Country Analysis Essay

India is the third largest economy in the world as regards to its purchasing power. If effective measures are taken it can be the third largest economy after the US and China. Although India has much potential in terms of economic advancement there are vital issues that need to be addressed for instance overpopulation, environmental degradation, ethnic and religious strife as well as extensive poverty. This paper will provide general information about the country for instance it’s political, economic, social and culture organization, economic and trade indicators, specific reasons why its market is attractive, potential and pitfalls in international management, and contemporary issues that may support-impede international management. A brief history. India is located in the southern Asia and it borders the Arabian Sea as well as the Bay of Bengal. It is between Burma and Pakistan. Its early history dates back to the 19th century when Britain had the political control of all the Indian land. During the first and the second world wars the Indian soldiers played a significant role. The Indians resisted the British control over their land and this led to their independence in 1947. Significant leaders that led in the non violent resistance include Mohandas Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. (www. state. gov). The region was divided into two comprising of the secular Indian state and the Muslim state of Pakistan. The two countries went into war in 1971 and the Eastern Pakistan became a separate nation of Bangladesh. The state of Kashmir is however a cause of dispute between the two countries up to date. Political organization. India declared itself a republic in January 1950 and it set a constitution that would guide its undertakings. The constitution was keen in ensuring justice, liberty and equality. It was also made flexible enough to incorporate the social as well as economic changes should they arise. In ensuring democracy prevailed it first held its general elections in 1952 and since then election are held after every five years. India is a Union that comprises of 28 States and seven centrally administered Union Territories. (www. state. gov). Every one above eighteen years of age and is an Indian citizen has the right to vote according to the provisions of the constitution. Fundamental Rights of every Indian citizen include the freedom of speech, expression, belief, assembly and association, migration, and choice of occupation or trade. Discrimination on grounds of race, religion, creed or sex is consequently avoided through the above provisions. India has a form of parliamentary democracy, it has a bicameral parliament and the sovereignty rests ultimately with the people. The elected officials in the parliament are responsible in making important decisions regarding the country. India has a Council of States which consists of not more than 250 members. 12 members are nominated by the President of India while the rest are elected. The vice president oversees the Council of States which is also known as Rajya Sabha. An important aspect regarding the Council of States is that it is not subject to dissolution and a third of its members retire at the end of every second year. Nominated members have a special knowledge in areas for instance literature, science, arts as well as in social services. There is also the Lok Sabha or House of the People which consists of 545 members. 530 of these are directly elected from the 25 States and 13 are from the seven Union Territories. Two of the members are nominated by the President and they act as representatives of the Anglo-Indian community. The President of India is also the Head of the State and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. (www. state. gov). He is elected by an electoral college composed of members of both the Houses of Parliament that is the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and the legislatures of the nation’s constituent States. The President holds office for five years term but he can be re-elected. However, the President does not on his own initiative exercise any constitutional powers. The Council of Ministers which is headed by the Prime Minister is the one responsible for that. Election of the vice president is between the members of both houses and the one with majority support in the Lok Sabha becomes the prime minister. The prime minister advises the president on the ministers to appoint and as long as the minister has support from the parliament he can continue to enjoy his term in the office. The judiciary is independent of the executive and it has the role of safe guarding the constitution of the land. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial tribunal but each state has its own high court. The current head of state who is also the president is Mrs Pratibha Devisingh Patil and the head of government or the prime minister is Manmohan Singh. (www. state. gov). Economic. The GDP or the purchasing power parity as at 2007 was at $2. 965 trillion while the GDP per capita was at $2,700. The composition of the GDP according to the sectors was as follows; agriculture contributed to 16. 6%, industry 28. 4% and the services sector was 55%. The labor force was 516. 4 million with agriculture registering the highest percentage at 60% the service sector was second at 28% and industry contributed 12%. The unemployment rate in 2007 was 7. 2% and the population below poverty line was 25%. The inflation rate or the consumer prices in 2007 was 5. 9%. The government budget was as follows; revenues were $145. 2 billion while expenditures were at $182. 4 billion. The public debt both the federal and state debt accounted to 58. 8% of GDP. Agricultural products that are produced in India include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry and fish. Relevant industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery and software. (CIA). In terms of trade India has been fluctuating for instance from 2005 to 2008 goods and services in terms of the percentage of GDP has shifted from 20. 2, 22. 7, 21. 2 to 20. 6. Likewise the inflation in this period was 4. 2, 6. 2, 6. 4 and 5. 2. Australian trade relationship in 2007 was as follows; exports to India accounted to a tune of 5. 5% of the total share recording a growth of 5. 4. Imports from India were 0. 8% of the total share which was a 14% total growth. In total the trade accounted for 3% of the total share with a growth of 6. 5%. Major exports to Australia include non monetary gold, coal, copper, ore and wool. India imports pearls and gems, electric plants, jewels and medicaments. The services exported to India from Australia include education related as well as personal travel and they attribute to 3. 8% of the total share while the imports are 0. 9% of the total share and the include computer services and personal travel. Other export destinations include the US which account for 15. 4%, United Arab Emirates 9. 5% and China 6. 4%. (CIA). India can increase its GDP by increasing the production of the goods and services that it has a competitive advantage in. The population as at July 2008 according to CIA was at 1,147,995,898. The age structure was as follows 0-14 years attributed to 31. 5% of the total population with 189,238,487 males and 172,168,306 females. 15-64 years were 63. 3% of the total population of which there were 374,157,581 males and 352,868,003 were females. Those aged 65 years and over comprised of 5. 2% of the total population with 28,285,796 males and 31,277,725 females. The population growth rate is 1. 578% with a birth rate of 22. 22 births/1,000 and a death rate of 6. 4 deaths/1,000 population. The total infant mortality rate was 32. 31 deaths/1,000 live births with males comprising 36. 94 deaths/1,000 live births as females comprised of 27. 12 deaths/1,000. Life expectancy at birth for the total population is 69. 25 years and males register a life expectancy of 66. 87 years as that of females is 71. 9 years. The total fertility rate is 2. 76 children born per woman. (CIA). Among the significant activities that have an impact in the country’s economy is agriculture which is both traditional as well as modern. The service sector and modern industries also have a significant impact on the country’s economy. A large proportion of the labor force is in the agriculture and this is risky as the sector is prone to many fluctuations in the market. To make India attractive to foreigners as an effort of boosting its economy the government has reduced unnecessary controls that would hinder foreign trade and investment. Allowing foreign investment on key areas like the telecommunications will be critical in promoting economic advancement in India. For the sensitive sectors like agriculture imposition of tariffs has the effect of reducing the number of people venturing in it. The country’s economy has registered a 7% growth within a decade and it has been able to reduce the poverty levels. In 2006 it was able to achieve an economic growth of 8. 5%. The high population can be of positive effects to the economy in the sense that it can be exploited as potential labor that is an important factor of production. By using the educated labor force it has risen to become a major exporter of software services as well as software workers. Through the economic expansion the country has been able to reduce its federal deficit at a remarkable rate. However the strong growth blended with easy accessibility to credit as well as a booming real estate precipitated inflation that was a cause of inflation. To control the inflation the central bank applied monetary policies like hiking the interest rates to slow down the credit growth. Social and culture organization India’s culture is unique although it is very diverse for instance there are over 40 languages. Indians are very friendly and this is good as it can have a positive effect on the manner at which they relate with foreigners. They are also very respectful to all and employers have good relationships with their employees. India is a resourceful country especially as it is known to provide its expertise regarding the construction of cement plants to the airports as well as to the railway systems. It has programs geared to ensuring that developing countries are provided for with feasibility and detailed technical evaluation studies. The program is effective in the sense that it provides support in training personnel in areas like agriculture as well as small scale industries. India is also very committed to ensuring that it promotes unity between the developed as well as the developing countries towards the new economic order. (www. dfat. gov. au). India has been firm in its stand of not interfering with internal affairs of other countries or nations. It however advocates for the adherence of the dignity of human beings. Regarding its position on disarmament it is highly committed to ensuring that the horrors of terrorism do not cause harm or destruction to mankind. To this effect it has joined other countries in banning nuclear weapons. Potential and pitfalls in international management and solutions. Major pitfalls in the country’s economy include the lack of privatization of government owned industries as that would increase efficiency and accountability. The populist pressures from the government are a major reason behind the lack of privatization of state owned industries. Major steps should also be taken so that the number of people living below the poverty line is reduced. The issue of unemployment is also an important one that should be well addressed. Encouraging people to be self employed as well as providing the appropriate tools will be a step forward in eradicating unemployment. Another critical issue that should be well addressed is the issue of a balanced rural urban divide. There is a problem in India where by approximately 70% of the population live in the rural areas or villages and this affects the pace by which rural urban growth takes place. (Panda and Gupta, 2004). A balanced development is what will see the Indian economy thrive. To be successful in business it will be appropriate to enhance the education system in India. This will be a step forward in ensuring that there is improved skill development. It is also critical to focus on skills development, improved governance as well as forging partnership in the private as well as public sector in the provision of infrastructures. Water is very essential and its scarcity ought to be effectively addressed. The biggest challenge that India faces is the population growth which will have a stressful impact on the countries infrastructures. There is an urgent need to control the population growth as an effort of trying to reduce the adverse effects that it would bring to the economy. To promote sustained growth economic reforms ought to be put in place so that the challenges can be well addressed. Fiscal discipline will be vital. International business is affected negatively by the fluctuations in the markets. The government ought to focus on those sectors that the economy is worst fairing in like health as well as in education. To further address the issue of unemployment it is critical to reform the labor laws so that more job opportunities are created. (Phansalkar S. 2005). Although agriculture plays an important role in the countries economy there is need to reduce over dependence. Reorganizing it in a manner that will promote the introduction of new technologies that would reduce the over reliance on climate for instance irrigation would also be vital. In an effort to reform the financial sector it will be appropriate to privatize some public sector banks as such a move will encourage efficiency and effectiveness. (Leung K and White S, 2004). To attract and retain Australian investors in India it has to ensure that its political system does not jeopardize with the investors activities. There have been cases where other foreign investors like US companies have preferred to close down instead of fighting in courts over legal requirement issues. Enhancing the structural systems will be a necessary step if investors are to be preserved in the country. Irrational tax policies as well as other forms of trade barriers need to be addressed as they act as a disincentive to trade and investment. (timesofindia. indiatimes. com). Advancing the level at which the infrastructure is being developed by increasing the finances put aside for the same will be critical in encouraging Australian investors. Enhancing the political reforms geared towards improving stability, privatization and deregulation as well as land reforms. An Australian based company can find the Indian market attractive or one with many opportunities. India is modernizing its infrastructure especially the transportation sector like the airports. This implies that there will be huge opportunities in infrastructure development like in roads, constructions, power plants, nuclear plants and air modernization. There is a considerable stable political environment that will not have adverse effects on businesses in India. (Phansalkar S. 2005). It also has a stable currency and the market is one of the biggest democratic markets with a huge middle class and this will be necessary for the company as it will provides for labor as well as potential market. The skilled labor can be tapped or exploited to provide labor for the foreign based company. There are minimal restrictions of entry to the Indian markets and the Australian based company will not face many challenges when trying to venture. References: CIA. The World Fact Book. India. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in. html Kwok Leung and Steven White. 2004. Handbook of Asian Management. Birkhauser Publishers. Panda and Gupta. 2004. Mapping Cultural Diversity within India: A Meta-analysis of Some Recent Studies. Global Business Review. 5: 27-49 Phansalkar S. 2005. Opportunities And Strategies In Indian Business: Preparing for a Global India. Sage Publishers. India. Recent economic indicators. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://www. dfat. gov. au/geo/fs/inia. pdf Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar. 2001. What makes MNCs quit India? Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://timesofindia. indiatimes. com/articleshow/1602986123. cms Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. 2007 Background Note: India. Retrieved on 31st May 2008 from http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3454. htm

Hybrid technology: shaping society’s future Essay

An Introduction to Hybrid Cars According to TechFaq, A hybrid car depends on two kinds of engines for propulsion power. Most hybrid cars available today use a combination of gasoline and electric engines while some use a combination of diesel and electric engines. Traditional gasoline-powered cars derive their propulsion power from combustion of gasoline. The combustion of gas produces the energy needed to turn the transmission as well as the wheels. Unfortunately, although fossil fuels still delivers the most power per pound, their by-products are harmful to the environment. Fossil fuels are also non renewable resources so as they became more scarce, their prices continued to rise. Electric-powered cars, on the other hand, have a set of powerful batteries for powering the electric motor which in turn rotates the transmission and turns the wheels. Although their by-products are almost pollution free, electric powered cars take a lot of time to recharge and are generally slow. A hybrid car combines the strengths of each type of engine. It produces less pollution and it is more economical than the conventional car while still being more powerful than electric powered cars. Its Components The components of a hybrid car are a fuel tank for the gasoline engine, a cutting-edge gasoline engine that is much smaller, more efficient and produces less pollution than usual gasoline engines, an electric motor/generator which can either draw energy from the batteries to power the car or charge the batteries while the car is slowing down, a set of batteries which acts much like the fuel tank for the electric motor, and the transmission which turns the wheels. It also has Regenerative Braking, Temporary Engine Shut-off, and other features like minimal-drag tires, carbon fiber, and other lightweight materials to reduce overall weight and state of the art aerodynamic designs for the body. All these things make it easier for a hybrid car to drive up inclines and accelerate, attain higher speeds as well as minimize fuel consumption and emissions (TeqFaq). Hybrid Cars and their Effects on Society Sky-high oil prices and an increased awareness of the energy and global-warming crises are helping fuel the hybrid’s gradually increasing visibility, wrote Donaldson-Evans of Fox News. â€Å"It’s part of the popular culture now. You are going to see more offerings,† said Aaron Robinson, technical editor at Car and Driver Magazine. â€Å"Car companies that do not offer hybrids will be seen as behind. † Its Effects on the People’s Buying Habits: According to the Donaldson-Evans report, with gasoline now being sold at higher than $3-a-gallon in much of the U. S. , hybrids are certainly getting more attention than ever before in their short lifespan. (Those sold in the United States are all less than 10 years old. )Almost every major car company that does business in America is offering hybrids or has them in the works. â€Å"Fuel is only going to get more expensive,† Robinson said. â€Å"People are changing their buying habits as a result. † Toyota has also pledged to make a total of one million hybrid cars by the end of the decade. â€Å"The hybrids have been profitable since very early on,† said Toyota Motor Sales U. S. A. spokesman Wade Hoyt. â€Å"We’re not losing money on it. It’s not a charity operation. We see the market as expanding. † Its Effects on the Car Industry The Japanese car manufacturer isn’t the only game in town when it comes to autos powered by gas and electric batteries, however. Ford Motor Company (F) offers the For Escape and the Mercury Mariner SUVs in the fuel-efficient forms, with plans for Ford Fusions and Mercury Milans to go hybrid by 2008. Ford Motor Co. spokesman Monte Doran said sales of the Escape and Mariner hybrids were up 55 percent in the first five months of 2006. â€Å"Ford is researching many different ways to deliver greener miles to consumers,† Doran said. â€Å"Hybrids are a very important part of that: They deliver amazing improvements in fuel economy without sacrificing performance and utility. † Other car makers with hybrids in the works: Hyundai, Nissan and GM’s Saturn and Chevrolet divisions, according to Robinson. Its Effects on Public Transportation The Fox News report went on by relaying how one Yellow Cab taxi driver in San Francisco has been carting passengers around in a Ford Escape hybrid since 2004 and can’t remember what his life was like in the strictly gas-powered world. â€Å"I love it. I wouldn’t go back to a regular cab,† said Paul Gillespie, the driver representative for the city’s seven-member taxi commission. â€Å"It saved me between $4,000 and $5,000 in gas last year. † Gillespie said San Francisco has between 40 and 50 hybrid taxis on the road, and he hopes to see that number climb steadily. â€Å"You’re just so much less noisy and intrusive and stinky,† he said. â€Å"It’s a win-win situation — you’re putting thousands of dollars in drivers’ pockets in addition to reducing CO2 emissions. † In the hybrid’s early days — around 1999 or 2000 — consumers and automakers were hesitant to latch onto the trend in part because of the fear that the battery would die every so often and be expensive to replace. Robinson believes hybrids will one day become so common and so widely used that they’ll just be another feature drivers can choose, rather than a totally different animal, the way they still seem now. It is expected that more and more public transportation vehicles will be using hybrid technology since it is to those vehicles that stop and go more often that hybrids work best as.

Student Action Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Student Action Plan - Essay Example Personal Use of Natural Resources With respect to the maintenance of natural resources, one of the important factors is the use and maintenance of natural resources. There are three main classes of natural resources, and the classes that I have direct contact with are exhaustible and renewable resources. In my opinion, the best way to sustain the resources that we come into contact with is by ensuring that they are put to the best use possible and recycled as much as possible to avoid wastage or harm to the environment. In as much as I do not provide a very big impact, I try to conserve natural resources like water and ensure that it is used correctly. For example, I ensure that the water in my nearest environment is reused as much as possible and that the environment around me is not affected too much by the in which I engage. Personal Impact on the Environment From an analysis of all my activities, I would say that my impact on the environment is positive. This is because I help in the conservation of the environment and involve myself in activities that help in the promotion of the environment. ... Despite the fact that I lack too much knowledge on recycling and other complexities, I try to reuse the resources that I use and avoid dumping used products in ways that would harm the environment. Impact of Personal Use of Resources As already stated, the environment and its conservation are based on collective effort and the involvement of the whole community. In my use of resources and raising awareness, I would say that my use of resources affects other people in the society positively. I try to raise awareness about the resources in my local society and how their use can help raise the ecological integrity of the region. Therefore, I can say that my use of resources in the way that I use them helps in encouraging the conservation of the environment in the society in which I live. Sustainability Goals With respect to ecological integrity, environmental maintenance and sustainability, my sustainability goal is to ensure that all people in my local community are made aware of the p art that they play in the sustainability of the environment. This is a goal that I try to achieve by simple passing of messages and information about the role of each individual in the environment and the parts that they can play in ensuring that the environment is conserved. This is something I can do by ensuring communicating with the community about the aspects mentioned above and ensuring that the community understands the importance of the environment. After reading the aims of the millennium development goals, I think that every individual can make a difference in the environment by ensuring that the small environment in which they live in is well catered form. For example, every individual effort to reduce the use of non-bio degradable products

Intrercultural communication - group case study Research Paper

Intrercultural communication - group case study - Research Paper Example The behaviors and communication of people are largely determined by the culture they have learnt or have grown accustomed to and which they derive their world views from. When cultures are facing challenges as the ones being faced by the Chinese and Americans in terms of culture, barriers to communication such as stereotypes, discrimination, ethnocentrism and prejudice are likely to take place and these may cause conflict (Martin & Nakayama 55). In this case therefore, Americans with their outspoken nature are likely to regard the Chinese as weak because they tend to lean towards humility side and this stereotype may lead to discrimination and especially in regards to leadership positions (Crossan 3). The Americans using this stereotype and because they regard their culture as being the superior one to all the other cultures, take over the power and tend to want to make all the decisions which in turn affect communication patterns in the organization. If this is taking place in China where the majority of the American businesses have moved to, then the Chinese are likely to retaliate negatively and this in turn only affects the business and its objectives of seeking profits. Humility and outspokenness are all about language, its components, the perception it creates, the attitudes it leads to when it comes to communication as well as its variation in communication styles (Martin & Nakayama 140). The Americans apply their outspokenness when making business deals. They use humor more often than the Chinese do and also tend to use slang and other informal language especially in internal communication. This normally tends to create an attitude and perception of openness and employees being much more relaxed in the workplace. When the employees are however used to humility with all its quietness and formalities, they may find the openness disturbing and this may even affect their work performance. They believe in

The Analysis of the Strategic situation of ARM Holdings Essay

The Analysis of the Strategic situation of ARM Holdings - Essay Example he foremost suppliers of intellectual property (IP) semiconductors that possess a significant impact upon the advancement as well as the progression of digital electronic products. The company’s headquarter is located in Cambridge of United Kingdom and it has engaged more than 2000 people within their organisation. The company has its offices worldwide including its design centres especially in France, India, Sweden and the US (ARM Ltd., 2012). ARM Holdings was founded in the year 1990 and the profits of the company rapidly expanded over and above the total profits of the then semiconductor industry. The company sells over 800 processor licenses to in excess of 250 companies throughout the world with superior quality. Along with rapidly expanding in terms of profits within the overall semiconductor industry, ARM also has gained outstanding market share as compared to its other competitors (ARM Ltd., 2012). ARM Holdings mainly deals with outstanding products such as high-performance processors, system IP products, astonishing multimedia hardware products, extensive offering of physical IP products and software development instruments that are utilised in every phase of application development (ARM Ltd., 2012). In the paper, an overall analysis of the different business strategic circumstances especially of ARM Holdings will be taken into concern. Various aspects that include the application of Porter’s five forces model, value chain framework analyses of ARM Holdings along with Intel as comparison in order to evaluate their business models, suitable recommendations and an amassed conclusion will be portrayed in the discussion of this paper. ARM Holdings is essentially regarded as a part of semiconductor or microprocessor industry. The microprocessors are a kind of semiconductors. The semiconductors are the materials that generally conduct electricity and can be easily regulated acting as conductors and insulators. Presently, the semiconductor appliances are

Innovation and Technology Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Innovation and Technology Management - Essay Example They not only improved the amount of storage capacity, but also brought about many more features along with themselves. Using the multiple dimension of value framework, what factor or factors do you think influenced whether a) consumers, b) retailers, and c) movie producers supported Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD?   The conquest of market has extended over number of years between the two lead players of this innovative technology in the name of blue laser capacity over the disc. While their predecessors used red laser wavelength the successor duo makes use of blue laser wavelength for which they are fast at reading and processing and hence more advanced and better. Both provide state of the art features yet there are certain factors which enable one surpassing the other in context of consumer attention, retailer orientation towards the respective technology and the market leads for each of them that advocate and promote its usage. The consumers’ perspective: Consumers would always r ush towards a product or service that provides variety and improvement over the previous mode and model. The comparison can be drawn between the previous technology and current technology through the features that each possess. The Blu-ray and HD-DVD are seen as a generation step up process from the conventional DVD setup that we had around us. Apart from the storage capacity which has increased multi folds, they have improved the manner in which the entire viewing media operated. The quality of picture provided by the two is way better than the predecessors. While DVD can provide maximum of 480 pixel resolution, HD-DVD and Blu-ray are 1080 pixel enabled (Alez, 2012). Apart from the resolution edge, the compression patterns being employed by each of them are way better and improved in structure than the earlier form of digital storage patterns that were available. The concept is based on the usage of blue laser technology in the disc which reads faster, processes faster and hence pe rforms the tasks in a timely manner. The Nano meter capacity of each of them varies between 400 nm and 600 nm. The capacity provided by DVD is less than 5 gigabyte while Blu-ray and HD-DVD both provide storage option in double digits (Block, 2005). The dual layer support is another plus enjoyed by each of them which was absent in the DVD format. Audio formats and quality provided by each of them is another edge and outsmart of the earlier storage formats. Dolby True HD and DTS-HD are the formats supported by each of them and hence a visible improvement compared to the earlier DVD and Compact Disc formats. Besides this, the DVD players are not supported with the Blu-ray technology enabled discs while the latter provides backward compatibility (MediaCollege, 2008). Other features: while the above mentioned features were the technical and salient features, other side features include the pop up option which runs in parallel while the disc is on play and various other features. Transfer rates supported by Blu-ray disc are multiple times that of D.V.D and also faster than those of HD-DVD. They are supported for the rewriting function, recording over the disk and many other options and functions that are necessary to be part of any

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 49

Case Study - Essay Example , important to determine if a similar relationship exists between oral proficiency in the first-language and development of literacy in a second language. I chose to focus on this area because the student I am working with is a South Korean student trying to learn English as her second language. She has steadily shown improvements in various aspects of learning English despite changing her environment from Korea to California. This research will enable me to understand whether the student’s oral proficiency in her first language plays a role in facilitating her understanding of the English language. This research is base on two sets of data, that is, data about the school and the student. Data about the school includes information about the education system, the objectives of the school, number of students enrolled in the school, and the teachers in the school. The data about the students include information about her age and academic performance. There is also information about the student’s past performances. Both sets of data are important in creating a general picture of the student’s literacy skills and proficiency in English. Data about the school will mainly be collected from the records available in the school. Some of the data will also be gathered from interviews with teachers and administrators in the school. Information about the student will come from conducting the interview with the student, teachers, and her

The future of unions in the United States Research Paper

The future of unions in the United States - Research Paper Example The Future of Labor Unions in United States Labor unions are legal and recognized representatives of the workers in different industries. Throughout the history of United States, there are different labor unions formed for the workers of different industries and sectors however, the labor unions found among the public sector employees like the police and the teachers are most prominent among all the labor unions.Historically the labor unions have played important role for the protection of the employee rights and right from the beginning people used to favor as well as oppose the labor unions in the companies. However, recently they have been experiencing major decline in their membership due to which there is high level of uncertainty in the country regarding the future of the labor unions in United States. The labor Unions in America have seen many difficulties in terms of the membership however despite all difficulties the labor union never faced such a fall in the membership afte r the year 1932 that these are facing in the recent years especially in the private service sector. According to the estimates the membership of the US labor Unions in the private sector has dropped almost 9 percent in the recent years that shows that the workers are now less interested in joining the labor unions or taking any active part in the strike activities organized by the labor unions. Currently only 11.9% of the wages and salary workers are member of the labor union that shows massive decline in the membership of these unions. ... Hence, the actual people for whom the organizations are meant for are not interested in the labor unions that how the existence of these organizations could be justified. The twenty first century has brought new challenges for the people and organizations all over the world and just like all other sectors, the corporate sector is also in the phase of restructuring. There are some inevitable changes that must be adopted by the people associated with the corporate sector. The advancement in the technology paves many new ways for the companies. In order to conduct their operation the business owners now have many more options ad compared with the past. In the emerging situation the companies are able to perform a variety of their business activities with the help of the technological devices and as a result they don’t need that much human work force as they required in past. The introduction of advanced machinery and other advanced tool not only saves them time but also cost of p roduction. In this context, the work force availability has become easy for the employers because more people look for jobs and the employers can pick from the interested candidates on their own terms and conditions (Goldfield, 92). The advancement in the technology has significantly contributed towards the diversion of the attention of the employees towards the other issues. At present, the employees of USA are more concerned towards getting high education and technology based knowledge and skills. The workers focus on these things so that they can keep them update with the advancements occurring around them and can acquire better working conditions through their performance and skills. This thought reflect

Graceland Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Graceland - Essay Example him a jail sentence twice and even landing him on the death row; it was only with the help of the intervention of his friends that he was able to escape a politically motivated execution. He migrated to the UK where he earned his Master’s in Gender and Culture from Birkbeck College in London and later an MA in English and a PhD in literature and creative writing from the University of Southern California. Abani later went on to become professor for creative writing and the University of California. Chris Abani has been called as one of the so called third generation of Nigerian authors, the ‘children of the post colony’, he is a breed of writers whose works have become integral to the publishing world of today. In this novel Abani leverages his unique perspectives of African and Western cultures in the context of multiculturalism, globalization and neocolonialism. One of the key compelling factors of this novel is its multifaceted approach that challenges and questions western and particularly American cultural, economic and colonial intervention into a globalized Africa. There is a richness in the novel which stems from Abani’s own multicultural perspectives and wealth of experiences from both within and without the power structure that offer a nuanced and complex portrait of modern day globalized Africa. In this regard Graceland shares a niche with such novels as Helen Oyeyemi’s ‘The Icarus Girl’, Sefi Atta’s ‘Everything g ood will come’, Unoma Azuah’s ‘Sky High’ all of which integrate Western and Nigerian themes in their quest to project a unique perspective of nuanced Nigerian culture in the light of the triple themes of Neocolonialism, multiculturalism and globalization. The resulting product is singularly unique in its depiction of intercultural themes, of an ethno-cultural fusion that represents the new age of integrated globalized hybridity so characteristic of the modern literary era. The novel is set in a Nigeria parallel to

Henry David Thoreau and Resistance to Civil Government Essay Example for Free

Henry David Thoreau and Resistance to Civil Government Essay Henry David Thoreau was the most active participant in the Transcendentalist movement. He was a student and mentee of Ralph Waldo Emerson. While Emerson had transcendental ideas, Thoreau would act on them and fully practice them. Hence, he felt that he and others should resist America’s Civil Government. I heartily accept the motto, That government is best which governs least; and I should like to see it acted up to more rapidly and systematically. (Thoreau) Thoreau starts out his famous essay with the statement that government should be weak and the people strong. He was a strong advocate of the individual the rights of the individual. To him, a person should be self reliant, as Emerson taught. He felt that the more citizens relied on their government for their needs, then the stronger the government would become and that could be dangerous. He felt that being controlled by a government, or anything else for that matter, was a tragedy in a person’s life. The main reason that Thoreau wrote Resistance to Civil Government was because he was completely tired of a government that could allow slavery to exist. Slavery was an institution in the Southern states where people actually owned African Americans. He felt that if it was wrong for a government to have to much power over the individual and his/her rights, then surely it was wrong for another human to own another. In the institution of slavery, the slave has no rights at all. Slaves were made to work extremely hard. Thoreau had nothing against hard work for an individual’s own self-reliance, but the slave did not benefit from his/her work. The owner reaped all of the profit. They did not get to choose their profession, it was illegal to teach them to read or write, many owners beat them, and they could be sold away from their families at any time. The owner controlled everything about them even life and death. Slavery went against everything that Thoreau believed about government and the individual. If it was true that it government should have as little control as possible, then it was an abomination that this kind of power could control another. Thoreau was so appalled that a government that claimed in its constitution that all men were created equal, could turn a blind eye to the institution of slavery. He decided that since his tax dollars went to a government that supported such an institution, he would no longer pay his taxes. He hoped that he could inspire others who proclaimed abolitionist thoughts would do the same. However, they did not. In fact when Emerson came to the jail to post his bond, he asked Thoreau why he was in jail. Thoreau responded by asking Emerson why he was not in there with him. Thoreau’s idea of civil disobedience to a government that is not of the people has been successful for several generations after Thoreau’s death. He impacted the lives of such great men as Ghandi and the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. King used Thoreau’s method and turned a nation around and forced it to recognize the civil rights of all people by Resistance to Civil Government. Thoreau and his idea of peaceful protest will remain an affective way to change governments for generations to come.

Factors Influencing Participation In Physical Activity Physical Education Essay

Factors Influencing Participation In Physical Activity Physical Education Essay When promoting physical activity to improve and maintain health, the socio-environmental influences that influence participation have to be taken into consideration. Physical activity is very important to public health as it has physical and mental health benefits (Kruk, 2009). It is crucial for prevention of disease but also improves a persons health and well-being and there are social benefits (Kruk, 2009). Chronic diseases such as diabetes, stroke and coronary heart disease are especially a problem due the high number of physical inactivity (Department of Health, 2004). Adults who are physically active have up to 50% less chance of having chronic disease (Department of Health, 2004). Obesity is also a major problem in the United Kingdom and this could be reduced if there was more participation in physical activities. It would help with fat loss and improve fitness and health (Department of Health, 2004). The recommended amount of physical activity is a minimum of thirty minutes a day, five days a week. However, only 35% of males and 24% of females manage to complete this recommendation (Miles, 2007). This may be due to a change in lifestyle because compared to thirty years ago there are less manual jobs and a lot of everyday activities have been improved through use of machines therefore people can be less active (e.g. housework, shopping etc) (Department of Health, 2004). Physical activity is when a person expends energy above normal resting level and there are two types of activities; Usual and intentional (Kruk, 2009). Intentional activity refers to activities that are not normal daily activities, such as dressing or walking, but ones that are during leisure time (Kruk, 2009). This essay will look at some of the different factors that influence people to take part in physical activity and how these factors vary across different populations. One factor to consider when looking at influences on physical activity is upbringing and family life. The interaction with family members and social groups when children are young plays a part in their interest in physical activity later on in life (Dagkas and Stithi, 2007). Social economic factor can determine how much a child can participate in physical activity as it has been shown that middle or upper class families take part as they see it as routine and can afford to take their children to classes and different activities (Dagkas and Stithi, 2007). In the study carried out by Dakgas and Stathi (2007) they found that depending on a childs financial support, encouragement from family members and environment, participation in physical varies. They compared two schools; school A which was in the suburbs and 78% of pupils left with five or more grades at A*-C level compared to a school in the city (school B) which had 40% of pupils leaving with five or more A*-C level grades. They i nterviewed 16 year olds and asked them about what activities they take part in, if their parents help them out and school support. They found that the pupils from school A took part in many more activities in school but also outside of school hours. They had opportunities to join lots of different clubs (e.g. hockey and skiing) due to the school having links with sports clubs (Dagkas and Stithi, 2007). Pupils from school B didnt have many opportunities and only participated in physical activity during school time. The school didnt have playing fields so the variety of sports was limited. When asked about financial support many pupils from school A agreed that without their parents paying for their sessions or kit they wouldnt be able to take part. Pupils from school B said they couldnt afford to attend clubs as their parents didnt have a lot of spare money (Dagkas and Stithi, 2007). The family encouragement was also very little as pupils said they didnt do activities with their fami ly at the weekends, they would hang around the park with their friends. This compares to school A, who said they go for walks or take part in activities with their families at the weekends. They also mentioned that because of other members of the family participating in sports this encouraged them to take part; this motivation was not the same for pupils from school B (Dagkas and Stithi, 2007). The study shows that a persons upbringing can have a major effect on attitudes to physical activity and there are many factors that play a part such as living environment and occupation in adult life. There is an influence of living environment on a persons participation in physical activity and this is mainly due to the accessibility of facilities (Frost et. al, 2010).There is more of a positive attitude to physical activity if people can walk, in a safe and short distance to facilities (Frost et. al, 2010). People in rural areas are less likely to take part in physical activity as they do not have facilities close by compared to those who live in suburban or urban areas (Sallis et. al, 1990). There are two reasons as to why having facilities nearby encourage people to exercise. The first is that they provide visual stimuli; if a person has to walk past a leisure centre everyday then they are going to think more about taking part in physical activity. It also means that participating in physical activity becomes a social norm, making more people more likely to take part (Sallis et. al, 1990). If there are facilities close by it also decreases the obstacle of travelling and the tr avel time (Sallis et. al, 1990). The number of facilities in rural areas is a factor that influences participation and also why there is a greater chance of getting cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes (Frost et. al, 2010). Where a person lives may be due to their job and this can also have an impact on participation in physical activity. Occupation influences participation in physical activity as it has been shown that your type of job can affect how much physical activity you do (Burton and Turrell, 2000). Blue collar workers (e.g. Drivers, labourers, machine operators etc.) have higher mortality rates and more risk of having cardiovascular disease compared to white collar (e.g. Clerks, sales people) and professional workers (e.g. manager). White collar and professional works have been shown to do more physical activity in their leisure time. This may be due to reasons such as blue collar workers may live further away from work so have to add travel time on to their leisure time and they may also have more work responsibilities to take care of (Burton and Turrell, 2000). They also might not have control over when and for how long they work compared to a manager who can have a say in their shifts. There has also been evidence to suggest that most in most workplaces people can spend up to around a half of their time s itting (Kirk and Rhodes, 2011). It is also a similar situation during leisure time when people watch television, using a computer or drive to places, meaning that people spend most of their day being inactive. This shows that their needs to be a change in lifestyle, particularly in workplaces. People should have time during their day to do half an hour of physical activity whether it is at work and during leisure time as physical activity plays an important role in prevention and treatment of hypokinetic diseases. There has been research looking at how physical activity can help with the treatment of hypokinetic diseases such cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity. It has been shown that regular physical activity that uses large muscle groups is very important to treating CVD (Briffa et. al, 2006). Physical activity improves symptoms and functionality capacity, for example, reduces recurrent angina symptoms and also helps reduce breathlessness. Taking part in regular physical activity also help with recovering patients in daily activities as it builds up their strength (Briffa et. al, 2006). Survivors of myocardial infarction are 2.5% less likely to die if they are physical active (Briffa et. al, 2006) and this shows that doing even the minimal amount of physical activity is going to benefit a person in their life. Obesity can also be treated with the use of physical activity. To maintain body weight energy intake would have equal the amount of energy being expended and therefore to lose wei ght the amount of energy expenditure, by doing physical activity, needs to be greater which creating an energy deficit (Jakicic and Otto, 2005). To get the best long-term weight loss it has been found that there needs to be a high level of physical activity. This means instead of the recommended 30 minutes a day, a person would have to take part in 60mins of high intensity physical activity to achieve long-term weight loss (Jakicic and Otto, 2005). However it is not achieved just from physical activity, diet also needs to be made healthier to ensure maximum weight loss. This is why it is important to influence participation in physical activity as there could be a major decrease in obesity if people knew how important it was. It has been shown that there are many factors influencing participation physical activity and that what work for one person might not suit another. When looking at the factors that influence young people it is shown there needs to be a change for schools and pupils from a lower class area as they dont have the opportunities to participate that pupils from an upper class area may have. Schools could have after-school clubs where people from the local gym or football club hold classes for a smaller fee to get the children to take part in a variety of activities. Living environment also influences participation as if facilities are not available people do not take part in any kind of physical activity. People from rural areas should be encouraged to use the environment they have near-by to go for walks or cycles or hold classes in the local school or town hall. This means they dont have to travel in to an urban area and will cost less money. Many peoples lifestyle now involves working a lot of hours, mostly in an office and having no leisure time to take part in physical activity and this is a big problem. There needs to be an attitude change in how people look at physical activity. It should not be seen as a chore but something that they will benefit from. If people knew how much their health would benefit from doing as little as 30 minutes of physical activity, five times week, then maybe more people would rethink sitting in front of the television when they get home from work. Once people learn the importance of physical activity then there could be a massive reduction in the amount of people diagnosed with hypokinetic diseases and a much healthier country.

Problems with Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide Essay examples -- Euthan

Euthanasia Problems      Ã‚  Doctors do err on cancer patients' survival times, so how can they say when the time is ripe for assisted suicide. A study in the July 1 issue of Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, finds that doctors are often wrong in predicting how long terminally ill cancer patients will live. After studying the accuracy of doctors' predictions regarding 233 patients with end-of-life cancer, the researchers found most doctors had a tendency to overestimate survival time. But among patients who lived longer than six months, 40% had been expected to die sooner. The results are relevant to decisions to refer patients to hospice care -- and also to decisions for assisted suicide, which in Oregon can only be made by patients who are expected by their doctors to die in six months [A. Vigano et al., "The Relative Accuracy of the Clinical Estimation of the Duration of Life for Patients with End of Life Cancer," 86 Cancer 170-6 (July 1, 1999); Reuters, 6/30].    Numerous US studies have established that the Americans most directly affected by the issue of physician-assisted suicide -- those who are frail, elderly and suffering from terminal illness -- are also more opposed to legalizing the practice than others are:    * A poll conducted for the Washington Post on March 22-26, 1996, found 50% support for legalizing physician-assisted suicide (Washington A18) Voters aged 35-44 supported legalization, 57% to 33%. But these figures reversed for voters aged 65 and older, who opposed legalization 54% to 38%. Majority opposition was also found among those with incomes under $15,000 (54%), and black Americans (70%).    * An August 1993 Roper poll funded by the Hemlock Society and other euth... ... suicide: attitudes and experiences of oncology patients, oncologists, and the public." 347 The Lancet 1805 (June 29, 1996):1809    Humphry, Derek. "What's in a word?" Euthanasia Research & Guidance Organization 1993, Table 1-A.    Koenig, Dr. Harold et al.. "Attitudes of Elderly Patients and their Families Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide." 156 Archives of Internal Medicine 2240 (Oct. 28, 1996)    Lee v. Oregon, 891 F.Supp. 1429 (D. Or. 1995), vacated on other grounds, 107 F.3d 1382 (9th Cir. 1997), cert. denied, 118 S. Ct. 328 (1997).    "Poll Shows More Would Support Law Using Gentler Language," TimeLines (Jan.-Feb. 1994):9    Washington v. Glucksberg, 117 S. Ct. 2258, 2262 n. 7 (1997. -- -- --. 117 S. Ct. at 2272, quoting United States v. Rutherford, 442 U.S. 544, 558. 1979.    Washington Post, April 4, 1996.

Relationship Between Moby Dick and Ahabs Wife :: Moby Dick Essays

Examining the Relationship Between Literary Works: Moby Dick and Ahab's Wife Literature changes. One story creates a niche for another story to come into existence, or be written. What is a literary niche and how exactly does an evolutionary text fill it? Who gets to decide? This question is easiest to answer by first establishing what a text cannot do: it does not fill in all the missing gaps. Moby Dick created a niche for another book to come into being: Ahab's Wife. In examining the relationship between the two books, one might say that Ahab's Wife functions in filling in all the missing pieces that Moby Dick left. For example, take the opening lines of the two books: In Moby Dick, "Call me Ishmael." (18) In Ahab's Wife, "Ahab was neither my first husband, nor my last." (1) The first sets up a premise; the second could be seen as offering, in response, another story to pick up where the other leaves off. However, upon closer analysis it becomes clear that trying to fill in all the places where Moby Dick leaves off would be impossible; such a feat could not be imagined in one text. This is because Moby Dick opens up so many niches to be filled, not only responses to its specific text or story such as Ahab's Wife but also places in the succession of literary tradition. For example, it was evolutionary in assigning heroic qualities to characters traditionally seen as renegades. The picture becomes clearer if one regards Moby Dick not as the premise but coming from an evolutionary line itself, responding to the treatment of characters in texts such as the Bible and Shakespearean plays. When one thinks of how Ahab's Wife works in relation to this line, it is difficult to say whether it actually is an evolutionary text. It does not seem to evolve from Moby Dick at all; it is simply the same story. The reader may not realize this until near the very end of the book, when Una addresses Ishmael: Do you mind we write the same book? (663) To come to any conclusions about what kinds of niches a text might fill it helps to look at other lines through which texts have evolved. John Gardner, a modern academic novelist, wrote a book, Grendel, which complicates the monstrous villain from Beowulf. In discussing evolutionary literature, Beowulf is interesting because it is the first known recorded work in English.

Bio of Jonathan Swift :: essays papers

Bio of Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift was born in Dublin on November 30, 1667. His father had died before his birth, and soon after he was born, his mother returned to Leicestershire. He was left in the care of his three uncles, particularly his Uncle Godwin. It is believed that this situation, along with his unstable homelife, led to a sense of insecurity and abandonment that he carried with him for the rest of his life. At age 6, he was sent to the best school in Ireland, the Kilkenny School. Then at age 15 he entered Trinity College, located in Dublin. He did not pay much attention to his studies, and in 1686 he received his degree speciali grata (by special favor). He continued studies at Trinity in hopes of gaining an advanced degree, but because of political unrest he was forced to move to England in 1689. In England, he worked as a secretary to Sir William Temple at Moor Park, Surrey. Swift worked with Temple, a diplomat and writer who was preparing his memoirs, for the next 10 years. It was here that he met Esther Johnson, the love of his life, whom he nicknamed Stella. Simultaneously, he attended Oxford where he receive his M.A. in 1692. He wished to enter politics but settled instead for the church, in which he was ordained in 1694. In January of 1695 he was ordained priest , Prebend of Kilroot. In 1697 he wrote The Battle of the Books, which was later published in 1704. In the later 1690’s he wrote The Tale of the Tub, his first published work. When Temple died in 1699, Swift went back to England as chaplain to the Earl of Berkely. In 1700, he became one of the canons of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and wrote articles and letters for the English Whigs. In 1702 he moved back to England in hope of political appointment, and it was here that he published A Tale of the Tub. It was a satire on corruption in religion and learning. Battle of the Books was a mock heroic satire. The dazzling irony of these works earned him notoriety but no appointment. The Bickerstaff Papers (1707-09), some of which first appeared in Richard Steele’s Tatler, a newspaper to which Swift often contributed, demolished the pretensions of John Partridge, a popular astrologer.

Describe China’s consumption of goods and services. What shortcomings have accompanied China’s economic growth?

The economy of the People's Republic of China is the second largest in the world after the US when measured on a purchasing power basis. With a booming economy and 1. 3billion people, it is now the world's largest consumer of grain, meat, coal and steel. China is no longer just a developing country. It is an emerging economic superpower and is one that is writing economic history. China has witnessed a rapid growth in consumption in recent years. Their purchasing power enables them to buy more, meaning more of basic necessities that the previous generation was not privileged to have. Yet this also means that the rapid rise in demand creates a multitude of problems as the country continues to hungrily gobble up the resources in and out of the country that could be allocated for other countries/markets. China is likened to a hungry giant whose insatiable demand for commodities heralds a new era of permanently higher prices–a commodities super cycle. Its soaring demand for commodities has exerted a powerful pull on global commodity markets. It has a major impact on major segments such as the following: energy, the hard commodities such as metals, and the soft commodities such as agricultural products. But on the other hand, the demands of China's stunning economic growth in recent years have had a complex and uneven effect on global prices for energy and other commodities. Although different industries all over the world also benefit from the huge market and profit, there are numerous problems that arise because of the huge consumption of the country. China's massive appetite for goods ranging from grain to platinum places it at the centre of the world raw materials economy. Other countries find themselves â€Å"competing† with China for a share in commodities. And even China finds itself in a ditch. Because China's insatiable demands are putting ever more pressure on the country's natural resources. The huge consumption and growth mean more wastage. Its population’s impact on the environment can only grow stronger and yet even today, it is already very evident in their own surroundings. The impact of the cumulative waste of over a billion people is astounding. A huge majority of Chinese is still dependent on coal for their energy production. Coal is the number one cause for climate change. A big number of their waters are almost turned into open sewers due to the wastage from many factories and cities. Ill-planned projects may have also destroyed natural habitats and have displaced animals and plants. Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are the leading cause of death in China. And this is only the beginning of a few problems that have begun to arise as China slowly climbs to the top. China's role in global commodity markets will only grow more important in the next 20 years. The solution to the continuing arising problems from their inevitable growth would be, to develop schemes that regulate their pollution and wastage and to create international relations and foreign policies that will positively affect poorer (or richer) economies. The Chinese government should implement the schemes rigidly as the negative effects will eventually catch up on each individual as it affects their health. The government should strengthen and improve the work of existing and emerging organizations (whether it may be local, national or international) through intensive training, demonstration of new approaches, international exchange, and strategic communication.

Me, me me

The child forever reaches and grabs a piece of it before it is destroyed. He runs home and finally after a long day takes a look at what he grabbed. In his hand he holds the Mona Alias's smile. The Lottery – Short Story A small town is gathering to do their lottery Just like they always do. The children are playing and gathering rocks Just like normal and all the families are talking Just Like It Is a normal day In the town. All the pieces of paper for the lottery are In a battered black box and then men come forward and pick a paper without looking at It.As the men go forward, there Is talk about getting rid of the lottery. Some of the other towns have done it already but the old man of the town thinks it is wrong to get rid of it. He has been participating in it for 77 years. Finally, the men all open their pieces of paper only to find one of them has the black dot. Now some of the people are upset while the entire family of the man who has the black dot goes to the front of the town. They all pick pieces of paper from the black box now.The father and the children all pick blank pieces while the mother (Testis) picks the one with the black dot. The town now wastes no time in putting her aside and taking the stones, the hillier have gathered they stone Testis to death. The Interview – Short Story A young man who still lives with his family Is getting ready to go to a Job Interview. His wife who he finds ugly wants him to get the job so they can finally move out of his parents' house. He does not want to move but knows she does. He is happy at home because he has always been given special treatment from his fail.They do not want him to do any hard work and if he does they lecture whoever made him do it. He is nervous about the job and is scared to get it because he is confident that he will not. He never understands the questions in the Job interview and is very intimidated by the bosses. He goes to the job interview but runs away before being int erviewed. He explains how some people are really nice to him like one man who gave him a mango, took him Into the back alley, touched him all over and told him how beautiful he was which was a nice thing to do.Other people get mad at him for not understanding what they are telling him which he writes off, as they must be Jealous of him or something. He heads home happy that he Is not a man who has to sweat for a living. He can go home to a family that takes care of him and loves him. A white man lives among the Indians outside of his homeland. He constantly gets made fun of and hates his Job. One day there is a sudden commotion that an elephant has escaped. He finds out a man has been killed and fiends the elephant outside of the town.The elephant seems calm and he decides not to kill it. He then realizes he has to for there are two thousand Indians watching him. If he do not kill it then he knows he will be made fun of again. He decides to shoot it multiple times until it falls dow n to the ground. He watches the elephant for awhile hoping it will die but then finally trudges off with it still in agony. The element dies thirty minutes later. Some people agree with what he did while others think it was wrong. He hopes people do not realize the whole reason he killed it was so he did not look like a fool.Salvation – Essay A little boy has been told his entire life that when he accepts Jesus he will see a bright light and actually see Jesus. His church is doing a revival and they are now focusing on all the children in the church. They are all brought forward and there is praying, singing and preaching and hollering going on. The children slowly all choose to accept Jesus except him and another robot. The one boy is doing it for no reason while the main character is waiting and waiting until he sees Jesus Just like his aunt told him he would.It never happens and the child finally decides to go forward after a long time Just to get it over with. He is tried of creating such a commotion and wants it to be over. He is crying at the end because he knows he lied to the entire church and now believes that Jesus in not real. The Crack-up – Essay The mental breakdown the author has had in his life. He has tried and tried his entire life to succeed yet still fails at every corner. He then considers his need to succeed and where that need comes from.What makes him want success over failure? His concept of success has come from the world which he knows is corrupt in itself. So technically speaking if the world is corrupt then so is its stance on success. He came to the realization that the goals he has set for himself are really impossible for him to achieve. National Trust – Poem Talks about the relationship between language, place and identity. We see the barriers that have been set in place by the world and how we are victims to a past we cannot forget.Harrison is showing us that because we saw some people as dumb ND below us w e felt as if we could control them. This in fact is wrong and not necessary at all. The Tables Turned – Poem Strictly a poem to criticize how the mind focuses on morals and logical thought. Instead, we should focus on the beauty of life for focusing on the morals and life's ultimate goal is depressing. Tell All the Truth – Poem tell it to twist in our favor, we can voice it in a happier and thoughtful manner or we can be blunt and often hurt the people with our words even though it is the truth.No Coward Soul Is Mine – Poem Explains the struggle with confidence in her life. The narrator shows us her life and how she has succeeded in life only through the confidence she finds in God. Without that she would not be doing what she is doing. Everyone needs to pull his or her confidence from something other than themselves. For the body fails you but God does not. The Enemy – Poem You see someone who holds an ultimate truth dear t them. You believe it is wrong and know that you can never actually be friends with that person.You know they are wrong and then realize you are in the exact same predicament as them. You both hold true to what you believe without giving others a chance to influence your Houghton. The Smile Ray Bradbury Short Story 830-1: Identity & Sense of Self You and â€Å"USA, M † The Lottery Shirley Jackson Short Story 830-2: Truth Science Fiction & Justice Inside Stories for Senior Students â€Å"USA, F † The Interview Ruth Prater Cabala Short Story 830-1: Human Qualities & Ideals â€Å"Other Voices, Other Vistas; Responding to Literature: World† â€Å"Germany/Linda, M† National Trust T.Harrison Poem 830-2: Truth & Justice Border Lines â€Å"England, M † The Tables Turned William Wordsmith Poem 830-2: Truth & Justice Literature and Language: English and World â€Å"England, M † Tell All the Truth Emily Dickinson Poem 830-2: Truth & Justice Literature in English â€Å"USA, F † No Coward Soul Is Mine Emily Bronco Poem 830-1: Human Qualities & Ideals Broadside Anthology of Poetry â€Å"England, F † The Enemy P. Nursed Poem 830-1: Identity & Sense of Self Literature and Language: English and World â€Å"Chile, M † The Crack-up F.Scott Fitzgerald Essay 830-1: Identity & Sense of Self Art of the Personal Essay â€Å"USA, M † Shooting an Elephant George Orwell Essay 830-1: Human Qualities & Ideals Broadside Reader â€Å"England, M † Salvation Longboats Hughes Essay 830-1 : Human Qualities & Ideals 75 Readings Plus LISA, M † Theme is something any author can relate too. Everything that is written has a theme of some sort, no matter who wrote it or where it came from. A poem could have been written in Canada or an essay in England yet still have the same theme.A story could still have the same moral guideline of a poem but be written by different same time on opposite sides of the world without the authors ever hearing about ea ch other's work while still being very similar. The purpose of this paper is take a look at writings from across the globe with multiple themes and to see how much these relate to each other. The theme Truth & Justice make us look deep into ourselves to see what we truly believe in. Do we believe in a moral code that governs us all or are we subject to change our morals Just like the wind changes direction?The short story, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson from the United States of America, shows us an unjust system of the past that has stuck around years longer than it ever should have. We watch as people mention how it is wrong to stone someone yet do not take steps in stopping what is happening. Showing us how peer pressure can have such a huge impact on what we decide is truth and Justice. If everyone calls for a decision we decide that is the new truth and the new Justice. In the poem, National Trust by T. Harrison from England, we are shown a new form of truth, one that seems to be forgotten.We need to realize truth and Justice are things in our past and future, not Just in the present. We cannot forget where we have come from otherwise we will not be able to get where we are going. Now in the same theme but a different concept we see William Wordsmith author of the poem The Tables Turned describe a situation where it is better to be out in life then to stay in and read explain that to sit back and Just listen n itself is wrong. It is a corrupt use of your time to not do anything while the world around you is changing.In the poem Tell All the Truth by Emily Dickinson we are able to see another corrupt thought on truth. We can always spin the truth to benefit ourselves but does it stay the truth or has it now become something different? We can spin it to benefit others in kindness or tell it bluntly, which hurts people. In The Interview by Ruth Para we witness a new theme of Human Qualities and Ideals. Confidence is something that falls short in this generat ion and in this story. A man who cannot choose for himself to live on his own and succeed in life is viewed as a failure.But if we see these people as failures and remind them of that will they ever change? Unlike the Interview in the poem No Coward Soul Is Mine by Emily Bronze from England, projects self-confidence in how she lives her life. Even though she had a rough time becoming an adult, she still refused to give up. She shows us her struggle and explains how she found God in all of this who is now her confidence. She has so much confidence there is now no room in her for fear of death. Now in the essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† by George Orwell we see a shift in thought.We see that if you do not have the confidence you need to stand alone then you make mistakes. Peer pressure cannot move mountains but it can move mountains of people. If you are not confident in who you are then your choices are influenced more by those around you then your own thought process. We mak e choices to fit in with culture, when we do this; we normally lose satisfaction with ourselves. We experience the exact same situation in the essay Salvation by Longboats Hughes. When pressured by people to make a decision you can either stand firm in hat you know or choose to change what you know.Either way a decision is always made. When forced into a decision though you feel like you betrayed yourself Just like the child feels he betrayed everyone around him by â€Å"saying yes to Jesus†. The ability to stand out even when it is tough to do so. We see that it can be worth going through the hardship of being different. When you are faced with a hard decision to make the right decision is not always, what everyone else is choosing. We are given a situation in this poem where a boy needs to choose against what all of the adults are choosing.He needs to believe in himself and what he finds beauty in the make the decision that he does. In the poem The Enemy by Pablo Neared, we see the same theme but with a new view of life come from it. We now see the dangers of having an ultimate truth that we hold too without thoughts as to how it could be wrong. We are shown that when you put your identity in a truth like this you will make enemies that believe in different options. The choice then become are you going to hold to your truth and keep an enemy or will you reevaluate what you believe to be sure that you are in fact right about this topic.Just like an atheist and a Christian have a hard time connecting on a personal level so do others who have ultimate truths. Now in an essay written by F. Scott Fitzgerald called â€Å"The Crack Up† we are privileged to witness once again a new version of the same theme. We see that identity is also shaped by our accomplishments and our failures. A seriously depressing essay but yet one of truth without fear of being who you are. This ultimately shows us we are to be confident in who we are and even though we don't always enjoy it we are still going to be okay in the end.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 8. TEMPER

WE ENDED UP ON THE BEACH AGAIN, WANDERING AIMlessly. Jacob was still full of himself for engineering my escape. â€Å"Do you think they'll come looking for you?† he asked, sounding hopeful. â€Å"No.† I was certain about that. â€Å"They're going to be furious with me tonight, though.† He picked up a rock and chucked it into the waves. â€Å"Don't go back, then,† he suggested again. â€Å"Charlie would love that,† I said sarcastically. â€Å"I bet he wouldn't mind.† I didn't answer. Jacob was probably right, and that made me grind my teeth together. Charlie's blatant preference for my Quileute friends was so unfair. I wondered if he would feel the same if he knew the choice was really between vampires and werewolves. â€Å"So what's the latest pack scandal?† I asked lightly. Jacob skidded to a halt, and he stared down at me with shocked eyes. â€Å"What? That was a joke.† â€Å"Oh.† He looked away. I waited for him to start walking again, but he seemed lost in thought. â€Å"Is there a scandal?† I wondered. Jacob chuckled once. â€Å"I forget what it's like, not having everyone know everything all the time. Having a quiet, private place inside my head.† We walked along the stony beach quietly for a few minutes. â€Å"So what is it?† I finally asked. â€Å"That everyone in your head already knows?† He hesitated for a moment, as if he weren't sure how much he was going to tell me. Then he sighed and said, â€Å"Quil imprinted. That's three now. The rest of us are starting to get worried. Maybe it's more common than the stories say. . . .† He frowned, and then turned to stare at me. He gazed into my eyes without speaking, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. â€Å"What are you staring at?† I asked, feeling self-conscious. He sighed. â€Å"Nothing.† Jacob started walking again. Without seeming to think about it, he reached out and took my hand. We paced silently across the rocks. I thought of how we must look walking hand and hand down the beach – like a couple, certainly – and wondered if I should object. But this was the way it had always been with Jacob. . . . No reason to get worked up about it now. â€Å"Why is Quil's imprinting such a scandal?† I asked when it didn't look like he was going to go on. â€Å"Is it because he's the newest one?† â€Å"That doesn't have anything to do with it.† â€Å"Then what's the problem?† â€Å"It's another one of those legend things. I wonder when we're going to stop being surprised that they're all true?† he muttered to himself. â€Å"Are you going to tell me? Or do I have to guess?† â€Å"You'd never get it right. See, Quil hasn't been hanging out with us, you know, until just recently. So he hadn't been around Emily's place much.† â€Å"Quil imprinted on Emily, too?† I gasped. â€Å"No! I told you not to guess. Emily had her two nieces down for a visit . . . and Quil met Claire.† He didn't continue. I thought about that for a moment. â€Å"Emily doesn't want her niece with a werewolf? That's a little hypocritical,† I said. But I could understand why she of all people might feel that way. I thought again of the long scars that marred her face and extended all the way down her right arm. Sam had lost control just once when he was standing too close to her. Once was all it took. . . . I'd seen the pain in Sam's eyes when he looked at what he'd done to Emily. I could understand why Emily might want to protect her niece from that. â€Å"Would you please stop guessing? You're way off. Emily doesn't mind that part, it's just, well, a little early.† â€Å"What do you mean early?† Jacob appraised me with narrowed eyes. â€Å"Try not to be judgmental, okay?† I nodded cautiously. â€Å"Claire is two,† Jacob told me. Rain started to fall. I blinked furiously as the drops pelted my face. Jacob waited in silence. He wore no jacket, as usual; the rain left a spatter of dark spots on his black T-shirt, and dripped through his shaggy hair. His face was expressionless as he watched mine. â€Å"Quil . . . imprinted . . . with a two-year-old?† I was finally able to ask. â€Å"It happens.† Jacob shrugged. He bent to grab another rock and sent it flying out into the bay. â€Å"Or so the stories say.† â€Å"But she's a baby,† I protested. He looked at me with dark amusement. â€Å"Quil's not getting any older,† he reminded me, a bit of acid in his tone. â€Å"He'll just have to be patient for a few decades.† â€Å"I . . . don't know what to say.† I was trying my hardest not to be critical, but, in truth, I was horrified. Until now, nothing about the werewolves had bothered me since the day I'd found out they weren't committing the murders I'd suspected them of. â€Å"You're making judgments,† he accused. â€Å"I can see it on your face.† â€Å"Sorry,† I muttered. â€Å"But it sounds really creepy.† â€Å"It's not like that; you've got it all wrong,† Jacob defended his friend, suddenly vehement. â€Å"I've seen what it's like, through his eyes. There's nothing romantic about it at all, not for Quil, not now.† He took a deep breath, frustrated. â€Å"It's so hard to describe. It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like . . . gravity moves. When you see her, suddenly it's not the earth holding you here anymore. She does. And nothing matters more than her. And you would do anything for her, be anything for her. . . . You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend, or a brother. â€Å"Quil will be the best, kindest big brother any kid ever had. There isn't a toddler on the planet that will be more carefully looked after than that little girl will be. And then, when she's older and needs a friend, he'll be more understanding, trustworthy, and reliable than anyone else she knows. And then, when she's grown up, they'll be as happy as Emily and Sam.† A strange, bitter edge sharpened his tone at the very end, when he spoke of Sam. â€Å"Doesn't Claire get a choice here?† â€Å"Of course. But why wouldn't she choose him, in the end? He'll be her perfect match. Like he was designed for her alone.† We walked in silence for a moment, till I paused to toss a rock toward the ocean. It fell to the beach several meters short. Jacob laughed at me. â€Å"We can't all be freakishly strong,† I muttered. He sighed. â€Å"When do you think it will happen for you?† I asked quietly. His answer was flat and immediate. â€Å"Never.† â€Å"It's not something you can control, is it?† He was silent for a few minutes. Unconsciously, we both walked slower, barely moving at all. â€Å"It's not supposed to be,† he admitted. â€Å"But you have to see her – the one that's supposedly meant for you.† â€Å"And you think that if you haven't seen her yet, then she's not out there?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Jacob, you haven't really seen much of the world – less than me, even.† â€Å"No, I haven't,† he said in a low voice. He looked at my face with suddenly piercing eyes. â€Å"But I'll never see anyone else, Bella. I only see you. Even when I close my eyes and try to see something else. Ask Quil or Embry. It drives them all crazy.† I dropped my eyes to the rocks. We weren't walking anymore. The only sound was of the waves beating against the shore. I couldn't hear the rain over their roar. â€Å"Maybe I'd better go home,† I whispered. â€Å"No!† he protested, surprised by this conclusion. I looked up at him again, and his eyes were anxious now. â€Å"You have the whole day off, right? The bloodsucker won't be home yet.† I glared at him. â€Å"No offense intended,† he said quickly. â€Å"Yes, I have the whole day. But, Jake . . .† He held up his hands. â€Å"Sorry,† he apologized. â€Å"I won't be like that anymore. I'll just be Jacob.† I sighed. â€Å"But if that's what you're thinking . . .† â€Å"Don't worry about me,† he insisted, smiling with deliberate cheer, too brightly. â€Å"I know what I'm doing. Just tell me if I'm upsetting you.† â€Å"I don't know. . . .† â€Å"C'mon, Bella. Let's go back to the house and get our bikes. You've got to ride a motorcycle regularly to keep it in tune.† â€Å"I really don't think I'm allowed.† â€Å"By who? Charlie or the blood – or him?† â€Å"Both.† Jacob grinned my grin, and he was suddenly the Jacob I missed the most, sunny and warm. I couldn't help grinning back. The rain softened, turned to mist. â€Å"I won't tell anyone,† he promised. â€Å"Except every one of your friends.† He shook his head soberly and raised his right hand. â€Å"I promise not to think about it.† I laughed. â€Å"If I get hurt, it was because I tripped.† â€Å"Whatever you say.† We rode our motorcycles on the back roads around La Push until the rain made them too muddy and Jacob insisted that he was going to pass out if he didn't eat soon. Billy greeted me easily when we got to the house, as if my sudden reappearance meant nothing more complicated than that I'd wanted to spend the day with my friend. After we ate the sandwiches Jacob made, we went out to the garage and I helped him clean up the bikes. I hadn't been here in months – since Edward had returned – but there was no sense of import to it. It was just another afternoon in the garage. â€Å"This is nice,† I commented when he pulled the warm sodas from the grocery bag. â€Å"I've missed this place.† He smiled, looking around at the plastic sheds bolted together over our heads. â€Å"Yeah, I can understand that. All the splendor of the Taj Mahal, without the inconvenience and expense of traveling to India.† â€Å"To Washington's little Taj Mahal,† I toasted, holding up my can. He touched his can to mine. â€Å"Do you remember last Valentine's Day? I think that was the last time you were here – the last time when things were still . . . normal, I mean.† I laughed. â€Å"Of course I remember. I traded a lifetime of servitude for a box of conversation hearts. That's not something I'm likely to forget.† He laughed with me. â€Å"That's right. Hmm, servitude. I'll have to think of something good.† Then he sighed. â€Å"It feels like it was years ago. Another era. A happier one.† I couldn't agree with him. This was my happy era now. But I was surprised to realize how many things I missed from my own personal dark ages. I stared through the opening at the murky forest. The rain had picked up again, but it was warm in the little garage, sitting next to Jacob. He was as good as a furnace. His fingers brushed my hand. â€Å"Things have really changed.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said, and then I reached out and patted the back tire of my bike. â€Å"Charlie used to like me. I hope Billy doesn't say anything about today. . . .† I bit my lip. â€Å"He won't. He doesn't get worked up about things the way Charlie does. Hey, I never did apologize officially for that stupid move with the bike. I'm real sorry about ratting you out to Charlie. I wish I hadn't.† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"I'm really, really sorry.† He looked at me hopefully, his wet, tangled black hair sticking up in every direction around his pleading face. â€Å"Oh, fine! You're forgiven.† â€Å"Thanks, Bells!† We grinned at each other for a second, and then his face clouded over. â€Å"You know that day, when I brought the bike over . . . I've been wanting to ask you something,† he said slowly. â€Å"But also . . . not wanting to.† I held very still – a reaction to stress. It was a habit I'd picked up from Edward. â€Å"Were you just being stubborn because you were mad at me, or were you really serious?† he whispered. â€Å"About what?† I whispered back, though I was sure I knew what he meant. He glared at me. â€Å"You know. When you said it was none of my business . . . if – if he bit you.† He cringed visibly at the end. â€Å"Jake . . .† My throat felt swollen. I couldn't finish. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. â€Å"Were you serious?† He was trembling just slightly. His eyes stayed closed. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. Jacob inhaled, slow and deep. â€Å"I guess I knew that.† I stared at his face, waiting for his eyes to open. â€Å"You know what this will mean?† He demanded suddenly. â€Å"You do understand that, don't you? What will happen if they break the treaty?† â€Å"We'll leave first,† I said in a small voice. His eyes flashed open, their black depths full of anger and pain. â€Å"There wasn't a geographic limit to the treaty, Bella. Our great-grandfathers only agreed to keep the peace because the Cullens swore that they were different, that humans weren't in danger from them. They promised they would never kill or change anyone ever again. If they go back on their word, the treaty is meaningless, and they are no different than any other vampires. Once that's established, when we find them again -â€Å" â€Å"But, Jake, didn't you break the treaty already?† I asked, grasping at straws. â€Å"Wasn't part of it that you not tell people about the vampires? And you told me. So isn't the treaty sort of moot, anyhow?† Jacob didn't like the reminder; the pain in his eyes hardened into animosity. â€Å"Yeah, I broke the treaty – back before I believed any of it. And I'm sure they were informed of that.† He glared sourly at my forehead, not meeting my shamed gaze. â€Å"But it's not like that gives them a freebie or anything. There's no fault for a fault. They have only one option if they object to what I did. The same option we'll have when they break the treaty: to attack. To start the war.† He made it sound so inevitable. I shuddered. â€Å"Jake, it doesn't have to be that way.† His teeth ground together. â€Å"It is that way.† The silence after his declaration felt very loud. â€Å"Will you never forgive me, Jacob?† I whispered. As soon as I said the words, I wished I hadn't. I didn't want to hear his answer. â€Å"You won't be Bella anymore,† he told me. â€Å"My friend won't exist. There'll be no one to forgive.† â€Å"That sounds like a no,† I whispered. We faced each other for an endless moment. â€Å"Is this goodbye then, Jake?† He blinked rapidly, his fierce expression melting in surprise. â€Å"Why? We still have a few years. Can't we be friends until we're out of time?† â€Å"Years? No, Jake, not years.† I shook my head, and laughed once without humor. â€Å"Weeks is more accurate.† I was not expecting his reaction. He was suddenly on his feet, and there was a loud pop as the soda can exploded in his hand. Soda flew everywhere, soaking me, like it was spraying from a hose. â€Å"Jake!† I started to complain, but I fell silent when I realized that his whole body was quivering with anger. He glared at me wildly, a growling sound building in his chest. I froze in place, too shocked to remember how to move. The shaking rolled through him, getting faster, until it looked like he was vibrating. His shape blurred. . . . And then Jacob gritted his teeth together, and the growling stopped. He squeezed his eyes tight in concentration; the quivering slowed until only his hands were shaking. â€Å"Weeks,† Jacob said in a flat monotone. I couldn't respond; I was still frozen. He opened his eyes. They were beyond fury now. â€Å"He's going to change you into a filthy bloodsucker in just a few weeks!† Jacob hissed through his teeth. Too stunned to take offense at his words, I just nodded mutely. His face turned green under the russet skin. â€Å"Of course, Jake,† I whispered after a long minute of silence. â€Å"He's seventeen, Jacob. And I get closer to nineteen every day. Besides, what's the point in waiting? He's all I want. What else can I do?† I'd meant that as a rhetorical question. His words cracked like snaps of a whip. â€Å"Anything. Anything else. You'd be better off dead. I'd rather you were.† I recoiled like he'd slapped me. It hurt worse than if he had. And then, as the pain shot through me, my own temper burst into flame. â€Å"Maybe you'll get lucky,† I said bleakly, lurching to my feet. â€Å"Maybe I'll get hit by a truck on my way back.† I grabbed my motorcycle and pushed it out into the rain. He didn't move as I passed him. As soon as I was on the small, muddy path, I climbed on and kicked the bike to life. The rear tire spit a fountain of mud toward the garage, and I hoped that it hit him. I got absolutely soaked as I sped across the slick highway toward the Cullens' house. The wind felt like it was freezing the rain against my skin, and my teeth were chattering before I was halfway there. Motorcycles were too impractical for Washington. I would sell the stupid thing first chance I got. I walked the bike into the Cullens' cavernous garage and was unsurprised to find Alice waiting for me, perched lightly on the hood of her Porsche. Alice stroked the glossy yellow paint. â€Å"I haven't even had a chance to drive it.† She sighed. â€Å"Sorry,† I spit through my rattling teeth. â€Å"You look like you could use a hot shower,† she said, offhand, as she sprang lightly to her feet. â€Å"Yep.† She pursed her lips, taking in my expression carefully. â€Å"Do you want to talk about it?† â€Å"Nope.† She nodded in assent, but her eyes were raging with curiosity. â€Å"Do you want to go to Olympia tonight?† â€Å"Not really. Can't I go home?† She grimaced. â€Å"Never mind, Alice,† I said. â€Å"I'll stay if it makes things easier for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† she sighed in relief. I went to bed early that night, curling up on his sofa again. It was still dark when I woke. I was groggy, but I knew it wasn't near morning yet. My eyes closed, and I stretched, rolling over. It took me a second before I realized that the movement should have dumped me onto the floor. And that I was much too comfortable. I rolled back over, trying to see. It was darker than last night – the clouds were too thick for the moon to shine through. â€Å"Sorry,† he murmured so softly that his voice was part of the darkness. â€Å"I didn't mean to wake you.† I tensed, waiting for the fury – both his and mine – but it was only quiet and calm in the darkness of his room. I could almost taste the sweetness of reunion in the air, a separate fragrance from the perfume of his breath; the emptiness when we were apart left its own bitter aftertaste, something I didn't consciously notice until it was removed. There was no friction in the space between us. The stillness was peaceful – not like the calm before the tempest, but like a clear night untouched by even the dream of a storm. And I didn't care that I was supposed to be angry with him. I didn't care that I was supposed to be angry with everyone. I reached out for him, found his hands in the darkness, and pulled myself closer to him. His arms encircled me, cradling me to his chest. My lips searched, hunting along his throat, to his chin, till I finally found his lips. Edward kissed me softly for a moment, and then he chuckled. â€Å"I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often.† â€Å"Give me a minute to work up to it,† I teased, kissing him again. â€Å"I'll wait as long as you want,† he whispered against my lips. His fingers knotted in my hair. My breath was becoming uneven. â€Å"Maybe in the morning.† â€Å"Whatever you prefer.† â€Å"Welcome home,† I said while his cold lips pressed under my jaw. â€Å"I'm glad you came back.† â€Å"That's a very good thing.† â€Å"Mmm,† I agreed, tightening my arms around his neck. His hand curved around my elbow, moving slowly down my arm, across my ribs and over my waist, tracing along my hip and down my leg, around my knee. He paused there, his hand curling around my calf. He pulled my leg up suddenly, hitching it around his hip. I stopped breathing. This wasn't the kind of thing he usually allowed. Despite his cold hands, I felt suddenly warm. His lips moved in the hollow at the base of my throat. â€Å"Not to bring on the ire prematurely,† he whispered, â€Å"but do you mind telling me what it is about this bed that you object to?† Before I could answer, before I could even concentrate enough to make sense of his words, he rolled to the side, pulling me on top of him. He held my face in his hands, angling it up so that his mouth could reach my throat. My breathing was too loud – it was almost embarrassing, but I couldn't care quite enough to be ashamed. â€Å"The bed?† he asked again. â€Å"I think it's nice.† â€Å"It's unnecessary,† I managed to gasp. He pulled my face back to his, and my lips shaped themselves around his. Slowly this time, he rolled till he hovered over me. He held himself carefully so that I felt none of his weight, but I could feel the cool marble of his body press against mine. My heart was hammering so loudly that it was hard to hear his quiet laughter. â€Å"That's debatable,† he disagreed. â€Å"This would be difficult on a couch.† Cold as ice, his tongue lightly traced the shape of my lips. My head was spinning – the air was coming too fast and shallow. â€Å"Did you change your mind?† I asked breathlessly. Maybe he'd rethought all his careful rules. Maybe there was more significance to this bed than I'd originally guessed. My heart pounded almost painfully as I waited for his answer. Edward sighed, rolling back so that we were on our sides again. â€Å"Don't be ridiculous, Bella,† he said, disapproval strong in his voice – clearly, he understood what I meant. â€Å"I was just trying to illustrate the benefits of the bed you don't seem to like. Don't get carried away.† â€Å"Too late,† I muttered. â€Å"And I like the bed,† I added. â€Å"Good.† I could hear the smile in his voice as he kissed my forehead. â€Å"I do, too.† â€Å"But I still think it's unnecessary,† I continued. â€Å"If we're not going to get carried away, what's the point?† He sighed again. â€Å"For the hundredth time, Bella – it's too dangerous.† â€Å"I like danger,† I insisted. â€Å"I know.† There was a sour edge to his voice, and I realized that he would have seen the motorcycle in the garage. â€Å"I'll tell you what's dangerous,† I said quickly, before he could move to a new topic of discussion. â€Å"I'm going to spontaneously combust one of these days – and you'll have no one but yourself to blame.† He started to push me away. â€Å"What are you doing?† I objected, clinging to him. â€Å"Protecting you from combustion. If this too much for you. . . .† â€Å"I can handle it,† I insisted. He let me worm myself back into the circle of his arms. â€Å"I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression,† he said. â€Å"I didn't mean to make you unhappy. That wasn't nice.† â€Å"Actually, it was very, very nice.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Aren't you tired? I should let you sleep.† â€Å"No, I'm not. I don't mind if you want to give me the wrong impression again.† â€Å"That's probably a bad idea. You're not the only one who gets carried away.† â€Å"Yes, I am,† I grumbled. He chuckled. â€Å"You have no idea, Bella. It doesn't help that you are so eager to undermine my self- control, either.† â€Å"I'm not going to apologize for that.† â€Å"Can I apologize?† â€Å"For what?† â€Å"You were angry with me, remember?† â€Å"Oh, that.† â€Å"I'm sorry. I was wrong. It's much easier to have the proper perspective when I have you safely here.† His arms tightened around me. â€Å"I go a little berserk when I try to leave you. I don't think I'll go so far again. It's not worth it.† I smiled. â€Å"Didn't you find any mountain lions?† â€Å"Yes, I did, actually. Still not worth the anxiety. I'm sorry I had Alice hold you hostage, though. That was a bad idea.† â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. â€Å"I won't do it again.† â€Å"Okay,† I said easily. He was already forgiven. â€Å"But slumber parties do have their advantages. . . .† I curled myself closer to him, pressing my lips into the indentation over his collarbone. â€Å"You can hold me hostage any time you want.† â€Å"Mmm,† he sighed. â€Å"I may take you up on that.† â€Å"So is it my turn now?† â€Å"Your turn?† his voice was confused. â€Å"To apologize.† â€Å"What do you have to apologize for?† â€Å"Aren't you mad at me?† I asked blankly. â€Å"No.† It sounded like he really meant it. I felt my eyebrows pull together. â€Å"Didn't you see Alice when you got home?† â€Å"Yes – why?† â€Å"Are you going to take her Porsche back?† â€Å"Of course not. It was a gift.† I wished I could see his expression. His voice sounded as if I'd insulted him. â€Å"Don't you want to know what I did?† I asked, starting to be puzzled by his apparent lack of concern. I felt him shrug. â€Å"I'm always interested in everything you do – but you don't have to tell me unless you want to.† â€Å"But I went to La Push.† â€Å"I know.† â€Å"And I ditched school.† â€Å"So did I.† I stared toward the sound of his voice, tracing his features with my fingers, trying to understand his mood. â€Å"Where did all this tolerance come from?† I demanded. He sighed. â€Å"I decided that you were right. My problem before was more about my . . . prejudice against werewolves than anything else. I'm going to try to be more reasonable and trust your judgment. If you say it's safe, then I'll believe you.† â€Å"Wow.† â€Å"And . . . most importantly . . . I'm not willing to let this drive a wedge between us.† I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes, totally content. â€Å"So,† he murmured in a casual tone. â€Å"Did you make plans to go back to La Push again soon?† I didn't answer. His question brought back the memory of Jacob's words, and my throat was suddenly tight. He misread my silence and the tension in my body. â€Å"Just so that I can make my own plans,† he explained quickly. â€Å"I don't want you to feel like you have to hurry back because I'm sitting around waiting for you.† â€Å"No,† I said in a voice that sounded strange to me. â€Å"I don't have plans go back.† â€Å"Oh. You don't have to do that for me.† â€Å"I don't think I'm welcome anymore,† I whispered. â€Å"Did you run over someone's cat?† he asked lightly. I knew he didn't want to force the story out of me, but I could hear the curiosity burning behind his words. â€Å"No.† I took a deep breath, and then mumbled quickly through the explanation. â€Å"I thought Jacob would have realized . . . I didn't think it would surprise him.† Edward waited while I hesitated. â€Å"He wasn't expecting . . . that it was so soon.† â€Å"Ah,† Edward said quietly. â€Å"He said he'd rather see me dead.† My voice broke on the last word. Edward was too still for a moment, controlling whatever reaction he didn't want me to see. Then he crushed me gently to his chest. â€Å"I'm so sorry.† â€Å"I thought you'd be glad,† I whispered. â€Å"Glad over something that's hurt you?† he murmured into my hair. â€Å"I don't think so, Bella.† I sighed and relaxed, fitting myself to the stone shape of him. But he was motionless again, tense. â€Å"What's wrong?† I asked. â€Å"It's nothing.† â€Å"You can tell me.† He paused for a minute. â€Å"It might make you angry.† â€Å"I still want to know.† He sighed. â€Å"I could quite literally kill him for saying that to you. I want to.† I laughed halfheartedly. â€Å"I guess it's a good thing you've got so much self-control.† â€Å"I could slip.† His tone was thoughtful. â€Å"If you're going to have a lapse in control, I can think of a better place for it.† I reached for his face, trying to pull myself up to kiss him. His arms held me tighter, restraining. He sighed. â€Å"Must I always be the responsible one?† I grinned in the darkness. â€Å"No. Let me be in charge of responsibility for a few minutes . . . or hours.† â€Å"Goodnight, Bella.† â€Å"Wait – there was something else I wanted to ask you about.† â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"I was talking to Rosalie last night. . . .† His body tensed again. â€Å"Yes. She was thinking about that when I got in. She gave you quite a lot to consider, didn't she?† His voice was anxious, and I realized that he thought I wanted to talk about the reasons Rosalie'd given me for staying human. But I was interested in something much more pressing. â€Å"She told me a little bit . . . about the time your family lived in Denali.† There was a short pause; this beginning took him by surprise. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"She mentioned something about a bunch of female vampires . . . and you.† He didn't answer, though I waited for a long moment. â€Å"Don't worry,† I said, after the silence had grown uncomfortable. â€Å"She told me you didn't . . . show any preference. But I was just wondering, you know, if any of them had. Shown a preference for you, I mean.† Again he said nothing. â€Å"Which one?† I asked, trying to keep my voice casual, and not quite managing. â€Å"Or was there more than one?† No answer. I wished I could see his face, so I could try to guess what this silence meant. â€Å"Alice will tell me,† I said. â€Å"I'll go ask her right now.† His arms tightened; I was unable to squirm even an inch away. â€Å"It's late,† he said. His voice had a little edge to it that was something new. Sort of nervous, maybe a little embarrassed. â€Å"Besides, I think Alice stepped out. . . .† â€Å"It's bad,† I guessed. â€Å"It's really bad, isn't it?† I started to panic, my heart accelerating as I imagined the gorgeous immortal rival I'd never realized I had. â€Å"Calm down, Bella,† he said, kissing the tip of my nose. â€Å"You're being absurd.† â€Å"Am I? Then why won't you tell me?† â€Å"Because there's nothing to tell. You're blowing this wildly out of proportion.† â€Å"Which one?† I insisted. He sighed. â€Å"Tanya expressed a little interest. I let her know, in a very courteous, gentlemanly fashion, that I did not return that interest. End of story.† I kept my voice as even as possible. â€Å"Tell me something – what does Tanya look like?† â€Å"Just like the rest of us – white skin, gold eyes,† he answered too quickly. â€Å"And, of course, extraordinarily beautiful.† I felt him shrug. â€Å"I suppose, to human eyes,† he said, indifferent. â€Å"You know what, though?† â€Å"What?† My voice was petulant. He put his lips right to my ear; his cold breath tickled. â€Å"I prefer brunettes.† â€Å"She's a blonde. That figures.† â€Å"Strawberry blonde – not at all my type.† I thought about that for a while, trying to concentrate as his lips moved slowly along my cheek, down my throat, and back up again. He made the circuit three times before I spoke. â€Å"I guess that's okay, then,† I decided. â€Å"Hmm,† he whispered against my skin. â€Å"You're quite adorable when you're jealous. It's surprisingly enjoyable.† I scowled into the darkness. â€Å"It's late,† he said again, murmuring, almost crooning now, his voice smoother than silk. â€Å"Sleep, my Bella. Dream happy dreams. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. Sleep, my only love.† He started to hum my lullaby, and I knew it was only a matter of time till I succumbed, so I closed my eyes and snuggled closer into his chest.