Thursday, December 26, 2019

Racial Profiling Against Hispanics And Hispanics Essay

Racial Profiling Against Hispanics Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offense. Racial profiling against Hispanics includes people from North American, South American and Central Americans. Examples of racial profiling against Hispanics are being identified by the color of their skin, which the majority of skin tone is brown but not all some may be a different color and are Hispanics. Sadly, Hispanic identity is only defined by the color of skin and are targeted and threatened with deportation and thinking that everyone are all illegal immigrants and discriminating with hurtful words that express that they do not belong here in the United States, even though some were born in the United States. Also supposedly that Hispanics are taking everyone’s job, but it is usually people who think that and that say that, are the people who can get a job but do not want to or cannot get a job, so they just blame the Hisp anics. Hispanic are the easy targeted race and stereotype are made about them, by only referring Hispanics as illegal immigrant which is not because there is other immigrants who migrated to the United States and are here illegally and society does not refer them as illegal immigrants. Also it leads to being arrested unfairly for no reason, just because he or she was Hispanic. In Arizona which already has accepted racial profiling against Hispanics that has made the law passed which is called â€Å"SB1070.†Show MoreRelatedRacial Profiling Against Hispanic Profiling1804 Words   |  8 PagesRacial Profiling Against Hispanics Racial Profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspect someone of having committed an offense. Racial profiling against Hispanics, when I mean Hispanics are people from North American, South American and Central Americans. An example of racial profiling against Hispanics is by; the color of our skin, which the majority skin toned (Color) is brown but not all of them, some may be different color and are Hispanics. Sadly, our identity is definedRead MoreIs Racial Profiling Justified?642 Words   |  3 PagesAn argument if racial profiling is justified Would you put your brother, sister mother or any other family in jail if the fit the profile of a perpetrator who committed a crime and is profiled by race or ethnicity? This same question roams around the psyche of every person on who need to solve a crime. But the bigger question in regard for racial profiling if it is justified. Racial profiling cannot be justified as it attacks the very root of society on which they are built. Two key issues centralRead MoreProfessional Racism and Discrimination1117 Words   |  5 PagesDepartment has a reputation for using race as a basis to catch criminals. Racial profiling is the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for believing an individual is suspicious of committing a crime. Discriminatory or abusive behavior towards people of color affects the justice system and violates people’s human rights. The LAPD continues to use racial profiling against mostly African-Americans and Latinos. The use of racial profiling by the LAPD prevents t he police from serving the whole community. BecauseRead MoreMulticultural Vs. Pluralistic Theory Essay1749 Words   |  7 Pagesincorporates their values, beliefs and traditions and integrates them on to a bigger cultural scale such as subcultures like Hispanics and African Americans. Steets (2014) explains each human child experiences a pluralism of significant others â€Å"in essential socialization and grows as a self in discovering a method for coordinating the diverse parts allotted to him or her. Hispanics and African Americans are two different and unique subgroups in the American society. Yet separately both groups have experiencedRead MoreRacial Profiling And Its Impact On Society1209 Words   |  5 PagesCases of Racial Profiling There are tons of cases of Racial Profiling. Now a days many people are being targeted or attacked by racial profiling. Laws are being passed but not every police officer is following up with it. And because of this more and more people are becoming irritated with the government system. Just because a particular person from a particular race does something wrong, everyone from that race is being discriminated by so-called other races. Racial profiling is gettingRead MoreEssay on Racial Profiling by Police1228 Words   |  5 Pages Racial profiling has become a severe obstacle in the U.S. today though most Americans know very little of this vital issue. Every day, people are being pulled over, harassed, and even killed for being of a certain race. There are new laws that politicians are trying to pass that promote racial discrimination. Racial profiling is immoral and does not increase public safety. Incarceration rates are a definite proof that racial discrimination occurs. â€Å"Incarceration rates in the United StatesRead MoreRacial Profiling by Police is Not a Problem Essay1045 Words   |  5 PagesRacial profiling is a controversial topic in today’s society. Many minorities feel targeted by governmental officials such as police officers and U.S. courts. â€Å"Statistics have shown that blacks in the U.S. are arrested and imprisoned for committing crimes at higher proportions than any other racial group† (â€Å"Crime and Race†). Do African Americans in fact commit more crimes than whites? Or is there racism within the U.S. justice system? Even though minorities feel targeted by governmental officialsRead MoreRacial Profiling by Police Is Ineffective and Reduces Public Safety937 Words   |  4 Pages Racial Profiling is law enforcement and private security practices that disproportionately target people of color for investigation and enforcement. Racial Profiling occurs across the United States and an overwhelming number of Hispanics and African Americans, including children, are being stopped. Some may say â€Å"racial profiling is an ineffective and degrading practice that violates civil rights† while others say that it is â€Å"necessary to counter terrorism and reduce crime.† In myRead MoreRacial Profiling And Its Impact On Society1310 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is racial profiling. This issue, where authorities target certain individuals based on their racial characteristics, has never ceased. According to many influential claimsmakers, racial profiling has stained the United States by negatively affecting society and disturbing the certainty of justice. It is unconstitutional and leads to impactful consequences such as deaths, fear, and loss of trust in police officers, demoralization, and dehumanization of stigmatized groups of people. Racial profilingRead MoreRacial Profiling And The Criminal Justice System1004 Words   |  5 Pagesbe on minorities. As we take a closer look into that statistic on crime, housing, employment along with racial profiling I do believe most are tied together which can easily cause a revolving door within the criminal justice system. When we look at the minority communities there are many challenges they are faced on a daily basis. Addiction and Crime: Incarceration: Employment: Racial Profiling: The use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone for crimes. Mental Health: Many individuals

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Describing the Patterns and Financial Cost of Hospital...

In the article, Patterns of Hospital Resource Utilization of Children with Leukemia and CNS tumors: A Comparasion of Children Who Survive and Those Who Die Within 3 Years of Diagnosis, Hendrickson, Rimar (2009) a quantitative analysis was used to identify if there was a financial correlation between children with Leukemia and CNS tumors during 3 years after treatment, and a financial correlation between the children who lived and the children who died. The researchers clearly identified the purpose of the study, which was â€Å"to describe the patterns and financial cost of hospital resource utilization by children with leukemia and CNS tumors during the first three years after diagnosis†¦and cost between children who died within 3 years of†¦show more content†¦Sample size was clearly identified to the readers as â€Å"the final sample consists of 223 children, ages 0-19, who had a first time contact for treatment for leukemia or CNS tumor at the clinical site between FY 2000 and 2004 (2009).† This sample clearly fits within the target population as being children with cancer at this university hospital. The sample size was obtained from the tumor registry, and provided the researchers with hundreds of variables for each diagnosed individual. Although not specifically stated ethical considerations may have been accounted by the fact that this research was a double-blind study. The research was accurately evaluated by SPSS, and bivariate analyses, ANOVA, T-test and chi-square were also used to â€Å"determine differences in hospital resource utilization†¦(2009).† The analysis of data proved the hypothesis in that children with these two types of very serious childhood cancers are very costly to the families. The results also showed that length of stay, and higher overall cost was noted with the children who died. The research does not identify if these children had additional life saving interventions or if they were specificall y involved with hospice or palliative care. The research also identified differences with admission into the PICU; a patient with leukemia admitted to the PICU indicated a seriously sick child. But an admission into the PICU for a child with a CNS tumor typically indicated an operableShow MoreRelatedNursing Essay41677 Words   |  167 PagesHealth Professions, University of California, San Francisco Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Miami David C. Goodman, Professor of Pediatric and of Community and Family Medicine, Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, The Dartmouth Institute for Policy and Clinical Practice, Hanover, NH Jennie Chin Hansen, Chief Executive Officer, American Geriatrics Society, New York, NY C. Martin Harris, Chief Information Officer, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Social Media Marketing Creative Strategies -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Social Media Marketing Creative Strategies? Answer: Introduction The report helps in analyzing the segmentation and targeting of the respective product Mixed Fruit Nectar that is prepared by Max Beverage Company situated in Sri Lanka. The different ascertainments are to be done in order to understand the different marketing objectives of the company to sell the respective product. The different strategic marketing objectives along with media strategies has to be developed as this will help in understanding the marketing of Mixed Fruit Nectar product in the entire market. The main aim and purpose of the report is to understand the different creative strategies that can be applied by the respective company to expand their marketing of the product in the market. The different accounting strategies will be discussed in the report, as this will provide a clear view on the marketing of the respective product. The structure of the report includes vision, mission along with marketing objectives of the company. The different public relation strategies along with creative strategies will be discussed in an effective manner, as this will help in understanding the marketing of the respective product in the competitive market. Background Max Beverage Organization is one of the most prestigious beverages companies in Sri Lanka. The target customers of the respective company are the entire rural market, as they do not receive sufficient carbonated drinks. There is huge demand for the carbonated drinks in the market of the rural areas and the supply is not sufficient in such areas as well (Max Beverages (Pvt) Ltd, 2018). The Max beverage company is trying to reach to different rural areas and satisfy the demands of the customers in entire Sri Lanka. The different products sold by Max Beverage Company are Max Ginger, Cola, and Fruit Nectar. There are different training programs that are conducted by the respective company to train the different employees for making the carbonated soft drinks healthy in nature. The company applies the different marketing techniques as this helps in increasing the market share. Vision The vision of the company is to be the preferred supplier and trademark of the quality fruit juice and carbonated drinks in Sri Lanka. Mission The mission of the Max Beverage Company is as follows: Ensuring the utilization of the high quality along with cost effective kind of raw materials In order to provide the high quality products with help of advancement n technology, systems and processes Establishing the trademark through the marketing that is innovative in nature Create proper satisfaction among customers through delivering the services along with products that will help in exceeding the satisfaction among customers Ensuring most advantageous benefits to the different shareholders Providing different opportunities equally in the environment wherein creativity and initiative of employees assist in achieving the vision of company Limitations and Assumptions There can be limitations for the product introduced by Max Beverage Company that includes the competition faced by the respective company with the existing competitors in the market. Max Beverage needs to analyze the entire situation of the market in an effectual manner, as this will provide them the overview of the market in an effective manner. Target Market Market segmentation is defined as the process of dividing business market that includes both potential and existing customers into different sub groups that will be based on the different types of shared characteristics. Furthermore, targeting is defined as the area wherein the market wants to sell the different products and services and identification of the target market is essential in nature as well (Blakeman 2018). Segmentation Segmentation Profile 1 Profile 2 Profile 3 Geographic Rural and regions that is predominately hot and humid Urban areas Populated regions Demographic Students and individuals across all income groups from and above 3 years age group Restaurants and hotels Working and non working individuals Psychographic Health conscious customers Consumers who are conscious about quality Consumers who are inclined towards the natural products Behavioral Income Status Brand Loyalty Usage rate of Product Target Market The target market for the respective product of Max Beverage Company is although all the individuals; however, youth is the main target (Baker and Saren 2016). The main reason due to such selection of the target market is the population of the youth in Sri Lanka and this will help them in establishing the market in the competitive market in an effectual manner (Blakeman 2018). The other reason for choosing the youth as the target market is that in the present scenario, there are individuals who are becoming health conscious and their ability to spend on the natural products that will be effective for their health as well. Primary Market Kids who are fond of fruit juice Elderly individuals Working individuals Teens Youth Secondary Market Airlines and railways Travel industry Schools and Colleges Movie and theatres After the segmentation and targeting has been done of the respective product of Max Beverage Company, the new perspectives for selected product are as follows: It has been seen that in the target market, the trend of soft drinks is huge in nature and the customers prefer soft drinks to be fit and the juice introduced by Max Beverage Company is nutritional in nature and it will serve the demands of customers as well. The changes in the lifestyle of the individuals has to be changed such as they can be growing millennials In this juice, there is 0% fat and the cholesterol level is less and this will help in benefitting the customers to have a fit life. The better understanding of the requirements of the customers is essential in nature by the company. The changes in the lifestyle can help the company in providing desired products in an effectual manner The cost is less than the other juice products that is sold by the competitors in the market. This is another advantage for the company and this will help the company in growing fast in the future as well. The different new habits of the customers relating to the social media has to be ascertained in an effective manner From the findings, it can be analyzed that these factors will help the company in growing in the future at a huge rate. However, there are threats in the business as there is large amount of competition in the existing market and the processing cost is high in nature. The other issues that can be threat in the future are the high cost in order to meet the international quality standards. The objectives of the market strategies that can be adopted by the Max Beverage Company are as follows: The first year objective is that the company is aiming at 3% share of Sri Lanka in the juice market with sales volume of 200,000 The second year objective is to achieve the break even on the new product that is launched However, as there are different kinds of strengths in the business of Max Beverage, the company can grow to a huge extent in the future. This will help the business to succeed against the other juice companies in the competitive market in an effectual manner. The growth will be potential in nature, as this will help in understanding the position of the other competitors in the market. Positioning Positioning is defined as the place wherein the respective brand occupies the minds of the customers. This is defined as the effort that will help in influencing the perceptions of the consumers in an effectual manner. The correct kind of positioning helps in occupying clear, unique along with advantageous position in the minds of the consumers. Significance of the findings From the above perceptual map, it can be analyzed that there is huge competition in the market for the new product named Mixed Fruit Nectar. It has been seen that there are fruit brands such as Minute Maids and Frooti that are providing their target customers the best quality of fruit juices and that are healthy in nature as well. However, there are different benefits to the introduction of Mixed Fruit Nectar that are as follows: The respective fruit brand is providing the best quality of fruit juice to the target customers who are health conscious. The decision making criteria has to be kept in mind as this will help the company in providing such products in an effectual manner The Mixed Fruit Nectar juice is of high quality and the price is cheap as all the individuals in the market can afford this. The different alternatives has to be selected by company as this will help in understanding perception of customers There are different marketing objectives that can be used by different companies in order to innovate their product in an effectual manner. The marketing techniques that can be used by companies are related to the four or seven Ps of marketing, as this will help in making the product more successful in the market. The respective company needs to: Increase the sales of the company by introduction of new product or innovating new product Building proper awareness of the respective brand as this will help in increasing and growing the market share Improving the relationship between the stakeholders as this will help in targeting new customers in the market (Blakeman 2018) It helps in enhancing the relationships with the customers who are targeted by the company and this will help the company in growing their sales and revenues in the market From the above perceptual map, it can be seen that there are different existing competitors in the market. The Frooti brand along with Minute Maid is the ones who are better in marketing their products and they have collected huge amount of revenues in the competitive market as well. However, the Mixed Fruit Nectar brand will attract more customers in a potential manner as they are providing the same kind of fruit juices with low fat and cholesterol in a much lower prices and this will help them in gaining competitive advantage. Concept of Objectives The marketing objectives are defined as the set of different goals that has been set up by different businesses. When the company needs to promote their products and services to their different customers who are potential in nature, marketing strategy is essential in nature in order to convince them in an effective manner. The different marketing objectives/strategies are helpful for the company in order to achieve the different organizational objectives (Blakeman 2018). Strategic Options Particulars Key Findings Segmentation and Targeting The juice that has been targeted in the Max Beverage Company has different unique characteristics and this will help the company to gain maximum competitive advantage. The company needs to segment the product in such a manner in the market, as this will help in attracting the customers. The Max Beverage Company has to analyze the pricing strategies of the other competitors, as this will provide them the idea about pricing their product in an effectual manner. Positioning The perceptual map has helped in understanding that there are different potential competitors in the market. The respective company can use the price quality approach, as this will help the company in gaining competitive advantage in the entire competitive market. The positioning will help the company in marketing the new or existing product in an effective manner in the entire market. Strategic Marketing Objectives There are different SMART and strategic objectives that can be adopted by Max Beverage Company in order to improve their marketing strategies in an effective manner. The different strategic and SMART objectives are as follows: Max Beverage Company needs to re-launch the existing product with implementation of innovative strategies, as this will increase the sales and revenues in the market. The point of parity and taste is required to be provided to the individuals in an effective manner as this will attract customers to buy their products in the market Max Beverage Company needs to increase the sales along with share in the market with proper positioning of their brand in the market. The orange juice is beneficial for the health of the individuals and it helps in providing refreshment among individuals. The building of awareness of brand is essential in nature, as this will help in gaining competitive advantage in the market. The marketing distribution channels is essential in nature as this will help in distributing their products through the entire business Max Beverage needs to be specific with the idea of selling the product wherein they need to be clear and create positive and long lasting image on the minds of the individuals in an effectual manner. These particular strategy will help in enhancing the relationships among the customers in the market and this will increase their sales Marketing Communication Marketing Communication is complex and fundamental part of the marketing goals of the company. The marketing communication is done with the help of different promotional activities that will help the company in succeeding in the future in an effectual manner. The different usage of media is done, as this will help in deploying to communicate with the market and sell the different goods and services to the customers (Kotler 2015). Proper identification of target audience is essential in nature, as this will help in determining communication objectives. Significance of integrated planning The integrated planning is required in marketing communication by the organizations as this will help in reinforcing each other and this will improve the effectiveness of marketing as well. The marketing mix is essential in nature that can be adopted by Max Beverage Company, as this will help in gaining competitive advantage in the entire market. Integrated planning is required in re-launching the existing product of Max Beverage Company in an effectual manner. The planning is essential in nature as this will help in understanding the position of other competitors in the market and then take steps that are required in order to be more competitive in nature. Secondly, integrated planning is essential for the different officials of the respective company in order to understand the techniques that can be applied by them in order to increase the sales of the company along with revenues of the respective company. The integrated planning is essential in nature in order to understand the process of building awareness among the customers and generate loyalty for the respective brand Lastly, integrated planning is essential in nature, as this will help the respective company in building and enhancing the relationships with the customers. The enhancement in relationship of customers is essential, as this helps in understanding the demands of the individuals in an effectual manner. The marketing mix of Max Beverage Company is done as follows: Mixed Fruit Nectar is 100% fruit juice company that will be marketed and produced by Max Beverage Company (Armstrong et al. 2015) Sri Lanka produces more than 60 million tonnes of fruits and Sri Lanka has strong raw material base as well The product will be in the growth stage of product life cycle wherein the sales will be low, there are few competitors in the market and there will be huge innovation in the product as well (Baran and Galka 2016) The main objective of the company is to create awareness of the product that will offer basic product and it creates awareness among dealers and early adopters as well There are different fruits such as Orange, Apple along with Pineapple that can be purchased from different states in Sri Lanka (Gummesson, Kuusela and Nrvnen 2014) This will help in expanding their reach in the industry of food service by securing their placements in restaurants, hotels and airlines (Belch et al. 2014) As the product Mixed Fruit Nectar exists in the market, the strategy of pricing is introducing the specific product at a lower price. This will help in creating huge demand in market and compete with the other competitors in the market as well. Max Beverage Company has used the strategy of pricing that will lie on strategy of penetration with low price and high quality as this will: For re-launching of the existing product in the market Low price as to capture the shares in the market (Ashley and Tuten 2015) This will expect to generate profit in the volume Promotion As the product innovated by Max Beverage Company is in the growth stage, the objective of the company is to create awareness through advertising that is informative in nature (Andrews and Shimp 2017) Proper usage of print media along with hoardings and advertisements and tie up with different television channels (Blakeman 2018) In film advertising is the effective form as this will help in making the brand of the juice famous in nature (Chaffey and Ellis-Chadwick 2016) Conclusion Therefore, it can be concluded that the report helped in understanding the different implementations that can be made by Max Beverage Company in order to increase their market share. The findings in the entire report were related to the segmentation, positioning and targeting of Mixed Fruit Nectar in the competitive market. The profile of the customers had been shortlisted as their target customers as this helped the company in understanding the preferences of the customers of the respective age group. The new habits among the customers related to media had been understood to the company as this helped the clients to understand the changes in lifestyle of the customers. The new customer groups had been identified as this helped the company in analyzing the competitive positioning of their product in the market. The perceptual map has been prepared as this helped the company in understanding the other competitors in the market. The integrated planning approach has been made aware to the respective company as this helped them in targeting the customers in an effective manner. The different strategic options have been provided to the company as this helped them in identifying their position in the competitive market References Andrews, J.C. and Shimp, T.A., 2017.Advertising, promotion, and other aspects of integrated marketing communications. Nelson Education. Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M. and Brennan, R., 2015.Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Education. Ashley, C. and Tuten, T., 2015. Creative strategies in social media marketing: An exploratory study of branded social content and consumer engagement.Psychology Marketing,32(1), pp.15-27. Baker, M.J. and Saren, M. eds., 2016.Marketing theory: a student text. Sage. Baran, R.J. and Galka, R.J., 2016.Customer Relationship Management: the foundation of contemporary marketing strategy. Taylor Francis. Belch, G.E., Belch, M.A., Kerr, G.F. and Powell, I., 2014.Advertising: An integrated marketing communication perspective. McGraw-Hill Education. Blakeman, R., 2018.Integrated marketing communication: creative strategy from idea to implementation. Rowman Littlefield. Chaffey, D. and Ellis-Chadwick, F., 2016.Digital marketing. Prentice Hall. Gummesson, E., Kuusela, H. and Nrvnen, E., 2014. Reinventing marketing strategy by recasting supplier/customer roles.Journal of Service Management,25(2), pp.228-240. Max Beverages (Pvt) Ltd. (2018). Max Beverages (Pvt) Ltd | Max Beverages - Sri Lanka. [online] Available at: https://maxbeverages.lk/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2018]. Kitchen, P.J. and Burgmann, I., 2015. Integrated marketing communication: Making it work at a strategic level.Journal of Business Strategy,36(4), pp.34-39. (Kitchen and Burgmann 2015) Kotler, P., 2015.Framework for marketing management. Pearson Education India.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Much Ado About Nothing Essays - English-language Films,

Much Ado About Nothing In Much Ado About Nothing, most of the characters had interesting relationships with each other. For example, Hero and Claudio, were deeply in love. Also, Don Juan, and Don John were fighting with each other. Another example was the close friendship between Benedick, Claudio, and Don Juan. But the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice was different than the others. In their relationship, they hated each other, that brought them together. Their personalities were so similar, that it made them sick of each other, but the similarities in their personalities is also what brought them together. Benedick was a smart, good-looking, and funny guy. He was very witty, and always had a response to anyone's comments. For example, when he was talking to Beatrice, he always had a comment to finish of the conversation. He also didn't like the idea of marriage. Benedick thought that marriage led to the trapping of men. When he heard about Claudio getting married, Benedick thought that Claudio was crazy, because Benedick felt that marriage was going to change the way Claudio lived. Benedick was also very stubborn. He never wanted to give into other people's ideas, and that was why he didn't want to give into the idea that marriage could be a good thing in a person's life. Beatrice was a character very similar to Benedick. She was a very independent person, and didn't want to rely on anyone for support. She also was very smart. She enjoyed reading poetry, and thought about things a lot. She also was against marriage. During one conversation, she even said that she would rather die than get married. Another characteristic of Beatrice was that she was very emotional. She often changed her mood all of a sudden for no apparent reason. Also, Beatrice kept many of her feelings inside her. Sometimes she would be angry but wouldn't show it,because she always had to feel strong, and look like she didn't need anyone. The traits and characteristics of Beatrice and Benedick were what brought them together, and also what separated them. Beatrice and Benedick were separated because, they always thought that they had to be independent, and not need each other. Another factor that kept them from coming together was that they always fought with each other. In trying to seem strong, they were actually fighting with each other, and hurting each other's feelings. The final thing that kept Benedick and Beatrice from coming together was that they both thought that marriage was a stupid institution. If neither of them wanted to get married, it would be very hard for them to have a relationship. Some factors brought Benedick and Beatrice together though. First, they never got bored of each other. Because they disagreed on many issues, and were both able to argue well, Secondly, Benedick and Beatrice had very similar personalities. They both were strong and independent. They both were against marriage, and both were happier alone, or so they thought. Finally Benedick and Beatrice needed each other. They would be bored and somewhat lonely if they didn't have each other around, even if they were arguing. Benedick and Beatrice both had very strong personalities, and for a while it kept them from coming together. Both of them were independent, and thought that marriage was for the birds. But really both of them were lonely, but hiding it in order to look strong, and eventually with a little help, they realized that love and marriage were a great thing. Also, they both were so similar that they were the perfect match but didn't want to admit it, and when they finally did they were much happier. Much Ado About Nothing Essays - English-language Films, Much Ado About Nothing In Much Ado About Nothing, most of the characters had interesting relationships with each other. For example, Hero and Claudio, were deeply in love. Also, Don Juan, and Don John were fighting with each other. Another example was the close friendship between Benedick, Claudio, and Don Juan. But the relationship between Benedick and Beatrice was different than the others. In their relationship, they hated each other, that brought them together. Their personalities were so similar, that it made them sick of each other, but the similarities in their personalities is also what brought them together. Benedick was a smart, good-looking, and funny guy. He was very witty, and always had a response to anyone's comments. For example, when he was talking to Beatrice, he always had a comment to finish of the conversation. He also didn't like the idea of marriage. Benedick thought that marriage led to the trapping of men. When he heard about Claudio getting married, Benedick thought that Claudio was crazy, because Benedick felt that marriage was going to change the way Claudio lived. Benedick was also very stubborn. He never wanted to give into other people's ideas, and that was why he didn't want to give into the idea that marriage could be a good thing in a person's life. Beatrice was a character very similar to Benedick. She was a very independent person, and didn't want to rely on anyone for support. She also was very smart. She enjoyed reading poetry, and thought about things a lot. She also was against marriage. During one conversation, she even said that she would rather die than get married. Another characteristic of Beatrice was that she was very emotional. She often changed her mood all of a sudden for no apparent reason. Also, Beatrice kept many of her feelings inside her. Sometimes she would be angry but wouldn't show it,because she always had to feel strong, and look like she didn't need anyone. The traits and characteristics of Beatrice and Benedick were what brought them together, and also what separated them. Beatrice and Benedick were separated because, they always thought that they had to be independent, and not need each other. Another factor that kept them from coming together was that they always fought with each other. In trying to seem strong, they were actually fighting with each other, and hurting each other's feelings. The final thing that kept Benedick and Beatrice from coming together was that they both thought that marriage was a stupid institution. If neither of them wanted to get married, it would be very hard for them to have a relationship. Some factors brought Benedick and Beatrice together though. First, they never got bored of each other. Because they disagreed on many issues, and were both able to argue well, Secondly, Benedick and Beatrice had very similar personalities. They both were strong and independent. They both were against marriage, and both were happier alone, or so they thought. Finally Benedick and Beatrice needed each other. They would be bored and somewhat lonely if they didn't have each other around, even if they were arguing. Benedick and Beatrice both had very strong personalities, and for a while it kept them from coming together. Both of them were independent, and thought that marriage was for the birds. But really both of them were lonely, but hiding it in order to look strong, and eventually with a little help, they realized that love and marriage were a great thing. Also, they both were so similar that they were the perfect match but didn't want to admit it, and when they finally did they were much happier.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Battle of Hastings and Williams Conquest

Battle of Hastings and Williams Conquest The Battle of Hastings was part of the invasions of England that followed the death of King Edward the Confessor in 1066.  William of Normandys victory at Hastings occurred on October 14, 1066. Armies and Commanders Normans William of NormandyOdo of Bayeux7,000-8,000 men Anglo-Saxons Harold Godwinson7,000-8,000 men Background: With the death of King Edward the Confessor in early 1066, the throne of England fell into dispute with multiple individuals stepping forward as claimants. Shortly after Edwards death, the English nobles presented the crown to Harold Godwinson, a powerful local lord. Accepting, he was crowned as King Harold II. His ascension to the throne was immediately challenged by William of Normandy and Harold Hardrada of Norway who felt they had superior claims. Both began assembling armies and fleets with the goal of supplanting Harold. Gathering his men at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, William initially hoped to cross the Channel in mid-August. Due to foul weather, his departure was delayed and Hardrada arrived in England first. Landing in the north, he won an initial victory at Gate Fulford on September 20, 1066, but was defeated and killed by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge five days later. While Harold and his army were recovering from the battle, William landed at Pevensey on September 28. Establishing a base near Hastings, his men constructed a wooden palisade and commenced raiding the countryside. To counter this, Harold raced south with his battered army, arriving on October 13. The Armies Form William and Harold were familiar with each other as they had fought together in France and some sources, such as the Bayeux Tapestry, suggest that the English lord had sworn an oath to support the Norman dukes claim to Edwards throne while in his service. Deploying his army, which was largely composed of infantry, Harold assumed a position along Senlac Hill astride the Hastings-London road. In this location, his flanks were protected by woods and streams with some marshy ground to their front right. With the army in line along the top of the ridge, the Saxons formed a shield wall and waited for the Normans to arrive. Moving north from Hastings, Williams army appeared on the battlefield on the morning of Saturday October 14. Arraying his army into three battles, composed of infantry, archers, and crossbowmen, William moved to attack the English. The center battle consisted of Normans under Williams direct control while the troops to his left were largely Bretons led by Alan Rufus.  The right battle was made up of French soldiers and was commanded by William FitzOsbern and Count Eustace of Boulogne. Williams initial plan called for his archers to weaken Harolds forces with arrows, then for infantry and cavalry assaults to break through the enemy line (Map). William Triumphant This plan began to fail from the outset as the archers were unable to inflict damage due to the Saxons high position on the ridge and the protection offered by the shield wall. They were further hampered by a shortage of arrows as the English lacked archers.  As a result, there were no arrows to gather and reuse. Ordering his infantry forward, William soon saw it pelted with spears and other projectiles which inflicted heavy casualties. Faltering, the infantry withdrew and the Norman cavalry moved in to attack. This too was beaten back with the horses having difficulty climbing the steep ridge. As his attack was failing, Williams left battle, composed primarily of Bretons, broke and fled back down the ridge. It was pursued by many of the English, who had left the safety of the shield wall to continue the killing. Seeing an advantage, William rallied his cavalry and cut down the counterattacking English. Though the English rallied on a small hillock, they were ultimately overwhelmed. As the day progressed, William continued his attacks, possibly feigning several retreats, as his men slowly wore down the English. Late in the day, some sources indicate that William altered his tactics and ordered his archers to shoot at a higher angle so that their arrows fell on those behind the shield wall. This proved lethal for Harolds forces and his men began to fall. Legend states that he was hit in the eye with an arrow and killed. With the English taking casualties, William ordered an assault which finally broke through the shield wall. If Harold was not struck by an arrow, he died during this attack. With their line broken and king dead, the many of the English fled with only Harolds personal bodyguard fighting on until the end. Battle of Hastings Aftermath In the Battle of Hastings it is believed that William lost approximately 2,000 men, while the English suffered around 4,000. Among the English dead was King Harold as well as his brothers Gyrth and Leofwine. Though the Normans were defeated in the Malfosse immediately after the Battle of Hastings, the English did not meet them again in a major battle. After pausing two weeks at Hastings to recover and wait for the English nobles to come and submit to him, William began marching north towards London. After enduring a dysentery outbreak, he was reinforced and closed on the capital. As he approached London, the English nobles came and submitted to William, crowning him king on Christmas Day 1066. Williams invasion marks the last time that Britain was conquered by an outside force and earned him the nickname the Conqueror.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Chemical Engineer Job Profile and Career Information

Chemical Engineer Job Profile and Career Information Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemical engineering to identify and solve technical problems. Chemical engineers work mainly within the chemical and petrochemical industries. What Is a Chemical Engineer? Chemical engineers use math, physics, and economics to solve practical problems. The difference between chemical engineers and other types of engineers is that they apply a knowledge of chemistry in addition to other engineering disciplines. Chemical engineers may be called universal engineers because their scientific and technical mastery is so extensive. What Do Chemical Engineers Do? Some chemical engineers make designs and invent new processes, some construct instruments and facilities, and some plan and operate facilities. Chemical engineers have helped develop atomic science, polymers, paper, dyes, drugs, plastics, fertilizers, foods, textiles, and chemicals. They devise ways to make products from raw materials and ways to convert one material into another useful form. Chemical engineers can make processes more cost effective, more environmentally friendly, or more efficient. A chemical engineer can find a niche in any scientific or engineering field. Chemical Engineer Employment and Salaries As of 2014, the US Department of Labor estimated there were 34,300 chemical engineers in the United States. At the time of the survey, the average hourly wage for a chemical engineer was $46.81 per hour. The median annual salary for a chemical engineer was $97,360 as of 2015.   In 2014, the Institution of Chemical Engineers Salary Survey reported the average salary for a chemical engineer in the UK was  £55,500, with a starting salary for a graduate averaging  £30,000. College graduates with a chemical engineering degree typically gain high salaries for even first employment. Educational Requirements for Chemical Engineers An entry-level chemical engineering job typically requires a college bachelors degree in engineering. Sometimes a bachelors degree in chemistry, math, or another type of engineering will suffice. A masters degree is helpful. Additional Requirements for Engineers In the US, engineers who offer their services directly to the public need to be licensed. Licensing requirements vary, but in general an engineer must have a degree from a program that is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), four years of relevant work experience, and must pass a state examination. Job Outlook for Chemical Engineers Employment of chemical engineers (as well other types of engineers and chemists) is expected to grow at the rate of 2 percent between 2014 and 2024, slower than the average for all occupations.   Career Advancement in Chemical Engineering Entry level chemical engineers advance as they assume more independence and responsibility. As they gain experience, solve problems, and develop designs they may move into supervisory positions or may become technical specialists. Some engineers start their own companies, some move into sales, and others become team leaders and managers.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Bank of America Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Bank of America - Case Study Example This paper analyzes the organizational and customer value situation of the bank with a view to making strategic proposals for improvement. The fact that BOA is a multinational corporation operating in several countries of the world gives them the upper hand over their competitors who have no global footprint. BOA’s global presence opens doors for unbounded opportunities for the bank to grow their revenues and profits(Degryse & Ongena, 2002). However, the global presence of the bank poses formidable challenges to the corporation. One of these challenges is to be found in the area of human resources. The bank must comply with the specific labor laws of every country where they operate. This is a daunting task with serious implications on the banks resources. Compliance with employment laws can be even more demanding where a country is divided into regions or states, and each has their labour laws(Degryse & Ongena, 2002). For example, each of the fifty or so states of the United States has their laws that govern employment. The bank must comply with the laws of all these states. Not doing so could result in legal suits that could cost the corporation a lot of money. Besides labor laws, the bank must comply with the taxation requirements of all the countries where they operate. Again, this is a demanding task that if not well managed could cost the corporation. Compared to two of their majorcompetitors, namely J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and Federal Credit Union (CFE), BOA is quite competitive. The main source of this competitive edge, though narrow, is the ban’s charges compared to what their rivals charge(Weinstein, Clasen, Lorenzo, & Roberson, 2014). For instance, with respect to a 48-month, car loan, BOA charges interest at the rate of 2.24% against Chase Bank’s 2.33% and CFE’s 3.35%. While this difference might appear marginally, it makes all the difference in a competitive environment with

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Leading in the Darkness and the Light Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leading in the Darkness and the Light - Essay Example Question Two: The trapped miners gave maps to the rescue team. Members of the team stepped up as leaders to help manage the situation in the mines. They displayed transformational leadership through various acts. Mario Gomez, who was the oldest miner, took the responsibility of ensuring that catering for everyone’s mental and spiritual health. Another miner took the role of ensuring that the physical health of the crew was intact. The miners ensured that they took care of the whole person, meaning that the trapped miners were cared for mentally, spiritually, emotionally and spiritually. The miners worked together in shifts of their groups. The miners who had leadership roles also were willing to and did their best to serve others who needed help like the trapped miners by providing both physical and physiological help. The trapped miners had chosen a person who uplifted their humor, and another was named the pastor of the group who uplifted their spiritual moods. This displayed authentic leadership in times of adversity. They showed that they had hoped for life by ensuring that they organized all their activities while trapped to ensure their survival. Question Three: The president displayed a truly transformational leadership by responding quickly to the situation. Even though there were low, the chances of survival the president went ahead and organized, how they would be rescued by having the vision and choosing people to deal with the rescue. The Mining Minister had a team that was divided into three teams with different tasks. One was to locate the miners; the other was tasked with keeping them alive, and the other ensuring that they are rescued safely. All the three leaders displayed servant leadership, as they were willing to serve others before their needs.

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Oral Script About Titanic Essay Example for Free

Oral Script About Titanic Essay Good morning to my teacher and fellow friends. Today I want to talk about the sinking of Titanic. RMS Titanic was a passenger liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The sinking of Titanic caused the deaths of 1,514 people in history. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. One of three liners operated by the White Star Line, she was built between 1909-11 by the Harland and Wolff Shipyard in Belfast. Her passengers included some of the wealthiest people in the world, as well as over a thousand emigrants from Britain,  Ireland,  Scandinavia  and elsewhere seeking a new life in North America. The ship was designed to be the last word in comfort and luxury, with an on-board gymnasium, swimming pool, libraries, high-class restaurants and opulent cabins. She also had a powerful wireless telegraph provided for the convenience of passengers as well as for operational use. Though she had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, she lacked enough lifeboats to accommodate all of those aboard. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, she carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178  people – a third of her total passenger and crew capacity. After leaving Southampton, England on 10  April 1912,  Titanic  called at  France  and Ireland before heading westwards towards New York. On 14 April 1912, four days into the crossing and about 375 miles south of Newfoundland, she hit an iceberg at 11:40  pm. The glancing collision caused  Titanics hull plates to buckle inwards in a number of locations on her  starboard  side and opened five of her sixteen watertight compartments to the sea. Over the next two and a half hours, the ship gradually filled with water and sank. Passengers and some crew members were evacuated in lifeboats, many of which were launched only partly filled. Just before 2:20  am  Titanic  broke up and sank bow-first with over a thousand people still on board. Those in the water died within minutes from  hypothermia  caused by immersion in the freezing ocean. The 710 survivors were taken aboard from the lifeboats by the  RMS Carpathia  a few hours later. The disaster was greeted with worldwide shock and outrage at the huge loss of life and the regulatory and operational failures that had led to it. Many of the survivors lost all of their money and possessions and were left destitute; many families, particularly those of crew members from Southampton, lost their primary bread-winners. They were helped by an outpouring of public sympathy and charitable donations. Some of the male survivors, notably the White Star Lines chairman,  J.Bruce Ismay, were accused of cowardice for leaving the ship while people were still on board, and they faced social ostracism. The  wreck of the  Titanic  remains on the seabed, gradually disintegrating at a depth of 12,415 feet (3,784  m). Since its rediscovery in 1985, thousands of artifacts have been recovered from the sea bed and put on display at museums around the world. Titanic  has become one of the most famous ships in history, her memory kept alive by numerous  books, films, exhibits and memorials. That’s all. Thank you.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Euthanasia, Rodriguez, and Canadian Law on Assisted Suicide Essay examp

Euthanasia, or assisted suicide, stands as one of the most important debates in contemporary moral philosophy. By definition, euthanasia is the act of intentionally killing or permitting the death of a hopelessly sick or injured individual, in a relatively painless way, for reasons of mercy. The controversy surrounding this unresolved issue seems to be fuelled by popular, albeit problematic, belief that while the passivity of permitting an individual to die is morally acceptable, the act of killing is not. While modern politics is not quick to support euthanasia on a moral or ethical level, many theorists are fascinated by the topic from a legal perspective. In the article "Assisted Suicide, Ethics and the Law", for example, Eike-Henner Kluge utilises the case of Sue Rodriguez to demonstrate the ethically ignorant and discriminatory position of Canadian law regarding assisted suicide. Rodriguez’ 1993 claim to legal assisted suicide created what could be the most important and high profile court case to date regarding euthanasia in Canada. Ms. Rodriguez suffered from a rare form of ALS that would drastically shorten her life expectancy, and gradually rob her of the abilities to walk, move her body at will, and eat and breathe without mechanical assistance. Knowing that her mind would remain alert, yet trapped in the casing of an obsolete body, Rodriguez voluntarily decided to avoid such an unsatisfactory end, lacking in dignity, by requesting active physician-assisted suicide (euthanasia) in a manner of her own choosing, as she would be unable to end her own life at the moment she desired. Rodriguez claimed that ending her life was her right, as any law does not prohibit it, and that it also included the right to assistance ... ...stitutionalisation of discrimination is unacceptable, and thus we must support assistance of an otherwise-impossible suicide act in special cases. Whether it is the general discomfort of considering the preferable circumstances of one’s own demise, or the concept of being willingly and intentionally killed, the euthanasia issue remains one that is, although important, uncomfortable at best. The questions remain, however, as to the circumstances under which euthanasia should be legalised: Are only persons with fatal diseases eligible? With psychological illnesses? Will age restrict who eligibility? Who will decide how much pain one must experience in order to be assisted in suicide? Until these and other answers are realised in social, religious and ethical contexts, euthanasia will continue to proliferate through international political and moral debate forums.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology By: September 24th, 2012 Psy. 410 Times have changed from what our grandparents knew and evolution is part of it. However, when looking at all the changes that we have seen in this world, how many of them were normal and how many were abnormal? Were they abnormal to some and normal to others? Or is there a particular age group that its normal or abnormal to? We are going to take a look and see if we can dig deeper in understanding normalcy and abnormalities. Abnormal Psychology To understand the origins of abnormal psychology you must first understand what it is.There are six main core concepts to understanding abnormal psychology. Abnormal psychology is so complex in that we wonder what causes a mental illness or abnormal psychology while we wonder about feelings of being down and where they come from as well. Because there is so many questions in this particular field it is what makes it fascinating. With abnormal psychology there are six major concepts in classifying and defining it as abnormal. ( Hansell & Demour, 2008) Concepts The first concept in defining abnormal psychology is to define and understand abnormality.You must first understand circumstances that cause or surround any behavior to allow you to understand whether the behavior is normal or abnormal. The next concept examines the continuum between normal and abnormal behavior. ( Hansell & Demour, 2008) This means understanding the context that the actual abnormal behavior occurs to allow us to understand it as well as explain it. Cultural and historical relativism is the third concept in defining and classify abnormality. Demographic context influence abnormal behavior and include things such as class, age, culture and gender. Hansell & Demour, 2008) Advantages and limitations of diagnosis is the fourth concept is the limitations and advantage of diagnosis. The fifth examines the principle of multiple causality. ( Hansell & Demour, 2008) and finally the connection between the body and the mind is the sixth concept of abnormal psychology. Lets take a step back now and examine some of these a little farther. Lets begin with examining the continuum between abnormal and normal psychology. Continuum Without looking at the continuum we can not define whether or not the behavior is known as normal or abnormal. Read also Memory – ForgettingThe continuum examines the highlights of attitude of empathy toward those struggling with abnormal behavior. The continuum shows humanity among people. It also shows that people show and display concern with unfairness against them. ( Hansell & Demour, 2008) This makes it difficult for clinicians to find the fine line that exists between normal and abnormal behavior. The allows the scientific research to be more challenging as well as the treatment as well. Cultural and Relativism Things change through out time that can affect what is seen as abnormal.For example, seeing someone naked on public television 50 years ago was not normal but abnormal. Today, in 2012, seeing someone naked on public television is thought to be relatively normal. Along with social changes there is also cultural change. This is just one of the many changes that has happened even in the last 30 years. The changes are very apparent to older generations making this abnormal fo r them while the younger generation that is experiencing these changes but its all they know, this is considered normal to them. Yet its definition is all in interpretation.Biological Perspectives Toward abnormal psychology biological perspectives plays a huge role in mental disorders. Many illnesses, injuries, as well as defects may cause emotional symptoms. (Hansell & Demour, 2008) Physical structures and biochemical functions in the body are a huge contributor to abnormal psychology. Functions and structure of the brain is looked at by researchers in abnormal psychology. Some of the many things that have been shown to be a factor in mental disorders include the central nervous system, the endocrine system, the peripheral nervous system, as well as genetics. Hansell & Demour, 2008) Sociocultural Perspectives The Cultural and historical relativism is part of the sociocultural prespective. Because every society has different ideas of normalcy and abnormalities it is hard to define o r begin to define abnormality. Learning is what sociocultural theorists believed to be part of the contributor to mental disorders. ( Hansell & Demour, 2008) the stresses in social and cultural roles include things such as culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity.Socioeconomic status (SES), gender and ethnicity is what many theorists focus mainly on. Many times in life we evaluate what is normal and what is abnormal. Something in my life that may be normal to me might be completely abnormal to someone else. Interpretation plays a huge role and while definitions behind normal and abnormal are not clear or found interpretation is always part of understanding. References: Hansell, J. & Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal psychology (2nd ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Informed Opinion Outline

It is a career/Job choice selected by the person performing the Job It has the potential for large financial profit It is highly regulated and safer than illegal prostitution It generates tax revenue for the counties that allow it Personal Opinion: Women should have the right to work in this field safely, and without harsh punishment for a service that is elsewhere considered to be profitable and respected. Support and Statistics: Buzzed. Mom's Hillary Reinsert reports In How I was a Prostitute, without ever reeking a law; an unnamed woman reported â€Å"The first thing I have to say is that I was not abused, I don't drink or do drugs and I don't come from a troubled home-my parents Just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. † â€Å"l became a working girl because I really love having sex and I like the money' According the CDC In Nevada; women have to undergo weekly pap smear as well required HIVE screenings and condoms are also mandatory.In in article from Family Plann ing Perspectives It sates that a study conducted In the US on the Prevalence of the HIVE Infection among female prostitutes Zero out of the 35 restitution from southern Nevada were positive for HIVE and 25 percent out of the 59 from Newark, New Jersey (where prostitution Is Illegal) were positive.In the Article â€Å"Novena's Legal Brothels Make Workers Feel Safer† In the New York Times Written by Barbara G Brent (University of Alas Vegas Professor In the Department of Sociology) she writes that â€Å"In legal Brothels, employees report that they feel safe, are free to come and go, and are bound only by their contract† † Workers report that they felt Largely safe because the police, employers and co- workers were there to protect them† By summarize Buzzed.

Friday, November 8, 2019

What Is Mercantilism Essays

What Is Mercantilism Essays What Is Mercantilism Essay What Is Mercantilism Essay What is mercantilism? According to the definition in the America Past and Present history book is an economic theory that shaped imperial policy thought out the colonial period, mercantilism was built on the assumption that the world’s wealth was a fixed supply. In order to increase its wealth, a nation needed to export more goods than it imported. Favorable trade and protective economic policies, as well as new colonial possessions rich in raw materials, were important in achieving this balance. During the reign of Charles II English policy makers assumed they established a well-integrated set of concepts about the nature of international commerce and a carefully planned out set of mercantilist government policies to implement them. However, they only were interested in solving their own problems. Since there wasn’t laws or anything to regulate these groups their needs lead to the rise of the English commercial regulations. The Navigation Act was passed in 1660 which stated that no ship could trade in the colonies unless it had been constructed in either England or America and carried a crew that was at least 75% English and that certain enumerated goods of great value that were not produced in England could be transported from the colonies only to an English or another colonial port. Thru out the years more and more regulations were set the last major legislation came in 1696. This statute tightened enforcement procedures putting pressure specifically on the colonial governors to keep England’s competitors out of American ports. American colonials thought they were in unity with England that would later prove false.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Best Swedish Schools to study interior design

Best Swedish Schools to study interior design Studying Interior Design in Sweden Interior design is one of the modern streams within the educational specialization variety. People are interested in living in beautiful and extraordinary apartments. More and more of young people try to fulfill their potential and creativity in developing interior design. Modern materials and settings enable designers to arrange unique and superb design, saturated with varieties of colors and forms, making the house or office a comfortable and aesthetic place for living, working or entertainment. To be an interior designer is not simply to furnish the room and allocate decorative components within the living or working space. To become mature in this sphere, one should have profound skills in drawing, color perception, taste, know interior design styles and be able to embody all this stuff in the practice. Today interior designer can hardly work without knowing corresponding computer programs for creating drafts and sketches for their customers. So as you see, studying to acquire designer degree is rather labor-consuming activity, which requires great effort. Besides your efforts, it is important to select a nice school, which can become your guide into the world of design and provide necessary qualification for your future carrier. In regard to interior design a lot of people trust their training to Swedish schools and universities. Great amount of educational institutions in Sweden with brilliant reputation can become the access for your professional carrier as a designer. Umeà ¥ Institute of Design This university provides training of the specialists in the direction of industrial design and offers five academic programs for its students. To acquire a Bachelor degree at this university one needs to pass the three-year training program. The great advantage is that education in this university is free. The education is provided only in Swedish, which can be considered as a drawback. The university also offers three international programs for obtaining Master degree. Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design This institution is one of the biggest Swedish schools, which provides training in design, arts and crafts. Almost 900 students come at the university each year to receive Bachelor and Master degrees. This school has great educational and research facilities, numerous workshops, which enable students to develop their practical skills in painting, weaving, ceramics and sculpture. HDK School of Design and Crafts HDK School of Design and Crafts provides great opportunities of training. You can undertake a short or a long term course in the school, according to your needs and circumstances. The school arranges exhibitions all the time, where students can participate. And that is a great opportunity to present your works for the potential customers and to receive first experience while studying. They offer a PhD program in design and arts. All information about start time of the courses and time when you can enroll for them is available at their website. KKH Royal Institute of Art This school has a great number of Swedish students, but it also welcomes the students from other countries. Due to well-equipped workshops, they welcome also the students with disabilities. The institute offers one-year guest program in fine arts, three-year Bachelor program, two-year Master program and PhD program for their student. This school also offers such courses as Restoration Art, Architecture Art and Architecture. The institute directs their students to development of practical skills along with the research work, which is motivated by well-arranged educational facilities. Apparently, Swedish design schools represent a great training opportunity for those, who do not want just to admire beautiful things and pieces of art, but for those, who want to create them. If you want to make your mark within the interior design sphere, do your best to take care of the appropriate education, which will spread your wings of creativity and success.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Relationships of Power Featured in Virginian Luxuries Assignment

Relationships of Power Featured in Virginian Luxuries - Assignment Example In Tocqueville book, the unequal power relationship is revealed as he states that among those families of men, the first to attract attention, superior in intelligent and in power are white people. Negros and Indians appear below them. The blacks of United States had lost the remembrance of their countries and stopped talking the language of their forefathers and had ceased to be African. There is an unequal power among the groups as the less privileged races are to adopt the cultures and the beliefs of the white community (Johnson). . The Future that Tocqueville Predicted for These Groups The three groups’ future was not great, according to Tocqueville. He states that he believed that Indians nations in North America were doomed to perish, and the race will have ceased to exist. He said that the Indians will die in the same isolated state they had lived. The destiny of the blacks was interwoven with that of the Europeans. He didn’t see great future for the three groups because Indians did not want to conform to the European culture and opted to die with their civilization. While blacks though willing to adapt to the culture were still viewed as slaves. Tocqueville predicted the whites and blacks will never mix with equality or even with civility. The two races, blacks, and Europeans were fastened to each other without intermingling and are unable to separate or to combine. He saw the possibility of black and white racial conflict in the South in the future (Johnson).

Friday, November 1, 2019

Job Application Package Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Job Application Package - Assignment Example Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access Responsibilities Assist with the development and maintenance of accurate work measurement systems in a warehouse environment. Conduct time studies and frequency studies in distribution centers. Assist in the analysis, recommendation, and implementation of enhancements to existing work methods, workflow and processes to increase throughput. Administer and maintain productivity reporting processes and systems. Collect data to assist in the development of distribution center and capital budgets. Analysis of distribution center processes and procedures; identify operational improvement opportunities; design, evaluate and implement changes and/or revisions as required. Assist corporate industrial engineering staff as directed. Limited local travel required. Job #2 Position Engineering / Summer Internships - Industrial Engineering Sikorsky Global Helicopters (610) 883-4408 110 East Stewart Huston Dr. Coatesville Pennsylvania 19320 USA fran.newli n@sikorskyglobal.com Sikorsky Global Helicopters, a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aircraft, is a Fully capable Helicopter Services provider located in Coatesville, PA. Our capabilities include work as an FAA Approved Repair Station,a DAS approved station, the Sikorsky S-76 Completion Center, the Sikorsky S-92 Joins Center, EMS flight services, DAS capabilities and Engine Services Shop. Our sister company Composite Technologies Inc, in Grand Prarie TX, CTI is the only world wide rotor blade repair shop authorized by Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter, Kazan Helicopters, MD Helicopters, Schweizer and Sikorsky. Consequently, we support your entire fleet. We pride ourselves on our commitment to diversity and encourages all qualified applicants to apply for consideration Please mention JSfirm when responding to this ad (JS Firm, 2011). Job Application Package Date: 30 June 2011 To: (Your Professor) From: Kuan Alkeyev Subject: Job Application Package Sears Holding Company: Corporate Industrial Engineer In ternship The position that is offered by the Sears Holding Company is as a Corporate Industrial Engineer Intern in which a requirement of at least Junior year status must be completed and an intention in the pursuit of a Bachelor of Science Degree in industrial engineering. Experience in work measurement methodologies, best method development and cost analysis for project justification are central to the qualifications of the potential candidate. Other requirements include proficiency in Microsoft Office programs and the ability to communicate effectively, which is most likely in concern with not only performing the responsibilities of the position, but in making sure that all departments that relate to those performances can be adequately updated on the activities. Responsibilities for the position will include: Assist with the development and maintenance of accurate work measurement systems in a warehouse environment. Conduct time studies and frequency studies in distribution cent ers. Assist in the analysis, recommendation, and implementation of enhancements to existing work methods, workflow and processes to increase throughput. Administer and maintain productivity reporting processes and systems. Collect data to assist in the development of distribution

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Total Quality Management High School Case Study

Total Quality Management High School - Case Study Example The categories are sorted from highest the number of occurrences to the least number of occurrences. The chart shows that Confusion (37.5%), Strain (30.0%) and Sprain (12.5%) represent 80% of the total injuries received. The rest of the injuries received such as foreign body, abrasion, punctures and others represent 20% of the total injuries received. ii. The Pareto Chart will be used to report the sorted injuries received according to the number of occurrences. It shows that the most frequent injury received is Confusion, followed by Strain and Sprain which constitute 80% of the total injuries received. The priority will go to the vital few as compared to the trivial many. d. A Pareto chart shows both frequency and prioritisation of qualitative data or categories. On the other hand, a pie chart identifies data in relation to the whole while a bar chart compares data relative to one issue or among individual items. It is advantageous to use a Pareto chart when comparing different causes or issues and identifying which one needs the most priority and focus. A pie chart is useful when a report requires a display of percentages of categories that represents the whole pie. A bar chart is useful when comparing the frequency of data over time or illustrating frequency of different categories without the need of prioritisation. e. e. The data follow the Pareto principle when it is arranged in accordance from the most frequent category to the least frequent ones. It will show vital few and the trivial many. The trivial few in the data are Confusion (75), Strain (60), and Sprain (25). It represents 37.5%, 30.0% and 12.5%, respectively, of the whole categories of injuries received. Consequently, the three injuries also signify 80% of the problems. Question 4 - TQM Principle a. Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management philosophy that involves every person in the organisation and every phase of it operation. It employs a customer-focus definition which aims at maximising customer satisfaction. The role of management is vital in TQM such that they must be fully committed in TQM and this commitment must stream down the organisation. As for the Iron-Ore mining company, it overlooked the TQM principle that everyone must be involved. The General Manager decided on a 10% budget cut across the organisation without involving and aligning the ideas of the three section managers. Deciding on reducing the budget is a financial decision that ultimately hurts the operation of the company. TQM involves a process based approach which recognises the different contribution of each process to the whole business. The company also ignore the importance of customer centred definition of TQM. The goal of TQM is to satisfy customer needs and requirements. A business strategy that employs TQM focuses on the demand of the customers. The Iron-Ore mining company neglected to forecast the demand of iron ore. The Railway Manager focused on the 10% reduction of budget which consequently resulted to a reduction of capacity. Such reduction of capacity became a constraint in satisfying the customer demand. If they have prioritised the 60 mtpa requirement, they would incur a lower cost per unit even if they have greater total expenditure. Another principle of TQM involves the employment of

Monday, October 28, 2019

A Theory of Cross-Cultural Communication Essay Example for Free

A Theory of Cross-Cultural Communication Essay A Theory of Cross-Cultural Communication  © Anthony Pym 2003 Intercultural Studies Group Universitat Rovira i Virgili Tarragona, Spain* Pre-print version 3. 3 The following is a series of propositions designed to connect a few ideas about translation as a mode of cross-cultural communication. The ideas are drawn from a multiplicity of existing theories; the aim is not particularly to be original. The propositions are instead intended to link up three endeavors: an abstract conception of cross-cultural communication, a description of the specificities of translation, and an attempt to envisage the future of such communication in a globalizing age. The various points at which the propositions draw on or diverge from previous theories are indicated in a series of notes. 1. 1. 1. 1. 2. On cross-cultural communication in general Cross-cultural communication involves the perceived crossing of a point of contact between cultures. Cultures here are minimally seen as large-scale systems of assumed shared references, linguistic or otherwise1, used for the purposes of reducing complexity. 2 Cultures themselves may idealize one or several centers, where the shared references are felt to be so dense that communication would be without any need for reductions of complexities. Away from such ideals, cultures have peripheries, where references are sparse, or sparsely shared, or mixed with references shared by other cultures. The terms â€Å"center† and â€Å"periphery† are not to be understood geopolitically. (cf. Even-Zohar 1990, Toury 1995) The differences between centers and peripheries are operative fictions rather than primary empirical facts. The very belief that one is in a central position may be enough to curtail complexity, just as the false impression that one is lacking in context may increase complexity. (Pym 1998) The difference between center and periphery may also be characterized in terms of effort. When shared references are believed to be dense (all else being equal), the reduction of complexity requires less effort than when the references are believed to be sparse. Effort here is understood as being on both the sending and receiving sides of messages, as well as in any mediating position or investment in the channel. A text sent and received near a perceived center will thus require less investment of effort than the same text sent from a center to a periphery (assuming that the reduction of complexity is 1. 3. 1. 4. 1. 5. to be to a similar degree in both cases). And further supplementary effort will be needed if the text is to be received in another culture. (Pym 1995) 1. 6. The lines between cultures are marked as cross-over points where the communication act receives supplementary effort of a mediating and discontinuous nature. Such points are usually where translations are carried out. (Pym 2001a) Cross-cultural communication thus marks the points of contact between cultures, although it alone will not join up the points to form any kind of line. (Pym 1998, 2001a, cf. Chatwin 1987) On complexity and its reduction Texts are inscribed objects that can be interpreted in different ways and for different functions, quite independently of any original intentions. The plurality of possible interpretations is what we are calling complexity. The reduction of complexity does not imply any discerning of a true or primal meaning. For example, a reader at this point might interpret the term â€Å"reduction of complexity† as â€Å"understanding†, but such a reading will hopefully be deviated by the following paragraphs. In this sense, the reduction of complexity does not entail an act of understanding in any idealist sense. Nor must effort be expended only to reduce complexity. Effort can also be used to make texts more complex, preparing them for a greater plurality of interpretations. Such might be a certain conception of aesthetic pleasure, diplomatic ambiguity, or communicative mechancete. The degree of appropriate complexity is in each case dependent on the success conditions of the communicative act concerned. On success conditions Success conditions are criteria that make the communicative act beneficial for all or some of the participants concerned. 4 Such criteria may be simple, as in the case of a business negotiation to reach mutual agreement on a sales price: the success condition might be that a price is agreed to by all participants.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Comparing Education for Leisure and Miracle on St. David’s Day :: Carol Ann Duffy Gillian Clarke Poems Essays

Comparing Education for Leisure and Miracle on St. David’s Day This essay will explore the similarities and differences between the two poems ‘Education for leisure’ which was written by Carol Ann Duffy and ‘Miracle on St. David’s Day’ by Gillian Clarke. The theme focused on the poems is ‘outsider’. In ‘Education for Leisure’ the man is an outsider because he is being ignored, however in ‘miracle on St. David’s Day’, the patient is well taken care of but is an outsider in his mind because he is sick and cannot speak. He wants to be an outsider so that no one can notice him. Firstly, the poem ‘Education for leisure’ creates a negative atmosphere caused by the treacherous outsider. Every stanza concludes with a full stop. The poem has five verses overall. Duffy has written this poem in the style of a diary, rather than constructing the words to rhyme. This is shown by the word ‘I’. She has also used metaphors to express the circumstances ‘†¦boredom stirring in the streets.’ This phrase shows that the day is awfully uninspired and no one is in prospect. This day is like any other day for the man because his life is filled with sadness. He feels uninspired and may feel frustrated due to the ‘boredom’. He wants to destroy something, ‘I am going to kill something.’ This phrase is directly alerting the reader that the man is unstable and is enthusiastic to kill. He is too weak and defenceless to kill a living thing so he mentions of victimising an object. It also indicates that the poem is occurring in the present tense. Duffy has used this to add to the tension in the mind of the speaker. The self-centeredness of the speaker appears in the repeated use of "I", "me", "my". ‘I have had enough of being ignored†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ this shows that the people around him do not take enough consideration towards him, therefore he feels insecure and abandoned. He has no one to express what he is feeling because he feels isolated. Duffy creates an image of a lonely, desperate man that desires to be heard so the reader’s emotions would be pitiful. The writer wants the reader’s emotions to be sympathetic towards the character. The speaker has no idea what he is saying so he constantly changes the subject this is referred to by the quote: ‘We did that at school. Shakespeare. It was in another language and now the fly is in another’ this quote does not make sense due to the fact that the speaker keeps changing the topic he is talking about.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 1 PARTY

I WAS NINETY-NINE POINT NINE PERCENT SURE I WAS dreaming. The reasons I was so certain were that, first, I was standing in a bright shaft of sunlightthe kind of blinding clear sun that never shone on my drizzly new hometown in Forks, Washingtonand second, I was looking at my Grandma Marie. Gran had been dead for six years now, so that was solid evidence toward the dream theory. Gran hadn't changed much; her face looked just the same as I remembered it. The skin was soft and withered, bent into a thousand tiny creases that clung gently to the bone underneath. Like a dried apricot, but with a puff of thick white hair standing out in a cloud around it. Our mouthshers a wizened pickerspread into the same surprised half-smile at just the same time. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting to see me, either. I was about to ask her a question; I had so manyWhat was she doing here in my cream? What had she been up to in the past six years? Was Pop okay, and had they found each other, wherever they werebut she opened her mouth when I did, so I stopped to let her go first. She paused, too, and then we Goth smiled at the little awkwardness. â€Å"Bella!† It wasn't Gran who called my name, and we both turned to see the addition to our small reunion. I didn't have to look to know who it was; this was a voice I would know anywhereknow, and respond to, whether I was awake or asleep or even dead, I'd bet. The voice I'd walk through fire foror, less dramatically, slosh every day through the cold and endless rain for. Edward. Even though I was always thrilled to see himconscious or otherwiseand even though I was almost positive that I was dreaming, I panicked as Edward walked toward us through the glaring sunlight. I panicked because Gran didn't know that I was in love with a vampirenobody knew thatso how was I supposed to explain the fact that the brilliant sunbeams were shattering off his skin into a thousand rainbow shards like he was made of crystal or diamond? Well, Gran, yon might have noticed that my boyfriend glitters. It's just something he does in the sun. Don't worry about it What was he doing? The whole reason he lived in Forks, the rainiest place in the world, was so that he could be outside in the daytime without exposing his family's secret. Yet here he was, strolling gracefully toward mewith the most beautiful smile on his angel's faceas if I were the only one here. In that second, I wished that I was not the one exception to his mysterious talent; I usually felt grateful that I was the only person whose thoughts he couldn't hear just as clearly as if they were spoken aloud. But now I wished he could hear me, too, so that he could hear the warning I was screaming in my head. I shot a panicked glance back at Gran, and saw that it was too late. She was just turning to stare back at me, her eyes as alarmed as mine. Edwardstill smiling so beautifully that my heart felt like it was going to swell up and burst through my chestput his arm around my shoulder and turned to face my grandmother. Gran's expression surprised me. Instead of looking horrified, she was staring at me sheepishly, as if waiting for a scolding. And she was standing in such a strange positionone arm held awkwardly away from her body, stretched out and then curled around the air. Like she had her arm around someone I couldn't see, someone invisible Only then, as I looked at the bigger picture, did I notice the huge gilt frame that enclosed my grandmother's form. Uncomprehending, I raised the hand that wasn't wrapped around Edward's waist and reached out to touch her. She mimicked the movement exactly, mirrored it. But where our fingers should have met, there was nothing but cold glass With a dizzying jolt, my dream abruptly became a nightmare. There was no Gran. That was me. Me in a mirror. Meancient, creased, and withered. Edward stood beside me, casting no reflection, excruciatingly lovely and forever seventeen. He pressed his icy, perfect lips against my wasted cheek. â€Å"Happy birthday,† he whispered. I woke with a startmy eyelids popping open wideand gasped. Dull gray light, the familiar light of an overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun in my dream. Just a dream, I told myself. It was only a dream. I took a deep breath, and then jumped again when my alarm went off. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed me that today was September thirteenth. Only a dream, but prophetic enough in one way, at least. Today was my birthday. I was officially eighteen years old. I'd been dreading this day for months. All through the perfect summerthe happiest summer I had ever had, the happiest summer anyone anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic Peninsulathis bleak date had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring. And now that it had hit, it was even worse than I'd feared it would be. I could feel itI was older. Every day I got older, but this was different, worse, quantifiable. I was eighteen. And Edward never would be. When I went to brush my teeth, I was almost surprised that the face in the mirror hadn't changed. I stared at myself, looking for some sign of impending wrinkles in my ivory skin. The only creases were the ones on my forehead, though, and I knew that if I could manage to relax, they would disappear. I couldn't. My eyebrows stayed lodged in a worried line over my anxious brown eyes. It was just a dream, I reminded myself again. Just a dream but also my worst nightmare. I skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely able to avoid my dad, and so I had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. I honestly tried to be excited about the gifts I'd asked him not to get me, but every time I had to smile, it felt like I might start crying. I struggled to get a grip on myself as I drove to school. The vision of GranI would not think of it as mewas hard to get out of my head. I couldn't feel anything but despair until I pulled into the familiar parking lot behind Forks High School and spotted Edward leaning motionlessly against his polished silver Volvo, like a marble tribute to some forgotten pagan god of beauty. The dream had not done him justice. And he was waiting there for me, just the same as every other day. Despair momentarily vanished; wonder took its place. Even after half a year with him, I still couldn't believe that I deserved this degree of good fortune. His sister Alice was standing by his side, waiting for me, too. Of course Edward and Alice weren't really related (in Forks the story was that all the Cullen siblings were adopted by Dr. Carlisle Culler and his wife, Esme, both plainly too young to have teenage children), but their skin was precisely the same pale shade, their eyes had the same strange golden tint, with the same deep, bruise-like shadows beneath them. Her face, like his, was also startlingly beautiful. To someone in the knowsomeone like methese similarities marked them for what they were. The sight of Alice waiting thereher tawny eyes brilliant with excitement, and a small silver-wrapped square in her handsmade me frown. I'd told Alice I didn't want anything, anything, not gifts or even attention, for my birthday. Obviously, my wishes were being ignored. I slammed the door of my '53 Chevy trucka shower of rust specks fluttered down to the wet blacktopand walked slowly toward where they waited. Alice skipped forward to meet me, her pixie face glowing under her spiky black hair. â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† â€Å"Shh!† I hissed, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had heard her. The last thing I wanted was some kind of celebration of the black event. She ignored me. â€Å"Do you want to open your present now or later?† she asked eagerly as we made our way to where Edward still waited. â€Å"No presents,† I protested in a mumble. She finally seemed to process my mood. â€Å"Okay later, then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?† I sighed. Of course she would know what my birthday presents were. Edward wasn't the only member of his family with unusual skills. Alice would have â€Å"seen† what my parents were planning as soon as they'd decided that themselves. â€Å"Yeah. They're great.† â€Å"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience.† â€Å"How many times have you been a senior?† â€Å"That's different.† We reached Edward then, and he held out his hand for mine. I took it eagerly, forgetting, for a moment, my glum mood. His skin was, as always, smooth, hard, and very cold. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. I looked into his liquid topa2 eyes, and my heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. Hearing the stutter in my heartbeats, he smiled again. He lifted his free hand and traced one cool fingertip around the outside of my lips as he spoke. â€Å"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?† â€Å"Yes. That is correct.† I could never quite mimic the flow of his perfect, formal articulation. It was something that could only be picked up in an earlier century. â€Å"Just checking.† He ran his hand through his tousled bronze hair. â€Å"You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts.† Alice laughed, and the sound was all silver, a wind chime. â€Å"Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you today and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?† She meant it as a rhetorical question. â€Å"Getting older,† I answered anyway, and my voice was not as steady as I wanted it to be. Beside me, Edward's smile tightened into a hard line. â€Å"Eighteen isn't very old,† Alice said. â€Å"Don't women usually wait till they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?† â€Å"It's older than Edward,† I mumbled. He sighed. â€Å"Technically,† she said, keeping her tone light. â€Å"Just by one little year, though.† And I supposed if I could be sure of the future I wanted, sure that I would get to spend forever with Edward, and Alice and the rest of the Cullens (preferably not as a wrinkled little old lady) then a year or two one direction or the other wouldn't matter to me so much. But Edward was dead set against any future that changed me. Any future that made me like himthat made me immortal, too. An impasse, he called it. I couldn't really see Edward's point, to be honest. What was so great about mortality? Being a vampire didn't look like such a terrible thingnot the way the Cullens did it, anyway. â€Å"What time will you be at the house?† Alice continued, changing the subject. From her expression, she was up to exactly the kind of thing I'd been hoping to avoid. â€Å"I didn't know I had plans to be there.† â€Å"Oh, be fair, Bella!† she complained. â€Å"You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?† â€Å"I thought my birthday was about what I want.† â€Å"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school,† Edward told her, ignoring me altogether. â€Å"I have to work,† I protested. â€Å"You don't, actually,† Alice told me smugly. â€Å"I already spoke to Mrs. Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you ‘Happy Birthday.'† â€Å"II still can't come over,† I stammered, scrambling for an excuse. â€Å"I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English.† Alice snorted. â€Å"You have Romeo and Juliet memorized.† â€Å"But Mr. Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate itthat's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented.† Edward rolled his eyes. â€Å"You've already seen the movie,† Alice accused. â€Å"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr. Berty said it was the best.† Finally, Alice lost the smug smile and glared at me. â€Å"This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other† Edward interrupted her threat. â€Å"Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday.† â€Å"So there,† I added. â€Å"I'll bring her over around seven,† he continued. â€Å"That will give you more time to set up.† Alice's laughter chimed again. â€Å"Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see.† She grinnedthe wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeththen pecked me on the cheek and danced off toward her first class before I could respond. â€Å"Edward, please† I started to beg, but he pressed one cool finger to my lips. â€Å"Let's discuss it later. We're going to be late for class.† No one bothered to stare at us as we took our usual seats in the back of the classroom (we had almost every class together nowit was amazing the favors Edward could get the female administrators to do for him). Edward and I had been together too long now to be an object of gossip anymore. Even Mike Newton didn't bother to give me the glum stare that used to make me feel a little guilty. He smiled now instead, and I was glad he seemed to have accepted that we could only be friends. Mike had changed over the summerhis face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way; instead of bristly, it was longer and gelled into a carefully casual disarray. It was easy to see where his inspiration came frombut Edward's look wasn't something that could be achieved through imitation. As the day progressed, I considered ways to get out of whatever was going down at the Cullen house tonight. It would be bad enough to have to celebrate when I was in the mood to mourn. But, worse than that, this was sure to involve attention and gifts. Attention is never a good thing, as any other accident-prone klutz would agree. No one wants a spotlight when they're likely to fall on their face. And I'd very pointedly askedwell, ordered reallythat no one give me any presents this year. It looked like Charlie and Renee weren't the only ones who had decided to overlook that. I'd never had much money, and that had never bothered me. Renee had raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Charlie wasn't getting rich at his job, eitherhe was the police chief here in the tiny town of Forks. My only personal income came from the three days a week I worked at the local sporting goods store. In a town this small, I was lucky to have a job. Every penny I made went into my microscopic college fund. (College was Plan B. I was still hoping for Plan A, but Edward was just so stubborn about leaving me human) Edward had a lot of moneyI didn't even want to think about how much. Money meant next to nothing to Edward or the rest of the Cullens. It was just something that accumulated when you had unlimited time on your hands and a sister who had an uncanny ability to predict trends in the stock market. Edward didn't seem to understand why I objected to him spending money on mewhy it made me uncomfortable if he took me to an expensive restaurant in Seattle, why he wasn't allowed to buy me a car that could reach speeds over fifty-five miles an hour, or why I wouldn't let him pay my college tuition (he was ridiculously enthusiastic about Plan B). Edward thought I was being unnecessarily difficult. But how could I let him give me things when I had nothing to reciprocate with? He, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to be with me. Anything he gave me on top of that just threw us more out of balance. As the day went on, neither Edward nor Alice brought my birthday up again, and I began to relax a little. We sat at our usual table for lunch. A strange kind of truce existed at that table. The three of usEdward, Alice, and Isat on the extreme southern end of the table. Now that the â€Å"older† and somewhat scarier (in Emmett's case, certainly) Cullen siblings had graduated, Alice and Edward did not seem quite so intimidating, and we did not sit here alone. My other friends, Mike and Jessica (who were in the awkward post-breakup friendship phase), Angela and Ben (whose relationship had survived the summer), Eric, Conner, Tyler, and Lauren (though that last one didn't really count in the friend category) all sat at the same table, on the other side of an invisible line. That line dissolved on sunny days when Edward and Alice always skipped school, and then the conversation would swell out effortlessly to include me. Edward and Alice didn't find this minor ostracism odd or hurtful the way I would have. They barely noticed it. People always felt strangely ill at ease with the Cullens, almost afraid for some reason they couldn't explain to themselves. I was a rare exception to that rule. Sometimes it bothered Edward how very comfortable I was with being close to him. He thought he was hazardous to my healthan opinion I rejected vehemently whenever he voiced it. The afternoon passed quickly. School ended, and Edward walked me to my truck as he usually did. But this time, he held the passenger door open for me. Alice must have been taking his car home so that he could keep me from making a run for it. I folded my arms and made no move to get out of the rain. â€Å"It's my birthday, don't I get to drive?† â€Å"I'm pretending it's not your birthday, just as you wished.† â€Å"If it's not my birthday, then I don't have to go to your house tonight† â€Å"All right.† He shut the passenger door and walked past me to open the driver's side. â€Å"Happy birthday.† â€Å"Shh,† I shushed him halfheartedly. I climbed in the opened door, wishing he'd taken the other offer. Edward played with the radio while I drove, shaking his head in disapproval. â€Å"Your radio has horrible reception.† I frowned. I didn't like it when he picked on my truck. The truck was greatit had personality. â€Å"You want a nice stereo? Drive your own car.† I was so nervous about Alice's plans, on top of my already gloomy mood, that the words came out sharper than I'd meant them. I was hardly ever bad-tempered with Edward, and my tone made him press his lips together to keep from smiling. When I parked in front of Charlie's house, he reached over to take my face in his hands. He handled me very carefully, pressing just the tips of his fingers softly against my temples, my cheekbones, my jawline. Like I was especially breakable. Which was exactly the casecompared with him, at least. â€Å"You should be in a good mood, today of all days,† he whispered. His sweet breath fanned across my face. â€Å"And if I don't want to be in a good mood?† I asked, my breathing uneven. His golden eyes smoldered. â€Å"Too bad.† My head was already spinning by the time he leaned closer and pressed his icy lips against mine. As he intended, no doubt, I forgot all about my worries, and concentrated on remembering how to inhale and exhale. His mouth lingered on mine, cold and smooth and gentle, until I wrapped my arms around his neck and threw myself into the kiss with a little too much enthusiasm. I could feel his lips curve upward as he let go of my face and reached back to unlock my grip on him. Edward had drawn many careful lines for our physical relationship, with the intent being to keep me alive. Though I respected the need for maintaining a safe distance between my skin and his razor-sharp, venom-coated teeth, I tended to forget about trivial things like that when he was kissing me. â€Å"Be good, please,† he breathed against my cheek. He pressed his lips gently to mine one more time and then pulled away, folding my arms across my stomach. My pulse was thudding in my ears. I put one hand over my heart. It drummed hyperactively under my palm. â€Å"Do you think I'll ever get better at this?† I wondered, mostly to myself. â€Å"That my heart might someday stop trying to jump out of my chest whenever you touch me?† â€Å"I really hope not,† he said, a bit smug. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Let's go watch the Capulets and Montagues hack each other up, all right?† â€Å"Your wish, my command.† Edward sprawled across the couch while I started the movie, fast-forwarding through the opening credits. When I perched on the edge of the sofa in front of him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. It wasn't exactly as comfortable as a sofa cushion would be, what with his chest being hard and coldand perfectas an ice sculpture, but it was definitely preferable. He pulled the old afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over me so I wouldn't freeze beside his body. â€Å"You know, I've never had much patience with Romeo,† he commented as the movie started. â€Å"What's wrong with Romeo?† I asked, a little offended. Romeo was one of my favorite fictional characters. Until I'd met Edward, I'd sort of had a thing for him. â€Å"Well, first of all, he's in love with this Rosalinedon't you think it makes him seem a little fickle? And then, a few minutes after their wedding, he kills Juliet's cousin. That's not very brilliant. Mistake after mistake. Could he have destroyed his own happiness any more thoroughly?† I sighed. â€Å"Do you want me to watch this alone?† â€Å"No, I'll mostly be watching you, anyway.† His fingers traced patterns across the skin of my arm, raising goose bumps. â€Å"Will you cry?† â€Å"Probably,† I admitted, â€Å"if I'm paying attention.† â€Å"I won't distract you then.† But I felt his lips on my hair, and it was very distracting. The movie eventually captured my interest, thanks in large part to Edward whispering Romeo's lines in my earhis irresistible, velvet voice made the actor's voice sound weak and coarse by comparison. And I did cry, to his amusement, when Juliet woke and found her new husband dead. â€Å"I'll admit, I do sort of envy him here,† Edward said, drying the tears with a lock of my hair. â€Å"She's very pretty.† He made a disgusted sound. â€Å"I don't envy him the girljust the ease of the suicide,† he clarified in a teasing tone. â€Å"You humans have it so easy! All you have to do is throw down one tiny vial of plant extracts† â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"It's something I had to think about once, and I knew from Carlisle's experience that it wouldn't be simple. I'm not even sure how many ways Carlisle tried to kill himself in the beginning after he realized what he'd become† His voice, which had grown serious, turned light again. â€Å"And he's clearly still in excellent health.† I twisted around so that I could read his face. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. â€Å"What do you mean, this something you had to think about once?† â€Å"Last spring, when you were nearly killed† He paused to take a deep breath, snuggling to return to his teasing tone. â€Å"Of course I was trying to focus on finding you alive, but part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it's not as easy for me as it is for a human.† For one second, the memory of my last trip to Phoenix washed through my head and made me feel dizzy. I could see it all so clearlythe blinding sun, the heat waves coming off the concrete as I ran with desperate haste to find the sadistic vampire who wanted to torture me to death. James, waiting in the mirrored room with my mother as his hostageor so I'd thought. I hadn't known it was all a ruse. Just as James hadn't known that Edward was racing to save me; Edward made it in time, but it had been a close one. Unthinkingly, my fingers traced the crescent-shaped scar on my hand that was always just a few degrees cooler than the rest of my skin. I shook my headas if I could shake away the bad memoriesand tried to grasp what Edward meant. My stomach plunged uncomfortably. â€Å"Contingency plans?† I repeated. â€Å"Well, I wasn't going to live without you.† He rolled his eyes as if that fact were childishly obvious. â€Å"But I wasn't sure how to do itI knew Emmett and Jasper would never help so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi.† I didn't want to believe he was serious, but his golden eyes were brooding, focused on something far away in the distance as he contemplated ways to end his own life. Abruptly, I was furious. â€Å"What is a Volturi?† I demanded. â€Å"The Volturi are a family,† he explained, his eyes still remote. â€Å"A very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Carlisle lived with them briefly in his early years, in Italy, before he settled in Americado you remember the story?† â€Å"Of course I remember.† I would never forget the first time I'd gone to his home, the huge white mansion buried deep in the forest beside the river, or the room where CarlisleEdward's father in so many real wayskept a wall of paintings that illustrated his personal history. The most vivid, most wildly colorful canvas there, the largest, was from Carlisle's time in Italy. Of course I remembered the calm quartet of men, each with the exquisite face of a seraph, painted into the highest balcony overlooking the swirling mayhem of color. Though the painting was centuries old, Carlislethe blond angelremained unchanged. And I remembered the three others, Carlisle's early acquaintances. Edward had never used the name Volturi for the beautiful trio, two black-haired, one snow white. He'd called them Aro, Caius, and Marcus, nighttime patrons of the arts â€Å"Anyway, you don't irritate the Volturi,† Edward went on, interrupting ray reverie. â€Å"Not unless you want to dieor whatever it is we do.† His voice was so calm, it made him sound almost bored by the prospect. My anger turned to horror. I took his marble face between my hands and held it very tightly. â€Å"You must never, never, never think of anything like that again!† I said. â€Å"No matter what might ever happen to me, you are not allowed to hurt yourself!† â€Å"I'll never put you in danger again, so it's a moot point.† â€Å"Put me in danger! I thought we'd established that all the bad luck is my fault?† I was getting angrier. â€Å"How dare you even think like that?† The idea of Edward ceasing to exist, even if I were dead, was impossiblypainful. â€Å"What would you do, if the situation were reversed?† he asked. â€Å"That's not the same thing.† He didn't seem to understand the difference. He chuckled. â€Å"What if something did happen to you?† I blanched at the thought. â€Å"Would you want me to go off myself?† A trace of pain touched his perfect features. â€Å"I guess I see your point a little,† he admitted. â€Å"But what would I do without you?† â€Å"Whatever you were doing before I came along and complicated your existence.† He sighed. â€Å"You make that sound so easy.† â€Å"It should be. I'm not really that interesting.† He was about to argue, but then he let it go. â€Å"Moot point,† he reminded me. Abruptly, he pulled himself up into a more formal posture, shifting me to the side so that we were no longer touching. â€Å"Charlie?† I guessed. Edward smiled. After a moment, I heard the sound of the police cruiser pulling into the driveway. I reached out and took his hand firmly. My dad could deal with that much. Charlie came in with a pizza box in his hands. â€Å"Hey, kids.† He grinned at me. â€Å"I thought you'd like a break from cooking and washing dishes for your birthday. Hungry?† â€Å"Sure. Thanks, Dad.† Charlie didn't comment on Edward's apparent lack of appetite. He was used to Edward passing on dinner. â€Å"Do you mind if I borrow Bella for the evening?† Edward asked when Charlie and I were done. I looked at Charlie hopefully. Maybe he had some concept of birthdays as stay-at-home, family affairsthis was my first birthday with him, the first birthday since my mom, Renee, had remarried and gone to live in Florida, so I didn't know what he would expect. â€Å"That's finethe Mariners are playing the Sox tonight,† Charlie explained, and my hope disappeared. â€Å"So I won't be any kind of company Here.† He scooped up the camera he'd gotten me on Renee's suggestion (because I would need pictures to fill up my scrap-book), and threw it to me. He ought to know better than thatI'd always been coordinationally challenged. The camera glanced off the tip of my finger, and tumbled toward the floor. Edward snagged it before it could crash onto the linoleum. â€Å"Nice save,† Charlie noted. â€Å"If they're doing something fun at the Cullens' tonight, Bella, you should take some pictures. You know how your mother getsshe'll be wanting to see the pictures faster than you can take them.† â€Å"Good idea, Charlie,† Edward said, handing me the camera. I turned the camera on Edward, and snapped the first picture. â€Å"It works.† â€Å"That's good. Hey, say hi to Alice for me. She hasn't been over in a while.† Charlie's mouth pulled down at one corner. â€Å"It's been three days, Dad,† I reminded him. Charlie was crazy about Alice. He'd become attached last spring when she'd helped me through my awkward convalescence; Charlie would be fore'ter grateful to her for saving him from the horror of an almost-adult daughter who needed help showering. â€Å"I'll tell her.† â€Å"Okay. You kids have fun tonight.† It was clearly a dismissal. Charlie was already edging toward the living room and the TV. Edward smiled, triumphant, and took my hand to pull me from the kitchen. When we got to the truck, he opened the passenger door for me again, and this time I didn't argue. I still had a hard time finding the obscure turnoff to his house in the dark. Edward drove north through Forks, visibly chafing at the speed limit enforced by my prehistoric Chevy. The engine groaned even louder than usual as he pushed it over fifty. â€Å"Take it easy,† I warned him. â€Å"You know what you would love? A nice little Audi coupe. Very quiet, lots of power† â€Å"There's nothing wrong with my truck. And speaking of expensive nonessentials, if you know what's good for you, you didn't spend any money on birthday presents.† â€Å"Not a dime,† he said virtuously. â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Can you do me a favor?† â€Å"That depends on what it is.† He sighed, his lovely face serious. â€Å"Bella, the last real birthday any of us had was Emmett in 1935. Cut us a little slack, and don't be too difficult tonight. They're all very excited.† It always startled me a little when he brought up things like that. â€Å"Fine, I'll behave.† â€Å"I probably should warn you† â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"When I say they're all excited I do mean all of them.† â€Å"Everyone?† I choked. â€Å"I thought Emmett and Rosalie were in Africa.† The rest of Forks was under the impression that the older Cullens had gone off to college this year, to Dartmouth, but I knew better. â€Å"Emmett wanted to be here.† â€Å"But Rosalie?† â€Å"I know, Bella. Don't worry, she'll be on her best behavior.† I didn't answer. Like I could just not worry, that easy. Unlike Alice, Edward's other â€Å"adopted† sister, the golden blond and exquisite Rosalie, didn't like me much. Actually, the feeling was a little bit stronger than just dislike. As far as Rosalie was concerned, I was an unwelcome intruder into her family's secret life. I felt horribly guilty about the present situation, guessing that Rosalie and Emmett's prolonged absence was my fault, even as I furtively enjoyed not having to see her Emmett, Edward's playful bear of a brother, I did miss. He was in many ways just like the big brother I'd always wanted only much, much more terrifying. Edward decided to change the subject. â€Å"So, if you won't let me get you the Audi, isn't there anything that you'd like for your birthday?† The words came out in a whisper. â€Å"You know what I want.† A deep frown carved creases into his marble forehead. He obviously wished he'd stuck to the subject of Rosalie. It felt like we'd had this argument a lot today. â€Å"Not tonight, Bella. Please.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will give me what I want.† Edward growleda deep, menacing sound. â€Å"This isn't going to be your last birthday, Bella,† he vowed. â€Å"That's not fair!† I thought I heard his teeth clench together. We were pulling up to the house now. Bright light shined from every window on the first two floors. A long line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowerspink roseslined the wide stairs up to the front doors. I moaned. Edward took a few deep breaths to calm himself. â€Å"This is a party,† he reminded me. â€Å"Try to be a good sport.† â€Å"Sure,† I muttered. He came around to get my door, and offered me his hand. â€Å"I have a question.† He waited warily. â€Å"If I develop this film,† I said, toying with the camera in my hands, â€Å"will you show up in the picture?† Edward started laughing. He helped me out of the car, pulled me up the stairs, and was still laughing as he opened the door for me. They were all waiting in the huge white living room; when I walked through the door, they greeted me with a loud chorus of â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† while I blushed and looked down. Alice, I assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano, holding a pink birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents. It was a hundred times worse than I'd imagined. Edward, sensing my distress, wrapped an encouraging arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esmeimpossibly youthful and lovely as everwere the closest to the door. Esme hugged me carefully, her soft, caramel-colored hair brushing against my cheek as she kissed my forehead, and then Carlisle put his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Sorry about this, Bella,† he stage-whispered. â€Å"We couldn't rein Alice in.† Rosalie and Emmett stood behind them. Rosalie didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. Emmett's face was stretched into a huge grin. It had been months since I'd seen them; I'd forgotten how gloriously beautiful Rosalie wasit almost hurt to look at her. And had Emmett always been so big? â€Å"You haven't changed at all,† Emmett said with mock disappointment. â€Å"I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always.† â€Å"Thanks a lot, Emmett,† I said, blushing deeper. He laughed, â€Å"I have to step out for a second†he paused to wink conspicuously at Alice†Don't do anything funny while I'm gone.† â€Å"I'lltry.† Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light. Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs. During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversion to me. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted beforeavoiding me as much as possiblethe moment he was free from that temporary obligation to protect me. I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution, and I tried not to be overly sensitive about it. Jasper had more trouble sticking to the Cullens' diet than the rest of them; the scent of human blood was much harder for him to resist than the othershe hadn't been trying as long. â€Å"Time to open presents,† Alice declared. She put her cool hand under my elbow and towed me to the table with the cake and the shiny packages. I put on my best martyr face. â€Å"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything† â€Å"But I didn't listen,† she interrupted, smug. â€Å"Open it.† She took the camera from my hands and replaced it with a big, square silver box. The box was so light that it felt empty. The tag on top said that it was from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Selfconsciously, I tore the paper off and then stared at the box it concealed. It was something electrical, with lots of numbers in the name. I opened the box, hoping for further illumination. But the box was empty. â€Å"Um thanks.† Rosalie actually cracked a smile. Jasper laughed. â€Å"It's a stereo for your truck,† he explained. â€Å"Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it.† Alice was always one step ahead of me. â€Å"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie,† I told them, grinning as I remembered Edward's complaints about my radio this afternoonall a setup, apparently. â€Å"Thanks, Emmett!† I called more loudly. I heard his booming laugh from my truck, and I couldn't help laughing, too. â€Å"Open mine and Edward's next,† Alice said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand. I turned to give Edward a basilisk glare. â€Å"You promised.† Before he could answer, Emmett bounded through the door. â€Å"Just in time!† he crowed. He pushed in behind Jasper, who had also drifted closer than usual to get a good look. â€Å"I didn't spend a dime,† Edward assured me. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, leaving my skin tingling from his touch. I inhaled deeply and turned to Alice. â€Å"Give it to me,† I sighed. Emmett chuckled with delight. I took the little package, rolling my eyes at Edward while I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. â€Å"Shoot,† I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. â€Å"No!† Edward roared. He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake and the presents, the flowers and the plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystal. Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide. There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's chest. Jasper tried to shove past Edward, snapping his teeth just inches from Edward's face. Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused only on me. Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arminto the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.