming out loud whilst stuck in the tornado. Most British viewers will not be able to familiarize themselves with this particular advert as there are hardly any tornadoes in the U. K. and we dont talk with an American accent. On the other hand, the Corsa used public places of interest that many people use so it was far more of a friendlier advert in terms of association. We also see large debris such as the oil rig and the house being torn apart from the tornado. The voice-over used in the Corsa advert was only used to count random numbers up to 100; unlike the Volvo advert where the voice-over is used to describe the tornado. He explains where and what a tornado is, whilst the viewer is able to see the Volvo dodging objects around a desert like area. Manoeuvrability is very important, the man says, as the car is frantically moving out of the way of flying debris. Here, the advert is trying to create a link between the tornado and the car, which is emphasizing the cars force. The music in the background is quite sombre but builds up with a crescendo of tension as the advert progresses. Again, this creates high levels of tension which makes the viewer aware of what is going on.

Biography of Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the U.S.

Biography of Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the U.S. Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911–June 5, 2004) was the oldest president to serve in office. Before turning to politics, he had been involved in the movie industry not only through acting but also through serving as the president of Screen Actors Guild. He was the governor of California from 1967–1975. Reagan challenged Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election for the Republican nomination but ultimately failed in his bid. However, he was nominated by the party in 1980 to run against President Jimmy Carter. He won with 489 electoral votes to become Americas 40th president. Fast Facts: Ronald Wilson Reagan Known For: 40th president of the U.S., who led the country during the height of the Cold War.Also Known As: Dutch, The GipperBorn: Feb. 6, 1911 in Tampico, IllinoisParents: Nelle Clyde (nà ©e  Wilson), Jack ReaganDied: June 5, 2004 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaEducation: Eureka College  (Bachelor of Arts, 1932)Published Works: The Reagan DiariesHonors and Awards: Lifetime gold membership in the Screen Actors Guild, National Speakers Association  Speaker Hall of Fame,  United States Military Academys  Sylvanus Thayer AwardSpouse(s): Jane Wyman (m.  1940–1949), Nancy Davis  (m.  1952–2004)Children: Maureen, Christine, Michael, Patti, RonNotable Quote: Every time the government is forced to act, we lose something in self-reliance, character, and initiative. Early Life and Career Reagan was born on Feb. 5, 1911, in Tampico, a small town in northern Illinois. He attended and graduated from Eureka College  in Illinois in 1932 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Reagan began his career as a radio announcer that same year. He became the voice of Major League Baseball. In 1937, he became an actor after signing a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. He moved to Hollywood and made about 50 movies. Reagan was part of the Army Reserve during World War II and was called  to active duty after Pearl Harbor. He was in the Army from 1942 to 1945, rising to the rank of captain. However, he never took part in combat and remained stateside. He narrated training films and was in the Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit. Reagan was elected Screen Actors Guild president in 1947 and served until 1952, and served again from 1959 to 1960. In 1947, he testified before the House of Representatives concerning Communist influences in Hollywood. From 1967 to 1975, Reagan was the governor of California. 40th President Reagan was the obvious choice for the Republican nomination in 1980. George H.W. Bush was chosen to run as his vice president. He was opposed by President Jimmy Carter. The campaign centered on inflation, the gasoline shortage, and the Iran hostage situation. Reagan won with 51 percent of the popular vote and 489 out of 538 electoral votes. Reagan became president as America entered the worst recession in its history since the Great Depression. This led to the Democrats taking 26 Senate seats from Republicans in the 1982 election. However, recovery soon began and by 1984, Reagan easily won a second term. In addition, his inauguration brought an end to the Iran Hostage Crisis. More than 60 Americans were held hostage for 444 days (November 4, 1979–January 20, 1980) by Iranian extremists. President Carter had attempted to rescue the hostages, but the attempt was unsuccessful due to mechanical failures. Sixty-nine days into his presidency, Reagan was shot by John Hinckley, Jr., who justified the assassination attempt as an effort to woo actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. While in recovery, Reagan wrote a letter to then-Soviet Leader  Leonid Brezhnev hoping to find common ground. However, he would have to wait until  Mikhail Gorbachev took over in 1985 before building a better relationship with the Soviet Union and easing tensions between the two nations. Gorbachev ushered in an era of glasnost, greater freedom from censorship and of ideas. This brief period lasted from 1986 to 1991 and ended with the fall of the Soviet Union during the presidency of George H.W. Bush. In 1983, the U.S. invaded Grenada to rescue threatened Americans. They were rescued and the leftists were overthrown. Reagan was easily elected to a second term in 1984 after running against Democratic challenger Walter Mondale. Reagans campaign stressed that it was Morning in America, meaning that the country had entered into a new, positive era. Iran-Contra Scandal and Second Term One of the major issues of Reagans second administration was the Iran-Contra scandal, also called the Iran-Contra Affair, or just Irangate. This involved several individuals throughout the administration. In exchange for selling arms to Iran, money would be given to the revolutionary Contras in Nicaragua. The hope was also that by selling arms to Iran, terrorist organizations would be willing to give up hostages. However, Reagan had spoken out that America would never negotiate with terrorists. The Congress held hearings delving into the Iran-Contra scandal in mid-1987. Reagan eventually apologized to the nation for what had happened. Reagan completed his term on January 20, 1989, after several important meetings with Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. Death Reagan retired after his second term to California. In 1994, he announced he had Alzheimers Disease and left public life. He died of pneumonia on June 5, 2004. Legacy One of the most important events that occurred during Reagans administration was the growing relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Reagan created a bond with Soviet leader Gorbachev, who instituted a new spirit of openness or glasnost. This would eventually lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union during President H.W. Bushs term in office. Reagans largest significance was his role in helping to bring about that downfall. His massive buildup of weapons, which the USSR could not match, and his friendship with Gorbachev helped usher in a new era that eventually caused the breakup of the USSR into individual states. His presidency was marred, however, by the events of the Iran-Contra Scandal. Reagan also adopted an economic policy whereby tax cuts were created to help increase savings, spending, and investment. Inflation went down and after a time, so did unemployment. However, a huge budget deficit was created. A number of terrorist acts occurred during Reagans time in office, including the April 1983 bombing attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut. Reagan claimed that five countries typically harbored aided terrorists: Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, and Nicaragua. Further, Muammar Qaddafi of Libya was singled out as the primary terrorist. Sources Editors, History.com. â€Å"Ronald Reagan.†Ã‚  History.com, AE Television Networks, 9 Nov. 2009.â€Å"‘Morning in America.’†Ã‚  Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association.

Saudi EFL Learners Awareness of World Englishes-(Second Language Essay

Saudi EFL Learners Awareness of World Englishes-(Second Language Varieties) - Essay Example The primary means by which these flows and networks are established and maintained is through the use of a common contact language. English, the most widely diffused contact language, is the primary linguistic channel through which these flows take place†¦ English is thus a globalized phenomenon that is continuously being LOCALIZED during its countless interactions. The fact that globalization is a very fast process prescribes that children need to be proficient in the English language to be competent in their international dealings (Doman, 2005). Due to the wide proliferation of learning English language, various cultures have adopted the language and integrated their own cultural flavor in it. World Englishes are forms of the English language that non-native English speakers use with native English being American and /or British English. Members of a certain culture use English to suit their own communication styles. Considering the variety of cultures in the world, there are now more non-native English-speakers than native speakers (Jenkins, 2006; Canagarajah, 2007). This includes Saudi Arabian nationals. 1.2 Aims and Objectives 1.3 The Field of World Englishes 'New Englishes' or 'World Englishes' is usually used to refer to the new varieties of English. Mesthrie and Bhatt (2008) state that "it has become customary to use the plural form 'Englishes' to stress the diversity to be found in the language today, and to stress that English no longer has one single base of authority, prestige and normativity." The authors clarify that World Englishes "represents all varieties except the L1 varieties of places like the UK and USA" (Mesthrie and Bhatt, 2008). Accrdoging to Hoffmann and Siebers (2009), "what is often referred to as "the" English language is in fact a heterogeneous and linguistically fascinating group of first (L1), second (L2) and foreign language varieties. A more appropriate cover term is thus World Englishes, which highlights the diversity and world-wide distribution of these varieties" (Hoffmann and Siebers (2009). Salikoko S. Mufwene refers to the notion of ecology, which is the concept borrowed from biology to provide a clear insight into the formation of New Englishes. Focussing on the indigenization of English in North America, Mufwene claims that American English emerged as a variety distinct from British English dialects due to an interaction of several ecological factors (fauna, flora, and socio-economic structures as well as the speaking habits and communicative needs of some of its speakers). Hoffmann and Siebers (2009). Therefore; the specific vernacular of English that arose in Northern America is a result of the universal ecological mechanisms of language contact. Mesthrie and Bhatt emphasise that sociolinguists need to acknowledge that community attitudes and expectations are important. Kachru himself acknowledged that there are many ambiguities, where language attitudes are concerned: The non-native speake rs themselves have not been able to accept what may be termed the 'ecological validity' of their nativised or local Englishes. One would have expected such acceptance, given the acculturation and linguistic nativisation of the new varieties. On the other hand, the non-native models of English (such

Love- Ralston Valley Volunteer Fire Department Case Study

Love- Ralston Valley Volunteer Fire Department - Case Study Example e promotion objectives the Rick Wyatt should include in the marketing plan; and (2) to determine the promotional methods that should be designed and used to achieve those objectives. The promotion objectives that should be included in Rick Wyatt’s marketing plan are as follows: (1) to enhance public awareness for the recruitment of committed firefighter volunteers; (2) to apprise the community of the mission, vision and goals of the RVVFD; and (2) to use effective promotional and advertising mediums to ensure that an increase in the number of committed volunteers to as much as 20% per annum would be reached. the need to recruit new volunteers could be attained through effective use of promotional methods. Rick Wyatt, as a marketing degree major, is fully aware that the use of contemporary mediums, like social networking sites, is a potentially effective promotional avenue. As indicated, committed volunteers are needed to be recruited within the age range of 20 to 40. To tap this age group, social networking sites are most appropriate such as using Facebook and Twitter accounts. RVVFD should therefore design an official website where their mission, vision and goals are identified; as well as the plans for recruitment. All needed qualifications could be relayed such as preferred age ranges, physical fitness, genuine interest and commitment, and the benefits of camaraderie and giving back to society. Local newspapers and radio programs could also advertise the need for new volunteers who meet the identified criteria. The use of flyers, posters and spreading the word through current volunt eers’ employment affiliations could be potential sources of new recruits. Finally, by holding a scheduled fund-raising event, Wyatt could use this event to announce that RVVFD is recruiting more committed members and that the ideals and vision of the organization could be effectively announced and

Gym Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gym - Assignment Example As a function of this level of similarity, the following analysis will be concentric upon discussing and analyzing what uniformity of social constructs and/or identity formation is able to take place within these respective spaces. Is the further hope of this author that through such analysis the reader will come to a more informed and profound understanding with respect to the way in which identity formation and social constructs are encouraged and denoted within the average local gym. As such, the analysis will be concentric upon how features are responsible for shaping the social or hierarchical nature of this space, the subtle, implicit, and explicit means through which this social dynamic is encouraged, and the uniformity as compared to the utilitarian purpose that the gym necessarily espouses. Firstly, before delving into the unique dynamics of any particular gym, it must be understood and denoted that individuals utilize a gym for one of two unique reasons. The first reason an d rationale that an individual takes use of their local gym is with regards to the fact that this space is a means to an end as a function of increasing vitality, improving overall well-being, and generally seeking to provide a level of fitness and exercise to the body. Secondary group that integrates with the gym is one that can be categorized as utilizing this particular space for the sole purpose of aspect improvement. Whereas aesthetic improvement can most certainly be seen as a tangential benefit for the first group, the prime focus of the second group is to engage with this space as a function of drawing attention to their own bodies and maximizing certain features that they had targeted for improvement. The subtle differentiation between these two groups, although somewhat mundane, is ineffective measurement of how each and every gym is ultimately set up. The underlying rationale for this has to do with the purpose for which both of these groups engage with the service that t he gym provides. As such, prior to delving into the way in which a gym is able to speak to the needs of all of its participants, understanding the way in which these two dynamic groups exists in a contemporary setting is pivotal in understanding the manner through which social hierarchy, identity, and understanding of self is evidenced within this particular space. From such an understanding, the first aspect of social hierarchy that can be determined is concentric upon the way in which those individuals within the first group integrate with one another and with other gym goers. As such, even a cursory analysis into any generic gym will revealed the fact that those individuals who utilize the gym as a means of aerobic enhancement, self betterment, and vitality improvement, are most always place in positions throughout the gym in which they do not face one another. This lack of contact with fellow gym goers allows these individuals to focus specifically on the goal of betterment that they have without the pressure of others judging them, staring at them, or analyzing their progress. As such, machines such as stair steppers, treadmills, rowing devices, crossfit machines, and a litany of other machines are spaced strategically in rows that face the wall, a set of televisions, or

Examine the distinguishing features of HRM in Europe Essay - 1

Examine the distinguishing features of HRM in Europe - Essay Example Human Resource Management is an important part of this global trend. Not too many years ago, M.B.A. graduates were simply required to have a basic level of understanding of a single HRM system located within their own country. Today, business leaders must deal with a complex international HRM environment where a company’s personnel practices are often shaped by the culture of the country, the corporate expectations of its citizens and the role that a country’s public sector agencies play in determining private sector outcomes (Briscoe &Schuler, 2008). Much of the literature on HRM in European firms attempts to determine if HRM policies and practices across Western Europe are converging or diverging. Those who support the convergent approach argue that HRM systems in European democratic polities share much in common and that a European model of HRM has emerged particularly since the advent of the European Union. Proponents of the divergent approach contend that Europe is comprised of many different cultures, social and political institutions, languages and economic systems andd that a unitary model of HRM is impossible to achieve even within the context of the EU (Brewster, 2007). This convergent-divergent dichotomy serves as a useful theoretical framework for this paper. Through the examination of the recent literature on international HRM in European businesses, the paper argues that existing HRM practices in Europe tend to be more representative of the divergent end of the HRM policy continuum. It concludes with a discussion of some of the ramifications that a divergent HRM policy environment has for the future of economic prosperity in the European Union. In a 2009 comprehensive analysis of human resource practices in Europe, Mayrhoefer and Brewster developed an empirical model that allows for comparisons of HRM systems and practices within European countries.

UK and American Educational Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

UK and American Educational Systems - Essay Example Therefore, it is not possible for education sector to escape from the effects of globalisation. A close examination of educational system of America proves that the impact of globalisation on the trends and developments of education sector is more evident here than in any other country. Even though the impact is more apparent in the United States, Latin America and Canada also have not escaped from the consequences. A comparison of American educational system with that of England will help to analyse the uniformity in the rate globalisation affecting the values, culture, politics and economic situation of world nations. Public education plays a vital role in societies that respect democratic values and social equality. For those people who try to make their country more democratic and equitable, supporting public education is an essential part of their programme. Many social scientists in American states believe that globalisation, in its current form, is a threat to the public education system which supports and tries to reflect the democratic values and social equality. The chief feature of neo-liberal policies is commoditisation and mercerisation of all the activities. (Kuehn 1999). So, when this neo-liberal policies peep into public services, the activities that are previously associated with the benefit of the public are moved into the market. On the application level, the services that are once given free of cost began to be charged. A remarkable change happened in the area of free education. Free education served the purpose of maintaining equality in the society. Free public education ensured that all children are educated without considering their socio-economic status. When the Universal Public education is lost, it will affect the equality. The globalisation policies not only reduced the expenditure for the public, it also mercerised the areas that were previously managed and supported by the government. The effects of globalisation is still worse when it comes to a situation where any one can determine how education is delivered, what is the content of education, and who has the access to education. The new words like 'modernisation', 'efficiency', 'total quality', 'free market' etc., has changed the focus of educational system in the country. The education tried to form new kind of citizens with new perspectives. The above parameters are no longer applied to the workforce of the country, but it comprises the entire individuals of the society. The educational aims are made to fit to the new needs. International agencies like The World Bank, the IMF, and the IDB are trying to identify the different categories of workforce that are needed in the future job market, and the education is designed with this market demand. They aim at creating a "global policy community, constituted by an overlapping membership of globalising bureaucratssenior public servants, policy-makers and advisers" ( Lingard & Rizvi 1998, P. 262). Now, the aim of education has contracted to limit human capacity to the possibilities of the market, instead of ensuring the all-round development of individuals. In other words, the training and preparation of the citizens will be based on the rules of the market. This will lead to exploitation

Examine the distinguishing features of HRM in Europe Essay - 1

Examine the distinguishing features of HRM in Europe - Essay Example Human Resource Management is an important part of this global trend. Not too many years ago, M.B.A. graduates were simply required to have a basic level of understanding of a single HRM system located within their own country. Today, business leaders must deal with a complex international HRM environment where a company’s personnel practices are often shaped by the culture of the country, the corporate expectations of its citizens and the role that a country’s public sector agencies play in determining private sector outcomes (Briscoe &Schuler, 2008). Much of the literature on HRM in European firms attempts to determine if HRM policies and practices across Western Europe are converging or diverging. Those who support the convergent approach argue that HRM systems in European democratic polities share much in common and that a European model of HRM has emerged particularly since the advent of the European Union. Proponents of the divergent approach contend that Europe is comprised of many different cultures, social and political institutions, languages and economic systems andd that a unitary model of HRM is impossible to achieve even within the context of the EU (Brewster, 2007). This convergent-divergent dichotomy serves as a useful theoretical framework for this paper. Through the examination of the recent literature on international HRM in European businesses, the paper argues that existing HRM practices in Europe tend to be more representative of the divergent end of the HRM policy continuum. It concludes with a discussion of some of the ramifications that a divergent HRM policy environment has for the future of economic prosperity in the European Union. In a 2009 comprehensive analysis of human resource practices in Europe, Mayrhoefer and Brewster developed an empirical model that allows for comparisons of HRM systems and practices within European countries.

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 141

Case Study Example In addition, they also facilitate interactions between people of different cultures (Shimp 217). Guinness should adopt an online marketing strategy to target the middle class and the youths. Online marketing shall take into consideration the youths who spend most of their time online. In addition, it is the best opportunity to assess the views of the customers from across the globe. Besides, social media offers people a chance to share ideas, experience and plan for a weekend. Hence, social media sites are excellent platforms for marketing the Guinness. Furthermore, Guinness should use print and non-print media for marketing. The ads should feature during prime times to reach several drinkers. The promotions should also educate on safe drinking. In pursuance of enhancing consumer relationships, leveraging and improving brand loyalty. Cross selling of Guinness Draught to drinkers who change names at homes should adopt a strategy that respects ethical codes and empowers the customers. The chosen promotion strategy should be simple and target a wider audience to attract more drinkers. In particular, the plan should encompass women drinkers. Unlike the male drinkers, the strategy should include feminine features such as successful women drinkers. It should also incorporate reward mechanisms for the most loyal drinkers. The use of catchy promotion, for instance, ‘Guinness made of more’ would entice and attract more customers (Shimp

Explain what is meant by the term national curriculum Essay Example for Free

Explain what is meant by the term national curriculum Essay The basic school curriculum includes the national curriculum, religious education and sex education. The national curriculum is a set of subjects and standards used by primary and secondary schools so children learn the same things it is defined by four key stages to be spread over the 12 years of compulsory years of schooling. It covers what subjects are taught and the standards children should reach in each subject. Other types of schools such as academies and private schools don’t have to follow the national curriculum. Academies must teach a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths and science. They must also teach religious education. The national curriculum is organised into four key stages at the end of each key stage, the pupil’s teacher will formally assess their performance to measure the pupil’s progress. This will set targets for learning and will also show how performance will be assessed and then reported. For each subject there’s a programme of study, it describes what children should learn. Discuss 5 factors that influence learning The influence of other people can have an affect the pupils learning the ways in which this can happen is by the way there family encourage learning if their family encourages and is enthusiastic about learning the student is more likely to be enthusiastic and therefore become a more effective learner if the students family do not promote the benefits of learning this can make the child less enthusiastic giving them an undervalued opinion of learning and education and affecting their capabilities.

Royal Dutch Shell Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Royal Dutch Shell Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) The Corporate plays a vital role in economic development of the country and these corporate involves in various activities for their sustainability in the business environment. In this globalization era business organizations finds the greatest challenge in managing the stakeholders demands, which results in complex in the competitive market. So, here the corporate takes up social responsibility as a commitment and engage themselves in the society development. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a commitment by the business organizations in improving the society through their business activities and its contribution in community development. CSR is an effective tool which needs to be implemented in the organizations for their sustainable growth and development of societal objectives. This report addresses the socially responsible business of two multinational organizations high income and emerging economies group. Here, Royal Dutch Shell is chosen in high-income and Tata Steel in emerging economies group of multinational organizations. Royal Dutch Petroleum Company in Dutch, which involves in production of oil and Shell Transport and Trading Company in British, which involves in transportation of oil, merged their operations in 1907 and later it is named as Royal Dutch Shell. Shell is a multinational petroleum company and its headquarters locates in The Hague, Netherlands. Their business involves in production and marketing of petroleum and natural gas. They operate in more than one hundred countries with 45,000 service stations worldwide. They produce 2% of worlds oil and 3% of worlds gas. Shell is worlds largest corporation and its ranks one by Fortune 500 in 2009 (Shell, 2009). TATA Group, the largest multinational group founded in 1868 and based in Mumbai, I ndia. Initially the trading company was established by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata involving in Opium business. Later, the group expanded by JRD Tata by establishment of Tata Steel, Tata chemicals, Tata Motors, Tata Industries etc. According to 2009 annual survey by Reputation Institute, Tata Group is ranked has 11th most reputable group in the global (Tata, 2009). Tata Steel pervious known as Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO) founded in 1907. Tata steel one among top ten steel producers in the world. With their recent acquisition of Corus, Millennium steel and NatSteel, Tata steel has established its business network across the global like South East Asia, Europe and Pacific-Rim. Tata Steel has net sales revenue of USD 33 billion with employee strength of 82700 by year 2008 (Tata Steel, 2009). This report firstly briefs on companies commitments on society from stakeholders viewpoint with a stakeholder saliency model to identify them. Secondly on companys approach and initia tives towards social responsibilities and finally those approaches and initiatives by companies are analyzed and compared on different viewpoints. Stakeholder Identification Stakeholders are a person, group, or organization who is directly or indirectly involves in an organizations actions, policies, and behavior. Shareholders, customers, creditors, government, suppliers, employees, directors, owners, and society are the key stakeholders in a business organization. All stakeholders are not equally same; each stakeholder is entitled to different concerns. In order to analyze an organizations social engagement from stakeholders perspective, it is necessary to identity the applicable stakeholder group. Several approaches and attempts are made to identify different stakeholders relevant for a company. Later Mitchell, Agle, and Wood made up with definition in identifying the stakeholder group by developing Stakeholder Salience Model, which propose the vital of stakeholder group based on its salience. They argued that the stakeholder who has high degree of salience will play the vital role in controlling the corporate behavior. They argued stakeholder salience model identifies the stakeholder group by three attributes, namely Power, Legitimacy and Urgency (1997). This concept of three attributes is used to categories seven stakeholders and one non-stakeholder. 1. Dormant 2. Discretionary 3. Demanding 4. Dominant 5. Dangerous 6. Dependent 7. Definitive 8. Non-Stakeholder With this Stakeholder Salience Model the different types of stakeholders are identified and measure their corporate social responsibility activities of two multinational organizations (Royal Dutch Shell and Tata Group). Here, we briefly consider what organizations activities in social responsibility and the changes made to accommodate these CSR initiatives. The following fig1.2 describes on different stakeholder of shell according to stakeholder salience model. Shell associate with general business principle, as business principle shell contributes to sustainable development. Their business principle is to protect the shareholders investment and give them the long-term returns compared with others leading firms in the industry. So, shareholders are identified as definitive stakeholder of shell. Here, dormant stakeholders are the host government, as shell establishment in a country with support of government. For example Shell in Nigeria worked closely with government to help realize the Nigerias energy potential and support for society development. With help of Nigerian government shell expanded their business and energy sector in Nigeria. Non-Government organizations are found to be dangerous stakeholder, who has the power and urgency. Shell had a negative impact in 1995 after its announced to sink the Brent Spar in the Atlantic Ocean, NGOs like Greenpeace and media started campaign against shell with support of local people and government for environmental disputes. These initiatives by Greenpeace made many people in Europe countries to boycott shell products and they were successful in influence. Employees are identified as discretionary stakeholder of the organization by encourages them in social performance. Institutions are dependent stakeholder, shell as a leading corporation in the global involves in decision making policies of institution which impacts on society. Local communities are found to be demanding stakeholder, where they need urgency in the environmental issues. For example shell operates in Schoonebeek has stopped their operation in 1996, where it not made any economic sense in extraction of oil, the plant was closed consulting with local community and framework with new project in 2003 after the approval of local communities. Tata Steels Stakeholder Saliency Model The above Fig1.3 shows the stakeholder salience model of Tata steel, which is used to identify the different stakeholders of Tata Steel. Shareholders are the distinctive stakeholders who actively take part in all important meeting on social investments and business ethics. They have the power in decision making on corporate governance which will benefit both the company and society. Employees are identified as discretionary stakeholders; where the employee are encourage to take part in community initiatives through employee involvement planning and volunteering programme like disaster relief. Government is found has dominant stakeholder, who has power and legitimate. Tata steel had joined hands with government by taking part in collaborative initiatives on public policy development. They work together on environmental impacts. Local community are identified has demanding stakeholders, where Tata steel had taken number measures on social responsibility. They are mainly focused on sust ainable livelihood, health, education, empowering youth and environment. Even feedback on business performance and impacts are taken from local communities. So, the company can come with new initiatives and development for community. Stakeholder differences between Shell and Tata Steel According to Stakeholder Salience Model, the stakeholder groups are classified into three categories namely Latent Stakeholders or Low salient classes (dormant, discretionary demanding), Expectant Stakeholder or Moderately salient classes (dominant, dangerous, dependant) and Highly Salient Stakeholder (definitive) (Friedman, 2006, p94). It is observed from stakeholder salience model of Shell and Tata steel, Shell is forced by expectant stakeholders like Greenpeace in social responsibility. Most of the social responsibilities of Shell are found in places where they bad experience and negative impacts by the society. This show their business motto and against their business principle. Whereas Tata steel are more focused on social responsible of local communities. The company helps the community in their day to day activities and joined collaboration with government in new initiatives and society development. Here, the latent stakeholder (Financial Community) reviews their business performance and ethical behavior on society. Tata steel is more focused on Latent stakeholder compared with other stakeholders. Shell Societal Approach and Initiatives: Shells mission is to achieve its social responsibility to stakeholders and provide them with high quality product and service. Shell stands with General Business Principle, which contributes to their sustainable development. The company finds the major responsibilities has to protect the shareholders investment, provide a quality product and safety environment to customer, provide a safe and good working condition to their employee, valuable relationship with suppliers and partners, and finally secure environment to the society (Shell, 2009). The following are the systematic approach of Shell in social responsibility: Impact assessments Social performance plans and reviews Social performance professionals Local employment Social investment Impact Assessment Impact assessments are done at initial stage of new project; the assessment done on environment, social and health impact and consult with local communities. Where the environmental and social impacts are identified and measures are taken according to reduce the negative impact to the local community. Social Performance Plans and Review The chemical facilities and refineries of shell have major impacts on community, so they have social performance plans and review. These plans have information on impact assessment, surveys of local community and communication of local stakeholders. On working with local stakeholder, the plan will be executed to reduce the disputes on society and improve the benefits. These plans are reviewed every four years by shell and information is shared on key social impacts across their operations. Social Performance Professionals Social performance management unit is support the people in risk, where shell had the concept of buying and hiring locally. The company used local supplier and contractors, and hired local employee to create benefits and trust. This made more employment in the local communities and provides more opportunities to local people and businesses. Even government gets benefited by these responsibilities. Social Investment Society and local communities are benefited by Shells social investment programmes. They support the community by number of social responsible initiatives like education, health, community development, environmental issues and infrastructure development. They also join with NGO like Living Earth Foundation for community development. Shells CSR initiatives are achieved through Social Investment Programmes across the global. They have Shell Livewire, which helps and encourage the young crowd to start their own business. This programme is conducted in 24 countries across the global and in this programme the young entrepreneurs are awarded for the best business approach. Shell centenary scholarship programmes helps the students in providing scholarship to postgraduate studies and those students are send to UK for their studies. Along with government and NGOs, shell helps society in road safety measures by their Global Road Safety Partnership programme. Shell has HIV/AIDS programme to prevent their employee and their dependents from the diseases. They participate with other organization and government to fight against HIV/AIDS. Shell Foundation is a self-governing charitable trust started in 2000 with contribution of $250 million from the company. Shell Foundation is mainly focused on community welfare and environmen t impacts. To save the livelihood of the local community in oil and gas field, shell had Resettlement Action Plan in china. Shell Petroleum Development Company in Nigeria has spent $4.5 million for community development (Shell, 2009). Tata Steel Societal Approach and Initiatives: Tata Steel approach towards sustainability is considering the triple bottom line economic, environmental and social performance in business activities. They believe the sustainable development is depends on improving the quality of life of its employees and communities it serves (Tata Steel, 2009). The following are social responsible activities of Tata Steel Stimulating of Economic growth Environment Healthcare Initiatives Education Culture Empowering of women Stimulating of Economic Growth Society had indirect economic impact on community infrastructure development. The company announced Rs.1 billion for implement social responsibility programmes in tribal communities of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. The involves in infrastructure development projects like municipal service to one million people in Jamshedpur Township by providing basic necessity like electricity, water, road and transport facilities. They engage in infrastructure development in building schools and colleges, sports facilities like international stadium. By these initiatives by company will increase the economic growth of the society. Environment Tata Steel targeting towards reduction of Co2 emission and provide safety environment to the society. The company committed with healthy and safety working environment by implement Environment Management System. Tata Steel Rural Development Society encourages the local community in planting saplings and safeguards the forest. Nearly 250 hectares of wasteland had been reclaimed by planting saplings in 2008. Several measures are taken to control the water pollution and provide safe drinking water after proper treatment. Number of wells and tube wells are constructed for local community. They have separate environment cell to monitor the environmental and pollution control activities. Healthcare Tata steel implemented number of healthcare initiatives to its employees and the society. The company employees are benefited by free medical facilities even after their retirement. The company operates more than 46 free mobile clinics in Jamshedpur and runs Life Line Express medical clinic to the remote places in Jharkhand and Orissa. They organise free blood donate camp, eye camp and provide free medical equipments and beds to hospitals. They conduct a HIV/AIDS awareness programmes to the employees, suppliers and local community. Education Culture The company runs six schools and one college in Jamshedpur. In Thailand through Grow Smart with Tata Steel programme underprivileged children in remote places are provided with learning facilities. In Singapore the company offers scholarship to poor and disabled children. Tata steel constructed a Tribal Culture Centre to enrich culture heritage among the local community. What is the level of engagement does companies maintained in these initiatives? Whether these approaches and initiatives by companies benefited society? Shell has invested nearly $148 million in society development during the year 2008 (Shell, 2009). Shell in Nigeria has made great difference in people live and work by contributing to social responsibility initiatives like health, safety, and education (Idowu and Filho, 2009, p402). But shell image got damaged in Ogoni, where shell has failed to deliver the benefits and rights, like employment, education and clean environment to the Ogoni (Boele, 2001). Ogonis voice, we would be better off today if Shell had never come and taken one drop of oil (Boele, 2001). Shell pointed that it is the Nigerian government who has failed to deliver the right to Ogoni people (Boele, 2001). Shell has been charged for its human rights abuses in Nigeria and they agreed to pay $15.5 million to settle the lawsuits against the executions of protesters, polluting air and water in Nigeria (BCC News, 2009). Though shell spends million dollars in community development resurrecting their public image is a big challenge. For Tata Steel, CSR is not new they are involved in society activities from the established of the company. Tata Steel Ltd was awarded with Golden Peacock Global Award for CSR, in improving the quality of life of their employees, local communities and the society (Business Standard, 2009). According to survey conducted by The Nielsen, global consultancy firm, Tata steel is identified has most admired company by stakeholders for their society development initiatives (The Economic Times, 2009). They participate in international partnership like UN Global compact, where they encourage other organization to learn their initiatives and to create positive impacts for local communities (Tata Steel, 2008). The company continuously engaged in various CSR activities for society welfare and community development, this shows their significant growth in those initiatives. Classification and Analysis of CSR Activities In this section CSR activities of Shell and Tata Steel are classified and analyzed using Ponte et al typology. Here, CSR activity matrix by location and type are viewed from business perspective. Shell CSR Initiatives CSR Awards Disengaged/Engaged CSR Profile Proximate/Distant CSR Profile The Emirates Businesswomen Award Disengaged Encourage Businesswomen in strategic development of UAE Distant Social Reporting Awards Engaged Corporate communications campaign Distant Health Safety Environment Contractor Award Engaged Encourage supplier and contractor for safety operation Proximate Worldaware Award for Sustainable Development Disengaged Socially, economically and environmentally development in a community. Proximate Lawrie Group Award for Social Progress Disengaged Free Education facilities Proximate Awards from Malaysia Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) Engaged Occupational Safety for their employee. Proximate Engaged Practice of Code of Business Conduct for their employee, suppliers and contractors. Proximate Disengaged Philanthropic activities through Shell Foundation. Distant The above table shows shell CSR initiatives in a form of engaged proximate, an indication of strategic initiatives which meets the company benefits. Disengaged distant indicates the philanthropic initiatives by the company. The following shows Tata Steel CSR initiatives, Tata Steel CSR Initiatives CSR Awards Disengaged/Engaged CSR Profile Proximate/Distant CSR Profile National Energy Conservation Award Engaged Reduced Energy Consumption Proximate Global Business Coalition Award Disengaged HIV/AIDS education and awareness programme. Proximate Greentech Safety Award Engaged Safety Management in Metal and Mining Operation Proximate Singapore Health Award Engaged Helping Employee to lead healthy and vibrant lives. Proximate 5th Asia Water Management Excellence Award Disengaged Helping the water management industry Distant Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industrys (FICCI) Award Disengaged Philanthropic activities through Tata Steel Rural Development Society Proximate Golden Peacock Award for CSR and Excellence in Corporate Governance Disengaged For improving quality life of employee and their families Proximate Excellence in Manufacture Award for Tata Steel, Thailand Engaged Environment and safety management in their operation Proximate Engaged Supplier Guiding Principles Distant Dr Jamshed J Irani Award for Excellence in Education Disengaged Providing quality education in schools of Jamshedpur. Proximate Compare to shell, Tata steel engaged more in philanthropic activities for social welfare and development. Impacts on Business Approach Lantos argues that CSR has three components ethical, altruistic and strategic which every organization must practice (Crowther, 2005). When a government fails, the managers have to be prepared to take up the slack to do good for society and business. Shell follows their business commitment in General Business Principle and code of conduct. Though Shell fails in Ogoni, it has taken significant measures to re-orientate their business principle to encourage more accountable and dynamic set of relationships with stakeholder and by doing this, it can recapture the position in Ogoni (Boele, 2001). Shell engaged in several philanthropic activities in Nigeria through Shell Foundation. From Ponte et al typology analysis it shows majority of shell CSR investments are Engaged-Proximate initiatives. Most of the Shell CSR initiatives are found in Nigeria and Ogoni, where they reputation was damaged. This clearly indicates shells business motto. Shell spends only tiny amount from their profit towa rds community development, whereas they earns around $ 400 billion from oil production in Nigeria (BBC News, 2004). Even Tata steel has undergone some social challenge; for example Tata Steel was protested by people in sathankulam, Tamil Nadu. They decided to acquire 1000 acres of land in sathankulam for their ilmenite mining operation, which will may result in relocate thousands of local farmers and cause huge damage to environment. In spite of these many threats, Tata Steel had signed the MOU with Tamil Nadu government in 2007, which is still in dispute (Sanhati, 2007). However, compare to shell, Tata steel engaged more in philanthropic activities for community development. Tata Steel partnership with UN Global Compact has increased their publicity and reputation. Tata Steel encourages other organization to learn their activities in society development. All these CSR initiatives by the company have increased their business and brand image. Conclusion The report has focused on stakeholder identification of Shell and Tata Steel and their CSR approaches and initiatives. From the analysis is found both Shell and Tata steel are contributed more to the society welfare. However, shells role in the environmental and social impacts in Ogoni cannot easily carry away. Shell spoiled its brand image in issues like Brent Spar, environment pollution, oil spilling, discharge of production waste, and gas flare in Africa. All these activities made the world to look at shells business behavior towards society. Though shells CSR approach and initiatives sounds best across the global, but they have failed to fulfill real thirst of Ogoni community. This reveals that shell is more focused on business rather than society. All those CSR initiatives by shell are assumed as their business promotion and profit motive. When we look at Tata Steel, the company has fulfilled all the stakeholders through their corporate governance and sustainability development. They are more focused on community welfare and development. Even though Tata Steel is emerging company compare to shell, shell has learn a lot from them to fulfill all its stakeholders.

The tragical history of Doctor Faustus Essay -- English Literature

The tragical history of Doctor Faustus, which followed in the wake of Tamburlaine, is acclaimed by all as Marlowe's best play in which the leaven of fertile poetry and fearless imagination works wonders. Introduction: The tragical history of 'Doctor Faustus', which followed in the wake of 'Tamburlaine', is acclaimed by all as Marlowe's best play in which the leaven of fertile poetry and fearless imagination works wonders. The idea of a passionate struggle to reach beyond the grasp of ordinary mortals as its theme Marlowe takes this old story of the medieval magician who sells his soul to the Devil for twenty four years of pleasure and the gift of all knowledge and gives it a significance as in to that of such world old myths as Eve's eating the apple and Prometheus' defiance of Gods. Hence, making the Faustus legend a symbol of humanity's splendid struggle to reach the stars, as well as a tragedy of infinite aspiration ending in agony and remorse. Inspite of the critics and scholars being one in their opinion to recognize Christopher Marlowe's 'Doctor Faustus' as one of the masterpieces of British drama there cannot be any denying the fact that the most glaring weakness of 'Doctor Faustus' lies in the lack of a well knit or an organic plot. Aristotle's definition of Tragedy: According to Aristotle 'Tragedy' in the real sense is an imitation of an action that is complete, and whole, and of a certain magnitude; The beginning, called by modern critics the incentive moment, must start the cause-and-effect chain but not be dependent on anything outside the compass of the play meaning that its causes are downplayed but its effects are stressed. The middle, or climax, must be caused by earlier incid... ...d are laid bare. Conclusion: Hence the fact remains that 'Doctor Faustus' is unquestionably a masterpiece by Christopher Marlowe and one of the greatest and the most powerful tragedy to be written before Shakespeare inspite of its flaws and limitations. But at the same time it is also clear that though the beginning of the play just like the end has been perfectly executed but the middle portion is weak and does not serve its purpose. As Levin puts it: "The structural weakness of the plot however corresponds to the anti-climax of the parable; it lays bare the gaps between the bright hopes of the initial scene and the abysmal consequences of the last". Therefore, the statement that Doctor Faustus has a beginning and an end but no middle can be accepted to some extent as the middle portion though existing is not relevant to the development of the play.

Twilight 20. IMPATIENCE

20. IMPATIENCE When I woke up I was confused. My thoughts were hazy, still twisted up in dreams and nightmares; it took me longer than it should have to realize where I was. This room was too bland to belong anywhere but in a hotel. The bedside lamps, bolted to the tables, were a dead giveaway, as were the long drapes made from the same fabric as the bedspread, and the generic watercolor prints on the walls. I tried to remember how I got here, but nothing came at first. I did remember the sleek black car, the glass in the windows darker than that on a limousine. The engine was almost silent, though we'd raced across the black freeways at more than twice the legal speed. And I remembered Alice sitting with me on the dark leather backseat. Somehow, during the long night, my head had ended up against her granite neck. My closeness didn't seem to bother her at all, and her cool, hard skin was oddly comforting to me. The front of her thin cotton shirt was cold, damp with the tears that streamed from my eyes until, red and sore, they ran dry. Sleep had evaded me; my aching eyes strained open even though the night finally ended and dawn broke over a low peak somewhere in California. The gray light, streaking across the cloudless sky, stung my eyes. But I couldn't close them; when I did, the images that flashed all too vividly, like still slides behind my lids, were unbearable. Charlie's broken expression – Edward's brutal snarl, teeth bared – Rosalie's resentful glare – the keen-eyed scrutiny of the tracker – the dead look in Edward's eyes after he kissed me the last time†¦ I couldn't stand to see them. So I fought against my weariness and the sun rose higher. I was still awake when we came through a shallow mountain pass and the sun, behind us now, reflected off the tiled rooftops of the Valley of the Sun. I didn't have enough emotion left to be surprised that we'd made a three-day journey in one. I stared blankly at the wide, flat expanse laid out in front of me. Phoenix – the palm trees, the scrubby creosote, the haphazard lines of the intersecting freeways, the green swaths of golf courses and turquoise splotches of swimming pools, all submerged in a thin smog and embraced by the short, rocky ridges that weren't really big enough to be called mountains. The shadows of the palm trees slanted across the freeway – defined, sharper than I remembered, paler than they should be. Nothing could hide in these shadows. The bright, open freeway seemed benign enough. But I felt no relief, no sense of homecoming. â€Å"Which way to the airport, Bella?† Jasper had asked, and I flinched, though his voice was quite soft and un-alarming. It was the first sound, besides the purr of the car, to break the long night's silence. â€Å"Stay on the I-ten,† I'd answered automatically. â€Å"We'll pass right by it.† My brain had worked slowly through the fog of sleep deprivation. â€Å"Are we flying somewhere?† I'd asked Alice. â€Å"No, but it's better to be close, just in case.† I remembered beginning the loop around Sky Harbor International†¦ but not ending it. I suppose that must have been when I'd fallen asleep. Though, now that I'd chased the memories down, I did have a vague impression of leaving the car – the sun was just falling behind the horizon – my arm draped over Alice's shoulder and her arm firm around my waist, dragging me along as I stumbled through the warm, dry shadows. I had no memory of this room. I looked at the digital clock on the nightstand. The red numbers claimed it was three o'clock, but they gave no indication if it was night or day. No edge of light escaped the thick curtains, but the room was bright with the light from the lamps. I rose stiffly and staggered to the window, pulling back the drapes. It was dark outside. Three in the morning, then. My room looked out on a deserted section of the freeway and the new long-term parking garage for the airport. It was slightly comforting to be able to pinpoint time and place. I looked down at myself. I was still wearing Esme's clothes, and they didn't fit very well at all. I looked around the room, glad when I discovered my duffel bag on top of the low dresser. I was on my way to find new clothes when a light tap on the door made me jump. â€Å"Can I come in?† Alice asked. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Sure.† She walked in, and looked me over cautiously. â€Å"You look like you could sleep longer,† she said. I just shook my head. She drifted silently to the curtains and closed them securely before turning back to me. â€Å"We'll need to stay inside,† she told me. â€Å"Okay.† My voice was hoarse; it cracked. â€Å"Thirsty?† she asked. I shrugged. â€Å"I'm okay. How about you?† â€Å"Nothing unmanageable.† She smiled. â€Å"I ordered some food for you, it's in the front room. Edward reminded me that you have to eat a lot more frequently than we do.† I was instantly more alert. â€Å"He called?† â€Å"No,† she said, and watched as my face fell. â€Å"It was before we left.† She took my hand carefully and led me through the door into the living room of the hotel suite. I could hear a low buzz of voices coming from the TV. Jasper sat motionlessly at the desk in the corner, his eyes watching the news with no glimmer of interest. I sat on the floor next to the coffee table, where a tray of food waited, and began picking at it without noticing what I was eating. Alice perched on the arm of the sofa and stared blankly at the TV like Jasper. I ate slowly, watching her, turning now and then to glance quickly at Jasper. It began to dawn on me that they were too still. They never looked away from the screen, though commercials were playing now. I pushed the tray away, my stomach abruptly uneasy. Alice looked down at me. â€Å"What's wrong, Alice?† I asked. â€Å"Nothing's wrong.† Her eyes were wide, honest†¦ and I didn't trust them. â€Å"What do we do now?† â€Å"We wait for Carlisle to call.† â€Å"And should he have called by now?† I could see that I was near the mark. Alice's eyes flitted from mine to the phone on top of her leather bag and back. â€Å"What does that mean?† My voice quavered, and I fought to control it. â€Å"That he hasn't called yet?† â€Å"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us.† But her voice was too even, and the air was harder to breathe. Jasper was suddenly beside Alice, closer to me than usual. â€Å"Bella,† he said in a suspiciously soothing voice. â€Å"You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here.† â€Å"I know that.† â€Å"Then why are you frightened?† he asked, confused. He might feel the tenor of my emotions, but he couldn't read the reasons behind them. â€Å"You heard what Laurent said.† My voice was just a whisper, but I was sure they could hear me. â€Å"He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett†¦ Edward†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I gulped. â€Å"If that wild female hurts Esme†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice had grown higher, a note of hysteria beginning to rise in it. â€Å"How could I live with myself when it's my fault? None of you should be risking yourselves for me -â€Å" â€Å"Bella, Bella, stop,† he interrupted me, his words pouring out so quickly they were hard to understand. â€Å"You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this – none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries. Listen to me!† he ordered, for I had looked away. â€Å"Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you.† â€Å"But why should you -â€Å" Alice interrupted this time, touching my cheek with her cold fingers. â€Å"It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?† My guilt slowly subsided as I looked into her dark eyes. But, even as the calm spread over me, I knew I couldn't trust my feelings with Jasper there. It was a very long day. We stayed in the room. Alice called down to the front desk and asked them to ignore our maid service for now. The windows stayed shut, the TV on, though no one watched it. At regular intervals, food was delivered for me. The silver phone resting on Alice's bag seemed to grow bigger as the hours passed. My babysitters handled the suspense better than I did. As I fidgeted and paced, they simply grew more still, two statues whose eyes followed me imperceptibly as I moved. I occupied myself with memorizing the room; the striped pattern of the couches, tan, peach, cream, dull gold, and tan again. Sometimes I stared at the abstract prints, randomly finding pictures in the shapes, like I'd found pictures in the clouds as a child. I traced a blue hand, a woman combing her hair, a cat stretching. But when the pale red circle became a staring eye, I looked away. As the afternoon wore on, I went back to bed, simply for something to do. I hoped that by myself in the dark, I could give in to the terrible fears that hovered on the edge of my consciousness, unable to break through under Jasper's careful supervision. But Alice followed me casually, as if by some coincidence she had grown tired of the front room at the same time. I was beginning to wonder exactly what sort of instructions Edward had given her. I lay across the bed, and she sat, legs folded, next to me. I ignored her at first, suddenly tired enough to sleep. But after a few minutes, the panic that had held off in Jasper's presence began to make itself known. I gave up on the idea of sleep quickly then, curling up into a small ball, wrapping my arms around my legs. â€Å"Alice?† I asked. â€Å"Yes?† I kept my voice very calm. â€Å"What do you think they're doing?† â€Å"Carlisle wanted to lead the tracker as far north as possible, wait for him to get close, and then turn and ambush him. Esme and Rosalie were supposed to head west as long as they could keep the female behind them. If she turned around, they were to head back to Forks and keep an eye on your dad. So I imagine things are going well if they can't call. It means the tracker is close enough that they don't want him to overhear.† â€Å"And Esme?† â€Å"I think she must be back in Forks. She won't call if there's any chance the female will overhear. I expect they're all just being very careful.† â€Å"Do you think they're safe, really?† â€Å"Bella, how many times do we have to tell you that there's no danger to us?† â€Å"Would you tell me the truth, though?† â€Å"Yes. I will always tell you the truth.† Her voice was earnest. I deliberated for a moment, and decided she meant it. â€Å"Tell me then†¦ how do you become a vampire?† My question caught her off guard. She was quiet. I rolled over to look at her, and her expression seemed ambivalent. â€Å"Edward doesn't want me to tell you that,† she said firmly, but I sensed she didn't agree. â€Å"That's not fair. I think I have a right to know.† â€Å"I know.† I looked at her, waiting. She sighed. â€Å"He'll be extremely angry.† â€Å"It's none of his business. This is between you and me. Alice, as a friend, I'm begging you.† And we were friends now, somehow – as she must have known we would be all along. She looked at me with her splendid, wise eyes†¦ choosing. â€Å"I'll tell you the mechanics of it,† she said finally, â€Å"but I don't remember it myself, and I've never done it or seen it done, so keep in mind that I can only tell you the theory.† I waited. â€Å"As predators, we have a glut of weapons in our physical arsenal – much, much more than really necessary. The strength, the speed, the acute senses, not to mention those of us like Edward, Jasper, and I, who have extra senses as well. And then, like a carnivorous flower, we are physically attractive to our prey.† I was very still, remembering how pointedly Edward had demonstrated the same concept for me in the meadow. She smiled a wide, ominous smile. â€Å"We have another fairly superfluous weapon. We're also venomous,† she said, her teeth glistening. â€Å"The venom doesn't kill – it's merely incapacitating. It works slowly, spreading through the bloodstream, so that, once bitten, our prey is in too much physical pain to escape us. Mostly superfluous, as I said. If we're that close, the prey doesn't escape. Of course, there are always exceptions. Carlisle, for example.† â€Å"So†¦ if the venom is left to spread†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I murmured. â€Å"It takes a few days for the transformation to be complete, depending on how much venom is in the bloodstream, how close the venom enters to the heart. As long as the heart keeps beating, the poison spreads, healing, changing the body as it moves through it. Eventually the heart stops, and the conversion is finished. But all that time, every minute of it, a victim would be wishing for death.† I shivered. â€Å"It's not pleasant, you see.† â€Å"Edward said that it was very hard to do†¦ I don't quite understand,† I said. â€Å"We're also like sharks in a way. Once we taste the blood, or even smell it for that matter, it becomes very hard to keep from feeding. Sometimes impossible. So you see, to actually bite someone, to taste the blood, it would begin the frenzy. It's difficult on both sides – the blood-lust on the one hand, the awful pain on the other.† â€Å"Why do you think you don't remember?† â€Å"I don't know. For everyone else, the pain of transformation is the sharpest memory they have of their human life. I remember nothing of being human.† Her voice was wistful. We lay silently, wrapped in our individual meditations. The seconds ticked by, and I had almost forgotten her presence, I was so enveloped in my thoughts. Then, without any warning, Alice leaped from the bed, landing lightly on her feet. My head jerked up as I stared at her, startled. â€Å"Something's changed.† Her voice was urgent, and she wasn't talking to me anymore. She reached the door at the same time Jasper did. He had obviously heard our conversation and her sudden exclamation. He put his hands on her shoulders and guided her back to the bed, sitting her on the edge. â€Å"What do you see?† he asked intently, staring into her eyes. Her eyes were focused on something very far away. I sat close to her, leaning in to catch her low, quick voice. â€Å"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold†¦ a gold stripe across the mirrors.† â€Å"Where is the room?† â€Å"I don't know. Something is missing – another decision hasn't been made yet.† â€Å"How much time?† â€Å"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now.† Jasper's voice was calm, methodical, as he questioned her in a practiced way. â€Å"What is he doing?† â€Å"He's watching TV†¦ no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place.† â€Å"Can you see where he is?† â€Å"No, it's too dark.† â€Å"And the mirror room, what else is there?† â€Å"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band, around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits.† Her eyes drifted, then focused on Jasper's face. â€Å"There's nothing else?† She shook her head. They looked at each other, motionless. â€Å"What does it mean?† I asked. Neither of them answered for a moment, then Jasper looked at me. â€Å"It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room.† â€Å"But we don't know where those rooms are?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them.† Alice's voice was bleak. â€Å"Should we call?† I asked. They traded a serious look, undecided. And the phone rang. Alice was across the room before I could lift my head to look at it. She pushed a button and held the phone to her ear, but she didn't speak first. â€Å"Carlisle,† she breathed. She didn't seem surprised or relieved, the way I felt. â€Å"Yes,† she said, glancing at me. She listened for a long moment. â€Å"I just saw him.† She described again the vision she'd seen. â€Å"Whatever made him get on that plane†¦ it was leading him to those rooms.† She paused. â€Å"Yes,† Alice said into the phone, and then she spoke to me. â€Å"Bella?† She held the phone out toward me. I ran to it. â€Å"Hello?† I breathed. â€Å"Bella,† Edward said. â€Å"Oh, Edward! I was so worried.† â€Å"Bella,† he sighed in frustration, â€Å"I told you not to worry about anything but yourself.† It was so unbelievably good to hear his voice. I felt the hovering cloud of despair lighten and drift back as he spoke. â€Å"Where are you?† â€Å"We're outside of Vancouver. Bella, I'm sorry – we lost him. He seems suspicious of us – he's careful to stay just far enough away that I can't hear what he's thinking. But he's gone now – it looks like he got on a plane. We think he's heading back to Forks to start over.† I could hear Alice filling in Jasper behind me, her quick words blurring together into a humming noise. â€Å"I know. Alice saw that he got away.† â€Å"You don't have to worry, though. He won't find anything to lead him to you. You just have to stay there and wait till we find him again.† â€Å"I'll be fine. Is Esme with Charlie?† â€Å"Yes – the female has been in town. She went to the house, but while Charlie was at work. She hasn't gone near him, so don't be afraid. He's safe with Esme and Rosalie watching.† â€Å"What is she doing?† â€Å"Probably trying to pick up the trail. She's been all through the town during the night. Rosalie traced her through the airport, all the roads around town, the school†¦ she's digging, Bella, but there's nothing to find.† â€Å"And you're sure Charlie's safe?† â€Å"Yes, Esme won't let him out of her sight. And we'll be there soon. If the tracker gets anywhere near Forks, we'll have him.† â€Å"I miss you,† I whispered. â€Å"I know, Bella. Believe me, I know. It's like you've taken half my self away with you.† â€Å"Come and get it, then,† I challenged. â€Å"Soon, as soon as I possibly can. I will make you safe first.† His voice was hard. â€Å"I love you,† I reminded him. â€Å"Could you believe that, despite everything I've put you through, I love you, too?† â€Å"Yes, I can, actually.† â€Å"I'll come for you soon.† â€Å"I'll be waiting.† As soon as the phone went dead, the cloud of depression began to creep over me again. I turned to give the phone back to Alice and found her and Jasper bent over the table, where Alice was sketching on a piece of hotel stationery. I leaned on the back of the couch, looking over her shoulder. She drew a room: long, rectangular, with a thinner, square section at the back. The wooden planks that made up the floor stretched lengthwise across the room. Down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors. And then, wrapping around the walls, waist high, a long band. The band Alice said was gold. â€Å"It's a ballet studio,† I said, suddenly recognizing the familiar shapes. They looked at me, surprised. â€Å"Do you know this room?† Jasper's voice sounded calm, but there was an undercurrent of something I couldn't identify. Alice bent her head to her work, her hand flying across the page now, the shape of an emergency exit taking shape against the back wall, the stereo and TV on a low table by the front right corner. â€Å"It looks like a place I used to go for dance lessons – when I was eight or nine. It was shaped just the same.† I touched the page where the square section jutted out, narrowing the back part of the room. â€Å"That's where the bathrooms were – the doors were through the other dance floor. But the stereo was here† – I pointed to the left corner – â€Å"it was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room – you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it.† Alice and Jasper were staring at me. â€Å"Are you sure it's the same room?† Jasper asked, still calm. â€Å"No, not at all – I suppose most dance studios would look the same – the mirrors, the bar.† I traced my finger along the ballet bar set against the mirrors. â€Å"It's just the shape that looked familiar.† I touched the door, set in exactly the same place as the one I remembered. â€Å"Would you have any reason to go there now?† Alice asked, breaking my reverie. â€Å"No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dancer – they always put me in the back for recitals,† I admitted. â€Å"So there's no way it could be connected with you?† Alice asked intently. â€Å"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere.† â€Å"Where was the studio you went to?† Jasper asked in a casual voice. â€Å"It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said, my voice trailing off. I didn't miss the look they exchanged. â€Å"Here in Phoenix, then?† His voice was still casual. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"Fifty-eighth Street and Cactus.† We all sat in silence, staring at the drawing. â€Å"Alice, is that phone safe?† â€Å"Yes,† she reassured me. â€Å"The number would just trace back to Washington.† â€Å"Then I can use it to call my mom.† â€Å"I thought she was in Florida.† â€Å"She is – but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My voice trembled. I was thinking about something Edward had said, about the red-haired female at Charlie's house, at the school, where my records would be. â€Å"How will you reach her?† â€Å"They don't have a permanent number except at the house – she's supposed to check her messages regularly.† â€Å"Jasper?† Alice asked. He thought about it. â€Å"I don't think there's any way it could hurt – be sure you don't say where you are, of course.† I reached eagerly for the phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang four times, and then I heard my mom's breezy voice telling me to leave a message. â€Å"Mom,† I said after the beep, â€Å"it's me. Listen, I need you to do something. It's important. As soon as you get this message, call me at this number.† Alice was already at my side, writing the number for me on the bottom of her picture. I read it carefully, twice. â€Å"Please don't go anywhere until you talk to me. Don't worry, I'm okay, but I have to talk to you right away, no matter how late you get this call, all right? I love you, Mom. Bye.† I closed my eyes and prayed with all my might that no unforeseen change of plans would bring her home before she got my message. I settled into the sofa, nibbling on a plate of leftover fruit, anticipating a long evening. I thought about calling Charlie, but I wasn't sure if I should be home by now or not. I concentrated on the news, watching out for stories about Florida, or about spring training – strikes or hurricanes or terrorist attacks – anything that might send them home early. Immortality must grant endless patience. Neither Jasper nor Alice seemed to feel the need to do anything at all. For a while, Alice sketched the vague outline of the dark room from her vision, as much as she could see in the light from the TV. But when she was done, she simply sat, looking at the blank walls with her timeless eyes. Jasper, too, seemed to have no urge to pace, or peek through the curtains, or run screaming out the door, the way I did. I must have fallen asleep on the couch, waiting for the phone to ring again. The touch of Alice's cold hands woke me briefly as she carried me to the bed, but I was unconscious again before my head hit the pillow.