English Poetry - 1642 Words

Linage 1. The image I get of the speakers grandmothers were that they were strong women and were very hard working. 2. In line 10 I think the speaker means that her grandmothers don’t cuss or talk down on others. 3. The end makes me think that the speaker of the poem lacks confidence. It made the poem become somewhat sad. Reflection: the poem was interesting, I couldn’t relate to it. It was short and I liked that. The speaker seems like she has issues with self-esteem. The Courage That My Mother Had 1. The image I get from I got was that her mother was a very strong and courageous person and the speaker wants to be the same way 2. Do Not Have To Do. 3. The mixed blessing that the daughter received from her mother†¦show more content†¦2. The clues that helped figure out that the narrow fellow is a snake are when the speaker says â€Å"the grass divides as with a comb† because when a snake slithers through the grass it divides. 3. I think the speaker is scared because he says his breathing tightens. 4. This was the first time meeting the snake, he has met several of nature’s people before but it was his first meeting the narrow fellow. 5. Don’t need to do. 6. I don’t think any poem presents a positive view of the animal, it seems like both speakers are scared. 7. If the speaker had encountered the sharks at noon, she probably would be less scared because she would be able to go back and see them if they were comin g. If the boy had encountered the snake at night he might have been even more scared than he already was, he would’ve probably ran. 8. Didn’t make a chart of responses to animals. Reflection: I couldn’t really tell if the speaker was scared to happy to see the snake because it was his first time. The poem wasn’t really relatable. A Voice 1. When the mother goes to the state capitol to give her speech she got nervous and felt out of place that she faked hoarseness and did not speak. 2. The mother felt self conscious about giving her speech at the state capitol because she looked around and realized she was the only Mexican in the auditorium. 3. The daughter credits her mom’s failure as a success because she learned to speak upShow MoreRelated G.C.S.E English and English Literature Coursework Poetry Assignment1259 Words   |  6 PagesG.C.S.E English and English Literature Coursework Poetry Assignment We have been set the task to compare the ways in which the poems I have studied deal with the passing of time. The three poems are â€Å"To his Coy Mistress†, â€Å"Ozymandias† and â€Å"To the Virgins to Make Much of Time†. All three of the poems clearly deal with the passing of time in different ways. â€Å"To his Coy Mistress† is about a man telling a woman that if he had all the time in the world, he would spend it with her. In the â€Å"ToRead MoreCommentary English Poetry Ib Sample779 Words   |  4 PagesA Commentary on Behavior of Fish in an Egyptian Tea Garden by Keith Douglas. *The description of the men drawn to her starts with the rich cotton magnate immediately establishing the hierarchy the author seeks to show*. This hierarchy is further developed*in the actions of the different suitors. The rich magnate ‘through the frail reefs of furniture swims out’, the inverted syntax* in the line* suggesting grace and power. *T*he self-assured manner in which he acts suggests that the rich man is aboveRead MoreTrystan Gray. Miller. English 175. 1/11/2017 . Poetry Analysis.980 Words   |  4 PagesTrystan Gray Miller English 175 1/11/2017 Poetry Analysis â€Å"Peter Piper† is an original song by Run D.M.C. and from this J. Simmons and D. McDaniels took a couple verses out and edited them to be used in school text book across the United States. The song was founded in 1986 and from there it was put into our text book in the poetry section because, even though people don t realize it, rap is poetry and can teach youth about things they may or may not have experienced. Founded in 1981, Run D.MRead MoreHow Poetry Has Never Been An Easy Part Of The English Curriculum For Me1026 Words   |  5 PagesPoetry has never been an easy part of the English curriculum for me. I don’t know if it was because of my age or my teachers, but I feel like I never received a solid basic understanding of poetry in middle school. All my teachers since then have assumed that I understand poetic devices and the different terms used to analyze poetry. When I was handed the first sheet of poems in college, I was terrified. But the second paper I w as given gave me hope. It was a list poetry terminology along with theirRead MoreJohn Clare - First Love English Literary essay on love poetry1141 Words   |  5 Pagesmoreover I don t really like his sonnets. True, they are full of beautiful imagery and great metaphors but they don t have a familiar feeling. Then I found it, First Love, by John Clare. It had all the elements I wanted. Love poetry has never been my favourite type of poetry but First love has my blessing. First impressions After I read it for the first time I kept straying from it to personal experiences. Well, actually experience because there is only one first love. I think everybody whoRead MoreEnglish Poetry1343 Words   |  6 Pagescommanding examination of one mans struggle to survive in the bush. We see that the human mind cannot fully comprehend what nature is trying to say, but we should make every effort to listen nonetheless. Works Cited Geddes, Gary. 20th Century Poetry Poetics: Fourth Edition. Ontario: Oxford University Press Canada, 1996.Read MoreWriting Poetry : Elementary, General English, An Urban Setting And Real Life Events Interwoven Together Effectively1439 Words   |  6 Pagesgrade, general English, in an urban setting with the student population totaling around 2,000. 2. Broad, Lifelong Goal/s Rationale: †¢ Using poetry in the classroom is a great way to build classroom community among the students and teacher. †¢ Writing poetry is a great way to deal with stress and emotions using these skills, students can write poetry to help them make sense of their emotions and feelings. 3. Specific Daily Objective: †¢ Today students will learn how to write poetry that uses realRead MoreEnglish 102 Poetry Essay925 Words   |  4 PagesPoetry Essay Aldain Barham Liberty University English 102   Thesis Statement: The poem is a great example of communicative techniques and display of mood. Themes of the poem include man and nature, life and religion to list a few. Because the identity of the poet isnt really entailed in the poem but further investigation on him has given me answers which prove relevant to the poem. Although the setting of the poem isnt explicitly listed in the poem one can get a feel of the setting due to theRead MoreMedieval English Poetry : The Foundations Of Anglo-Saxon Poetry1701 Words   |  7 Pagesmost prominent cultures in Britain (â€Å"Anglo-Saxons: A Brief History). Anglo-Saxon poetry â€Å"sheds light on the nature of medieval English culture, especially on its ability to integrate pagan Germanic history within the framework of the Christian Middle Ages†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (a work from an anthology 1230). Their literature was seldom ever written down, but it was spread orally and usually intended for performance (â€Å"Anglo-Saxon Poetry.†). Since their literature was used for performance, it had to be extremely rhythmicalRead MoreEnglish IV – Unit 9: Romantic and Victorian Poetry Project: 19th-Century Views Oral Report William700 Words   |  3 Pages English IV – Unit 9: Romantic and Victorian Poetry Project: 19th-Century Views Oral Report William Wordsworth’s poem, â€Å"Composed A Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting The Banks Of The Wye During A Tour. July 13, 1798† (also known as simply, â€Å"Tintern Abbey†), was included in the book Lyrical Ballads, with a Few Other Poems. This was a joint effort between himself and author Samuel Taylor Coleridge. â€Å"Tintern Abbey† remains one of Wadsworth’s most famous poems, and at its printing, the book

Female Struggles Essay examples - 1592 Words

Patriarchal cultures are the universal reality of modern society. People who believe in equal rights for women try to expose the pitfalls of patriarchy. A role of the feminists is to fight patriarchy. In Salt Lake City, Utah where there are a number of people who belong to the Church of Latter Day Saints, also known as Mormons, patriarchy also exists. Terry Tempest Williams discusses patriarchy and women’s connection to the land in Refuge. Over time women’s status in society has become better, however in Mormon culture women’s rights have decreased. In Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams as an ecofeminist defies the traditional Mormon woman’s role. In Refuge the gender roles are not as clear as in society. Williams chooses to display the†¦show more content†¦Church leaders swiftly condemned any public display of devotion to her (Stack 2003). This idea, of the heavenly mother, is one of the ideas that Mormon feminists wanted to bring up in questioning of their faith. This questioning itself may be detrimental to your future participation in the faith. But to point out Mormon women in particular as participators in a patriarchal religion is unfair. As Sheena James, a Mormon Middlebury College student, said â€Å"My church, like many religions, is a patriarchy. I think this would be an interesting question to ask many women of many different religions† (4/13/05) when asked about her participation in a patriarchal religion. Surely women of other Christian denominations and other faith recognize that their religious establishments do not necessarily see women as equal to the men. But religion is not exclusive in these beliefs. Our culture, though many may disagree, is a patriarchal culture. Terry Tempest Williams will likely agree with this statement being that she is an eco-feminist herself. As a Mormon woman being a feminist in any sense seems like it has its pitfalls. A former Mormon, feminist and scholar, Margaret Toscano was excommunicated from the Mormon Church essentially for being a feminist and questioning the increasingly more patriarchal aspects of Mormonism (Stack 2004). Due to theShow MoreRelatedDishonor : The Lifetime Struggle Of A Female876 Words   |  4 PagesDishonor: The Lifetime Struggle of a Female Infanticide. A crime that knows no limits; be it of age, gender, status, or wealth. Dating as far back as Ancient Greece the infanticide of babies, at that time gender was not a bases for the killings wealth was, has been a predominated and culturally acceptable part of our society. In the animal kingdom, many alpha males killed their sons in order to prove seniority and have no competition. Males are strong and predictable, creating a need to either killRead MoreWomen s Unequal Portrayal, And The Struggle For Identity Of Female Writers1777 Words   |  8 PagesIn this essay I will examine the ideas behind women’s unequal portrayal, and the struggle for identity of female writers. Before recently, most published writers were male, so representation was obviously one-sided. Literacy in the ancient worlds was limited anyway, and few that could write were female. Oral culture is undervalued, though, because folktales were predominantly passed down by women. Religion played a huge part in early misrepresentation. Plato laid the philosophical foundations forRead MoreThe, The Goddess Of Luck And Fortune1199 Words   |  5 Pagesimmense emotional strength. Marji’s mother and grandmother endured the pains of poverty and an absent father/husband lost to jail. Marji’s mother and Marji also undergo separation after Marji is sent to Austria. Furthermore, despite their challenging struggles, they continue to speak up for their beliefs, challenging the Iranian government for unfair decrees. Their strong emotional strength and ability to persevere is exceptionally impressive. Venus, although powerful due to her reputation asRead MoreAnalysis Of Enrique s Journey The Unforgettable Quest Of A Honduran Boy 882 Words   |  4 Pagesfirst seven attempts, he is severely beaten, robbed, and humiliated. However, he never gives up. The struggle that Enrique and other immigrant make to reach el norte is harder than anyone can expect. Discussion: To travel north, Enrique, like other migrants, rides the tops of freight trains, a most dangerous endeavor. The dangers of the trains are many that include both physical and emotional struggles. Not only are the trains themselves dangerous, but migrants who travel on them must also overcomeRead MoreThe Strength Of A Woman2441 Words   |  10 Pagesrespect that a man would easily attain comes through many years of trial and being treated as though they are not worthy of the respect of those around them. This story shines a light on how much women value their parents’ opinions, and continue to struggle for their approval and because of this many women go through their entire lives trying to live up to those expectations that are set for them by family and society, and this constant search for approval ultimately shapes a person and sets the toneRead MoreSalvage The Bones And Up From Slavery2002 Words   |  9 Pagesperspective. Everyone would agree that African Americans had t o struggle more than the white people, and â€Å"Up from Slavery† and â€Å"Salvage the Bones provide great context of that. African Americans also had their strength and weakness. African Americans have had their strength and weakness. Salvage the bones and up from slavery provides great context of this. In Salvage the Bone, the novel questions who are stronger between the male and female. Esch draws the attention when she attacks Manny, winning theRead MoreStruggle For Female Equality in Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale1482 Words   |  6 PagesStruggle For Female Equality in  The Wife of Baths Prologue and Tale   When Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales, the social structure of his world was changing rapidly.   Chaucer himself was a prime example of new social mobility being granted to members of the emerging middle class.   He had opportunities to come into contact not only with earthy characters from varied ports of call, but with the wealthy nobility.   He was also married to a knights   daughter, someone of higher birth than himselfRead MoreThe Female Struggle to Fit into Society in Little Women Essay1794 Words   |  8 PagesThe Female Struggle to Fit into Society in Little Women The Victorian Era hailed many prolific authors, which were mostly male. A woman who wanted to be a writer at this time was not respected and would have been accused of being whimsical and flighty. However, women such as Louisa May Alcott redefined the norms and followed her heart with her pen by writing Little Women. The novel follows the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March – detailing their passage fromRead MoreEssay Modes of Power for Women1466 Words   |  6 PagesModes of Power for Women The struggle for control over birth transcends centuries and continents. Gloria Steinem, a women’s rights advocate of the 1990s describes how â€Å"the traditional design of most patriarchal buildings of worship imitates the female body† in order that â€Å"men [can] take over the yoni-power of creation by giving birth symbolically† (Steinem XV). The struggle for control over the power of procreation between the sexes existed in Ancient Greece. It is apparent in the TheogonyRead MoreEssay on Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man582 Words   |  3 Pagesand extra ordinary. His painting, Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man (1943), stuck in my mind every since the moment I laid my eyes on it. Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man, is the perfect example of the struggle of successfully coming out into the world. A dark umbrella type canvas shades over a large egg shaped world. It has what appears to be a young male fighting and struggling trying to get out. The world is resting on top of a bright white canvas

Sundial Free Essays

Another one of the most important technological advancements in history would have to be the sundial. The sundial was invented by ancient Egyptians in 1500 BC. Sundials are the oldest known device for the measurement of time and the most ancient of scientific instruments. We will write a custom essay sample on Sundial or any similar topic only for you Order Now The sundial uses the sun to tell the time of the day by casting a shadow on the sundial. The idea of the sundial is based upon the fact that the shadow of an object will move from one side of the object to the other as the sun moves from east to west during each day. The sundial provides the earliest evidence of the division of the day into equal parts. Before the division of day and night into twenty-four equal hours became accepted practice in cultures. The number of hours that was used was the concept that an hour in the summer lasted longer than an hour in the winter because the daylight period itself was longer. One of the reasons why sundials are so important is because it is one of the first known instruments for the measurement of time. It was also used in later cultures as a status symbol, such as ancient Greece and Rome where donors would get their names inscribed on the instruments to show their wealth. The reasons I think that the sundial is one the most important scientific developments is because of the broad usage of it in later cultures after Egypt. The sundial is still used today as an instrument to keep record of time. One of the key reasons that makes the sundial important to me is this was the first known scientific instrument. That to me makes it the most important invention of the time do the fact that it sparked an interest in the keeping of time and is the start to modern day clocks. This also may be the start to the invention of other scientific instruments, which is a huge impact in the field of science and may have led to the invention of many other great devices. I believe that the Egyptians are the leaders of keeping time as well as innovation in the field of science. In conclusion the sundial is a great invention and is one of the few early inventions that is still used today and that shows how great the ingenuity of the Egyptians was. How to cite Sundial, Papers

System Analysis Sustainable Innovation

Question: Discuss about the System Analysis for Sustainable Innovation. Answer: Introduction: Stakeholder refers to an individual who has something to lose or gain in regards to the outcomes of the planning process of a project. Therefore, stakeholders engagement can be perceived as the effectively eliciting of stakeholders views in relation to the organization program or project. Hence, this means stakeholder mapping analysis could be perceived as a systematic process of gathering and analysis of the qualitative information which determines the interest that should be taken into account when trying to and implementing a certain program (Cho, 2007). Therefore, stakeholders characteristics include knowledge of policy, interest that could be related to policy, positioning against potential alliances, policy with stakeholders and the ability to affect the process of policy. Considering our scenario, we have to consider certain steps in mapping the stakeholders they are; planning process, selection and definition of policy, identification of primary stakeholders, collection and recording of information, analyzing the stakeholders table and using the information available. Therefore, the achievement as a result of stakeholders analysis develops useful and accurate data in regards to our healthcare reform aim. The information available could be used to provide input in other analyses such as the developmental action plans to increase support of the guide or reform policy participation (Singh et al, 2013). Therefore, in defining the purpose according to our case scenario first we need to understand the problem. In regards to our scenario the actual issue being perceived is that patients are complaining that they require testing instruments which could enhance their self health assessment. Hence, the actual issue here is that users perceive that remote monitoring tends to of significance because the vital signs tend to be transferred daily to the monitoring services, and in case a problem arises the service provider is notified (In Talen In Valeras, 2013). But, the main issue here is that the users are in need of better feedback in regards to their health conditions, and reduce their reliance on medical staff intervening, as well as attaining confidence in regards to understanding their situation and management of care. Therefore, to effectively implement or solve this situation the stakeholders mapping will be used in our scenario. In identification of stakeholders, there are different ways to identify stakeholders each having its risks and advantage. Hence, the analysis process should be able to realize the risks of the missing keys of stakeholders and the works that avoid these risks (Martin et al, 2010). Perhaps, we could first outline our stakeholders map in 4 quadrants with stakeholders such as internal operation, internal executives, external operations and external executives. As for the internal operators their main role is consider the internal variables that could be assessed in regards to operations being done by the firm. For the external operators they consider the external variables that could be assessed in regards to operation being done by the firm. Thirdly, the internal executives work on identifying the key variables that affect the capability of executives in the internal environment from performing or enhancement of the proposed program. On the other hand, external executives deal with variables that affect the capability in the external environment from or hinder the accomplishment of the set program. Therefore, we could term all these stakeholders to be responsible in the management and implementation of the set out strategy of providing independence to patient self healthcare assessment. The set of questions that are designed to reveal the stakes as well as assist in identification of the right people to involve in our situation will be: Who do you perceive will be affected either positively or negatively in regards to what you are proposing to do? Who tends to hold the relevant official position in regards to your participation of the proposal? Who runs the proposed program with relevant interest? Have you ever proposed or thought of a similar situation in the past? Whose name in regards to stakeholders pops up in your mind when you are discussing this subject of the laid out proposal? Below will be a list of the internal and external stakeholders in regards to the health department in our scenario: Internal stakeholders External stakeholders Trustees Research scientist Procurement Director of nursing Director of the public health Head of the health intelligence Communication Board committee members Public health managers Director of programs and services Providers Acute trust Service users Patients Funders Link group Health visitors/ nurses in school Media Special interest groups If one works in a commission rather than an organization that offers services, organizations such as in our scenario need to understand that the group of stakeholders (patients and service users) are important, because competitors will be less significant that the provider organizations. On the other hand, assessing the nature of each stakeholder influence tend to have a significance. Since, groups behave differently under certain circumstances it tends to be ital to understand them (Hare, 2008). For instance, if we understand the character of internal operator in our case it means that we can perceive whether they easily understand policy, strategy and project in dependent terms of the organization. Therefore, stakeholders are believed to set policies, project and strategies in regards to the organization (Max, 2012). Hence, this means that listing possible stakeholders such as in our case tends to create the required estimates which are influential and important. Thirdly, carrying out an investigation on stakeholder will help to determine their characteristics, interests, and situations in a better way. It is important that the stakeholders convey their own concern. Therefore, useful methodologies analysis should include: Brainstorming will help to generate ideas and identify issues within the stakeholder groups. The session form will help to record points that can be prioritized and sorted. The formation of focus group will help to discuss on the topic with the stakeholders. An informal checklist of issues in semi-structured interviews is commonly used to guide the interview with the stakeholder group. The following approach is useful to cross-check; identify common ground, determination of the decision-making frameworks, and identification of the tradeoffs of stakeholders. Time lines can be constructed with the stakeholders of history links and the impacts of institutions, processes, and policies with the discussion of effect and cause of different changes. Diagrams help to get an idea of what would be the overall plan. Therefore, they help to motivate discussions by both literate and non-literate people. However, in general visualizations and diagrams work as because they gives focus on discussing issues, stimulate ideas, representing complex issues and therefore help in decision-making (In Abdibi, 2015). Some stakeholder influences and interests are therefore much more apparent than others. It is significant to remember that interests are difficult to describe - they may be multiple, hidden, or in contradiction with the objectives or aims of the organizations to which the stakeholders belong (Jeffries Battin, 2012). Some of these influences and interests are likely to disclose themselves slowly only, for reasons of personal or political expediency, whilst others, may have to be left well alone. Fourth, in regards to patterns and contexts of interaction between stakeholders, the four Rs tend to be the tool used in assessing our stakeholders responsibilities, rights, rewards and relationship with other groups. Lastly, assessing the results in regards to our stakeholder we could perceive that their recommendations are that the attainance of independence by patient in regards to monitoring their health tends to be an effective strategy of treating patients. But, some tend to believe that the implementation of such a program could yield negative results in terms of patient care. This is because medical specialists are professions and have adequate knowledge in terms of healthcare delivery. Therefore, having user monitor their own care could lead to negative response in terms of healthcare delivery. Thus, in regards to the results of our stakeholders analysis we could agree that the proposal should not be implemented as it may affect the quality of healthcare. Case Diagram Actor Actor represents the role of the user of the IT system. It is significant in the IT system to determine and evaluate the role of the users. In many IT system, the role describes the users should log in into the systems. Use case Use case describes interactions and communications that take place between IT systems and actors while the execution of the processes. It represents the functionally of IT system and also enables the users to access the functionally. Association Association is the relationship between the actor or check in employee and the use case. Therefore, it shows that the actor execute and accomplish the use case. Include Relationships Include relationship describe the relationships between the use cases. Therefore, it shows arrow points describing the use case within the diagram. The figure shows a model of the relationship. The use case shows express check point in the diagram at which case is producing boarding pass. It shows that the whole process of generating boarding pass that is carried out. References In Adibi, S. (2015).Mobile health: A technology road map Jeffries, P. R.,Battin, J. (2012).Developing successful health care education simulation centers: The consortium model. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Jorna, R. J. (2006).Sustainable innovation: The organisational, human and knowledge dimension. Sheffield: Greenleaf. Hare, K. (2008).Perception Gaps and the Adoption of Information Technology in theClinical Healthcare Environment. Martin, L. T., Fremont, A. M., Felton, A., Ruder, T., Bird, C. E., Miyashiro, L., Hanson, M., ... Missouri Foundation for Health. (2010).A prototype interactive mapping tool to target low health literacy in Missouri. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. In Talen, M. R., In Valeras, A. B. (2013).Integrated behavioral health in primary care: Evaluating the evidence, identifying the essentials. New York, NY: Springer. Singh, A., Gonzalez, E. T., Thomson, S. B. (2013).Millennium development goals and community initiatives in the Asia Pacific. New Delhi: Springer India. Ma, X. (2012).Rfid-based business process and workflow management in healthcare: Design and implementation. Cho, S. (2007).A contextualist approach to telehealth innovations.

Macbeth Themes Essays (1789 words) - English-language Films

Macbeth Themes Peasants of the early sixteenth century are often pictured carrying a bundle of limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events in Macbeth. Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The thanes are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries the bundle by the sweat of his brow. They carry the bundle for fires on cold nights, or wars, and to build homes, or castles, to protect them from the elements, or invaders. If the limbs are tied improperly, one limb may slip to the side and cause the peasant, or nation, to stumble or fall. If the limb slides completely out, the rest of the limbs may follow because the bundle is loose. Marriage is like a triangle. Each spouse makes up one of the leaning sides, and marriage the lower side. The three together are very strong, but to stand they all must be united. The longer a marriage is held the longer the bottom stretches, and the more dependent each person becomes on the other. If one side tries to stand on its own then the second will fall on the first as it tries to stand. This metaphor also excellently exemplifies the catastrophe that occurs in Macbeth as both Lady Macbeth and Macbeth try to separate. Macbeth is a eighteenth century play written by William Shakespeare. Using these two metaphors, the breakdown in the relationship between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth and between the king and the thanes and how they perfectly parallel each other because each is caused by Macbeth's will to be independent. According to Webster's dictionary, the archaic definition of independence is"competence" (1148). To be independent is not to be "subject to control by others" (Gove 1148). This means that independence is to be in control of ones decisions and to feel they are good decisions. Macbeth, on the other hand, feels independence is to not be subordinate to others like the king. To be independent, one must be strong. Inner strength, not physical strength, is needed. Inner strength is only accomplished by having a high self-esteem. Macbeth does not and must use others to reach for independence. Macbeth needs this strength: It [Macbeth] hurls a universe against a man, and if the universe that strikes is more impressive than the man who is stricken, as great as his size and gaunt as his soul may be he will fall. (Van Doren 217) According to Macbeth's ideas of independence and of strength, he is neither independent nor strong. He feels the need for both and thus allows nothing, including murder, to get into his way. Shakespeare opens Macbeth with the disorder being stabilized by the king and thanes. The thanes fought "rebellious arm ?gainst arm" to curb "his lavish spirit" (I, ii, 56- 7). Macbeth's stature increased to fill the space in the bundle of limbs opened by the death of the Thane of Cawdor for "what he hath lost, noble Macbeth hath won" (I, ii, 67). "When we first see him [Macbeth] he is already invaded by those fears which are to render him vicious and which are finally to make him abominable" (Van Doren 216).At the end of Act I, Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are discussing whether or not to assassinate the king (I, ii). Macbeth has not committed himself to this sin and to independence, he has not broken the commitatus bond that exists between the king and thane. Likewise, Macbeth's marriage is unstable as they argue, but their triangle is still together as they depend on one another. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth each experiment with external forces to gain independence from their spouse. Macbeth uses the witches, on which he becomes increasingly dependent. Lady Macbeth uses alcohol and Satan to "unsex" her and make her strong (II, ii, 1; I, v, 42). Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deny their dependence on their aid, and still require their spouse. Their self denial of their dependence makes them weak, and the more self denial the weaker they get. As a married couple, they are splitting away from each other: they are trying to turn their triangle of dependence into a open square of independence. The split between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth becomes apparent with the assassination of king Duncan. By the end of their arguing in the beginning of Act II, the two had not come to a final decision as to whether to kill the king or not (I, v,

Windows 7 Essay Example

Windows 7 Essay Example Windows 7 Essay Windows 7 Essay Primarily there is no end for human craving for new technology and so here comes the Microsoft’s latest release of innovative Windows 7. Expected to be released in 2010, Windows 7 is faster, more reliable, has more compatibility for programs and devices than vista. Built on the same platform as Windows Vista and windows server 2008, Windows 7 is expected to improve things like memory management, networking, process management, security.   One of its unique features is the â€Å"Windows Touch† which allows the users to use their   fingers as input device instead of the mouse. The new operating system does remove some of the flubs of Vista, like the UAC and the removal of the sidebar. In place of the sidebar users can simply add gadgets to the desktop. Other features include Pinning applications to the task bar. Notably task bar is improved with new and improved task pan , with the option to view even a full screen preview before switching to the window.Connecting and sharing media and printers are made easier in windows 7. Plug your device to your computer and see the task you want is another great trait. System restore which is available in xp and Vista is extended to Windows 7.LIMITATIONS:As with every Technogy, Windows 7 has its own limitations which can be rectified in the near future.Windows 7 is incompatible with windows live Onecare. Although Microsoft has announced that it would introduce a free security offering called MORRO backups created with windows live OneCare cannot be used with windows 7. The only option is to restore the data using windows Live Onecare and then backup or copy that data to another location using windows backup.Another limitation is that with the Starter edition. Windows 7 starter edition allows only three concurrent applications. On the other hand, home premium edition is expensive which allows more than 15 concurrent applications. In addition, Windows 7   starter users will not have the additional applicatio ns like Media centre or DVD maker.CONCLUSION:Thus Windows 7 offers services that improve performance, reliability, security and compatibility, compared to previous operating systems.In terms of comparison with windows vista we can conclude that Windows 7 is similar to windows visa in terms of its visual interface but with a different technology. Microsoft is working hard to smooth some of vista’s rough edges. One of its unique features DeviceStage, (a window for controlling devices) is a great added value.Many of the improvements to features like BitLocker, backups, and Enterprise needs will make Windows 7 a viable new OS for those holding off on the Vista upgrade. The true result will also depend upon the business running enterprise systems. On the whole windows 7 totally simplifies the way you work with the windows on your desktop.REFERENCES:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Windows vista in a nutshell, Preston Gralla, 2006, O’reilly.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.microsoft.com/win dows/windows-7/3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.windows7news.com4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://computerworld.com/good_bye_xp_hello_windows_75.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   www.windows7.cc

Public Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Economics - Essay Example The major problem in the idea of dismantling monopoly of public school stems from the fact that such an approach will improve quality of public education by increasing competition among schools.   Several economists have pointed out to reasons that make political control of education inefficient. In fact, the poor performance of schools in America had been largely linked to the public control of education. Economists who support this notion believe that political force, instead of forces of competition, drives production; otherwise, producers and consumers will end up spending more time in catering to the political needs, instead of focusing on the satisfaction of consumers. Inefficiency creeps into the system as producers become complacent under the protection of the government and consumers fail to obtain better quality of service. Public schools did not have to compete with their rivals, which had increased their social costs. The public had no choice, but to send their children to local national schools. This rendered the whole system ineffective (Gwartney 159-173). Friedman has been one of the earliest economists who had suggested the chief rationales that lay behind government intervention in the field of education, namely effects of the neighborhood and concerns of parents. The government had to make these two arguments in order to nationalize the system of education. However, according to the views of Friedman, the system of education could be improved without nationalization and had introduced the concept of  education vouchers in schooling.

Phyllida Barlow's dock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phyllida Barlow's dock - Essay Example The ceilings hold the sculptures, laid on the ground, sprawl over the marble floor, with which she permanently disrupts the natural flow of visitors through the space. Barlow is a talented artist who has caught the attention of most exhibitions. Barlow was born in 1944 in Newcastle, England, though she spent most of tender age in London. In London, she went to Chelsea Collage of Art and later became a Professor Emerita at the Slade School of Fine Art. Barlow had a great influence on Young British Artists (YBAs). She mentored many internationally famous students, namely, Martin Creed, Angela de la Cruz, and Douglas Gordon to the Turner Prize winner Rachel Whiteread. Barlow came into the international limelight because of her shows at the Migros Museum and Vienna’s BAWAG Foundation from 2010. The commission of Dock, 2014for Duveen Galleries is a significant establishment in Barlow’s career as a sculpture artist. As for a sculptor, it is one of the most visible platforms in the country essentially a long and cavernous hall with vaulted ceilings from which various galleries radiate. Dock, 2014 is reportedly inspired by the view of a shipping container on the River Thames located nearly Tate Britain. Gothic, slapstick, over-reaching, trammeling, dock presents the world as a theatre set, a gigantic childs play of sculptural ambition, an anti-monumental act of deconstruction, and a huge bricolage. The seven sculptures collectively collapse, jostle and stretch out over the 100-yard in length, 16-yard tall in Duveen Court. The first most eye-catching object is the intricate Dock: 5hungblocks, 2013. The five chunky rectangular forms almost look like trapped in the disorderly arranged wooden fence, suspended by red straps intruded by several tubes. The weightless sense of suspending an object with the illusion of water flowing in the air intrigues Barlow. In an interview,

Team Collaboration Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Team Collaboration - Research Paper Example The second type is the leadership Team which has the strategic role in directing the company’s business decision. Most companies have such a team. Another type of team is the cross-functional teams. This is sometimes called the project team. It incorporates workers across different functions of the organization; mainly people with diverse areas of knowledge. They come together to share their knowledge toward a common goal. A familiar situation that needs a cross-functional team is the initiate of a new product (Robert and Barb, 2003). Sometimes we have a self-managed team. This type is also called a self-directed team; in this team, no position is granted authority. In a bid to working towards a regular goal, the team forms their action items, education, roles, and rewards system. This is usually founded on a very realistic what works, what doesn’t criteria. Some organizations have a quality circle team. This team works in a structured way to allow innovation at the same time as making management conscious of daily issues. Persons working in this team seek to locate, examine, and address issues in the workflow of their company. This is aimed at improving performance (Amy, 2004). The last type of team is the task force. This is a group of specialists that are called together with an aim of solving a predestined, distinct, and an assignment that comes once. If the duty recurs, sometimes it may also be called a commission (Amy, 2004). Developing a group into a team can be done in a four step process. The first stage is called the forming stage. In this stage, there is high dependence on leader for direction and course. There is minimal agreement on team aspirations other than those established by the leader. Individual responsibilities and roles are uncertain. The leader is obliged to answer many questions concerning the teams purpose, mission and external relationships (Amy, 2004). The next stage

Institutional Structures Of Brazil And China Economics Essay

Institutional Structures Of Brazil And China Economics Essay There are a number of factors that multi-national corporations ought to consider before investing in another country. The challenges that are faced vary from country to country. In some cases there are similarities within the institutional structures of these countries that may attract corporations to take advantage of the favorable factors. On the other hand some instructional structures are capable of limiting the policy alternatives available to investors and other policy makers. The control in power among government organizations such as the legislative, judicial and executive makes it difficult for the policy making process to be reviewed. This paper seeks to analyze and discuss five areas of the institutional structures of Brazil and china that are likely to influence global corporations like OPEC to invest in the petroleum industry of another country. A discussion of the comparative attractiveness of these markets is also presented after the assessment of the two countries. A brief back ground of the two countries is also presented. A logical conclusion is drawn from such assessment at the end of this paper. overview of Brazil With the exploitation of large natural resources and a large labor intensive economy, Brazil has risen to the position of being the leading economic power in South America as a major emerging economy. Revenues from the production and supply of oil have made a significant contribution to the development of the economy. Petrobras (a major oil producing company in Brazil founded in the year 1953) has established itself as the biggest oil company in the Latin America in terms of revenue and market capitalization; according to the rankings from Latin Business Chronicle, Petrobras 2008 revenue was 118.3 billion. While the company (Petrobras) has withdrawn itself from being Brazils legal monopolist in the petroleum industry in 1997, it continues to play a significant role as a major oil producer, with production exceeding 2 million barrels of oil per day. Information presented on CIA- world fact a book show that in 2008 Brazils estimated oil production in barrels of oil equivalent per day w as 2.422 million. The country is governed under the 1988 constitution of amendment, of which it is presently being run by the federal republic (government type). The countrys president (leader of government) who is elected into office by the highest votes can serve a four year term (and may do so on two terms), has both the positions of the head of state and head of government. Brazil has an increasing economy based primarily on financial, service, manufacturing and trade (Britannica concise encyclopedia, 2010). With an increasing and developing agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service sectors, Brazil is placed at the top of all the countries within South America. This has allowed the country to accomplish a well established position in the global market and economy. According to a report produced by the World Economic Forum, the Brazilian economy was ranked as the top country in rising evolution of competitiveness in 2009. Brazil posses a large mineral wealth comprising of iron ore, tin, quartz, industrial diamonds, gem stones, gold, uranium, bauxite and platinum. The newly found offshore oil and natural gas deposits can place the country in the position of being a major gas and petroleum producer. The country also has a very large food processing and the principal manufacturing industries produce of products such as shoes, chemicals, steel, aircraft textile and machinery. The main source of Brazils electricity comes from water power, and it has a great untouched potential for hydroelectricity, more so in the Amazon basin. Brief overview of Russia Russia has gone through a period of industrialization since the disintegration of the Soviet Union (in 1991) shifting from an internationally-isolated, predominantly planned economy to a market-oriented and internationally-integrated economy. The economic restructuring and development process which began in the 1990s has witnessed the nationalization of most industry, with the distinct exclusion in the energy and security-related sectors. Today, Russia has been experiencing significant economic development as one of the major emerging market. In addition, Russia has a favorable balance of trade where exports exceed imports in a significant way. According to CIA-the world fact book, Russias estimated exports for 2008 and 2009 are 471.6 billion and 295.6 billion respectively, whereas their imports for the same period are 291.9 billion and 196.8 billion respectively. Russias Petroleum industry is another major contributor to the economy and is one of the biggest oil producers in the glo bal market. According to a June 2009 report present by the Energy Information Administration, Russia is ranked the 2nd largest oil producer with the production of 9,677 thousand barrels of oil per day. The report also ranked Russia as the fourth biggest consumer of petroleum in the world with consumption of approximately 2,811 thousand barrels per day. As it relates to oil export, Russia is ranked as the 2nd biggest net exporter) with 6,866 thousand barrels per day. The government type of Russia is a Federal Republic which basically means that the country has a federation of states run by a Republican type of government. This type of government is comprised of both a President and a Prime Minister that jointly runs the countrys affairs. The President holds the position of head of state while the Prime Minister holds the position of head of state; the Executive authority is carried out by the government and the Legislative Authority is carried out by both the government and the two chambers of the Federal Assembly of Russia. The safe guarding of property rights issue has continued to be an area of serious concern while the strong state interference in private sector continues to be a norm. Russias industry is mainly divided between internationally competitive product producers. In 2009, Russia was the worlds biggest exporter of both petroleum and natural gas and was ranked in third spot as the biggest exporter of steel and main aluminum. In order for businesses to conduct foreign investments there are a few risk factors that can serve as barriers for investments. These risk factors could undermine growth and economic stability and they should be taken into consideration so that businesses would remain profitable and have sustainable market share in this competitive global era. Every business transactions have some level of risk. However, when business transaction takes place across global borders, additional risk is prevalent as oppose to domestic transactions. This section, examines the stability of both Brazil and Russia as it relates to the potential investment of Oil Industry. In order to compare and contrast both countries on its stability, considerations have to be given to the Political, Economic, Regulatory and Technological environment. Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to political stability Brazil has a Federal Government type meaning their political environment is made up of a number of self-governing states united by a federal government (Babylon translation, 2004), whereas, Russia on the other hand is made up of a Constitutional Federation (Federal Republic). The issue here is whether governments action could affect the profitability of investing in Brazil or Russia. Brazil is a stable government who is open to the idea of foreign investors. It is the largest foreign direct investment recipient in Latin America, attracting an estimated USD 42 billion in 2008 (United Nations report). Although Brazil is considered as friendly or appropriate environment for investment, the governments implementation of high level taxation and regulatory requirements exist. Brazil has a cooperate tax of 34% as compared to Russia 20% (Brazil income taxes 2010). As a result, conducting business in Brazil as compared to Russia with taxation as the variable makes Russia more of an attractive market since businesses in Russia will have more disposable earning for expansionary purposes of the oil industry. The level of corruption in a country has far reaching ramification on investments and on the doing business climate. According to Transparency International (2010) which gives corruption perception indices on a scale of 1-10 (1 being highly corrupt and 10 being free from corruption), Brazil has a corruption perception index of 3.5 whereas; Russia has a corruption perception index of 2.3. Hence, Russia highly probability of investors in the oil industry being subjected to unfair business practices than that of Brazil. Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to their Regulatory stability According to Bloombergs report (2008), the Brazilian economy grow at the fastest paste since 2004 and in sync with standards and poors report the country is expected to maintain annual growth up to 4.5%. This type of economic growth gives credit to the country for potential investment. Thus, the previous year Brazil recorded a record high of $34.6 billion foreign investment. This amount of foreign direct investment together with a tripled export rate will cover Brazils current account deficit (Standard and Poors, 2008). Brazil stable economy have drawn investors and trade agreements between Brazil and other countries. Russia on the other hand, economy has been contracting due to falling oil prices and trade disputes with neighbors. This has resulted in Russia being the first G-8 nation to be downgraded since the start of the global economic crisis. Russia has been struggling with rising inflation, high unemployment, negative economic growth and social unrest which have become a disin centive for foreign direct investment including that of the oil industry (Walker and Robbins, 2009). Compare and contrast Brazil and Russia as it relates to their Economic stability As every other country Russia has regulatory system in place, however as a result of corruption, regulations are not enforced as to aid in the fear treatment of investors. The influence of governments on prices, bureaucratic inconsistency and other forms of government controls detours investments in various sectors. The regulatory environment in Russia makes it difficult to start, operate and close a business. Bureaucratic procedures are drawn out and complicated. For example, obtaining a business license takes more than 18 procedures and 218 days (The heritage foundation 2010). Investment law is very subjective to federal law which allows Government a lot of discretionary control over foreign investment. That is to say, while investment laws speculate the national treatment or foreign investors, federal law is given the prerogative in the protection of the constitution and defense of state. In retrospect, the Russian government in 2006 introduced what is known as the strategic secto rs law under which interests by foreign investors must be pre-approved by the Russian government which has been marred by corruption (Russia been ranked 147 out of 149 countries on transparency international index or 2008 and bribery being rampant), inadequate infrastructure and unreliable contract enforcement. All of these factors affecting the oil industry in various ways. The court system however, in Brazil has proven to be highly ineffective. This is due to lack of human resource and efficient functionary equipment, especially when dealing with issues pertaining to shareholder rights and claims. This comparison shows that both markets have varying weaknesses as it relates to regulatory systems. However, specific to oil industry, Brazil has a comparative advantage in that, the country has had regulatory stability for over 10 years of petroleum Law (Hale, 2009). In addition to these, other factors influences the attractiveness of the market relative to the potential oil industry. Provided hereunder is the convertibility of currency which is another deeming factor that can influence investment opportunities in Brazil or Russia. Convertibility of Local Currency to Dollars The convertibility of a countrys local currency also plays an important role in further development of an economy. With the U.S dollar being the world reserve currency, developing countries would do well to have a close, if not full convertibility rate to the U.S dollar. In Brazil the currency used is the Brazilian Real (R$), also known as BRL. At present the exchange rate for Brazilian currency to the U.S dollar is 1.82 BRL to $1 U.S.D. Though not fully convertible, the Brazilian Real stands strong. Ever since 2003, the U.S dollar has fallen 50% against the BRL. The reason for the strength in the Brazilian Real is the fact that Brazils exports surpass its imports. Thus more foreign currency comes in, than the BRL goes out. This can affect the Brazilian currency positively as a convertible currency would mean free movement of capital, which can help strengthen the economy. Oil is in great demand all over, for it has a vast number of uses. If the oil industry were to come to Brazil it will yield much higher profits due to its close conversion rate to the US dollar of 1.82 BRL to $1 U.S.D as mentioned earlier. As of 2009, Brazil had the second largest oil reserves in the region of South America, of 12.6 billion barrels as was proven by The Oil and Gas Journal (OGJ). 2.4 billion barrels of oil was produced in Brazil each day and continued to rise throughout the years. With increases such as these, the Short-Term Energy Outlook forecasted as of September 2009, that oil production would reach around 2.61 million and 2.81 million in 2010. Brazil, in this respect clearly has high potential where the oil industry is concerned and would prove to be a profitable area for investors wishing to position their industry in the country. However, investors must still be cautious. Although Brazil is high on foreign exchange, in order to sustain this level of foreign currency coming into the country, and to deter inflation of their currency, trade barriers and the high tariffs ar e place on some goods to prevent or minimize imports. Taxes are also very high and are placed on all citizens in the country to cover government spending. So at the end of the day a heavy amount of a businesss profits would go towards paying taxes. So while an oil industry may work well in Brazil, there are other areas of concern that investors must take into consideration before selecting the country as a target market. Russia on the other hand has achieved full convertibility of its currency since the year 2006. Russias currency uses the ruble or RUB. At present, its rate to the US is 1 RUB to 0.03 US dollars. This therefore opens Russias economy to freer movement of trade and a major player in international financial markets (Encyclopedia.com, 2006). A fully convertible currency has gained Russia multiple benefits such as the opening of ruble accounts for both foreign and local investors alike and the advantage of investing in both foreign and domestic businesses. Russia is quickly becoming a globally established economy. However, there remain few problems with the Russian currency. According to The Worlds Favourite Currency Site, Russians inflation rate, compared to the US Dollar, is near 6.5 percent, while the ruble has weakened to 33 rubles per US dollar. Russia, as the largest oil producer on the globe, can suffer greatly from fluctuations. This is because as prices rise and fall, so must the prices of oil change to reflect. This, as a result, hinders the ability for the country to plan a proper budget for its economy and consequently, the ability to plan for expansionary purposes for the economy as a whole. Comparing and contrast trade agreements International relationship specific to the WTO and OPEC as it relates to the Brazil and Russia As the result of globalization, international relations between countries have become increasingly significant, hence the reason why, the rules regarding international trade became necessary. On average 52.3% of Russias total trade turnover takes place with the European Union which is also the biggest investor in Russia accounting for 75% of Russias foreign direct investment. Notwithstanding this, Russia is the worlds largest economy which is not part of the WTO and with Russia being the second largest producer of oil in the world, it is not part of OPEC. Russias non-membership in these critical organizations limits its ability to play an active role in the decision making process as an emerging market. In the case of the WTO, despite recommendation for accession into the WTO by the EU and other members of the BRIC forum, Russia has failed to implement some of the necessary regulatory requirements as the leadership of the country has shown the lack of political will to do so. There h ave been years of rescheduling, timetabling and back and forth negations to ensure that Russia becomes a member of the WTO, however in June 2009 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made an appalling decision to abandon efforts for accession into the WTO. In retrospect, the development of Russia by exploiting opportunities made available through the WTO and its multilateral trade agreements is hindered. Similarly, Russias non-participation in OPEC has had far-reaching ramifications for the oil industry since it is not able to play a role in controlling the supply and price of oil. On the other hand, Brazil is a member of several international economic organizations as such as the WTO and WCO. The WTO is a global international organization which deals with trade between nations. Brazils membership into the WTO represents the fact that the regulatory requirements of the WTO have been met by Brazil which allows for the exploitation of balance of rights and obligations and ensures that there is security and fairness as it relates to multilateral trade. Traditionally Brazil has produced just about enough oil to aid in its local consumption. However in 2008 with the discovery of off show oil deposits which may contain as much as 100 billion barrels of oil Brazil may become one of the worlds emerging oil exporters. In this regard Brazilian authorities have expressed the desire to become members of OPEC whenever it commences oil exports. This motive will stands to provide mutual benefits for both Brazil and the OPEC since the addition of Brazil as a member of OPEC will allow for the organization to have control over a larger percentage of the worlds oil hence more influence on oil supply and by extension prices. Similarly, Brazil will now have influence over world oil prices as a member of OPEC. This gives Brazil a comparative advantage over Russia relative to the oil industry in that although Russia have been a major exporter of oil, it has not established relations hips with other oil exporting countries to facilitate the regulation of oil supply, prices and corruption in the industry. Further, while Russia is suffering from quickly depleting oil supply Brazil has been able to locate new oil reserves resulting in more clout for Brazil on the international scene as it relates to trade as a decision maker in the oil industry. Market size and attractiveness Both Russia and Brazil are part of the four emerging markets (BRIC) with great potential for economic growth. Brazil has a population of 192,272,890, ranked number four in terms of population size on the market potential index for emerging markets in 2009. Brazilians has a mean disposable income of USD 16,208 with an emerging middle class. The level of economic growth has left some inequalities and therefore 75% of the population earns below the mean disposable income. The rapid growth of the middle class in Brazil has resulted in higher demands for oil and oil related products impacting positively on the industry. Growth of the upper/elite class is also evident with a 124% increase in average disposable income from 2002-2007 of USD 72,932. These levels of growth have been complemented by increased government spending and a falling debt to GDP ratio. The decreasing amount of public and foreign debt stands to benefit the economy in terms of employment since government can spend more o f its resources the capital side of the budget equation and in some cases less taxes are necessary to service recurrent expenditure and debt hence more disposable income is available to circulate in the economy. These economic conditions amongst many others are responsible for the position Brazil has established in the global market as one of the worlds fastest emerging and most attractive markets. Russias population stands at 141,927,297 as of 1 January 2010 with steady growth of the upper/elite class driving oil consumption to an all time high. The changing lifestyle of persons in the upper class fueled by high-end motor vehicles has resulted is a ravenous demand for oil and oil based products. Russias low debt to GDP ratio of 6.8% should allow for efficient distribution of wealth and steady economic growth. However because of the level of corruption there is inefficient distribution of wealth and the overdependence on the oil industry hinders the countrys ability to compete in ot her areas. Russia also has the highest disposable income of emerging markets with 87% of per capita income being disposable, with projected increase of disposable averaged at 15% annually. There is a widening middleclass especially in Moscow which has a disposable income that is more than three times that of the national average. The average disposable income is $ 1023. This comparison clearly shows why both countries are regarded as emerging markets and are generally attractive to investors. This will yield much benefit to the oil industry because of the increasing demand tied with improvements in the standard of living and disposable income. Russia however is confronted with the problem of depleting oil supply, hence, if demand continues to rise Russia oil imports will peak resulting in a steep fall in GDP. It should also be noted that the spread of wealth in Brazil is more equitable than that of Russia which creates a gap in class strata which is known to cause increases in indig ent rates which leads to civil unrest in some cases. Conclusions The oil Industry is clearly very dynamic and is affected by several variables in the economy including: the type of government, economic freedom, regulatory systems, currency fluctuation and convertibility, general economic condition , trade and international relations, market size and attractiveness and many other related factors. With Russia and Brazil being members of the BRIC forum of emerging markets and the concurrent peaks in demand for oil, efficient and prudent economic management should ensure the equitable spread of wealth which should stimulate economic growth. However limitations of governments and other related variables are impediments to the achievement of these noble dreams. Hence, based on the evaluation of critical areas in this paper it is conclusive that both Brazil and Russia presents opportunities for investment and in specific areas one may have a comparable advantage over the other. Clearly in generalization Brazil offers a more stable and predictable investm ent environment which hinges on its steady system of government with established trade relations and a regime prone to fighting corruption as opposed to Russia which have been marred by corruption at all levels and mismanagement in its oil industry. The emergence of future oil exporting potential by Brazil will further position Brazil to be one of the worlds economic powers. While Russia have had some level of growth, much of it is not attributed to the efforts of it government system but rather to economic factors as a result of changing spending patterns. Our recommendation of Brazil as the choice investment market is relative to outlook from the perspective of the oil industry and may vary for other industries. It is arguable that based on the industry being examined and the economic variables under consideration that Russia may be found suitable for investment.

Beneatha as a paradigm for African American Women in A Raisin in The Su

In Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play A Raisin in the Sun a number of social issues are both explicitly and subtly exemplified through out the characters experiences and relationships. Living in a cramped Chicago apartment, the Youngers’ display both influential goals and conflicting restraints. Beneatha Youngers is a controversial character; she complicates society’s typical gender roles, introduces the wrestle between assimilation and ancestry of African-Americans, but specifically serves as a paradigm for her generation in the play. When Beneatha is first introduced in the play, we see her waking up on a regular morning; she is living under the same confined circumstances as the rest of the characters. Prior to Beneatha’s entrance, the audience observes Walter and Ruth over breakfast. Walter begins to complain about â€Å"colored women† through out the play his character continually spits out patriarchal and misogynistic comments, often targeted at Beneatha. As he finishes his negative complaints, Beneatha enters. The long character description molds her persona. She is illustrated not as pretty but her â€Å"almost intellectual face has a handsomeness of its own†(Hansberry, 35). This specific use of handsome portrays her character as a sharp and unfeminine. Hansberry’s word choice is extremely intentional as she connects Beneatha with masculine qualities, which inherently matches the stereotype of her feminist personality. The fact that her face is also described as intellectual imp lies that she carries an intelligent look in her features. â€Å"Her speech is a mixture of many things; it is different from the rest of the family’s insofar as education has permeated her sense of English- and perhaps the Midwest rather than the south has final... ...list, but she grows to adapt idealist thinking. Her presence in the play was symbolically targeted toward the audience. She is both inspiring and relatable to any audience. At the play’s end it is Beneatha’s character that voices her future plans, even after they successfully move to Clybourne Heights. She proves her goal fluidity by wanting to practice her medical career in Africa, blending her two passions. Beneatha Youngers is the influential prototype for a generation of people, which history has validated. Works Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Random House, 1958. Print. 2) Wilkerson, Margaret B. "'A Raisin in the Sun': Anniversary of an American Classic." Theatre Journal Johns Hopkins University Press Vol. 38, No. 4.Theatre of Color (1986): 441-452. JSTOR. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. .

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 1. ULTIMATUM

Bella, I don't know why you're making Charlie carry notes to Billy like we're in second grade if I wanted to talk to you I would answer the You made the choice here, okay? You can't have it both ways when What part of ‘mortal enemies' is too complicated for you to Look, I know I'm being a jerk, but there's just no way around We can't be friends when you're spending all your time with a bunch of It just makes it worse when I think about you too much, so don't write anymore Yeah, I miss you, too. A lot. Doesn't change anything. Sorry. Jacob I ran my fingers across the page, feeling the dents where he had pressed the pen to the paper so hard that it had nearly broken through. I could picture him writing this?scrawling the angry letters in his rough handwriting, slashing through line after line when the words came out wrong, maybe even snapping the pen in his too-big hand; that would explain the ink splatters. I could imagine the frustration pulling his black eyebrows together and crumpling his forehead. If it'd been there, I might have laughed. Don't give yourself a brain hemorrhage, Jacob, I would have told him. Just spit it out. Laughing was the last thing I felt like doing now as I reread the words I'd already memorized. His answer to my pleading note?passed from Charlie to Billy to him, just like second grade, as he'd pointed out?was no surprise. I'd known the essence of what it would say before I'd opened it. What was surprising was how much each crossed-out line wounded me?as if the points of the letters had cutting edges. More than that, behind each angry beginning lurked a vast pool of hurt; Jacob's pain cut me deeper than my own. While I was pondering this, I caught the unmistakable scent of a smoking burner rising from the kitchen. In another house, the fact that someone besides myself was cooking might not be a cause for panicking. I shoved the wrinkled paper into my back pocket and ran. I made it downstairs in the nick of time. The jar of spaghetti sauce Charlie'd stuck in the microwave was only on its first revolution when I yanked the door open and pulled it out. â€Å"What did I do wrong?† Charlie demanded. â€Å"You're supposed to take the lid off first, Dad. Metal's bad for microwaves.† I swiftly removed the lid as I spoke, poured half the sauce into a bowl, and then put the bowl inside the microwave and the jar back in the fridge; I fixed the time and pressed start. Charlie watched my adjustments with pursed lips. â€Å"Did I get the noodle's right?† I looked in the pan on the stove?the source of the smell that had alerted me. â€Å"Stirring helps,† I said mildly. I found a spoon and tried to de-clump the mushy hunk that was scalded at the bottom. Charlie sighed. â€Å"So what's all this about?† I asked him. He folded his arms across his chest and glared out the back windows into the sheeting rain. â€Å"Don't know what you're talking about,† he grumbled. I was mystified. Charlie cooking? And what was with the surly attitude? Edward wasn't here yet; usually my dad reserved this kind of behavior for my boyfriend's benefit, doing his best to illustrate the theme of â€Å"unwelcome† with every word and posture. Charlie's efforts were unnecessary?Edward knew exactly what my dad was thinking without the show. The word boyfriend had me chewing on the inside of my cheek with familiar tension while I stirred. It wasn't the right word, not at all. I needed something more expressive of eternal commitment?. But words like destiny and fate sounded hokey when you used them in casual conversation. Edward had another word in mind, and that word was the source of the tension I felt. It put my teeth on edge just to think it to myself. Fiance. Ugh. I shuddered away from the though. â€Å"Did you miss something? Since when do you make dinner?† I asked Charlie. The pasta lump bobbed in the boiling water as I poked it. â€Å"Or try to make dinner, I should say.† Charlie shrugged. â€Å"There's no law that says I can't cook in my own house.† â€Å"You would know,† I replied, grinning as I eyed the badge pinned to his leather jacket. â€Å"Ha. Good one.† He shrugged out of the jacket as if my glance had reminded him he still had it on, and hung it on the peg reserved for his gear. His gun belt was already slung in place?he hadn't felt the need to wear that to the station for a few weeks. There had been no more disturbing disappearances to trouble the small town of Forks, Washington, no more sighting of the giant, mysterious wolves in the ever-rainy woods?. I prodded the noodles in silence, guessing that Charlie would get around to talking about whatever was bothering him in his own time. My dad was not a man of many words, and the effort he had put into trying to orchestrate a sit-down dinner with me made it clear there were an unusual characteristic number of words on his mind. I glanced at the clock routinely?something I did every few minutes around this time. Less than a half hour to go now. Afternoons were the hardest part of my day. Ever since my former best friend (and werewolf), Jacob Black, had informed on me about the motorcycle I'd been riding on the sly?a betrayal he had devised in order to get my grounded so that I couldn't spend time with my boyfriend (and vampire), Edward Cullen?Edward had been allowed to see me only from seven till nine-thirty p.m., always inside the confines of my home and under the supervision of my dad's unfailingly crabby glare. This was an escalation from the previous, slightly less stringent grounding that I'd earned from an unexplained three-day disappearance and one episode of cliff diving. Of course, I still saw Edward at school, because there wasn't anything Charlie could do about that. And then, Edward spent almost every night in my room, too, but Charlie wasn't precisely aware of that. Edward's ability to climb easily and silently through my second-story window was almost as useful as his ability to read Charlie's mind. Though the afternoon was the only time I spent away from Edward, it was enough to make me restless, and the hours always dragged. Still, I endured my punishment without complaining because?for one thing?I knew I'd earned it, and?for another?because I couldn't bear to hurt my dad by moving out now, when a much more permanent separation hovered, invisible to Charlie, so close on my horizon. My dad sat down at the table with a grunt and unfolded the damp newspaper there; within seconds he was clucking his tongue in disapproval. â€Å"I don't know why you read the paper, Dad. It only ticks you off.† He ignored me, grumbling at the paper in his hands. â€Å"This is why everyone wants to live in a small town! Ridiculous.† â€Å"What have big cities done wrong now?† â€Å"Seattle's making a run for murder capitol of the country. Five unsolved homicides in the last two weeks. Can you imagine living like that?† â€Å"I think Phoenix is actually higher up in the homicide list, Dad. I have lived like that.† And I'd never come close to being a murder victim until after I moved to his safe little town. In fact, was still on several hit lists?. The spoon shook in my hands, making the water tremble. â€Å"Well, you couldn't pay me enough,† Charlie said. I gave up on saving dinner and settled for serving it; I had to use a steak knife to cut a portion of spaghetti for Charlie and then myself, while he watched with a sheepish expression. Charlie coated his helping with sauce and dug in. I disguised my own clump as well as I could and followed his example without much enthusiasm. We ate in silence for a moment. Charlie was still scanning the news, so I picked up my much-abused copy of Wuthering Heights from where I'd left it this morning at breakfast, and tried to lose myself in the turn-of-the-century England while I waited for him to start talking. I was just to the part where Heathcliff returns when Charlie cleared his throat and threw the paper to the floor. â€Å"You're right,† Charlie said. â€Å"I did have a reason for doing this.† He waved his fork at the gluey spread. â€Å"I wanted to talk to you.† I laid the book aside; the binding was so destroyed that it slumped flat to the table. â€Å"You could have just asked.† He nodded, his eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"Yeah. I'll remember that next time. I thought taking dinner off your hands would soften you up.† I laughed. â€Å"It worked?your cooking skills have me soft as a marshmallow. What do you need, Dad?† â€Å"Well, it's about Jacob.† I felt my face harden. â€Å"What about him?† I asked through stiff lips. â€Å"Easy, Bells. I know you're still upset that he told on you, but it was the right thing. He was being responsible.† â€Å"Responsible,† I repeated scathingly, rolling my eyes. â€Å"Right. So what about Jacob?† The careless question repeated inside my head, anything but trivial. What about Jacob? What was I going to do about him? My former best friend who was now?what? My enemy? I cringed. Charlie's face was suddenly wary. â€Å"Don't get mad at me, okay?† â€Å"Mad?† â€Å"Well, it's about Edward, too.† My eyes narrowed. Charlie's voice got gruffer. â€Å"I let him in the house, don't I?† â€Å"You do,† I admitted. â€Å"For brief periods of time. Of course, you might let me out of the house for brief periods of time now and then, too,† I continued?only jokingly; I knew I was on lockdown for the duration of the school year. â€Å"I've been pretty good lately.† â€Å"Well, that's kind of where I was heading with this?.† And then Charlie's face stretched into an unexpected eye-crinkling grin; for a second he looked twenty years younger. I saw a dim glimmer of possibility in that smile, but I proceeded slowly. â€Å"I'm confused, Dad. Are we talking about Jacob, or Edward, or me being grounded?† The grin flashed again. â€Å"Sort of all three.† â€Å"And how do they relate?† I asked, cautious. â€Å"Okay.† He sighed, raising his hands as if in surrender. â€Å"So I'm thinking maybe you deserve a parole for good behavior. For a teenager, you're surprisingly non-whiney.† My voice and eyebrows shot up. â€Å"Seriously? I'm free?† Where was this coming from? I'd been positive I would be under house arrest until I actually moved out, and Edward hadn't picked up any wavering in Charlie's thoughts?. Charlie held up one finger. â€Å"Conditionally.† The enthusiasm vanished. â€Å"Fantastic,† I groaned. â€Å"Bella, this is more of a request than a demand, okay? You're free. But I'm hoping you'll use that freedom?judiciously.† â€Å"What does that mean?† He sighed again. â€Å"I know you're satisfied to spend all your time with Edward?† â€Å"I spend time with Alice, too,† I interjected. Edward's sister had no hours of visitation; she came and went as she pleased. Charlie was putty in her capable hands. â€Å"That's true,† he said. â€Å"But you have other friends besides the Cullens, Bella. Or you used to.† We stared at each other for a long moment. † When was the last time you spoke to Angela Weber?† he threw at me. â€Å"Friday at lunch,† I answered immediately. Before Edward's return, my school friends had polarized into two groups. I liked to think of those groups as good vs. evil. Us and them worked, too. The good guys were Angela, her steady boyfriend Ben Cheney, and Mike Newton; these three had all very generously forgiven me for going crazy when Edward left. Lauren Mallory was the evil core of the them side, and almost everyone else, including my first friend in Forks, Jessica Stanley, seemed content to go along with her anti-Bella agenda. With Edward back at school, the dividing line had become even more distinct. Edward's return had taken its toll on Mike's friendship, but Angela was unswervingly loyal, and Ben followed her lead. Despite the natural aversion most humans felt toward the Cullens, Angela sat dutifully beside Alice every day at lunch. After a few weeks, Angela even looked comfortable there. It was difficult not to be charmed by the Cullens?once one gave them the chance to be charming. â€Å"Outside of school?† Charlie asked, calling my attention back. â€Å"I haven't seen anyone outside of school, Dad. Grounded, remember? And Angela has a boyfriend, too. She's always with Ben. If I'm really free,† I added, heavy on the skepticism, â€Å"maybe we could double.† â€Å"Okay. But then?† He hesitated. â€Å"You and Jake used to be joined at the hip, and now?† I cut him off. â€Å"Can you get to the point, Dad? What's your condition?exactly?† â€Å"I don't think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend, Bella,† he said in a stern voice. â€Å"It's not nice, and I think your life would be better balanced if you kept some other people in it. What happened last September?† I flinched. â€Å"Well,† he said defensively. â€Å"If you'd had more of a life outside of Edward Cullen, it might not have been like that.† â€Å"It would have been exactly like that,† I muttered. â€Å"Maybe, maybe not.† â€Å"The point?† I reminded him. â€Å"Use your new freedom to see your other friends, too. Keep it balanced.† I nodded slowly. â€Å"Balance is good. Do I have specific time quotas to fill, though?† He made a face, but shook his head. â€Å"I don't want to make this complicated. Just don't forget about your friends?particularly Jacob.† It took me a moment to find the right words. â€Å"Jacob might be?difficult.† â€Å"The Blacks are practically family, Bella† he said, stern and fatherly again. â€Å"And Jacob has been a very, very good friend to you.† â€Å"I know that.† â€Å"Don't you miss him at all?† Charlie asked, frustrated. My throat suddenly felt swollen; I had to clear it twice before I answered. â€Å"Yes, I do miss him,† I admitted, still looking down. â€Å"I miss him a lot.† â€Å"Then why is it difficult?† It wasn't something I was at liberty to explain. It was against the rules for normal people?human people like me and Charlie?to know about the clandestine world full of myths and monsters that existed secretly around us. I knew all about that world?and I was in no small amount of trouble as a result. I wasn't about to get Charlie in the same trouble. â€Å"With Jacob there is?a conflict,† I said slowly. â€Å"A conflict about the friendship thing, I mean. Friendship doesn't always seem to be enough for Jake.† I wound my excuse out of details that were true but insignificant, hardly crucial compared to the fact that Jacob's werewolf pack bitterly hated Edward's vampire family?and therefore me, too, as I fully intended to join that family. It just wasn't something I could work out with him in a note, and he wouldn't answer my calls. But my plan to deal with the werewolf in person had definitely not gone over will with the vampires. â€Å"Isn't Edward up for a little healthy competition?† Charlie's voice was sarcastic now. I leveled a dark look at him. â€Å"There's no competition.† â€Å"You're hurting Jake's feelings, avoiding him like this. He'd rather be just friends than nothing.† Oh, now I was avoiding him? â€Å"I'm pretty sure Jake doesn't want to be friends at all.† The words burned in my mouth. â€Å"Where'd you get that idea, anyway?† Charlie looked embarrassed now. â€Å"The subject might have come up today with Billy?.† â€Å"You and Billy gossip like old women,† I complained, stabbing my fork viciously into the congealed spaghetti on my plate. â€Å"Billy's worried about Jacob,† Charlie said. â€Å"Jake's having a hard time right now?. He's depressed.† I winced, but kept my eyes on the blob. â€Å"And then you were always so happy after spending the day with Jake.† Charlie sighed. â€Å"I'm happy now,† I growled fiercely through my teeth. The contrast between my words and tone broke through the tension. Charlie burst into laughter, and I had to join in. â€Å"Okay, okay,† I agreed. â€Å"Balance.† â€Å"And Jacob,† he insisted. â€Å"I'll try.† â€Å"Good. Find that balance, Bella. And, oh, yeah, you've got some mail,† Charlie said, closing the subject with no attempt at subtlety. â€Å"It's by the stove.† I didn't move, my thoughts twisting into snarls around Jacob's name. It was most likely junk mail; I'd just gotten a package from my mom yesterday and I wasn't expecting anything else. Charlie shoved his chair away from the table stretched as he got to his feet. He took his plate to the sink, but before he turned the water on to rinse it, he paused to toss a thick envelope at me. The letter skidded across the table and thunked into my elbow. â€Å"Er, thanks,† I muttered, puzzled by his pushiness. Then I saw the return address?the letter was from the University of Alaska Southeast. â€Å"That was quick. I guess I missed the deadline on that one, too.† Charlie chuckled. I flipped the envelope over and then glared up at him. â€Å"It's open.† â€Å"I was curious.† â€Å"I'm shocked, Sheriff. That's a federal crime.† â€Å"Oh, just read it.† I pulled out the letter, and a folded schedule of courses. â€Å"Congratulations,† he said before I could read anything. â€Å"Your first acceptance.† â€Å"Thanks, Dad.† â€Å"We should talk about tuition. I've got some money saved up?† â€Å"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm not touching your retirement, Dad. I've got my college fund.† What was left of it?and there hadn't been much to begin with. Charlie frowned. â€Å"Some of these places are pretty pricey, Bells. I want to help. You don't have to go all the way to Alaska just because it's cheaper.† It wasn't cheaper, not at all. But it was far away, and Juneau had an average of three hundred twenty-one overcast days per year. The first was my prerequisite, the second was Edward's. â€Å"I've got it covered. Besides, there's lots of financial aid out there. It's easy to get loans.† I hoped my bluff wasn't too obvious. I hadn't actually done a lot of research on the subject. â€Å"So?,† Charlie began, and then pursed his lips and looked away. â€Å"So what?† â€Å"Nothing. I was just?† He frowned. â€Å"Just wondering what?Edward's plans are for next year?† â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"Well?† Three quick raps on the door saved me. Charlie rolled his eyes and I jumped up. â€Å"Coming!† I called while Charlie mumbled something that sounded like, â€Å"Go away.† I ignored him and went to let Edward in. I wrenched the door out of my way?ridiculously eager?and there he was, my personal miracle. Time had not made me immune to the perfection of his face, and I was sure that I would never take any aspect of him for granted. My eyes traced over his pale white features; the hard square of his jaw, the softer curve of his full lips?twisted up into a smile now, the straight line of his nose, the sharp angle of his cheekbones, the smooth marble span of his forehead?partially obscured by a tangle of rain-darkened bronze hair?. I saved his eyes for last, knowing that when I looked into them I was likely to lose my train of thought. They were wide, warm with liquid gold, and framed by a thick fringe of black lashes. Staring into his eyes always made me feel extraordinary?sort of like my bones were turning spongy. I was also a little lightheaded, but that could have been because I'd forgotten to keep breathing. It was a face any male model in the world would trade his soul for. Of course, that might be exactly the asking price: one soul. No. I didn't believe that. I felt guilty for even thinking it, and was glad?as I was often glad?that I was the one person whose thoughts were a mystery to Edward. I reached for his hand, and sighed when his cold fingers found mine. His touch brought with it the strangest sense of relief?as if I'd been in pain and than pain had suddenly ceased. â€Å"Hey.† I smiled a little at my anticlimactic greeting. He raised our interlaced fingers to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. â€Å"How was your afternoon?† â€Å"Slow.† â€Å"For me, as well.† He pulled my wrist up to his face, our hands still twisted together. His eyes closed as his nose skimmed along the skin there, and he smiled gently without opening them. Enjoying the bouquet while resisting the wine, as he'd once put it. I knew that the scent of my blood?so much sweeter to him than any other person's blood, truly like wine beside water to an alcoholic?caused him actual pain from the burning thirst it engendered. But he didn't seem to shy away from it as much as he once had. I could only dimly imagine the Herculean effort behind this simple gesture. It made me sad that he had to try so hard. I comforted myself with the knowledge that I wouldn't be causing him pain much longer. I heard Charlie approaching then, stamping his feet on the way to express his customary displeasure with our guest. Edward's eyes snapped open and let our hands fall, keeping them twined. â€Å"Good evening, Charlie.† Edward was always flawlessly polite, though Charlie didn't deserve it. Charlie grunted at him, and then stood there with his arms crossed over his chest. He was taking the idea of parental supervision to extremes lately. â€Å"I brought another set of applications,† Edward told me then, holding up a stuffed manila envelope. He was wearing a roll of stamps like a ring around his littlest finger. I groaned. How were there any colleges left that he hadn't forced me to apply to already? And how did he keep finding these loophole openings? It was so late in the year. He smiled as if he could read my thoughts; they must have been very obvious on my face. â€Å"There are still a few open deadlines. And a few places willing to make exceptions.† I could just imagine the motivations behind such exceptions. And the dollar amounts involved. Edward laughed at my expression. â€Å"Shall we?† he asked, towing me toward the kitchen table. Charlie huffed and followed behind, though he could hardly complain about the activity on tonight's agenda. He'd been pestering me to make a decision about college on a daily basis. I cleared the table quickly while Edward organized an intimidating stack of forms. When I moved Wuthering Heights to the counter, Edward raised one eyebrow. I knew what he was thinking, but Charlie interrupted before Edward could comment. â€Å"Speaking of college applications, Edward,† Charlie said, his tone even more sullen?he tried to avoid addressing Edward directly, and when he had to, it exacerbated his bad mood. â€Å"Bella and I were just talking about next year. Have you decided where you're going to school?† Edward smiled up at Charlie and his voice was friendly. â€Å"Not yet. I've received a few acceptance letters, but I'm still weighing my options.† â€Å"Where have you been accepted?† Charlie pressed. â€Å"Syracuse?Harvard?Dartmouth?and I just got accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast today.† Edward turned his face slightly to the side so that he could wink at me. I stifled a giggle. â€Å"Harvard? Dartmouth?† Charlie mumbled, unable to conceal his awe. â€Å"Well that's pretty?that's something. Yeah, but the University of Alaska?you wouldn't really consider that when you could go Ivy League. I mean, your father would want you to?† â€Å"Carlisle's always fine with whatever I choose to do,† Edward told him serenely. â€Å"Hmph.† â€Å"Guess what, Edward?† I asked in a bright voice, playing along. â€Å"What, Bella?† I pointed to the thick envelope on the counter. â€Å"I just got my acceptance to the University of Alaska!† â€Å"Congratulations!† He grinned. â€Å"What a coincidence.† Charlie's eyes narrowed and he glared back and forth between the two of us. â€Å"Fine,† he muttered after a minute. â€Å"I'm going to watch the game, Bella. Nine-thirty.† That was his usual parting command. â€Å"Er, Dad? Remember the very recent discussion about my freedom† He sighed. â€Å"Right . Okay, ten-thirty. You still have a curfew on school nights.† â€Å"Bella's no longer grounded?† Edward asked. Though I knew he wasn't really surprised, I couldn't detect any false note to the sudden excitement in his voice. â€Å"Conditionally,† Charlie corrected through his teeth. â€Å"What's it to you?† I frowned at my dad, but he didn't see. â€Å"It's just good to know,† Edward said. â€Å"Alice has been itching for a shopping partner, and I'm sure Bella would love to see some city lights.† He smiled at me. But Charlie growled, â€Å"No!† and his face flushed purple. â€Å"Dad! What's the problem?† He made an effort to unclench his teeth. â€Å"I don't want you going to Seattle right now.† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I told you about that story in the paper?there's some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle and I want you to steer clear, okay?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Dad, there's a better chance that I'l l get struck by lightning than the one day I'm in Seattle?† â€Å"No, that's fine, Charlie,† Edward said, interrupting me. â€Å"I didn't mean Seattle. I was thinking Portland, actually. I wouldn't have Bella in Seattle, either. Of course not.† I looked at him in disbelief, but he had Charlie's newspaper in his hands and he was reading the front page intently. He must have been trying to placate my dad. The idea of being in danger from even the most deadly of humans while I was with Alice or Edward was downright hilarious. It worked. Charlie stared at Edward for one second more, and then shrugged. â€Å"Fine.† He stalked off toward the living room, in a bit of a hurry now?maybe he didn't want to miss tip-off. I waited till the TV was on, so that Charlie wouldn't be able to hear me. â€Å"What?,† I started to ask. â€Å"Hold on,† Edward said without looking up from the paper. His eyes stayed focused on the page as he pushed the first application toward me across the table. â€Å"I think you can recycle your essays for this one. Same questions.† Charlie must still be listening. I sighed and started to fill out the repetitive information: name, address, social?. After a few minutes I glanced up, but Edward was now staring pensively out the window. As I bent my head back to my work, I noticed for the first time the name of the school. I snorted and shoved the papers aside. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Be serious, Edward. Dartmouth?† Edward lifted the discarded application a nd laid it gently in front of me again. â€Å"I think you'd like New Hampshire,† he said. â€Å"There's a full complement of night courses for me, and the forests are conveniently located for the avid hiker. Plentiful wildlife.† He pulled out that crooked smile he knew I couldn't resist. I took a deep breath through my nose. â€Å"I'll let you pay me back, if that makes you happy,† he promised. â€Å"If you want, I can charge you interest.† â€Å"Like I could even get in without some enormous bribe. Or was that part of the loan? The new Cullen wing of the library? Ugh. Why are we having this discussion again?† â€Å"Will you just fill out the application, please, Bella? It won't hurt you to apply.† My jaw flexed. â€Å"You know what? I don't think I will.† I reached for the papers, planning to crumple them into a suitable shape for lobbing at the trashcan, but they were already gone. I stared at the empty table for a moment, and then at Edward. He didn't appear to have moved, but the application was probably already tucked away in his jacket. â€Å"What are you doing?† I demanded. â€Å"I sign your name better than you do yourself. You've already written the essays.† â€Å"You're going way overboard with this, you kno w.† I whispered on the off chance that Charlie wasn't completely lost in the game. â€Å"I really don't need to apply anywhere else. I've been accepted in Alaska. I can almost afford the first semester's tuition. It's as good an alibi as any. There's no need to throw away a bunch of money, no matter whose it is.† A pained look tightened his face. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Don't start. I agree that I need to go through the motions for Charlie's sake, but we both know that I'm not going to be in any condition to go to school next fall. To be anywhere near people.† My knowledge of those first few years as a new vampire was sketchy. Edward had never gone into details?it wasn't his favorite subject?but I knew it wasn't pretty. Self-control was apparently an acquired skill. Anything more than correspondence school was out of the question. â€Å"I thought the timing was still undecided,† Edward reminded me softly. â€Å"You might enjoy a semester or two of college. There are a lot of human experiences you've never had.† â€Å"I'll get to those afterward.† â€Å"They won't be human experiences afterward. You don't get a second chance at humanity, Bella.† I sighed. â€Å"You've got to be reasonable about the timing, Edward. It's just too dangerous to mess around with.† â€Å"There's no danger yet,† he insisted. I glared at him. No danger? Sure. I only had a sadistic vampire trying to avenge her mate's death with my own, preferably through some slow and tortuous method. Who was worried about Victoria? And, oh yeah, the Volturi?the vampire royal family with their small army of vampire warriors?who insisted that my heart stop beating one way or another in the near future, because humans weren't allowed to know they existed. Right. No reason at all to panic. Even with Alice keeping watch?Edward was relying on her uncannily accurate visions of the future to give us advance warning?it was insane to take chances. Besides, I'd already won this argument. The date for my transformation was tentatively set for shortly after my graduation from high school, only a handful of weeks away. A sharp jolt of unease pierced my stomach as I realized how short the time really was. Of course this change was necessary?and the key to what I wanted more than everything else in the world put together?but I was deeply conscious of Charlie sitting in the other room enjoying his game, just like every other night. And my mother, Renee, far away in sunny Florida, still pleading with me to spend the summer on the beach with her and her new husband. And Jacob, who, unlike my parents, would know exactly what was going on when I disappeared to some distant school. Even if my parents didn't grow suspicious for a long time, even if I could put off visits with excuses about travel expenses or sturdy loads or illnesses, Jacob would know the truth. For a moment, the idea of Jacob's certain revulsion overshadowed every other pain. â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured, his face twisting when he read the distress in mine. â€Å"There's no hurry. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can take all the time you need.† â€Å"I want to hurry,† I whispered, smiling weakly, trying to make a joke of it. â€Å"I want to be a monster, too.† His teeth clenched; he spoke through them. â€Å"You have no idea what you're saying.† Abruptly, he flung the damp newspaper onto the table between us. His finger stabbed the headline on the front page: DEATH TOLL ON THE RISE, POLICE FEAR GANG ACTIVITY â€Å"What does that have to do with anything?† â€Å"Monsters are not a joke, Bella.† I stared at the headline again, and then up to his hard expression. â€Å"A?a vampire is doing this?† I whispered. He smiled without humor. His voice was low and cold. â€Å"You'd be surprised, Bella, at how often my kind are the source behind the horrors in your human news. It's easy to recognize, when you know what to look for. The information here indicates a newborn vampire is loose in Seattle. Bloodthirsty, wild, out of control. The way we all were.† I let my gaze drop to the paper again, avoiding his eyes. â€Å"We've been monitoring the situation for a few weeks. All the signs are there?the unlikely disappearances, always in the night, the poorly disposed-of corpses, the lack of other evidence?. Yes, someone brand-new. And no one seems to be taking responsibility for the neophyte?.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"Well, it's not our problem. We wouldn't even pay attention to the situation if it wasn't going on so close to home. Like I said, this happens all the time. The existence of monsters results in monstrous consequences.† I tried not to see the names on the page, but they jumped out from the rest of the print like they were in bold. The five people whose lives were over, whose families were mourning now. It was different from considering murder in the abstract, reading those names. Maureen Gardiner, Geoffrey Campbell, Grace Razi, Michelle O'Connell, Ronald Albrook. People who'd had parents and children and friends and pets and jobs and hopes and plans and memories and futures?. â€Å"It won't be the same for me,† I whispered, half to myself. â€Å"You won't let me be like that. We'll live in Antarctica.† Edward snorted, breaking the tension. â€Å"Penguins. Lovely.† I laughed a shaky laugh and knocked the paper off the table so I wouldn't have to see those names; it hit the linoleum with a thud. Of course Edward would consider the hunting possibilities. He and his â€Å"vegetarian† family?all committed to protecting human life?preferred the flavor of large predators for satisfying their dietary needs. â€Å"Alaska, then, as planned. Only somewhere much more remote than Juneau?somewhere with grizzlies galore.† â€Å"Better,† he allowed. â€Å"There are polar bears, too. Very fierce. And the wolves get quite large.† My mouth fell open and my breath blew out in a sharp gust. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked. Before I could recover, the confusion vanished and his whole body seemed to harden. â€Å"Oh. Never mind the wolves, then, if the idea is offensive to you.† His voice was stiff, formal, his shoulders rigid. â€Å"He was my best friend, Edward,† I muttered. It stung to use the past tense. â€Å"Of course the idea offends me.† â€Å"Please forgive my thoughtlessness,† he said, still very formal. â€Å"I shouldn't have suggested that.† â€Å"Don't worry about it.† I stared at my hands, clenched into a double fist on the table. We were both silent for a moment, and then his cool finger was under my chin, coaxing my face up. His expression was much softer now. â€Å"Sorry. Really.† â€Å"I know. I know it's not the same thing. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It's just that?well, I was already thinking about Jacob before you came over.† I hesitated. His tawny eyes seemed to get a little but darker whenever I said Jacob's name. My voice turned pleading in response. â€Å"Charlie says Jake is having a hard time. He's hurting right now, and?it's my fault.† â€Å"You've done nothing wrong, Bella.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"I need to make it better, Edward. I owe him that. And it's one of Charlie's conditions, anyway?† His face changed while I spoke, turning hard again, statue-like. â€Å"You know it's out of the question for you to be around a werewolf unprotected, Bella. And it would break the treaty if any of us cross over onto their land. Do you want us to start a war?† â€Å"Of course not!† â€Å"Then there's really no point in discussing the matter further.† He dropped his hand and looked away, searching for a subject change. His eyes paused on something behind me, though his eyes stayed wary. â€Å"I'm glad Charlie has decided to let you out?you're sadly in need of a visit to the bookstore. I can't believe you're reading Wuthering Heights again. Don't you know it by heart yet?† â€Å"Not all of us have photographic memories,† I said curtly. â€Å"Photographic memory or not, I don't understand why you like it. The characters are ghastly people who ruin each others' lives. I don't know how Heathcliff and Cathy ended up being ranked with couples like Romeo and Juliet or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. It isn't a love story, it's a hate story.† â€Å"You have some serious issues with the classics,† I snapped. â€Å"Perhaps it's because I'm not impressed by antiquity.† He smiled, evidently satisfied that he'd distracted me. â€Å"Honestly though, why do you read it over and over?† His eyes were vivid with real interest now, trying?again?to unravel the convoluted workings of my mind. He reached across the table to cradle my face in his hand. â€Å"What is it that appeals to you?† His sincere curiosity disarmed me. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I said, scrambling for coherency while his gaze unintentionally scattered my thoughts. â€Å"I think it's something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart?not her selfishness, or his evil, or even death, in the end?.† His face was thoughtful as he considered my words. After a moment he smiled a teasing smile. â€Å"I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality.† â€Å"I think that may be the point,† I disagreed. â€Å"Their love is their only redeeming quality.† â€Å"I hope you have better sense than that?to fall in love with someone so?malignant.† â€Å"It's a bit late for me to worry about who I fall in love with,† I pointed out. â€Å"But even without the warning, I seem to have managed fairly well.† He laughed quietly. â€Å"I'm glad you think so.† â€Å"Well, I hope you're smart enough to stay away from someone so selfish. Catherine is really the source of all the trouble, not Heathcliff.† â€Å"I'll be on my guard,† he promised. I sighed. He was so good at distractions. I put my hand over his to hold it to my face. â€Å"I need to see Jacob.† His eyes closed. â€Å"No.† â€Å"It's truly not dangerous at all,† I said, pleading again. â€Å"I used to spend all day in La Push with the whole lot of them, and nothing every happened.† But I made a slip; my voice faltered at the end because I realized as I was saying the words that they were a lie. It was not true that nothing had ever happened. A brief flash of memory?an enormous gray wolf crouched to spring, baring his dagger-like teeth at me?had my palms sweating with an echo of remembered panic. Edward heard my heart accelerate and nodded as if I'd acknowledged the lie aloud. â€Å"Werewolves are unstable. Sometimes the people near them get hurt. Sometimes, they get killed.† I wanted to deny it, but another image slowed my rebuttal. I saw in my head the once beautiful face of Emily Young, now marred by a trio of dark scars that dragged down the corner of her right eye and left her mouth warped forever into a lopsided scowl. He waited, grimly triumphant, for me to find my voice. â€Å"You don't know them,† I whispered. â€Å"I know them better than you think, Bella. I was here the last time.† â€Å"The last time?† â€Å"We started crossing paths with the wolves about seventy years ago?. We had just settled near Hoquiam. That was before Alice and Jasper were with us. We outnumbered them, but that wouldn't have stopped it from turning into a fight if not for Carlisle. He managed to convince Ephraim Black that coexisting was possible, and eventually we made the truce.† Jacob's great-grandfather's name startled me. â€Å"We thought the line had died out with Ephraim,† Edward muttered; it sounded like he was talking to himself now. â€Å"That the genetic quirk which allowed transmutation had been lost?.† He broke off and stared at me accusingly. â€Å"Your bad luck seems to get more potent every day. Do you realize that your insatiable pull for all things deadly was strong enough to recover a pack of mutant canines from extinction? If we could bottle your luck, we'd have a weapon of mass destruction on our hands.† I ignored the ribbing, my attention caught by his assumption?was he serious? â€Å"But I didn't bring them back. Don't you know?† â€Å"Know what?† â€Å"My bad luck has nothing to do with it. The werewolves came back because the vampires did.† Edward stared at me, his body motionless with surprise. â€Å"Jacob told me that your family being here set things in motion. I thought you would already know?.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Is that what they think?† â€Å"Edward, look at the facts. Seventy years ago, you came here, and the werewolves showed up. You come back now, and the werewolves show up again. Do you think that's a coincidence?† He blinked and his glare relaxed. â€Å"Carlisle will be interested in that theory.† â€Å"Theory,† I scoffed. He was silent for a moment, staring out the window into the rain; I imagined he was contemplating the fact that his family's presence was turning the locals into giant dogs. â€Å"Interesting, but not exactly relevant,† he murmured after a moment. â€Å"The situation remains the same.† I could translate that easily enough: no werewolf friends. I knew I must be patient with Edward. It wasn't that he was unreasonable; it was just that he didn't understand. He had no idea how very much I owed Jacob Black?my life many times over, and possibly my sanity, too. I didn't like to talk about that barren time with anyone, and especially not Edward. He had only been trying to save me when he'd left, trying to save my soul. I didn't hold him responsible for all the stupid things I'd done in his absence, or the pain I had suffered. He did. So I would have to word my explanation very carefully. I got up and walked around the table. He opened his arms for me and I sat on his lap, nestling into his cool stone embrace. I looked at his hands while I spoke. â€Å"Please just listen for a minute. This is so much more important than some whim to drop in on an old friend. Jacob is in pain.† My voice distorted around the word. â€Å"I can't not try to help him?I can't give up on him now, when he needs me. Just because he's not human all the time?. Well, he was there for me when I was?not so human myself. You don't know what it was like?.† I hesitated. Edward's arms were rigid around me; his hands were in fists now, the tendons standing out. â€Å"If Jacob hadn't helped me?I'm not sure what you would have come home to. I have to try and make it better. I owe him better than this, Edward.† I looked up at his face warily. His eyes were closed, and his jaw was strained. â€Å"I'll never forgive myself for leaving you,† he whispered. â€Å"Not if I live a hundred thousand years.† I put my hand against his cold face and waited until he sighed and opened his eyes. â€Å"You were just trying to do the right thing. And I'm sure it would have worked with anyone less mental than me. Besides, you're here now. That's the part that matters.† â€Å"If it'd never left, you wouldn't feel the need to go risk your life to comfort a dog.† I flinched. I was used to Jacob and all his derogatory slurs?bloodsucker, leech, parasite?. Somehow it sounded harsher in Edward's velvet voice. â€Å"I don't know how to phrase this properly,† Edward said, and his tone was bleak. â€Å"It's going to sound cruel, I suppose. But I've come too close to losing you in the past. I know what it feels like to think I have. I am not going to tolerate anything dangerous.† â€Å"You have to trust me on this. I'll be fine.† His face was pained again. â€Å"Please, Bella,† he whispered. I stared into his suddenly burning golden eyes. â€Å"Please what?† â€Å"Please, for me. Please make a conscious effort to keep yourself safe. I'll do everything I can, but I would appreciate a little help.† â€Å"I'll work on it,† I murmured. â€Å"Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love?† He pulled me tighter against his hard chest, tucking my head under his chin. I pressed my lips against his snow-cold neck. â€Å"I know how much I love you,† I answered. â€Å"You compare one small tree to the entire forest.† I rolled my eyes, but he couldn't see. â€Å"Impossible.† He kissed the top of my head and sighed. â€Å"No werewolves.† â€Å"I'm not going along with that. I have to see Jacob.† â€Å"Then I'll have to stop you.† He sounded utterly confident that this wouldn't be a problem. I was sure he was right. â€Å"We'll see about that,† I bluffed anyway. â€Å"He's still my friend.† I could feel Jacob's note in my pocket, like it suddenly weighed ten pounds. I could hear the words in his voice, and he seemed to be agreeing with Edward?something that would never happen in reality. Doesn't change anything. Sorry.