Saturday, August 31, 2019
Burdens of History Essay
The British imperial history has long been a fortress of conservative scholarship, its study separated from mainstream British history, its practitioners resistant to engaging with new approaches stemming from the outside ââ¬â such as feminist scholarship, postcolonial cultural studies, social history, and black history. In this light, Antoinette Burtonââ¬â¢s Burdens of History: British Feminists, Indian Women, and Imperial Culture, 1865-1915 represents challenges to the limited vision and exclusivity of standard imperial history. Burtonââ¬â¢s Burdens of History is part of a budding new imperial history, which is characterized by its diversity instead of a single approach. In this book, the author examines the relationship between liberal middle-class British feminists, Indian women, and imperial culture in the 1865-1915 period. Its primary objective is to relocate ââ¬Å"British feminist ideologies in their imperial context and problematizing Western feministsââ¬â¢ historical relationships to imperial culture at homeâ⬠(p. 2). Burton describes Burdens of History as a history of ââ¬Å"discourseâ⬠(p. 7). By this, she means the history of British feminism, imperialism, orientalism, and colonialism. Throughout the book, the author interposes and synthesizes current reinterpretations of British imperial history, womenââ¬â¢s history, and cultural studies that integrate analyses of race and gender in attempts at finding the ideological structures implanted in language. In this book, Burton analyzes a wide assortment of feminist periodicals for the way British feminists fashioned an image of a disenfranchised and passive colonized female ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠. The impact of the message conveyed was to highlight not a rejection of empire ââ¬â as modern-day feminists too readily have tended to assume ââ¬â but a British feminist imperial obligation. According to Burton, empire lives up to what they and many of their contemporaries believed were its purposes and ethical ideals. Burton based her book on extensive empirical research. Here, she is concerned with the material as well as the ideological and aware of the complexity of historical interpretation. Backed by these, the author particularly examines the relationship between imperialism and womenââ¬â¢s suffrage. Burton brings together a remarkable body of evidence to back her contention that womenââ¬â¢s suffrage campaignersââ¬â¢ claims for recognition as imperial citizens were legitimated as ââ¬Å"an extension of Britainââ¬â¢s worldwide civilizing missionâ⬠(p. 6). Centering on the Englishwomanââ¬â¢s Review before 1900 and suffrage journals post 1900, the author finds an imperialized discourse that made British womenââ¬â¢s parliamentary vote and emancipation imperative if they were to ââ¬Å"shoulder the burdens required of imperial citizensâ⬠(p. 172). The author shows in Burdens of History how Indian women were represented as ââ¬Å"the white feminist burdenâ⬠(p. 10) as ââ¬Å"helpless victims awaiting the representation of their plight and the redress of their condition at the hands of their sisters in the metropoleâ⬠(p. 7). Responding both on the charge that white feminists need to address the method of cultural analysis pioneered by Edward Said and the imperial location and racial assumptions of historical feminisms, Burton explores the images of Indian women within Victorian and Edwardian feminist writing. In her analysis, the author argues that Indian women functioned as the ideological ââ¬Å"Otherâ⬠within such texts, their presence serving to authorize feminist activities and claims. By creating an image of tainted Oriental womanhood, and by presenting enforced widowhood, seclusion, and child marriage as ââ¬Å"the totality of Eastern womenââ¬â¢s experiencesâ⬠(p. 67), British feminists insisted on their own superior emancipation and laid claim to a wider imperial role. However, while feminists persistently reiterated their responsibility for Indian women, the major purpose of such rhetoric was to institute the value of feminism to the imperial nation. According to the author: ââ¬Å"The chief function of the Other woman was to throw into relief those special qualities of the British feminist that not only bound her to the race and the empire but made her the highest and most civilized national female type, the very embodiment of social progress and progressive civilizationâ⬠(p. 83). According to Burton, British feminists were, ââ¬Å"complicitous with much of British imperial enterpriseâ⬠(p. 25): their movement must be seen as supportive of that wider imperial effort. She sustains this argument through an examination of feminist emancipatory writings, feminist periodicals and the literature of both the campaign against the application of the Contagious Diseases Acts in India and the campaign for the vote. Indeed, the greatest strength of this book lies in the fact that Burton has made a n extensive search through contemporary feminist literature from a new perspective. In the process, she recovers some quite interesting subgenres within feminist writing. She shows, for instance, how feminist histories sought to reinterpret the Anglo-Saxon past to justify their own political claims and specifying some characteristic differences between explicitly feminist and more general womenââ¬â¢s periodicals. Certainly, Burtonââ¬â¢s survey establishes the centrality of imperial issues to the British feminist movement, providing a helpful genealogy of some styles of argumentation that have persisted to the present day. Burdens of History is a serious contribution to feminist history and the history of feminism. In conclusion, Burton states that British feminists were agents operating both in opposition to oppressive ideologies and in support of them-sometimes simultaneously, because they saw in empire an inspiration, a rationale, and a validation for womenââ¬â¢s reform activities in the public sphere. Her arguments are persuasive; indeed, once stated, they become almost axiomatic. However, Burtonââ¬â¢s work is to some extent flawed by two major problems. First, the author never compares the ââ¬Å"imperial feminismâ⬠; rather she locates in her texts to other imperial ideologies. In addition, Burton does not subject imperialism to the same kind of careful scrutiny she turns on feminism. She does not define ââ¬Å"imperialismâ⬠in her section on definitions, but uses the term ââ¬â as she uses ââ¬Å"feminismâ⬠ââ¬â largely to denote an attitude of mind. Another problem is Burtonââ¬â¢s failure to address the question of how feminist imperialism worked in the world more generally. It is true that feminists sought the vote using a rhetoric of cross-cultural maternal and racial uplift, however, one may ask: what were the effects of this strategy on the hearing accorded their cause, on wider attitudes toward race and empire, and, more specifically, on policies toward India? The author not only brushes aside such questions; she implies that they are unimportant. It seems that, for Burton, the ideological efforts of British feminists were significant only for British feminism. It can be argued that Burtonââ¬â¢s difficulty in tracing the way Burdens of History works in the world is a consequence of her methodological and archival choices. The problem is not that the author has chosen to approach her subject through a ââ¬Å"discursive tackâ⬠(p. 27), but rather that she has employed this method too narrowly and on too restrictive range of sources. While the author has read almost every piece of feminist literature, she has not gone beyond this source base to systematically examine either competing official documents, Indian feminist writings, or imperial discourses. Thus, Burtonââ¬â¢s texts are treated either self-referentially or with reference to current feminist debates. Overall, Burtonââ¬â¢s approach is useful in providing a critical history for feminism today, Certainly, it is as a critique of Western feminismââ¬â¢s pretensions to universal and transhistorical high-mindedness that Burdens of History succeeds. However, if one wishes to map out the impact of imperial feminism not only on feminism today, but also on imperial practices and relations historically, one needs a study that is willing to cross the border between political history and intellectual history and to take greater methodological risks.
Friday, August 30, 2019
How to Get Motivated Essay
Motivation is literally the desire to do things. Itââ¬â¢s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day. Itââ¬â¢s the crucial element in setting and attaining goalsââ¬âand research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control. So figure out what you want, power through the pain period, and start being who you want to be. 5 Keys to Unlock Your Creative Motivation Motivation is a much more complex process than just ââ¬Å"wantingâ⬠to do something. When youââ¬â¢re working on a creative project and the going gets tough, if youââ¬â¢re not motivated enough, youââ¬â¢ll quit. And it always gets tough, whether youââ¬â¢re a novelist, artist, musician, or even a creative entrepreneur. In my own research with highly experienced writers, I found that motivators are often combined for best effect. Here, then, are 5 ways to raise your motivation level: 1. Increase the challenge of your project. Try something youââ¬â¢ve never done before. When I interviewed bestselling novelist Diana Gabaldon, she told me that she once gave herself the challenge of writing a ââ¬Å"triple-nested flashback.â⬠For many of us, concocting an ordinary flashback is challenge enough, but those are a snap for her. 2. Change your creative method for the stimulation of a fresh approach. I f you typically write with an outline, try not to. Or begin writing without an ending in mind. If you never write with a plan, see what happens if you plan ahead. Even if it doesnââ¬â¢t work, youââ¬â¢ll learn something. Hereââ¬â¢s Wells Tower, author of a volume of short stories, Everything Ravaged Everything Burned: I can never coldly write a story; it doesnââ¬â¢t work. Iââ¬â¢ve tried it where I have an outline, and Iââ¬â¢ll think this is going to be so easy, but when I sit down of course itââ¬â¢s not. You have to get into a state of autohypnosis and let the story be what it wants to be. 3. Create from a different point of view. Do you always write in first-person? Do you never write in first-person point of view? Try the opposite. Or create something artistic from the point of view of the bicycle, or the car, or the dog or cat, or the new immigrant or the alien from outer space. 4. Look deeper to find your intrinsic motivation. Hereââ¬â¢s how poet Ralph Angel put it: As much as I hate to admit it, Iââ¬â¢ve learned in recent years that writing, even more than some of the most important relationships in my life, is where I am most in touch with myself, and, worst case scenario, people I love die and my life goes on. But if anything took me away from the work, I would be separated somehow from myself. 5. Forget about the goal and find the fun. This is the most crucial key to entering flow. Put all thought of audience aside for the time being and find something pleasurable about what youââ¬â¢re trying to create. If itââ¬â¢s not fun, figure out why not and make it more engaging for yourself. Thereââ¬â¢s nothing trivial about fun, as Iââ¬â¢ve found in my talks with great creative individuals. Itââ¬â¢s one of the many motivators that bring them back to the work they do, day in and day out. The 3 Biggest Myths About Motivation That Wonââ¬â¢t Go Away Just Write Down Your Goals, and Success is Guaranteed! There is a story that motivational speakers/authors love to tell about the Yale Class of 1953.Researchers, so the story goes, asked graduating Yale seniors if they had specific goals they wanted to achieve in the future that they had written down. Twenty years later, the researchers found that the mere 3% of students who had specific, written goals were wealthier than the other 97% combined. Isnââ¬â¢t that amazing? It would be if it were true, which it isnââ¬â¢t. I wish it were that simple. To be fair, there is evidence that getting specific about what you want to achieve is really important. (Not a guaranteed road to fabulous wealth, but still important.) In other words, specificity is necessary, but itââ¬â¢s not nearly sufficient. Writing goals down is actually neither ââ¬â it canââ¬â¢t hurt, but thereââ¬â¢s also no hard evidence that writing per se does anything to help. Just Try to Do Your Best! Telling someone, or yourself, to just ââ¬Å"do your bestâ⬠is believed to be a great motivator. It isnââ¬â¢t. Theoretically, it encourages without putting on too much pressure. In reality, and rather ironically, it is more-or-less permission to be mediocre. Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, two renown organizational psychologists, have spent several decades studying the difference between ââ¬Å"do your bestâ⬠goals and their antithesis: specific and difficult goals. Evidence from more than 1,000 studies conducted by researchers across the globe shows that goals that not only spell out exactly what needs to be accomplished, but that also set the bar for achievement high, result in far superior performance than simply trying to ââ¬Å"do your best.â⬠Thatââ¬â¢s because more difficult goals cause you to, often unconsciously, increase your effort, focus and commitment to the goal, persist longer, and make better use of the most effective strategies. Just Visualize Succe ss! Advocates of ââ¬Å"positive thinkingâ⬠are particularly fond of this piece of advice. But visualizing success, particularly effortless success, is not just unhelpful ââ¬â itââ¬â¢s a great way to set yourself up for failure. Few motivational gurus understand that thereââ¬â¢s an awfully big difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed easily. Realistic optimists believe they will succeed, but also believe they have to make success happen ââ¬â through things like effort, careful planning, persistence, and choosing the right strategies. They donââ¬â¢t shy away from thinking ââ¬Å"negativeâ⬠thoughts, like what obstacles will I face? and how will I deal with them? Unrealistic optimists, on the other hand, believe that success will happen to them, if they do lots and lots of visualizing. Recent research shows that this actually (and once again, ironically) serves to drain the very energy we need to reach our goals. People who sp end too much time fantasizing about the wonderful future that awaits them donââ¬â¢t have enough gas left in the tank to actually get there.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Film maker Essay
Kenneth Anger is a well known American underground avant-garde film maker and author who is well known not only for his films but also for this novels. Born in Santa Monica, California as Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer, Kenneth Anger first became well known in 1959 for his publication of the French version of Hollywood Babylon in Paris. While this drove him to certain fame, it also brought him notoriety because it was a tell all book on the scandals of the A-list crowd of Hollywood. He started his career at a very early age. Commentaries place his silver screen beginnings at the age of nine but it was not until 1947 that he became well known for his first film, Fireworks. In 1949, he expanded his repertoire to include The Love That Whirls and also a documentary of the ruins of Crowleyââ¬â¢s Thelema Abbey. While most of his films only spanned 3. 5 minutes to 30 minutes, his works were considered works of arts, capturing the essence in such a short span of time. The influence that Kenneth Anger had on the avant garde scene during his time was so profound. There is no denying that fact that his films greatly influenced many other film makers in his genre but there is also the fact that some of his works were considered as controversial. As one magazine puts it, Anger was known to insert certain ââ¬Å"artisticâ⬠twists on his works that were either offensive or brash, resorting to trickery on certain occasions. One such occasion was the filming of Lucifer Rising, which was supposed to star Bobby Beausoleil, which was a critical film that arguably started his fascination with the occult and eventually led to his association with the Church of Satan. Anger was also associated with the Ordo Templi Orientis and other such groups. While later on in life he decided to return to his films, there is no denying that Kenneth Anger was ahead of his time and widely misunderstood by his peers. Bibliography: Cohen. M eds. (1985) Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings Oxford University Press, Oxford. Pray, M(2007) Avant-Garde Film: Forms, Themes and Passions Wallflower, London. Sitney, A(1979) Visionary Film: The American Avant-Garde 1943-78 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Organization Innovation and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Organization Innovation and change - Essay Example The next move in the realization of British airways came in 1974 when all these airlines merged to form the now famous British Airways (British Airways 7). In 1981,the airline was privatized by a conservative government. The reason for the move was the expectation that it would perform better as a private company. The conservatives government that made this move a head to overhaul the leadership by applying Lord John King to head the new company (British Airways 7). . British Airways Leadership Structure . At the top of the company is chief executive officer. He reports to board of directors. The board of directors has the prerogative of making all the strategic decisions concerning the companyââ¬â¢s management (Brown 1998). The Chief Executive serves as the implementing force for the directorââ¬â¢s decision. The chief executive and the board of directors constitute what is called the strategic apex in leader ship. Under the strategic apex are leaders of various departments suc h as logistics, finance, and human resources. All these officers play a very significant role in the operations of the company, and report to the strategic apex from time to time. ... It is vital to reiterate the fact that British Airways is multicultural as far as its workforce is concerned and this not to be forgotten in the analysis of change and innovation. . Research Method: The line of research was careful examination of information available on British Airways website. Information that guided the collection of information sought to gather information on company traditions. Employee treatment , the way the company handles changes in the external environment as far as air transport is concerned the management traditions, the workforce attitude towards the management and remuneration policies. As an outsider analyzing information that I have obtained, I had no bias in my analysis. . Overview of change and innovation in light of BA: It is essential that business entities ensure that there is perfect harmony between their internal environment and external influences (Bamberger& Meshoulam, 2000). This therefore calls for a calculated scenario where the speed of r esponse to external pushes and pulls is equal to changes in the external conditions (Hayes 2007). Companies always adjust their strategies when confronted by shifts in their immediate environments. This adjustment is what can be described as innovation can be defined as a set of changes made within a business entity that have an impact ( Hamel 2007). BA has experienced a number of changes in its immediate environment that have called for major changes in its internal structure ranging from remuneration policies to areas of investment. The extent of success of the responses or the innovation the company has undertaken will be discussed in later stages of the paper by exploring the different milestones achieved by the company. For
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Corporate Governance and Global Financial Ethics Essay
Corporate Governance and Global Financial Ethics - Essay Example By conducting a thorough review of the organisationââ¬â¢s management, through the examination of performance, records and statements; auditing allows for identification of pitfalls and their consequent rectification thereby facilitating maximization of shareholderââ¬â¢s value. Auditing usually occurs at the internal and external levels. The internal audit is conducted by an audit team that is part of the organisation, which reports to senior management team of the organisation. External auditors on the other hand report to the organisationââ¬â¢s shareholders with the main purpose being to improve the validity and reliability of the internal audit outcomes. Internal audit serves just as an important function to the shareholders as external auditing does. The process identifies organisational outcomes thereby facilitating the development of a framework and mechanisms through which organisational processes can be restructured and made more effective to facilitate the attainment of organisational objectives. However, in order to achieve this goal, the internal audit process must itself be an effective one. The effectiveness of internal auditing can be maintained by adhering to particular codes of conduct. One of the most important factors for effective auditing is that it must be independent from the activities and operations that it evaluates (CIIA, 2014). The CIIA prescribes that to facilitate the independence of the internal auditing team; the chief internal auditor should serve at a senior capacity within the organisation (2013). Such a position furnishes him/her with the standing and authority to challenge the executive. Moreover, th e CIIA further contends that the audit team should have access to all managerial decision-making forums (2013). The independence of the internal audit team is facilitated by the recruitment of independent individuals. Such
Monday, August 26, 2019
Law of European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
Law of European Union - Essay Example Article 59 of the EC Treaty will also apply in this case, since the Government is proposing to restrict the production and distribution of rockets and mandate their sale only through certainly registered outlets. The purpose of allowing free movement of goods as set out in Article 2 of the EC Treaty is to establish a common market. According to Article 14 of the EC Treaty, the ââ¬Å"internal market shall comprise an area without frontiers in which the free movement of goods, persons, services, and capital is ensured in accordance with the principles of this Treaty.â⬠Under this principle, the measures that could be equivalent to measures to impede the free functioning of the common market would include customs duties or discriminatory taxation systems, any quantitative restrictions on imports and exports or measures that are equivalent to the imposing of import and export restrictions. In the light of the above, the measures that are proposed by the UK include restrictions on imports of rockets and therefore constitute trade barriers to the common market. Similarly, the restrictions on purchasing, possessing or supplying rockets could also constitute similar barriers to trade and free movement of goods within the European Union and undermine the Common Market. The meaning of quantitative restrictions on the free movement of goods was defined in the case of Riseria Luigi3 where any measure that amounts to a ââ¬Å"total or partial restraintâ⬠on imports or exports would constitute a restriction. On this basis, therefore, the imposition of regulations for rockets as per Section 2 of the proposed statute could in itself be viewed as a partial restriction on imports. Similarly, Section 3 has specifically included restrictions on individuals in importing rockets. One example that may be cited in this context is the case of Commission v Italy4 where a complete ban was mooted on pork products.
Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words
Humanities - Essay Example tarts with a statement ââ¬Ëit is a truth acknowledged, universally, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wifeâ⬠(Austen 1813, pg. 3). This statement clearly tells us that this desire that is universally recognized. It is, however, a desire that is not inward. Not everyone who has a wealth wants to marry, if one ends up marrying and yet his desire is not to be married then it means he ends up living unauthentic life. Far from, your own true desires. You are not genuine in short. Community policies seem to dictate our lives. Most of these social rules and policies have to do with class and position in the society. If you are rich, a governor you end up relating with people of your own class and caliber. This is despite your desire to talk to the law in the society. Socially it is not accepted, and you end up being ridiculed (Austen 1813, pg. 8). The Benet family is connected to people who are in the trade. Therefore, they cannot associate with people who have inherited titles and wealth. If they do, it causes tension among aristocrats such as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. This book also shows the ââ¬Å"politeâ⬠policies which the people engage in through the novel. For example, civilized people are expected to behave by the unspoken rules of the community. The rules are automatic. They do not show the real desires of an individual. This shows the effect of peoples beliefs. When Elizabeth is engaged to dance with Mr. Collins during the ball at Netherï ¬ eld, for example, she feels chagrin at his enforcing that request despite her obvious lack of desire for his company. Honestly, the set code of conduct as required by the society make people do things if they had a choice to refuse they would do without a blink. Nevertheless, the repercussions of refusing to act as required leave you with no other choice but to act (Austen 1813, pg. 15). Austen examines the numerous strains sandwiched between desires and ââ¬Å"unanimously approvedâ⬠like
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Criminology Case Study - Mass Murder Research Paper
Criminology Case Study - Mass Murder - Research Paper Example This time of murders mostly occur in single locations where victims are killed by the murderer. The aim of this paper will be explaining the crime of mass murder and its relationship with the above three theories. A case in point will be on a mass murder of an individual who shot dead 12 movie goers in a movie theatre in Denver. James E.Holmes is accused of acting alone in the incident. According to Burke (2009), a mass murder can be committed by an individual or by organizations. This type of mass shootings has in recent times increased in number and magnitude. Shootings are occurring in schools and other social places in alarming frequency. Innocent children and adults have lost their lives due to indiscriminate mass shootings. After carrying out investigations, the FBI concluded that Holmes was acting alone. Crimes have a background and objectivity to occurrence (Carole et al, 2010) and this paper will try understanding the crime of mass murders from this perspective. The Crime Th e suspect, Holmesis accuse of indiscriminately shooting 12 victims dead and seriously injuring 58 others in a movie theatre in Denver Colorado. Holmes legally bought guns and ammunition in the Denver area and proceeded to a movie theatre that was screening a movie by the title ââ¬Å"The Dark Knight Risesâ⬠. ... According to the law, Holmes faces charges of mass murder among other charges and accordingly faces a life sentence in jail if found guilty. Hagan (2010) explains that crimes are committed by criminals and therefore Holmes could be inadvertently a serialized criminal even though his criminal past only consisted of a single traffic summon.According to Fox & Levin (2012), over 90% Americans of Americans advocate for background checks on individual who purchase arms as a way of controlling who owns arms.Crimes of this nature have and still continue to occur. Mass murders are becoming a common scenario in the everyday life of American Citizens. There has been a gradual increase in use of lethal force during these incidents. The reason behind an individual taking up arms and killing fellow humans according to Brent &Kraska (2013) can be attributed to personality as well social structures around the individual among other factors. In light of these factors, the three theories shed light on the reason behind this crime of mass shootings. Rational Theory Starting with the rational theory that seeks to explain the reason why individuals behave the way they do, especially so for criminal related behaviors. According to (Hagan, 2010), blame is directed toward personal choice as the reason behind crime. An individual like Holmes might have carried out the mass shootings in the movie theatre out of personal choice. The authorities determined that Holmes was working alone and therefore there could be incidents of persuasion on him. Welsh (2008)states that human beings are rational and thus individuals choose behavior, criminal on otherwise, based purely on rationality. The basis of this rational behavior is an analysis on cost versus benefit of choice.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
A personal statement for master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
A personal statement for master - Essay Example I was usually the winner, because I could always rely on my calculations to win the large majority of overall rounds in the long term. This sense of winning from the poker games stimulated my interest in studying the relevant courses of statistics even further. However, I do not believe that this use of statistics would be good for actual gambling, because if I was not doing it just to entertain friends I would lose the objectivity needed for the calculations. Statistics is still full of barriers for non-professionals to read or understand. This is obvious from Mark Twains famous quote, ââ¬Å"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statisticsâ⬠. In my opinion, non-professional people may be surprised or even feel cheated if a 95% probability failed, so a 99% significant level may be something they would accept more easily. However, despite peoples lack of trust in the reliability of statistics, they really do need a reliable probability or statistics result to help them make the sensible choice when confused or unsure. I met with just this kind of problem during my two periods of internship. I was a three-month part-time cleaner of Runnymede campus in the summer of 2007. At the end of each term, all rooms need to be cleaned, so the workload available determines the number of full-time workers. During summer holidays, there are many European students who would come for their short vacations on campus. Thus, some part-time cleaners are needed to deal with the increased workload. However, the number of European students is variable, and the campus doesnââ¬â¢t start these employees appointments several months before their arrival. Even by employing part-time cleaners, the campus couldnââ¬â¢t catch up with the sudden increase of cleaning work. Many rooms couldnââ¬â¢t be cleaned on time, so the campus had to reduce the amount of students that were received. I was interested in this problem, which was quite similar to a question
Friday, August 23, 2019
Attribution Theory and Its Relevance to Management Practice Essay
Attribution Theory and Its Relevance to Management Practice - Essay Example For the growing importance of human resource and it aspects, the study will discuss upon the attribution theory and its relevance to management practice. This is significant as it explains the way people are being judged depending upon the attributes that are assigned to their behaviors. Attribution Theory An attribution is an informal explanation for behavior or for any event. The attribution theory illustrates that the outcomes and behaviors eventually assist to form behavioral and emotional responses (Borkowski, N. ââ¬Å"Organizational Behavior, Theory, and Design in Health Careâ⬠). The attributions that are casual in nature exert more stress on peopleââ¬â¢s perception for their successes and failures. Attribution theory establishes that every causal attribution have three dimensions namely stable or unstable, internal or external and controllable or uncontrollable. Individuals who perceive that they are successful due to the three dimensions that are stable, internal and controllable factors, have a propensity to be extremely motivated and consequently persist to be further victorious than those individuals with the alternative attribution styles. The attribution theory is a common cognitive theory of motivation that focuses upon the principles that present the casual attributes based upon present and future motivation and achievements (Penn State College of Engineering, ââ¬Å"Overview: Attribution Theoryâ⬠). The attribution theory also determines the level or finds out the causes for the dissatisfaction. The theory of attribution for the behavior of dissatisfaction was developed by the social psychologist that explains how an individual uncovers the clarification or reasons for their behavior or effects (Hoyer, W D., ââ¬Å"Consumer Behaviorâ⬠). For the explanation of the behavior and actions there are three factors that influence the nature of explanation. These three factors are stability, focus and controllability. Stability is the r eason for the temporary or permanent event. Focus is the problem that is related to the market or consumers. Furthermore, controllability is the event that is under the control of the marketers or customers. In general the customers are dissatisfied when the control is not under the customer, and when it is not customer related rather market related and perceived to be permanent in nature. With the assistance from the attribution theory, the marketers can be guided to deal with the potential and existing perception of customer dissatisfaction. Literature Review on Attribution Theory Heider was the first to recommend a psychological theory of attribution, but Weiner and his colleagues framed a theoretical structure that had turned out to be a major research model of social psychology. The attribution theory was developed from the theories of Fritz Heider, Keith Davis, Edward Jones and Harold Kelley. Fritz Heider was the first person to write about attribution theory in his book â⬠ËThe Psychology of Interpersonal Relationshipsââ¬â¢ in the year 1958. His writings have played a vital role in the commencing and explanation of attribution theory (Heider, ââ¬Å"Psychology of Interpersonal Relationsâ⬠). Harold Kelley theory has focused upon the model of satisfaction. He has described in his thesis about the satisfaction and dissatisfaction causes of the human beings.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
All human beings have a deep need for affection and respect Essay Example for Free
All human beings have a deep need for affection and respect Essay Do you think that Steinbeck conveys the message that nearly all human beings have a deep need for affection and respect? Yes I do think that Steinbeck conveys the message that nearly all human beings have a deep need for affection and respect because there is a lot of characters in the story that are very lonely and depressed, they need someone to talk to and to discuss their own problems with. Curleys wife is very lonely and she doesnt have anyone to talk to. She is the only woman on the ranch and isnt treated properly. She has a dream to become and actress and she tells us the story about the time she was talking to a man and he told her that he would send her a letter back to become an actress and she is still waiting on the letter. She should be respected and it makes us release it. George and Lennieà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½s dream is to liv of the fata the lanà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½. This means that they dream to buy their own land and be there own boss and work there every day. They also want to be fed from there and Lennie wants to tendà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ his rabbits. As soon as candy finds out that George and Lennie have a dream, Candy buysà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½ in to it by offering all his savings. Lennie and George are outcasts and exiles, the reason for this is for the fact that they are itinerant workers and they always work together and go everywhere with each other. This makes them outcasts because they always go everywhere together where as compare to other people at that moment in time every one went on their own. Crooks is lonely and no one talks to him, he doesnt sleep in the bunkhouse with the other ranch-hands because he is black. This shows the racism at this time. When Lennie goes in to his room he tells Lennie to get out of it because he wasnt allowed in their rooms so why should Lennie be in his room. It shows the way he is rejected from the others and that he has a need for deep affection. Curley is very bossy and he thinks that everyone is afraid of him. He bullies people because this is the way he can talk to people. He thought that he would be able to bully Lennie because Lennie looked stupid and very shy, but after he hit Lennie a few times so as soon as George told Lennie to hit him back he did so. Every person has a need to convey their affection and in Of Mice and Men Steinbecks shows this in different ways, with the different characters.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Policy of Medicare System Essay Example for Free
Policy of Medicare System Essay With the evolution of new drug-resistant strains of maladies in the contemporary period, scientists are now going back to nature in pursuit of pristine defenses. Says Dr. Robert Nash, research director of Molecular Nature in the United Kingdom, ââ¬Å"Dandelions, sea pinks, nettles, even bluebells were used to treat diseases. There is a good reason for going back to see if there was anything behind these traditional usesâ⬠(Amundsen 132). à à à à à à à à à à à In our backyard, there is a bed of bluebells and never had it dawned on me that bluebells prove to have anti-virus and anti-cancer properties. That they were used in the 13th century against leprosy (Amundsen 155). Not that I would really want to prepare for any possible leprosy case that may stem at home; but the thought of having nifty bluebells in the garden can give comfort on good health and brainy ancestors. à à à à à à à à à à à In the library, the books speak of one thing about healthcare; that it is the management of the resources of healing. Darrel Amundsen, in his book Medicine, Society, and Faith in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds, pointed up the wonder of natural medicines and traditional medicine. Stanley Reiser tells us of how medical care evolved from technological point of view. Dorothy Porterââ¬â¢s Social Medicine and Medical Sociology in the Twentieth Century talks about where the health care industry has drifted through different eras. It has had a major impact on how people perceive health on the whole. From the unborn and mothers to all the phases of childhood to the youth and the adults to the older people, health care has been in packages essential at various stages of the human being. Additionally, the practitioners have done a lot of education, investing awe-inspiring sum of finances and effort in educating the public. Professional patronizing and obscure terminology will give way to cooperative educational approaches, and client-oriented rehabilitation. This approach is estimated to provide the most appropriate package of health services suited to ensure a healthy well-being of all age groups. In every industrialized country, excluding the United States (U.S.), the provision of health care has become the financial responsibility of the state over the past 100 years. Taxes on both employers and workers and general tax revenues financed the health care insurance system. This was the procedure in Western Europe and Great Britain (Warner 360-368). à à à à à à à à à à à The exception of the U.S. can be credited to the native value the Americans placed on self-help and repulsion against dependency. After 80 years of anxiety, the federal government of the U.S. has accepted the system but with some degree of responsibility. When the medical care program was introduced to them, it has become a complex mix of public and private payments. The extent covered the maldistribution of resources and disproportions of access (Porter 9). Nevertheless, across the surveys, the U.S. health care system becomes the countryââ¬â¢s largest employer. Approximately, 597,000 are physicians, 137,000 are dentists, 1.8 million are nurses, and nine million are field workers (Warner 356). à à à à à à à à à à à Administering the federal health care activities was charged to the Department of Health and Human Services. Health insurance comprises all forms of insurance against financial loss resulting from injury or illness. The most common health insurance coverage is for hospital care, including the physician services in the hospital. Major medical policies protect the insured against calamitous charges, paying a sum of that ranges from $10,000 to $1,000,000, after the policyholder has paid a preliminary deductible amount (Warner 371). Patients usually have out-of-pocket expenses since doctorsââ¬â¢ charges are not entirely covered by the insurance. à à à à à à à à à à à Overheads for healthcare services in the U.S. alone have been mounting sharply for about over a decade. Insurance coverage is potholed. Coverage for home care of the chronically ill is nigh on absent. A fixed sum is paid for a service except for hospital insurance. More often than not, this payment must be supplemented by the patient (Warner 358). à à à à à à à à à à à Problems also arose in the aspect of recruitment and distribution of physicians. About one-fourth of U.S. physicians were engaged in primary patient care. That included obstetrics, internal medicine, pediatrics, and family medicine. In the slums of big cities, physicians are sparse but profuse in the more affluent sub-urban areas (Porter 12). One of the more daunting areas of health care is the prohibitive cost of medicines. At present, there is no governing body that regulates the price of medicine. This means that the manufacturers dictate the prices. With this discretion, expectedly the prices could be set as high as excusably possible. To ornament with justice, their marketing strategy has spawned the mentality that ââ¬Å"branded is better.â⬠Came the managed healthcare system. The genesis of contemporaneous managed care can be trailed to the prepaid plans providing healthcare to rural, shipbuilding and construction workers in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s. Managed healthcare have likewise existed in ancient China when doctors were supposedly paid only while they kept their patients healthy. Although many of the procedures used by managed healthcare to regulate expenditures have existed in African countries for a time, it was only since the latter part of the 20th century that the concept of managed care has been both in full swing in an effort to provide Africa with low-priced quality healthcare and denigrated by others (Porter 10-11). But in the U.S., managed healthcare was only firmly established when briskly swelling healthcare costs in the 1970ââ¬â¢s and 80ââ¬â¢s led to the passing of legislation providing for the establishment of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) (Warner 370). à à à à à à à à à à à HMOs and the government has since then been on the lookout for effective alternatives. The government and the private sector all face the problem of financing the uncontrolled inflation of cost in the medical care program. Others blame it on the growing numbers of people who seek care. Some on the greater use of laboratory costs and of specialists in diagnosis and treatment (Reiser 16). Needless to say, the synergistic force of the sectors wanted programs that were cheap but were at least, effective. à à à à à à à à à à à Hospitals were responding to increasing cost demands. They attempted to introduce more competent management schemes. Proprietary hospitals have found greater earnings in chain operations. Other efforts to slash costs included hiring less-expensive professional workers, like nurses and paramedics, in the hope of getting basic care to patients at a lower fee (Porter 10). The health care system has indeed been an entrepreneurial idea. However, paradox has it that in due time, antibiotics, vaccines, and other vital medicines will be short of availability at least, among the 5.6 billion people, according to the World Health Organization (Porter 18). Scarcity of producers of medicines has nothing to do with it. Maldistribution and capitalistic exploitation will make the medicines inaccessible to the poor. Over 40 million Americans have some form of heart or blood vessel disease, and the combined costs of treatment and lost income exceed 50 billion dollars annually. About 4 million people, 10 percent of those with cardiovascular diseases, have coronary artery disease. Because of these findings, the Framingham Study considers cardiovascular disease as one of the leading epidemiological diseases in the country. A more distressing fact rings throughout the Third World countries whose healthcare programs are financed by their governments on less than 1 percent cut from the gross domestic product (Porter 15-16). At this reality, whose son or daughter will not be underfed? Every major city had slum areas that housed the poor and unemployed, and declining farm incomes created rural poverty. Amid the growth and confidence of the postwar years, United States leaders initiated programs of aid to help people at home and abroad improve their way of life. Programs of domestic aid included funds for education, medical care for the poor, and urban renewal programs. International air programs begun soon after the war sought to help United States maintain economic and political stability (Fusfeld and Bates, 1984). Poverty-stricken people suffer from the lack of many things they need. For example, they are less likely to receive adequate medical care or to eat the foods they need to stay healthy. The poor have more diseases, become more seriously ill, and die at a younger age than other people do. Poor people often live in substandard housing in socially isolated areas where most of their neighbors are poor. Many low-income families live in crowded, run-down buildings with inadequate heat and plumbing. The jobs most readily available to the poor provide low wages and little opportunity for advancement. Many of these jobs also involve dangerous or unhealthful working conditions. Financial, medical, and emotional problems often strain family ties among the poverty-stricken. Furthermore, the healthcare system of countryside Americans is dense. For instance, Indians are lacking relative to their urban equivalents in many important ways that shape their health: they are unduly economically inferior, proportionately lesser are of working age, and they have not fulfilled as much of education. Topographical access is of principal interest in several rural states. Indians who reside in remote areas, comparatively far from urban areas or centers, sometimes find it hard to get in touch with healthcare personnel or services. In respect of urban inhabitants, rural dwellers have to trek farther to care and tackle other problems such as mediocre road and rail network, and short of public transportation. These problems are distinguished yet their resolution escapes the labors of the U.S. Legislature, and local governments. Culture is another driving factor, including influential customs (Nabokov). The Indiansââ¬â¢ unfavorable health behaviors, employment of folk medication, the impact of traditional religion on healthcare, and estrangement from countrywide society all play a part to the way they care for their health. To make the decisions centralized, World Medical Association was founded as an organization of several of the worldââ¬â¢s national medical associations. Instituted in 1947, this medical society has embraced an international code of medical ethics and many other ethical pronouncements. The center of operations is in Ferney-Voltaire, France (Porter, 2000). One of the pivotal epidemiological methodologies for an improved healthcare provision is an informed public. If the individual does not understand what he or she must do to preserve health and reduce his or her risk of a probable epidemiological disease, if he or she does not recognize when he or she needs outside help, and if he or she or members of his family are not prepared to take the appropriate steps to obtain this help, then all of the worldââ¬â¢s medical knowledge will be of little value. The educational process that would prepare an individual to help preserve his or her own health and reduce his or her epidemiological risk should ideally begin in his or her youth when lifelong patterns are being formed, and continue throughout his or her adult life. A hospital managementââ¬â¢s role is twofold: helping to build good health habits in the young, and serving as agents in adult health habits through public information and education programs designed to teach preservation of health and raise the general health consciousness of the people. The practicing physician, emergency medical services, the clinic or neighborhood health center, the hospital as a whole stand to be prepared in implementing medical line of defense. Even at times the nonmedical person who is on the scene when an acute emergency occurs are relied on. In order to be effective, the hospital carrying out the epidemiological measures, together with these individuals and services, are obliged and expected not only to be capable of providing healthcare, but must be prepared to do so in a manner that is acceptable and accessible to, and understood by, the public. The epidemiological measures of a hospital in this area shall also address such things as professional education, healthcare standards, and public information regarding access to care and services. Another approach is that which serves as the underpinning of the rest of the strategies and plans; it is the biomedical research to identify such epidemiological factors as dietary fats, smoking, hypertension, etc., that adversely affect human health and to devise methods for preventing, diagnosing, and treating these conditions and the diseases to which they contribute. In this regard, the hospital has a unique role to play, in that while they cannot the huge sums needed for large-scale clinical trials or epidemiological studies, they claim to have an excellent mechanism for supporting young investigators who are juts beginning their research careers, helping them gain the experience and results necessary to compete for larger grants in the national and international arenas. The emphasis is practically placed on the support of quality research projects having high merit ratings. To adequately develop such improved measures by Medicare, it should have the hospital require a programmed effort that first takes into consideration the fact that the hospital cannot be all things to all people. It may have quite limited resources in terms of money, volunteers, and staff in other departments, and the need for each of these resources may always seem to exceed the supply. Since there are numerous programs and activities that are capable of improving health of the patients to some degree, hard choices must be made regarding the disposition of these resources. This implies priority setting, which is made more efficient by the establishment and implementation of a hospital-wide, goal-oriented, long-range planning process. Such a process helps the hospital focus its epidemiological measures on high yield, cost-effective projects that either help prevent the healthcare provision, or provide ongoing relief and control, yielding the highest return on time and money invested. All in all, medical institution evolved across time to deal with problems of health and disease using epidemiological measures that are based on mortality, morbidity, disability, and quality. More specifically, medical institution was perceived performing a number of key functions in modern societies. First, it treats and seeks to cure disease. Second, the medical institution attempts to prevent disease through maintenance programs, including vaccination, health education, periodic checkups, and public health and safety standards (administrative medicine). Third, it undertakes research in the prevention, treatment, and cure of health problems (preventive medicine). And fourth, it serves as an agency of social control by defining some behaviors as normal and healthy and others as deviant and unhealthy. Although health care can take its roots back when one of the greatest achievements of civilization was the naissance of medicine, real health comes from within. The quality of life of an individual is governed by the swelling bearing of his positive personal health-seeking activities and behaviors. And with the help of heath care, tomorrowââ¬â¢s health centers will fill out todayââ¬â¢s precision diagnostic services with equally scientific self-care and wellness programs. Future healthcare will increasingly concede to the empowerment of the individual. Perhaps the way healthcare began more than two thousand years back differs from the way it will continue in the next two thousand years or so. The gods may still have a role but not for the folks to plead to for kinder nature. A common Supreme Being might then take the place of them and be prayed to in exchange for a kinder world. If in the past, the causes of illnesses may have been shared between man and nature, from this time forth, diseases would be brought about by the caustic arms of industrialization. à à à à à à à à à à à Whose healthcare would not be needed most in the midst of volatile worldwide climate and industrial population? Typhoons come and leave natural borne diseases. McDonaldââ¬â¢s open their stores and send resentful stomachs to the healthcare clinics. Who would not consequently draw a smart plot from the commercial appeal of healthcare? For healthcare, this means an upsurge in affliction as well as a digression of resources away from healthcare toward reform. The pandemonium disrupts food supplies, infectious diseases multiply, and alarm triggers stress-induced illnesses. The beginnings of medical care may have been deemed mad and laughable. Then again, its inheritance, with the help of worsened worldwide scenarios, is rendering the underprivileged mad and the moneyed having the last laugh. References Amundsen, Darrel W. (1996). Medicine and faith in early Christianity. Medicine, Society, and Faith in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. Chambers, Donald and Kenneth Wedel. Social Policy and Social Programs: A Method for the Practical Public Policy Analyst, 4th edition. Pearson Publishing. Fusfeld, Daniel R., and Timothy Bates. (1984). The Political Economy of the Urban Ghetto. Southern Illinois University Press. McDaniel, W. B. (1959). ââ¬Å"A view of 19th century medical historiography in the United States of America.â⬠The History of Medicine. Nabokov, Peter. Native American Testimony: A Chronicle Of Indian-White Relations From Prophesy To The Present (1492-1992). Penguin Publishing. Porter, Dorothy E. (1975). Social Medicine and Medical Sociology in the Twentieth Century. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Reiser, Stanley J. (1984). ââ¬Å"The machine at the bedside: Technological transformations of practices and values.â⬠The Machine at the Bedside: Strategies for Using Technology in Patient Care. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Warner, Martin S. (1985). Medical Practice and Health Care During the Revolutionary War and Early National Periods. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Risk factors that hinder a childs development
Risk factors that hinder a childs development Child development is multidimensional; the dimensions consist of social, emotional, cognitive and motor performance as well as patterns of behaviour, health and nutrition. Also the early years of life are essential as the foundation to later development, these factors can have a significant impact to a child or childrens life, these consist of under nutrition, poor health and parenting this also affects a broad range of outcomes such as cognitive, motor, psychosocial and effective development. For example a child is naturally motivated to explore and to attempt to master their environment but with poor health, poor nutrition and non- optical parents the child motivation tends to be less developed. Another critical element is to understand and support the childs affective development which will help the child assemble a sense of self, to help them in learning how to deal with their emotions. Philippe Rochat (2004) has suggested that childrens awareness of their own thoughts, beliefs and personalities emerges from their recognition of the differentness of other peoples thought beliefs and personalities. Emotions are feelings such as love, happiness worry, sorrow, excitement, shyness, pride, anger, frustration and jealousy. Young children show all these emotional development and the childs inborn temperament depends on the genes the child inherits. Each child varies in strength of their emotions for example some children will be more excitable while others will be considerably shy. A child often has phrases of shyness for no apparent reason and has the child reaches the age of 6 months old the child will still be friendly with strangers but will sometimes display signs of shyness. Even when a child is older like Tamas the child may become silent and shy in the company of people they do not know. Tamas lacks love and security from his family, because his mom and dad are working to support their family which results in little contact with them. Has Tamas suffers learning disabilities he does not understand what is happening has he probably has not reached the stage in emotional develop ment which helps him to control and express his feeling. Tamas may react by showing signs of distress such as temper tantrums, jealousy and elective mute. Bronfenbrenner states that the most important setting for a young child is his family, because that is where he spends the most time and because it has the most emotional influence on him. Other important setting may include his extended family, early care and education programmes, health care setting and other community learning sites such as neighbourhoods, libraries and playgrounds (Adapted from Bronfenbrenner, 1998, p.996). Also Bronfenbrenner states that a model of ecology of human development acknowledges that human do not develop in isolation, but in relation to their families and home, school, community and society (Bronfenbrenner Ecological Model of Child Development) The mind is the thinking part of the brain which is used to recognise, reasoning, knowing, and understanding. This is known has the intellectual development (mental development; cognitive development). A child mind is active from the moment they are born and day by day the child mind develops and they become more intelligent. A childs intelligence will depend on two main factors which are genes and the environment. Genes controls the amount of natural intelligence a child has and the environment influences the intelligence of a child. Throughout childhood, the genes and environment continuously interact to produce peoples mind. Peoples minds develop in a variety of ways for example; a child will vary in their ability to remember, also some will acquire musical talents, skills of different languages or be a mathematical genius. Tamas who is five has a multiple of conditions which could slow down the process of brain development. Has Tamas lacks the opportunity to play and interact wit h other children this will hinder his development of interacting with other and knowing how to communicate effectively. Also has Tamas does not get the help required in school with his learning difficulties this will also effect and slow down the process of is development. Another factor which will slow his process down is, his moms constant shouting has there are six people living in a small flat. Tamas also haves to deal with language barriers which will also affect his development. Bronfenbrenner theory is if a child is encourage and nurtured more at home and school the better he would grow and develop. Bowlby states that early experiences in childhood have an important influence on development and behaviour later on in life. Our early attachment styles are established in childhood through infant / caregiver relationship. Bowlby believes that there are four distinguishing characteristics of attachment; the four attachments are Proximity Maintenance, Safe Haven, Secure Base and Separation Distress. (psychology.about.com 2009) Social development is a process of learning the skills and attitudes which enable the individual to live easily with others and the community. Activities which encourage social development are family outings, parent and toddler groups, playground and nursery school and an opportunity to play with friends. Children are happier and healthier if they get on well with the people around them. Children are not born with knowledge of these social skills they have to learn them and their parents needs to teach them otherwise how they will learn. Now that Tamas is five, his social skills should be where he can co-operate with his companions and understand the needs for rules and play. Tamas has insufficient social contact where there are not enough people and friends to talk and play with, thus resulting in him feeling lonely and refusing to go to school. Although there is a playground nearby where he could learn some of the social skills required his parents do not always have the time to ta ke him due to work commitments. At birth your babys senses tell him / her things they need in order to survive, for example: crying when they want to be fed, changed or sleep. These senses unfold slowly but perceptibly, and soon you realise that the baby is seeing and hearing more clearly has his / her head turns when they hear sounds. Young babies are far more aware of their surroundings than was once thought; from the day they are born they use their senses to develop awareness and understanding of the world around them. Young babies are aware of their environment in the forms of light, sound, touch and smell and they can learn by looking, listening, feeling and smelling. They are more likely to be kept alert and happy if you incorporate a changing pattern of stimulation, for babys repetition of the same sound and movement will often send them asleep. There are many risk factors that can hinder a child development these factors are biological, such as genetics or chromosomal, secondly, environmental, for example violence in the home or the neighbourhood, and lastly an interaction between the two, such as stress. This can reflect the differences between how a child will react in their vulnerability to harm or resilience where they will overcome any difficulties they are faced with such has negative circumstances. Each individual child react in different ways to parallel environmental circumstances, For example, two children can experience the same event and interpret it differently. Some children tend to create their own experiences and contribute to the direction of their own development. (J, Empson Pg 39-40 2009) In conclusion children between the ages of 0 5 years show continuing development from simple to more complicated forms of social play. Most children pass through stages of solitary play which is when they play alone then go onto parallel play where they play alongside others but not with them, also looking on play where they watch from the edge of the group when other children play. Has a child becomes more mature they start to joining in play where they will interact and play with others for example running around together and the last stage is co operative play where they belong to a group and share the same task by doing jigsaw, cooking and drawing. Also deprivation can effect education has the childs parents cannot afford educational toys. Growing up in poverty is as much has a risk has growing up in wealth to the emotional side of a child has the rich and famous children can have many emotional disorders has a child that has been brought up in poverty. If you take the film that come out many years ago called Twins with Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger where they was separated at birth and one child (Devito) was brought up in a orphanage and poverty while the other (Schwarzenegger) child was brought up in wealth and was taught a very high standard of education. Has they came from two different background and upbringing the brotherly love and compassion for each other faded their past irrelevant. The emotions and poverty Devito suffered all his life started to prevail has he was taught how to be good.
Portugal :: essays research papers
The republic of Portugal is located in the southwestern part of Europe, situated in the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula, bordered by Spain on the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south and west. The Azores and Madeira Islands in the Atlantic are independent regions of Portugal, considered integral parts of the republic. Portugal administers one overseas territory, Macau (Macao) in eastern Asia near Hong Kong. Macau is scheduled to return to Chinese administration in 1999. The total area of metropolitan Portugal, including the Azores (2247 sq. km./868 sq. mi.) and the Madeira Islands (794 sq. km./307 sq. mi.), is 92,345 sq. km. (35,655 sq.mi.). The capital and the largest city is Lisbon. à à à à à Climate varies in Portugal according to the altitude in which you are located. Low temperatures occur only in the comparatively low regions of the south. The mean annual temperature north of the Douro River is about 10 C (about 50 F). Between Tajo and Douro the temperature is about 16 C (about 60 F). The temperatures in the valley of the Guadiana are at about 18 C (about 65 F). Rainfall is very heavy, especially in the north. à à à à à Minerals are the most valuable natural resources in Portugal. Much of these resources were developed until after World War 2 (1939-1945). Some of the mineral resources are coal, copper, gold, iron ore, kaolin, tin, and wolframite, which is Acosta 2 source of tungsten. The most sufficient trees are the evergreen oak, cork, poplar, and olive. Portugal is also a home of many kinds of wild animals. some of these wild animals include the wolf, lynx, wildcat, fox, wild boar, wild goat, deer, and hare. Portugal also has big waterpower resources in its rivers and mountain streams. à à à à à The Portuguese are a combination of several ethnic elements, principally Iberians, Romans, Visigoths, and later Moors. The people still live for the most part, in rural villages. The population of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira Islands, is 9,931,045. The overall population density is 108 people per sq. km. (280 per sq. mi.). Mainland Portugal is divided into 18 districts for administrative causes: Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Bragnca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Ãâ°vora, Faro, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Porto, Portalegre, Santarà ©m, Setà ºbal, Viana do Castelo, Villa Real, and Viseu. The Azores and the Madeira Islands each constitute an autonomous region. à à à à à Roman Catholicism is the faith of more than 94 percent of the Portuguese people. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and some Protestant churches have been established. The official language of the country is Portuguese. à à à à à Portuguese culture is closely related to the Spanish culture and has been influenced by the three primary cultures from which
Monday, August 19, 2019
Conduct Disorder in Adolescents Essay -- Psychology Psychiatry Parenti
Conduct Disorder in Adolescents Everyday we are hearing more and more about a child or teen that has committed some horrible act. On Tuesday April 27, 2004 a twelve-year-old Georgia boy was arrested for allegedly using ââ¬Å"his hands to strangle a third grader who disappeared while riding her bicycleâ⬠(McLaughlin, 2004). In February, a twelve-year-old girl was beaten to unconsciousness by a group of adolescents and young adults while at a birthday party in Baltimore. The question we must ask ourselves is where are the parents? Sadly, in the case of the Baltimore girl, one of the young adults was the parent of one of the children. How do children learn that violent and socially deviant behavior is acceptable? Both of these scenarios would meet the criteria for a psychological finding of conduct disorder (CD). The diagnosis of conduct disorder in adolescents can be directly attributed to the continuing lack of parental involvement and support in the childââ¬â¢s life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders text revision 4th edition (DSM-IV-TR) states that ââ¬Å"the essential feature of Conduct Disorder is a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violatedâ⬠(2000). The DSM-IV-TR goes on to list criteria for conduct disorder as, aggression to people or animals (i.e. forced sexual activity or mugging), destruction of property (i.e. fire setting), deceitfulness or theft (i.e. burglary or forgery), and serious violations of the rules (i.e. running away for periods of time) (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). A child must have at least three of those criteria present in the past year, with at least one manifested in the p... ...d do not get to see their parents until bedtime. In other cases, the child is left at home to look after and care for their younger siblings. As a result, they neglect school and their own childhood. The amount of hatred and distrust that must build up in that child is immeasurable. It is apparent that the ââ¬Å"home-alone Americaâ⬠trend will create a breading ground for conduct disorder. Moreover, society is heading towards creating a generation who ââ¬Å"may have little empathy and little concern for the feelings, wishes and well-being of othersâ⬠(American Psychiatric Association, 2000). A childââ¬â¢s attachment to, respect for, and healthy fear of their parents is essential to the childââ¬â¢sââ¬â¢ mental health throughout development. It is time that we take responsibility for our own children and ourselves because if we donââ¬â¢t, what will these children teach the next generation?
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Sociology of Racial and Cultural Groups Essay -- Sociology Racism Prej
We live in a culturally diverse society where there are many differences among various racial and ethnic groups. When these different groups come into contact with one another they interact in many different ways. Prejudice and discrimination are key factors in understanding intergroup relationships. Competition, religious ideas, fear of strangers and nationalism are elements that contribute to prejudice. Many expressions of negative prejudicial attitudes, stereotyping and discriminatory behavior can have negative impact on the social relationships between dominant and minority groups. Many prejudices are passed along from child to parent and the influence of television and movies perpetuate demeaning portrayals about specific groups. Although prejudice continues to flourish, education plays an import role in combating prejudice and racism by providing courses and programs that help to recognize the distinction between various ethnic groups and develop an appreciation of these cul tural differences. The word prejudice is derived from the Latin word " praejudicium" and refers to prejudging without any factual evidence. Being prejudiced usually means having preconceived beliefs about groups of people or cultural practices. Discrimination is the "differential and unequal treatment of other groups of people, usually along racial, religious or ethnic lines." The distinction is that prejudice then refers to people's attitudes and beliefs, and discrimination to their overt behavior directed at another group. (Parrillo 76) Prejudices shape our perceptions of various people and influence our attitudes and actions toward particular groups and prejudicial attitudes that are negative often lead to hostile relations between domi... ...and appreciate the cultural values and be tolerant of diversity. Changes in the law have also helped to alter some prejudicial attitudes. REFERENCES >>Chang, Mitchell. "Measuring the Impact of a Diversity Requirement on Students' Level of Racial Prejudice" Retrieved September 19, 2014 (http://www.diversityweb.org/Digest/W00/research2.html) >>Dugan, Maire A. "Prejudice" (Retrieved September 15, 2014 (http://www.beyondintractability.org/m/prejudice.jsp) >>Parrillo, Vincent J. 2003. Strangers to These Shores. New York: Allyn and Bacon. >>Sandhu, Daya Singh and Sherlton Pack Brown. 1996. " Empowering ethnically and racially diverse clients through prejudice reduction." Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development"
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Varieties of English
Varieties of English, such as Singlish, have an important role to play in contemporary society. Discuss. Different varieties of English, such as the interesting variety used in Singapore, known as ââ¬ËSinglishââ¬â¢, have an important role to play in our modern society. Singlish in particular serves as a unifying tongue between the diverse cultures and ethnic groups that reside on the island. Although disapproved by the government, it continues to convey a unique Singaporean identity and a taste of the local flavour. It does this through the distinctive use of phonology, syntax and lexicon, together working to bring a whole new variety of English itself. The phonology used by Singlish speakers characteristically defines the identity of Singapore. It does this by effectively adding a ââ¬Ëlocal flavourââ¬â¢ to what may seem like normal English words. Singlish speakers often simplify their consonant clusters, to make speaking easier on the grounds that it may not be said in their own language i. e. In Chinese or Tamil. A good example of this would be the way that the consonant cluster ââ¬Ëthââ¬â¢ is pronounced. A normal English speaker would pronounce the lexical term thing as ââ¬Ëthingââ¬â¢ as opposed to the more Singlish way; ââ¬Ëtingââ¬â¢, changing the place and manner of articulation from the harder to say dental, to the easier alveolar. They may also omit final consonants in words, for example the lexical term ââ¬Ëaboutââ¬â¢ may be expressed as much simpler ââ¬Ëabou-ââ¬Ë, completely getting rid of the stop. Both these examples help to convey the uniqueness of Singlish as a new variety of English. The syntactical use of language in Singlish makes the links and most importantly, the differences of the new language to English evident. It does this in multiple ways. A habit of many Singlish speakers is to add conjunctions to the end of sentences. A good example can be taken from a scene from the hit Singlish show named ââ¬ËI Not Stupidââ¬â¢. While the parents are disciplining their daughter the janitor interjects with a cheeky ââ¬ËHaha, my parents used to say that alsoââ¬â¢, ââ¬Ëalsoââ¬â¢ being tacked onto the end of the phrase rather than its familiar place between the words ââ¬Ëparentsââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëusedââ¬â¢. It is also common to see a Singlish speaker using the incorrect negatives terms in certain sentences. Another example from ââ¬ËI Not Stupidââ¬â¢, helps to show this when the mother exclaims ââ¬Å"Can you donââ¬â¢t mess up my table? using a contraction, ââ¬Ëdonââ¬â¢tââ¬â¢, in place of the adverb ââ¬Ënotââ¬â¢. In this way, the distinctive use of syntax in the language of Singlish clearly labels its individuality. The use of lexicon in Singlish subconsciously expresses the local flavour of the language and its speakers. Lexical terms are used in a way that is different to many other varieties or English, making it individual and ââ¬Ëhome grownââ¬â¢. One of the most distinctive ways in which Singlish differs to Standard English is the use of discourse particles. The use of ââ¬Ëlahââ¬â¢ and ââ¬Ëneââ¬â¢ in many contexts keeps the language different and interesting. They can be used in contexts from ââ¬ËWhy you so silly lah? ââ¬â¢ to ââ¬ËStop it lah! Donââ¬â¢t ask who lah! ââ¬â¢ when used with different intonations, conveying completely different emotions. Also, the use of repetition to reiterate and emphasise is one that is not usually used in Standard English, making the language unique to many other such varieties. In the ââ¬ËMacmillan English Languageââ¬â¢ Text Book, in conversation, it is mentioned; ââ¬Å"Donââ¬â¢t ask who, why you ask ask ask? â⬠effectively conveying the emphasis that the speaker wanted to put on the phrase, whereas in normal conversation, we wouldnââ¬â¢t repeat the same word three times to gain someoneââ¬â¢s attention! Thus is not hard to see how the special way in which lexical terms are used in Singlish differ to Standard English substantially, and at the same time conveys its uniqueness in society. Singlish, and other varieties of new English, have a very significant role to play in contemporary society. With the simplifying of consonant clusters and omitting final consonants, the distinct phonology of this variety of English gives a sense ââ¬Ëhome grown-nessââ¬â¢ that is expressively different to that of Standard English. In the syntactical sense, adding conjunctions to end of sentences and the improper use of negative words help to distinguish Singlish from other varieties and to show the local flavour that is present in Singapore. Similarly, the uniqueness of the language is shown through the various discourse particles used by its speakers and the use of repetition for emphasis. Despite differences in the language of Singlish to Standard English, these differences are the ones that make the language interesting, unique and most importantly, noteworthy in our modern society.
Friday, August 16, 2019
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 ââ¬Ëmortal 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. ââ¬Å"What did I do wrong?â⬠Charlie demanded. ââ¬Å"You're supposed to take the lid off first, Dad. Metal's bad for microwaves.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Did I get the noodle's right?â⬠I looked in the pan on the stove?the source of the smell that had alerted me. ââ¬Å"Stirring helps,â⬠I said mildly. I found a spoon and tried to de-clump the mushy hunk that was scalded at the bottom. Charlie sighed. ââ¬Å"So what's all this about?â⬠I asked him. He folded his arms across his chest and glared out the back windows into the sheeting rain. ââ¬Å"Don't know what you're talking about,â⬠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 ââ¬Å"unwelcomeâ⬠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. ââ¬Å"Did you miss something? Since when do you make dinner?â⬠I asked Charlie. The pasta lump bobbed in the boiling water as I poked it. ââ¬Å"Or try to make dinner, I should say.â⬠Charlie shrugged. ââ¬Å"There's no law that says I can't cook in my own house.â⬠ââ¬Å"You would know,â⬠I replied, grinning as I eyed the badge pinned to his leather jacket. ââ¬Å"Ha. Good one.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I don't know why you read the paper, Dad. It only ticks you off.â⬠He ignored me, grumbling at the paper in his hands. ââ¬Å"This is why everyone wants to live in a small town! Ridiculous.â⬠ââ¬Å"What have big cities done wrong now?â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"I think Phoenix is actually higher up in the homicide list, Dad. I have lived like that.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Well, you couldn't pay me enough,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"You're right,â⬠Charlie said. ââ¬Å"I did have a reason for doing this.â⬠He waved his fork at the gluey spread. ââ¬Å"I wanted to talk to you.â⬠I laid the book aside; the binding was so destroyed that it slumped flat to the table. ââ¬Å"You could have just asked.â⬠He nodded, his eyebrows pulling together. ââ¬Å"Yeah. I'll remember that next time. I thought taking dinner off your hands would soften you up.â⬠I laughed. ââ¬Å"It worked?your cooking skills have me soft as a marshmallow. What do you need, Dad?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, it's about Jacob.â⬠I felt my face harden. ââ¬Å"What about him?â⬠I asked through stiff lips. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Responsible,â⬠I repeated scathingly, rolling my eyes. ââ¬Å"Right. So what about Jacob?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Don't get mad at me, okay?â⬠ââ¬Å"Mad?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, it's about Edward, too.â⬠My eyes narrowed. Charlie's voice got gruffer. ââ¬Å"I let him in the house, don't I?â⬠ââ¬Å"You do,â⬠I admitted. ââ¬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,â⬠I continued?only jokingly; I knew I was on lockdown for the duration of the school year. ââ¬Å"I've been pretty good lately.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, that's kind of where I was heading with this?.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I'm confused, Dad. Are we talking about Jacob, or Edward, or me being grounded?â⬠The grin flashed again. ââ¬Å"Sort of all three.â⬠ââ¬Å"And how do they relate?â⬠I asked, cautious. ââ¬Å"Okay.â⬠He sighed, raising his hands as if in surrender. ââ¬Å"So I'm thinking maybe you deserve a parole for good behavior. For a teenager, you're surprisingly non-whiney.â⬠My voice and eyebrows shot up. ââ¬Å"Seriously? I'm free?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Conditionally.â⬠The enthusiasm vanished. ââ¬Å"Fantastic,â⬠I groaned. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"What does that mean?â⬠He sighed again. ââ¬Å"I know you're satisfied to spend all your time with Edward?â⬠ââ¬Å"I spend time with Alice, too,â⬠I interjected. Edward's sister had no hours of visitation; she came and went as she pleased. Charlie was putty in her capable hands. ââ¬Å"That's true,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"But you have other friends besides the Cullens, Bella. Or you used to.â⬠We stared at each other for a long moment. â⬠When was the last time you spoke to Angela Weber?â⬠he threw at me. ââ¬Å"Friday at lunch,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Outside of school?â⬠Charlie asked, calling my attention back. ââ¬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,â⬠I added, heavy on the skepticism, ââ¬Å"maybe we could double.â⬠ââ¬Å"Okay. But then?â⬠He hesitated. ââ¬Å"You and Jake used to be joined at the hip, and now?â⬠I cut him off. ââ¬Å"Can you get to the point, Dad? What's your condition?exactly?â⬠ââ¬Å"I don't think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend, Bella,â⬠he said in a stern voice. ââ¬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?â⬠I flinched. ââ¬Å"Well,â⬠he said defensively. ââ¬Å"If you'd had more of a life outside of Edward Cullen, it might not have been like that.â⬠ââ¬Å"It would have been exactly like that,â⬠I muttered. ââ¬Å"Maybe, maybe not.â⬠ââ¬Å"The point?â⬠I reminded him. ââ¬Å"Use your new freedom to see your other friends, too. Keep it balanced.â⬠I nodded slowly. ââ¬Å"Balance is good. Do I have specific time quotas to fill, though?â⬠He made a face, but shook his head. ââ¬Å"I don't want to make this complicated. Just don't forget about your friends?particularly Jacob.â⬠It took me a moment to find the right words. ââ¬Å"Jacob might be?difficult.â⬠ââ¬Å"The Blacks are practically family, Bellaâ⬠he said, stern and fatherly again. ââ¬Å"And Jacob has been a very, very good friend to you.â⬠ââ¬Å"I know that.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't you miss him at all?â⬠Charlie asked, frustrated. My throat suddenly felt swollen; I had to clear it twice before I answered. ââ¬Å"Yes, I do miss him,â⬠I admitted, still looking down. ââ¬Å"I miss him a lot.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then why is it difficult?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"With Jacob there is?a conflict,â⬠I said slowly. ââ¬Å"A conflict about the friendship thing, I mean. Friendship doesn't always seem to be enough for Jake.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Isn't Edward up for a little healthy competition?â⬠Charlie's voice was sarcastic now. I leveled a dark look at him. ââ¬Å"There's no competition.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're hurting Jake's feelings, avoiding him like this. He'd rather be just friends than nothing.â⬠Oh, now I was avoiding him? ââ¬Å"I'm pretty sure Jake doesn't want to be friends at all.â⬠The words burned in my mouth. ââ¬Å"Where'd you get that idea, anyway?â⬠Charlie looked embarrassed now. ââ¬Å"The subject might have come up today with Billy?.â⬠ââ¬Å"You and Billy gossip like old women,â⬠I complained, stabbing my fork viciously into the congealed spaghetti on my plate. ââ¬Å"Billy's worried about Jacob,â⬠Charlie said. ââ¬Å"Jake's having a hard time right now?. He's depressed.â⬠I winced, but kept my eyes on the blob. ââ¬Å"And then you were always so happy after spending the day with Jake.â⬠Charlie sighed. ââ¬Å"I'm happy now,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Okay, okay,â⬠I agreed. ââ¬Å"Balance.â⬠ââ¬Å"And Jacob,â⬠he insisted. ââ¬Å"I'll try.â⬠ââ¬Å"Good. Find that balance, Bella. And, oh, yeah, you've got some mail,â⬠Charlie said, closing the subject with no attempt at subtlety. ââ¬Å"It's by the stove.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Er, thanks,â⬠I muttered, puzzled by his pushiness. Then I saw the return address?the letter was from the University of Alaska Southeast. ââ¬Å"That was quick. I guess I missed the deadline on that one, too.â⬠Charlie chuckled. I flipped the envelope over and then glared up at him. ââ¬Å"It's open.â⬠ââ¬Å"I was curious.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm shocked, Sheriff. That's a federal crime.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh, just read it.â⬠I pulled out the letter, and a folded schedule of courses. ââ¬Å"Congratulations,â⬠he said before I could read anything. ââ¬Å"Your first acceptance.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks, Dad.â⬠ââ¬Å"We should talk about tuition. I've got some money saved up?â⬠ââ¬Å"Hey, hey, none of that. I'm not touching your retirement, Dad. I've got my college fund.â⬠What was left of it?and there hadn't been much to begin with. Charlie frowned. ââ¬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.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I've got it covered. Besides, there's lots of financial aid out there. It's easy to get loans.â⬠I hoped my bluff wasn't too obvious. I hadn't actually done a lot of research on the subject. ââ¬Å"So?,â⬠Charlie began, and then pursed his lips and looked away. ââ¬Å"So what?â⬠ââ¬Å"Nothing. I was just?â⬠He frowned. ââ¬Å"Just wondering what?Edward's plans are for next year?â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well?â⬠Three quick raps on the door saved me. Charlie rolled his eyes and I jumped up. ââ¬Å"Coming!â⬠I called while Charlie mumbled something that sounded like, ââ¬Å"Go away.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Hey.â⬠I smiled a little at my anticlimactic greeting. He raised our interlaced fingers to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. ââ¬Å"How was your afternoon?â⬠ââ¬Å"Slow.â⬠ââ¬Å"For me, as well.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Good evening, Charlie.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I brought another set of applications,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"There are still a few open deadlines. And a few places willing to make exceptions.â⬠I could just imagine the motivations behind such exceptions. And the dollar amounts involved. Edward laughed at my expression. ââ¬Å"Shall we?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Speaking of college applications, Edward,â⬠Charlie said, his tone even more sullen?he tried to avoid addressing Edward directly, and when he had to, it exacerbated his bad mood. ââ¬Å"Bella and I were just talking about next year. Have you decided where you're going to school?â⬠Edward smiled up at Charlie and his voice was friendly. ââ¬Å"Not yet. I've received a few acceptance letters, but I'm still weighing my options.â⬠ââ¬Å"Where have you been accepted?â⬠Charlie pressed. ââ¬Å"Syracuse?Harvard?Dartmouth?and I just got accepted to the University of Alaska Southeast today.â⬠Edward turned his face slightly to the side so that he could wink at me. I stifled a giggle. ââ¬Å"Harvard? Dartmouth?â⬠Charlie mumbled, unable to conceal his awe. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Carlisle's always fine with whatever I choose to do,â⬠Edward told him serenely. ââ¬Å"Hmph.â⬠ââ¬Å"Guess what, Edward?â⬠I asked in a bright voice, playing along. ââ¬Å"What, Bella?â⬠I pointed to the thick envelope on the counter. ââ¬Å"I just got my acceptance to the University of Alaska!â⬠ââ¬Å"Congratulations!â⬠He grinned. ââ¬Å"What a coincidence.â⬠Charlie's eyes narrowed and he glared back and forth between the two of us. ââ¬Å"Fine,â⬠he muttered after a minute. ââ¬Å"I'm going to watch the game, Bella. Nine-thirty.â⬠That was his usual parting command. ââ¬Å"Er, Dad? Remember the very recent discussion about my freedomâ⬠He sighed. ââ¬Å"Right . Okay, ten-thirty. You still have a curfew on school nights.â⬠ââ¬Å"Bella's no longer grounded?â⬠Edward asked. Though I knew he wasn't really surprised, I couldn't detect any false note to the sudden excitement in his voice. ââ¬Å"Conditionally,â⬠Charlie corrected through his teeth. ââ¬Å"What's it to you?â⬠I frowned at my dad, but he didn't see. ââ¬Å"It's just good to know,â⬠Edward said. ââ¬Å"Alice has been itching for a shopping partner, and I'm sure Bella would love to see some city lights.â⬠He smiled at me. But Charlie growled, ââ¬Å"No!â⬠and his face flushed purple. ââ¬Å"Dad! What's the problem?â⬠He made an effort to unclench his teeth. ââ¬Å"I don't want you going to Seattle right now.â⬠ââ¬Å"Huh?â⬠ââ¬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?â⬠I rolled my eyes. ââ¬Å"Dad, there's a better chance that I'l l get struck by lightning than the one day I'm in Seattle?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, that's fine, Charlie,â⬠Edward said, interrupting me. ââ¬Å"I didn't mean Seattle. I was thinking Portland, actually. I wouldn't have Bella in Seattle, either. Of course not.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Fine.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"What?,â⬠I started to ask. ââ¬Å"Hold on,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I think you can recycle your essays for this one. Same questions.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Bella?â⬠ââ¬Å"Be serious, Edward. Dartmouth?â⬠Edward lifted the discarded application a nd laid it gently in front of me again. ââ¬Å"I think you'd like New Hampshire,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"There's a full complement of night courses for me, and the forests are conveniently located for the avid hiker. Plentiful wildlife.â⬠He pulled out that crooked smile he knew I couldn't resist. I took a deep breath through my nose. ââ¬Å"I'll let you pay me back, if that makes you happy,â⬠he promised. ââ¬Å"If you want, I can charge you interest.â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Will you just fill out the application, please, Bella? It won't hurt you to apply.â⬠My jaw flexed. ââ¬Å"You know what? I don't think I will.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"What are you doing?â⬠I demanded. ââ¬Å"I sign your name better than you do yourself. You've already written the essays.â⬠ââ¬Å"You're going way overboard with this, you kno w.â⬠I whispered on the off chance that Charlie wasn't completely lost in the game. ââ¬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.â⬠A pained look tightened his face. ââ¬Å"Bella?â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I thought the timing was still undecided,â⬠Edward reminded me softly. ââ¬Å"You might enjoy a semester or two of college. There are a lot of human experiences you've never had.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'll get to those afterward.â⬠ââ¬Å"They won't be human experiences afterward. You don't get a second chance at humanity, Bella.â⬠I sighed. ââ¬Å"You've got to be reasonable about the timing, Edward. It's just too dangerous to mess around with.â⬠ââ¬Å"There's no danger yet,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Bella,â⬠Edward murmured, his face twisting when he read the distress in mine. ââ¬Å"There's no hurry. I won't let anyone hurt you. You can take all the time you need.â⬠ââ¬Å"I want to hurry,â⬠I whispered, smiling weakly, trying to make a joke of it. ââ¬Å"I want to be a monster, too.â⬠His teeth clenched; he spoke through them. ââ¬Å"You have no idea what you're saying.â⬠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 ââ¬Å"What does that have to do with anything?â⬠ââ¬Å"Monsters are not a joke, Bella.â⬠I stared at the headline again, and then up to his hard expression. ââ¬Å"A?a vampire is doing this?â⬠I whispered. He smiled without humor. His voice was low and cold. ââ¬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.â⬠I let my gaze drop to the paper again, avoiding his eyes. ââ¬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?.â⬠He took a deep breath. ââ¬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.â⬠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?. ââ¬Å"It won't be the same for me,â⬠I whispered, half to myself. ââ¬Å"You won't let me be like that. We'll live in Antarctica.â⬠Edward snorted, breaking the tension. ââ¬Å"Penguins. Lovely.â⬠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 ââ¬Å"vegetarianâ⬠family?all committed to protecting human life?preferred the flavor of large predators for satisfying their dietary needs. ââ¬Å"Alaska, then, as planned. Only somewhere much more remote than Juneau?somewhere with grizzlies galore.â⬠ââ¬Å"Better,â⬠he allowed. ââ¬Å"There are polar bears, too. Very fierce. And the wolves get quite large.â⬠My mouth fell open and my breath blew out in a sharp gust. ââ¬Å"What's wrong?â⬠he asked. Before I could recover, the confusion vanished and his whole body seemed to harden. ââ¬Å"Oh. Never mind the wolves, then, if the idea is offensive to you.â⬠His voice was stiff, formal, his shoulders rigid. ââ¬Å"He was my best friend, Edward,â⬠I muttered. It stung to use the past tense. ââ¬Å"Of course the idea offends me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Please forgive my thoughtlessness,â⬠he said, still very formal. ââ¬Å"I shouldn't have suggested that.â⬠ââ¬Å"Don't worry about it.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Sorry. Really.â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠I hesitated. His tawny eyes seemed to get a little but darker whenever I said Jacob's name. My voice turned pleading in response. ââ¬Å"Charlie says Jake is having a hard time. He's hurting right now, and?it's my fault.â⬠ââ¬Å"You've done nothing wrong, Bella.â⬠I took a deep breath. ââ¬Å"I need to make it better, Edward. I owe him that. And it's one of Charlie's conditions, anyway?â⬠His face changed while I spoke, turning hard again, statue-like. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Of course not!â⬠ââ¬Å"Then there's really no point in discussing the matter further.â⬠He dropped his hand and looked away, searching for a subject change. His eyes paused on something behind me, though his eyes stayed wary. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Not all of us have photographic memories,â⬠I said curtly. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"You have some serious issues with the classics,â⬠I snapped. ââ¬Å"Perhaps it's because I'm not impressed by antiquity.â⬠He smiled, evidently satisfied that he'd distracted me. ââ¬Å"Honestly though, why do you read it over and over?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"What is it that appeals to you?â⬠His sincere curiosity disarmed me. ââ¬Å"I'm not sure,â⬠I said, scrambling for coherency while his gaze unintentionally scattered my thoughts. ââ¬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?.â⬠His face was thoughtful as he considered my words. After a moment he smiled a teasing smile. ââ¬Å"I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality.â⬠ââ¬Å"I think that may be the point,â⬠I disagreed. ââ¬Å"Their love is their only redeeming quality.â⬠ââ¬Å"I hope you have better sense than that?to fall in love with someone so?malignant.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's a bit late for me to worry about who I fall in love with,â⬠I pointed out. ââ¬Å"But even without the warning, I seem to have managed fairly well.â⬠He laughed quietly. ââ¬Å"I'm glad you think so.â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"I'll be on my guard,â⬠he promised. I sighed. He was so good at distractions. I put my hand over his to hold it to my face. ââ¬Å"I need to see Jacob.â⬠His eyes closed. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"It's truly not dangerous at all,â⬠I said, pleading again. ââ¬Å"I used to spend all day in La Push with the whole lot of them, and nothing every happened.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Werewolves are unstable. Sometimes the people near them get hurt. Sometimes, they get killed.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"You don't know them,â⬠I whispered. ââ¬Å"I know them better than you think, Bella. I was here the last time.â⬠ââ¬Å"The last time?â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠Jacob's great-grandfather's name startled me. ââ¬Å"We thought the line had died out with Ephraim,â⬠Edward muttered; it sounded like he was talking to himself now. ââ¬Å"That the genetic quirk which allowed transmutation had been lost?.â⬠He broke off and stared at me accusingly. ââ¬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.â⬠I ignored the ribbing, my attention caught by his assumption?was he serious? ââ¬Å"But I didn't bring them back. Don't you know?â⬠ââ¬Å"Know what?â⬠ââ¬Å"My bad luck has nothing to do with it. The werewolves came back because the vampires did.â⬠Edward stared at me, his body motionless with surprise. ââ¬Å"Jacob told me that your family being here set things in motion. I thought you would already know?.â⬠His eyes narrowed. ââ¬Å"Is that what they think?â⬠ââ¬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?â⬠He blinked and his glare relaxed. ââ¬Å"Carlisle will be interested in that theory.â⬠ââ¬Å"Theory,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Interesting, but not exactly relevant,â⬠he murmured after a moment. ââ¬Å"The situation remains the same.â⬠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. ââ¬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.â⬠My voice distorted around the word. ââ¬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?.â⬠I hesitated. Edward's arms were rigid around me; his hands were in fists now, the tendons standing out. ââ¬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.â⬠I looked up at his face warily. His eyes were closed, and his jaw was strained. ââ¬Å"I'll never forgive myself for leaving you,â⬠he whispered. ââ¬Å"Not if I live a hundred thousand years.â⬠I put my hand against his cold face and waited until he sighed and opened his eyes. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"If it'd never left, you wouldn't feel the need to go risk your life to comfort a dog.â⬠I flinched. I was used to Jacob and all his derogatory slurs?bloodsucker, leech, parasite?. Somehow it sounded harsher in Edward's velvet voice. ââ¬Å"I don't know how to phrase this properly,â⬠Edward said, and his tone was bleak. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"You have to trust me on this. I'll be fine.â⬠His face was pained again. ââ¬Å"Please, Bella,â⬠he whispered. I stared into his suddenly burning golden eyes. ââ¬Å"Please what?â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"I'll work on it,â⬠I murmured. ââ¬Å"Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love?â⬠He pulled me tighter against his hard chest, tucking my head under his chin. I pressed my lips against his snow-cold neck. ââ¬Å"I know how much I love you,â⬠I answered. ââ¬Å"You compare one small tree to the entire forest.â⬠I rolled my eyes, but he couldn't see. ââ¬Å"Impossible.â⬠He kissed the top of my head and sighed. ââ¬Å"No werewolves.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm not going along with that. I have to see Jacob.â⬠ââ¬Å"Then I'll have to stop you.â⬠He sounded utterly confident that this wouldn't be a problem. I was sure he was right. ââ¬Å"We'll see about that,â⬠I bluffed anyway. ââ¬Å"He's still my friend.â⬠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.
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