Information About Strategic Teaching, Strategic Learning and Thinking Skills Essay

Teachers, whether brand new to the classroom, or veterans of many years of service, are always looking for ways to make what they do more effective and more efficient. That even goes for students in teacher preparation programs, as well it should. Efficiency is a measure of what is obtained (results) in relation to what was expended (resources). Effectiveness is a bit more elusive. To be sure, effectiveness in anything, including teaching, can be difficult to describe and to measure. The following is a discussion about some fundamental principles that may lead to actual improvement of instruction. Please read on. In order to use any instructional technique effectively, anyone who teaches must, of necessity, understand the fundamental principles and assumptions upon which the specific technique is based. There is certainly no shortage of descriptions or labels for activities that may be classified as pertaining to instruction. From the ever-popular lecture method to complex student-teacher, student-student interactions, instruction encompasses a broad range of teacher behaviors. At one end (the lecture method) the teacher is an imparter of information, and the students are the intended recipients of the information the teacher imparts. At the other end of the range of teacher behaviors are methods in which teachers interact with students in vastly more complex ways. Most researchers and experts in the field are in agreement that the most permanent and meaningful learning takes place at this end of the range. Strategic teaching, and, concomitantly, strategic learning are techniques in which significant student-teacher interaction and resultant learning and thinking are at the high end of the scale. To learn strategic teaching techniques, and to foster the ability of students to engage in strategic learning, it is important to define some terms. In fact, one of the principles of strategic teaching is to define terms. Below are terms that are relevant to this process. Strategic teaching describes instructional processes that focus directly on fostering student thinking, but goes well beyond that. Strategic teaching and strategic learning are inexorably linked. A strategic teacher has an understanding of the variables of instruction and is aware of the cognitive requirements of learning. In such an awareness, comes a sense of timing and a style of management. The strategic teacher is one who: 1. s a thinker and decision maker; 2. possesses a rich knowledge base; 3. is a modeler and a mediator of instruction. Variables of instruction refer to those factors that strategic teachers consider in order to develop instruction. These variables, as the name implies, change, and therefore the teacher must be aware of the nature of change as well as the actual variables themselves. These variables are: 1. characteristics of the learner; 2. material to be learned (curriculum content); 3. the criterial task (the goals and outcomes the teacher and learner designate); 4. earning strategies (goal directed activities in which learners engage). In teaching content at the elementary, middle, or secondary level, the strategic teacher helps guide instruction by focusing on learning strategies that foster thinking skills in relation to the content. In connecting new information to what a student already knows, learning becomes more meaningful, and not simply retained for test-taking purposes. There are numerous strategies that teachers can develop that accomplish this purpose. To give one information is not difficult, but to help one be able to develop the tools to both know what information is relevant and the means to acquire it, is perhaps the most important function of any social studies teacher. There are numerous techniques for engaging students in thinking about content. Besides thinking skills, there are such practical matters as how best to present a lesson on weather, teaching map and globe skills, helping students work together in groups, how to question effectively, and how to answer student questions. The first and foremost criterion is that the teacher thoroughly know the content, the second criterion is that the teacher have a set of rules for classroom management that are understood and implemented, and the third criterion is that the teacher have the resourcefulness and knowledge to rehearse unfamiliar techniques, and more importantly, have the capacity to adjust any lesson plan to maintain academic focus. Many of these tasks are learned on-the-job. Nothing you can learn in any course is more valuable than learning what to do when you don’t know what to do. When you can do that, you are well on your way to becoming a great teacher. Strategic Learning Strategic learning is, in effect, a highly probable outcome of effective strategic teaching. Reduced to its essentials, strategic learning is learning in which students construct their own meanings, and in the process, become aware of their own thinking. The link between teaching, thinking, and learning is critical. As a teacher, if you are not causing your students to think about what you are presenting, discussing, demonstrating, mediating, guiding, or directing, then you are not doing an effective job. You must be more than a dispenser of information. You must create conditions and an environment that encourages thinking, deepens and broadens it, and which causes students to become aware of how they think. The process of thinking about how we think is referred to as metacognition. In helping students create knowledge, it is useful to think of knowledge as occupying space that can be thought of as a pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is declarative knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"what is. † Declarative knowledge is akin to awareness. One step up on the pyramid is procedural knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"how something works, or functions. † At the top of the pyramid is conditional knowledge, or knowledge of â€Å"when or why† a particular procedure will work. Conditional knowledge is closely related to the predictive function of knowledge. When students develop a broad and deep system of conditional knowledge, they are able to predict more accurately, solve problems more efficiently, and in a sense, are more free because they can identify and articulate more options from which to choose. Strategic learning is a valuable system to help your students develop conditional knowledge. Content Connections The creation of knowledge is, in the most practical and profound sense, a primary and direct result of learning. As teachers, we must strive to assist our students to develop intellectual tools by which they can create knowledge. Any knowledge, once created, becomes a part of a larger system that enhances learning and is capable of integrating and accommodating new information with greater efficiency and reliability. Each person creates knowledge in similar, yet uniquely distinct ways. Connecting information provided or described by others in novel and personal ways is a key to learning and developing knowledge. The more one â€Å"knows,† the more one can know. The idea of content links or connections is not exactly new, but offers some unique opportunities to chart your own course, learn, and add to your knowledge system. Enter the idea of Constructivism. Constructivism is a philosophy as well as a psychology of education. Constructivism is about how knowledge is created.

World Transformation and Lifestyle Change

Jen and I sat down in the far corner of the dinner and began talking. Everything was going fine until our order arrived. To my disgust the New Jersey native, Jen, started to eat her slice of pizza with her hands. Now, you may be asking what†s wrong with that? It is a common site to walk into a pizza parlor and see everyone handling their food, but to an Argentine native like myself anything else than a fork and knife would seem barbaric. Instances like this occur every day throughout the world because of cultural differences. Another good example by Dean Barnlund, in Communication in Global Village is when former President Nixon and former president Sato met to discuss a growing problem between the two nations. Because of poor â€Å"global communication† their words where miss under stood and as a result a new wave of Words from author Dean Barnlund, who expects that â€Å"as our world is transformed our neighbors increasingly will be people whose life styles contrast sharply with our own. Barnlund points out that this transformation-a kind of â€Å"world† blender-through our newly acquired technologies, such as the internet, jet travel, low cost phones, and the ncrease of study abroad programs will expose us to a variety of cultures and ultimately make the world â€Å"shrink†. Mr. Barnlund seems to hold a mostly positive view about a global community. I am led to believe this because his book, Communication in a Global Village, supplies us with the problems we will and have encountered, and offers us advice on how to deal with it. It seems to me that Barnlund is not so much worried about the end result of globalism, but rather with the tensions involved in its creation. Signs of globalism are sprouting all around us. A couple of months ago World Cup 98 took place in France: A world soccer tournament in which almost all countries participated (about 100 or more). The World Cup is the most watched event in human history (La Blanc and Henshaw 2), and has served as a tool to unite cultures together. Where else could one watch 11 Iranian men defeat 11 Americans with out a single act of bloodthirsty violence? The World Cup ignites a flame brighter in patriotism than the Olympics, and exposes us to people from all around. When a country (Holland) beats your maternal one (Argentina) Fairly (the blame always goes to the referee, a trait all ountries agree in ? ), the emotion proceeding the initial heartbreaking pain is that of respect. What makes this tournament so beneficial to the global village is that after you have finished cheering for your team, you look into others to carry your imagination. Other events that will serve as a great spark for globalism are those such as the new Eurodollar. A standard form of currency not only shows us that countries can agree on something, and are indeed dependant on each other, but will also help people spread more easily from country to country, ultimately breaking down cultural boundaries. One doesn†t have to look farther than the ground we stand in to see the effects that globalism would have on cultures. The United States is a prime example of globalism. 1) By having so many different types of people we are influenced in varying ways such as in, sports, religion, education, family, and in the business world. 2) Helps create a better overall society, that has â€Å"global† social skills. ) Makes a community that represents all the ideals and ways of life. 4) Helps the speed and spread of technology. 2) Often times in a desperate attempt to preserve a cultural identity, countries become inclusive. Ex. The many years it took the U. S to accept any other sports apart from Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, and American Football. 3) The lack of seclusion will create generic art, music, and ideas. Back in time cultures such as the Incas and the Egyptians-because of isolation-were vastly different. I recently flipped my television to a Japanese station and saw a â€Å"Rock† band. Not that there is anything wrong with that but the distinction between cultures is fading. Another example in the music industry is how British music influences America. (Beatles, Radiohead, Prodigy, etc. ) I personally hold a bitter-sweet look into globalism. Since I am a product of culture shock I feel I have experienced it first hand. I believe that globalism would be beneficial to humanity but it would ultimately make it a very bland world where everyone thinks the same way and does everything the same way, and being an artist that†s the last thing I would want. Gone will be the days of contrasts such as African art from Egyptian. Another thing that keeps me from being totally pro-globalist is that the education system in the U. S (one of the most crucial nations for globalism) does a very poor job educating its youth about anything but itself. Students are bombarded with U. S histories all throughout grade school and high school with very little â€Å"world† education. This self- centered mentality is also seen in our newspapers, where foreign affairs are only covered if they are directly affecting us. It seems we only hear about other nations when there is a war or we have sent them money. Opening the sport section clearly shows the lack of international coverage. Newspapers in Europe and South America not only post their sporting news, but those of other nations (including the American sports). I think it is a lot more important to know a little bit about other cultures than to have all the We already know the positive and negative results that globalism would have, however, the question remains: is it really possible to achieve globalism? In order to determine we must first clarify what is needed in order to achieve a â€Å"global friendly† community. In my previous paper, Loneliness: a national feeling? I wrote that â€Å"For the most part, good communities offer a stable and trusting environment, where freedom of choice and expression is encouraged. Little discrimination, support, protection, and success leading involvement, also constitute good characteristics. † The ey term is: expression. Every person must learn to accept, and if not possible, respect others forms of expression. Obviously, we have not done a good job which is proven by our constant racial and sexual discriminations. In order for a Global Village to succeed, there are three points that must be focused on: technology, education, and understanding. Technology has already reached a point where it is allowing people from across the world to unite with no delay time. The world overall has had an increase in literacy, but even scholars are often ignorant of the â€Å"world† language. Schools and more importantly adults have to take the responsibility and eliminate prejudice from our youths mind. And of course, education would prove useless unless we are understanding and have an open mind. Greed for power, the unwillingness to accept new ways of life (clinging to your roots), and the mentality that we are all â€Å"too different†, are the three main killers of globalism. It is because of stubbornness and an immense greed that globalism has not already taken full effect. I believe that it is possible to achieve something close to globalism. My theory is hat in the future nations will unite because of political needs, shared wealth, and military allies. Countries in Europe and South America have already began to open up their borders. The result would be a couple of different communities. I am sure that a total global community is possible, but unless our planet is being jeopardized by alien beings I highly doubt that we will ever find enough motivation. Globalism is definitely coming on headstrong with its good and bad points. But, then again, nothing good in life comes free of burdens and in the end it will be up to the people to decide whether the sacrifices Barlund, Dean.

Compare and contrast the evil nature of Shakespeare’s antagonists

The following essay will compare and contrast the evil nature of Shakespeare’s antagonists King Richard and MacBeth.   Although Shakespeare intended his play Richard 3 to be a tragedy most of the play could be considered historical, but for the purpose of this paper it will be likened the insidiousness of MacBeth’s compromising morals.   In the dramatic terminology of degradation and tragedy these two works of art encompass the whole of these definitions.   While one is comparably a great portrayal of English kings, the other is a supreme example of how circumstance and identity may become the lingering plight of a man corrupted with autocratic power.   Both however exemplify human characteristics of paranoia, jealousy and victims of their action’s circumstances.   The following paper will play on the idea of comparing characters and event from the Shakespeare’s plays Richard 3 and MacBeth.King Richard is a gruesome man, with deformities, and a w icked personality.   He himself describes his traits as â€Å"rudely stamp'd† and â€Å"deformed, unfinish'd†, who cannot â€Å"strut before a wanton ambling nymph.†I that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, /Cheated of feature by dissembling nature, /Deform'd, unfinish'd, sent before my time /Into this breathing world, scarce half made up, /And that so lamely and unfashionable /That dogs bark at me, as I halt by them;/Why, I, in this weak piping time of peace, /gave no delight to pass away the time, /Unless to see my shadow in the sun   And descant on mine own deformity:/And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, /To entertain these fair well-spoken days, /I am determined to prove a villain.This speech give insight into Richard’s character just as the speeches made by Lady MacBeth organize a reader to realize the depressed nature of MacBeth in comparison to his wife’s expectations from him, and his willingness to succeed with such actions, (Mac) If we should fail?(Lady M.) We Fail!But screw your courage to the sticking place,And we’ll not fail.   (Act 1, Scene 7).King Richard begins his Machiavellian procedures in gaining the throne in a similar manner as MacBeth; although, for the argument of this paper, Richard is the more evil of the two.The theme of the evil nature of man in King Richard the III deals with politics.   It is through marriage that the ugly King may become what he wants to be perceived as being; in marrying Lady Anne he allows himself the illusion that he is someone who is worthy of love even though King Richard had Anne’s husband murdered.   The transition qualities of marriage in this play serve to produce a faà §ade of change in the characters (Hunt 1997).It is the wooing of Lady Anne that the theme of love or the charade of love as it were in this play becomes apparent to the dynamic of transition.   Richard tells Anne that he killed her husband because he (Richard) loved h er,No! why? When he, that is my husband now /Came to me, as I followed Henry's corpse;/When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands,/Which issu'd from my otherangelhusband, /And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd;/O! when I say, I look'd on Richard's face, /This was my wish, ‘Be thou,' quoth I, ‘accurs'd, /For making me so young, so old a widow! /And, when thou wedd'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;/And be thy wife—if any be so mad— /More miserable by the life of thee /Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!' /Lo! ere I can repeat this curse again, Within so small a time, my woman's heart /Grossly grew captive to his honey words, /And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's curse:/Which hitherto hath held mine eyes from rest;/For never yet one hour in his bed /Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, /But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd. /Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick, /And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.In this line is found the bewitching personality of Richard.   In this personality there are striking similarities between King Richard and MacBeth.   Both men demand of their women obediance leastwise they go berserk when not obeyed (as is seen with the later episodes between Lady MacBeth and MacBeth) as is seen in Act One Scene Five of MacBeth as Lady MacBeth states,The raven himself is hoarse/ That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan /Under my battlements. Come, you spirits /That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, /And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full /Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood, /Stop up th’access and passage to remorse, /That no compunctious visitings of nature /Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between /Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts, /And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers, /Wherever in your sightless substances /You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night, /And pall thee in the dun nest smoke of hell, /That my keen knife see not the wound it makes, /Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark, /To cry ‘Hold, hold!’Thus is MacBeth’s evil nature propelled by his wife.   However, since MacBeth is the character whom carries on the theme of evil in his autocratic power over the throne, it may also be suggested that MacBeth is the stronger of the two characters, and henceforth, his evil nature becomes entirely his, and not something which is funneled into him from Lady MacBeth.   Therefore this demand of obseqious behavior warrents the premise of Shakespeare’s play being about the dominance of women and their gullability as Lady Anne commits to marry a man who killed her husband.   In this act is found that Shakespeare has created in Lady Anne a female character who is unable to gain retribution for her husband’s murder by sticking a knife into Richard’s chest.   Thus, as Lady Anne as a widow may have been of stro ng character, Lady Anne as she becomes the wife of Richards is duty-bound, sad, and realizes too late what her actions consists of, which is her culpability.MacBeth and King Richard are similar characters on other grounds as well.   When MacBeth’s wife urges him to murder for power, his protests are not long heard in the play, but MacBeth’s actions speak towards his depraved state. He is given to pity, and self-loathing as well as introverted nature with his overwhelming power once he achieves the throne.  Ã‚   King Richard uses a similar ploy when he convinces Anne Neville to marry him even after he kills her father and her husband.   Ã‚  Ã‚  In both characters then the capacity to hoodwink the general populace is exorbitant.   However, each character in turn must pay the price of their actions.;   it is the hunting of the boar’s quality of karma that kills Richard due to his plotting, and MacBeth dies the way the play began, as a warrior, without muc h power in politics.King Richard sees his ugliness as a crutch, as away to get people to feel sorry for him and thus gain power; King Richard does this covertly.   Richard has to disguise his true intentions leastwise he will be beheaded for treason.   Richard attempts a charade with Anne when he tells her he had her husband killed because he (Richard) loved her,No! why? When he, that is my husband now /Came to me, as I followed Henry's corse;/When scarce the blood was well wash'd from his hands,/Which issu'd from my other angel husband, /And that dead saint which then I weeping follow'd;/O! when I say, I look'd on Richard's face, /This was my wish, ‘Be thou,' quoth I, ‘accurs'd, /For making me so young, so old a widow! /And, when thou wedd'st, let sorrow haunt thy bed;/And be thy wife—if any be so mad— /More miserable by the life of thee /Than thou hast made me by my dear lord's death!' /Lo! ere I can repeat this curse again, Within so small a time, my woman's heart /Grossly grew captive to his honey words, /And prov'd the subject of mine own soul's curse:/Which hitherto hath held mine eyes from rest;/For never yet one hour in his bed /Did I enjoy the golden dew of sleep, /But with his timorous dreams was still awak'd. /Besides, he hates me for my father Warwick, /And will, no doubt, shortly be rid of me.Thus, in Richard’s view of himself and the man he truly has become is the juxtaposition of pity, jealousy and the actions therein.Another strikingly similar point of evil between these two Shakespearean plays is their willingness to gain power through any means necessary, and often times this involves murder.   The realism for MacBeth in knowing that his actions are stygian appears with Banquo’s ghost, while with Richard, the realization of evil comes from Queen Margaret.   Queen Margaret warns nobles about Richard and his devious nature, but her claims go unheeded by the table of noblemen.   Queen Margaret is ushered out or banished from the court, just as MacBeth’s choice of denying he really did see a ghost attests to him not accepting his own nature of evil.In the insanity that visits MacBeth’s character in Shakespeare’s play of the same name there is a definite difference between Richard and him, as insanity portends to evil.   MacBeth becomes increasingly insane throughout the duration of the play due in most part to the predictions and misleadings of the three witches.   MacBeth’s rise into power in Scotland was begotten due to his first murder (Clausen p. 43).MacBeth’s obvious insanity, and thus his evil nature can be seen most notably in the way in which he rules; his choices of using force, violence, and murder in his autocratic rule tend to be the persuasions of his debilitating sanity.   Although his actions may in part speak towards his psychosis, the fact of MacBeth’s personality remains in that he cannot cope with his active violence and it is way of ruling as a tyrant which also enables his role as an insane person.   MacBeth uses his position to thwart his will on the people and it is his way of ruling which leads to his further violence and his insanity.MacBeth’s evil nature may be submitted to be revealed through the introduction of the play with the three witches.   In the dialogue of the play, and the actions therein, which represent this initial scene, the true evil of MacBeth rests within his imagination, for this aggrandized factor of his personality is what drives MacBeth to desire power in its tyrant form, and through murder as Bloom states, â€Å"†¦the play depends on its horror of its own imaginings.   Imagination is an equivocal matter for Shakespeare and his era where it meant both poetic furor and a gap torn in reality, almost a punishment for the displacement of the sacred into the secular.  Ã‚   MacBeth†¦is a tragedy of the imagination† (p. 4).The shortc omings which lead to MacBeth’s degradation of mind is due in part to his own ambitions (and imagination) and his dealings with the three witches as well as his inferiority complex which in turn causes him to use violence in order to rule.   Another attribute of MacBeth’s evil nature is shown with his partner, Lady MacBeth.   It is her driving force to have MacBeth kill Duncan which furthers MacBeth’s self-doubt.   Lady MacBeth is inclusive of MacBeth’s insanity since she urges him to commit the necessary crimes to gain power while also disregarding the guilt burdening MacBeth; Lady MacBeth urges MacBeth’s evil nature,   his criminal acts, because she like her husband is addicted to power and knows the necessary means to gain such power, and so, urges her husband past the guilt, and self-doubt in order to achieve their goals.Richard plots to have Clarence killed by his own brother by making Edward believe that George of Clarence is trying to kill.   This is accomplished by Edward having a pretense of someone killing him whose name begins with the letter G (George in this case).   Richard succeeds in this plot and is named King.   However, Richard’s nephews are still in the Tower of London and could be successors to the throne once they come of age.   King Richard has Buckingham murder the nephews.   Not only does Richard succeed in his murdering campaign but he also beguiles the kingdom to believe he is a just king, as least for awhile.King Richard is abandoned on the battlefield by Lord Stanley and loses his horse and is murdered in a type of boar hunt.   These two characters are similar in this scene in their scope of personality and the actions that haunt them (Bradley p. 56).After Duncan’s murder however, Lady MacBeth’s character diminishes and so MacBeth is left even more alone in his act of betrayal which further leads to his suffering mind.   Plagued by guilt and contempt for h imself and his actions, the reader begins to see the disintegration of MacBeth.  Ã‚   Thus, it is proven that both characters of Shakespeare’s plays, King Richard 3, and MacBeth are evil.   Both Richard, and MacBeth’s mental powers show a decline in power and cohesion as the plays progress with murder and violence.The contrast between these two antagonists seem to depict no true relevant difference but in comparison the evil nature of either of these two men is one in which pure evil is seen.   In both of their quests for the throne, and the power which comes with the throne, the more evil of the two seems to be Richard, since his thirst for such a prize entails the con of marriage, as well as of killing his two young nephews, while MacBeth’s dirty deeds are supported by his wife (Bradley p. 101).These two characters are a great fascination because of their striking similarities.   Their evil nature warrants great sacrifice, as well as leading them down the path of fast glory, but ultimately ending in betrayal and death (as with Richard’s army, and as will Lady MacBeth’s eventual self-doubt as to MacBeth’s rise in power, and the means by which he gained it so swiftly).Shakespeare’s great accomplishment with these two characters is undoubtedly within the realm of pure evil, in that neither seems to have great remorse at the end of their power reign.   It is in the necessity of guilt which makes a character redeemable to an audience, and by denying any remorse for either character, Shakespeare has created two very strong, evil antagonists.   The fact that they remain of interest to the audience is found in just how despicable and evil their deeds, and just how far they are willing to push their power onto others in order to achieve the end of their goals.BibliographyBloom, H.   (2004).   Shakespeare’s MacBeth.   Riverhead Publishing, New York.Bradley, A.C. (2005).   Shakespearean Tragedy .   Adamant Media Corporation.   London.Clausen, C.   (2005).   MacBeth Multiplied.   Bodleian Publishing, Netherlands.Hunt, M.   (1997).   Shakespeare’s King Richard111 and the Problematics of Tudor Bastardy.Papers on Language & Literature, Vol. 33.Shakespeare, W. (1989).   King Richard the III. Manchester University Press, UK.Shakespeare, W.   (1990).  Ã‚   MacBeth.   Washington Square Press, New York.

Greek Mythologys Hercules in Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Greek Mythologys Hercules in Films - Essay Example With the different depictions of Hercules, this paper then is an assessment on how he was portrayed and presented in films. The materials considered for this study were Disney's animated film "Hercules" released on 1997 and Roger Young's miniseries entitled "Hercules. Half Man. Half God. All Power." released on 2004 by the Hallmark Channel. According to the Big Cartoon Database (n.d.) "Hercules" was a "Disney update on classic mythology", an animated film about his journey towards finding a place where he belonged. Here, Hercules, the son of Greek gods Zeus and Hera was born god-like strength in Olympus, the home of the gods. When Hades, the God of the Underworld, learns that his plan of domination in the future will be affected because of Hercules' existence, he summons his two followers, Pain and Panic, de-immortalize the child Hercules and kill him in the mortal world. Pain and Panic, failed in their mission and only succeeds in making Hercules mortal. No mortal beings are allowed to dwell in Olympus, which leaves Hercules in the care of Alcmene and Amphitryon, the childless mortal couple who found him on the bushes. Hercules later grows into a misfit adolescent because of his extraordinary strength that always gets him in the center of chaos. His adoptive parents later tells him of his past and a medal found with him that is a link to Zeus, his father. Hercules then journeys to the temple of the gods. Zeus appears and confirms Hercules thoughts. Zeus tells him that the only way that Hercules can enter Olympus again is that if he becomes an earthly hero to gain his godliness. The adolescent Hercules then goes on a pursuit of a hero status with the help and instructions from the satyr, Philoctetes. He achieves the hero status later in adulthood but is perplexed because he still is not a god. When Hades learns that Hercules still lives, he orders his soul-bound follower Megara to deceive Hercules. Hades tries to block his path to being a God with calamities and creatures like the multi-headed, Hydra. Hercules becomes a God when he sacrifices himself for Megara. The animated film ends with Hercules choosing to stay in the mortal world to be with Megara. The most obvious difference of the animated film from the original Greek myth of Hercules is that the dreadful factors of his origins were revised and some components of modern day popular culture were utilized. According to Royalty.nu (n.d.), Hercules was born to Alcmene, wife of Amphityron, but fathered by the Greek God Zeus. Zeus deceived Alcmene into thinking that he was Amphitryon on a night when the real Amphitryon was away. Hera, Zeus' wife loathed Hercules and tried several times to try and kill Hercules, much unlike in the animated film, where Hera as Hercules' mother doted on him. The animated film focused on Hercules' early life; the famous ten labors of Hercules and the other half of his life was not included. The circumstances of the Greek myth characters like Megara, Zeus, Hera, Aphitryon, Alcmene and the rest included in the film were greatly modified to fit the storyline of the animated film. Apart from that Hercules' twin brother, Iphicles was excluded in the

Come up with a research topic Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Come up with a research topic - Thesis Example The thesis statement for this topic is the position that: harassment of Latino immigrants by state and local law enforcement authorities is strongly linked to the anti-immigration sentiments of people in the United States and this prevents Latinos from getting any form of protection under US laws in the face of these harassments. Arizona’s Safe Neighborhood Act, 1070 enacted in 2010 gave state authorities the power to arrest and detained persons they had reason to believe was an illegal immigrant (Campbell 1; Magana and Lee 103; Rothe and Kauzlarich 98). This is in contrast with the fundamental position of US law which requires the federal government to handle such issues (Romero and Romero Williams 230; Motomura 117; Ferro 76). This shows that the spate of changes in US migration and public opinion had caused the people to move beyond the powers attributed to them in the constitution (Skerry). The natural consequence of this is that it created a spillover that allowed some constituents of US law to gain power and authority to do things not authorized by the constitution to these immigrants (Gallagher and Lippard 75; Shally-Jansen 1037; OLeary 32). There is a general increase in the trend hate crimes and negative acts targeting persons of Latin American origins (Civil Rights para 3). The statistics indicate that hate crimes against Latinos by authorities have increased by at least 100% over the past decade (Civil Rights para 1). This shows that a lot a lot of negative things have been done under the guises of new laws and other negative acts are a reflection of the wrong sentiments that are meted out against the Latino migrant population. A hypothesis is a tentative statement made by a researcher at the beginning of a research that is tested for its truthfulness or falsity (Adams and Eva 593; Spielberger 229). Therefore, the casual claims can be put

Spiritual Needs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Spiritual Needs - Essay Example The patient’s spiritual goal was to keep holy and be righteous so at to maintain a continual intimate relationship with Jesus and God the father. In regard to life, illness and death, she believed that God gives life at will and takes it at will through any means. She believed that illness could either be an expected occurrence in the mortal bodies of human kind, a judgment from God, or a means through which God can show his power. The patient’s spirituality provided her with support, strength and inspiration during times of illness by giving her hope of healing because of God’s divine intervention. It also prepared her for the worst like death by assuring her an eternally happier, peaceful and painless life after death. The patient requested to have their church members and pastors to be allowed to her room to give her spiritual support through prayers, read the bible and worship with her. In her view, the hospital should provide a bible and regular pastoral support if this is possible. From the assessment, I discovered that the patient has specific spiritual needs that increase in times of stresses like illnesses. The patient also loved to have time for prayer and meditation at three o’clock both day and night. As a nurs e, I will reschedule his assessment times to ensure her three o’clock are uninterrupted.... Resources to be availed to meet the patient’s spiritual needs. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Summary of Assessment Findings The patient was a protestant and he expressed her spirituality through prayers, worship, reading of the bible and meditation. These practices formed an essential part of her life. She explained that spirituality helps her maintain a focus in enjoying eternity in heaven. The patient’s spiritual goal was to ke ep holy and be righteous so at to maintain a continual intimate relationship with Jesus and God the father. In regard to life, illness and death, she believed that God gives life at will and takes it at will through any means. She believed that illness could either be an expected occurrence in the mortal bodies of human kind, a judgment from God, or a means through which God can show his power. The patient’s spirituality provided her with support, strength and inspiration during times of illness by giving her hope of healing because of God’s divine intervention. It also prepared her for the worst like death by assuring her an eternally happier, peaceful and painless life after death. The patient requested to have their church members and pastors to be allowed to her room to give her spiritual support through prayers, read the bible and worship with her. In her view, the hospital should provide a bible and regular pastoral support if this is possible. Significant discov eries about the patient From the assessment, I discovered that the patient has specific spiritual needs that increase in times of

Research Project Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Research Project Proposal - Essay Example This study will explore the research about the effects of therapeutic massage on stress and quality of life of female faculty working in the teacher education program at a (Name) University. It will enquire into if there will be some impact on the efficiency and life style of the female faculty staff if they are provided with the massage facility in order to reduce the level of stress in imparting their too heavy pedagogical duties. The purpose of this project is to study the quality of life of female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at a (Name) University to determine what effects massage therapy designed to relax and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit has on stress reduction and overall quality of life. The quantitative and qualitative feedback received from pretest and posttest surveys and massage follow-up questionnaires will be used to determine what if any difference the effects of therapeutic massage designed to relax and revitalize the mind, body and spirit has on stress reduction and management, and overall quality of life. 3. In what ways does participation in the holistic health alternative practice of therapeutic massage treatments improve the quality of life of female faculty working in the Teacher Education program at this (Name) University The (Name) University female faculty across schools and departments will benefit from knowing if perceived stress is reduced and quality of life improved as a result of participating in a perceived Quality of Life and Stress survey and three massage therapy treatments designed to relax and revitalize the mind, body, and spirit. The information will be used to increase awareness of the stress female faculty encounter in the Teacher Education program. The findings may result in the development of holistic health programs that improve higher education environments. The information will be shared and published with the Massage Therapy Foundation of the American Massage Therapy Association. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The literature referred to value of life as a qualitative practice that appears from the inside, a mode of concerning to life that twigs from a fresh perceptive and an eternal change in a manner an individual witness life. In order to be familiar with living being and becoming as it communicates to worth of life and transform of the inside out, it was required to examine strain and its consequence on fitness and living being. When the symbols of stress persevere, an entity is in danger for heart infection, cancer, corpulence, hopelessness, obsessive-compulsive, ill treatment, diabetes, and so on. Stress slows down the resistant organism. A destabilized resistant organism effects in ill health. It is necessary to identify the sign of stress and make out what steps should be taken to reduce the stressors that influence physical condition and value of life. Knowing that tension begins when a

The style of clothing and hairstyles of the 1800 Essay

The style of clothing and hairstyles of the 1800 - Essay Example A large number of Americans imitated the clothing and hair styles from overseas, while underprivileged Americans utilized economical fabrics so as to afford clothing (Dror, 2004). Despite women having long hair, they were likely to wear it up. During this time, France was experiencing economic hardships. Napoleon proposed new culture and fashion style because he realized the probability of revenue in the textile industry. Members of the noble class were not permitted to wear the same clothes twice, thus were compelled to buy additional fabrics. Ladies dresses were characterized by high waists and full skirts. Additional fabrics were used for evening wear. White was the dominant color among the wealthy and style was inspired by Classical Grecian robes. Moreover, for females’ dresses, the waistline moved towards the bustline. Dresses were created using thin fabric, typically, muslin, and skirts were not full. Necklines were square and low, and sleeves were capped and tight (Dror, 2004). Females frequently put on pelisses during winter. The pelisse is a coat with a waist that matches the waistline of the dress. During the early part of this period, males wore derbies and top hats. Breeches were tightly fitted and longer, highlighting male’s calves. Later, males begun wearing trousers and pants were longer. Moreover, coats contained long tails at the back and were short in the front. Males put on double-breast coats with stiff and thick collars. Also, blouses were made of muslin or linen. Females in this period designed their hair in a Y or T shape. The back of the hair was put in a bun or braided and pinned, while the front was trimmed approximately chin size and frequently coiled into soft ringlets (Dror, 2004). Later, females’ hairstyles were ornate and extravagant, for example, Madonna, which contained a central part with numerous coils in layers on the crown and front of the head, and Apollo knot, which was made up of two outsized knots decorated

Henry Clay's views of slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Henry Clay's views of slavery - Essay Example To put action to words, he, of his own free will, freed his slaves, many years before the Civil War and the emancipation (NPR para 4). Clay was one of the people who President Lincoln admired a lot, and his drive for the emancipation must have emanated from this. In fact, Clay and Lincoln seem to have shared the same socio-political philosophy when it came to leadership. For instance, Clay is quoted as having said that he would rather be right than president. This was indication of how his view on slavery was hindering his political career. There have been conflicting arguments on how the abolition of slavery affected the economy of the United States. Some feel that the abolition was a big loss to the economy, especially the southern parts of America which were too dependent on slave labour for their extensive agricultural activities. Slave labour was fundamental in allowing the southern farmers to be able to continue being large-scale producers. In fact, although the southern parts constituted only about thirty percent of the population at the time, it was able to produce a majority of the agricultural products such as cotton which was in great demand, and other food crops. With the abolition of the slaves, these farmers could not access the cheap and affordable labour the farmers were getting from the slaves. The economic impact of the abolition of slavery can also be considered in terms of the productivity of an individual. The question in this case would be, were slaves more productive while in slavery than they were while free? In one way, it can be argued that slaves, due to the fact that they were to work constantly, were more productive. A free person on the other hand, can do work in one day which will give him enough income to help his family for three days. In this regard, such a person may end up being idle for the rest of the days. This argument has however been countered, especially by modern research on human motivation. For instance, Abraham Mas low, a psychologist, established that human motivation changes from time to time in a hierarchical manner depending on the various levels of human needs. These conflicting issues of slavery can be best seen in Henry Clay’s attitude towards slavery. Henry was a representative who influenced a lot of issues in USA politics and economics and at one time was openly opposed to slavery. Yet, in spite of his stand on slavery, he himself owned slaves (NPR, 2010). This is an indication that although opposed slavery on moral grounds, he still could appreciate the economic importance of slavery. The other way in which the impact of emancipation can be considered is by looking at the value of a slave. Although the actual value of a slave could not have been calculated accurately, it can be estimated. A slave was bought at about $200 and was estimated to have a value of $800 to $100 when future value of his work is considered. It is estimated that there were four million slaves, giving a value of $400 of the slaves who lived during the time of emancipation. This would mean that this value of the economy was destroyed just by freeing the slaves. However, this argument is valid only in theory but falls short in practice. Freeing a slave did not nullify his or her economic value but only shifted the value from one owner to another (from the slave master to the slave). In this regard, it cannot be said that freeing the slaves nullified their

Thinking about cover, then and now Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thinking about cover, then and now - Assignment Example Conflicts between Coulton and Glee based on baaed on the arrangement of ‘Baby Got Back’. Both Glee and Coulton were not original song writer but it was a cover of a cover as Glee covering Jonathan Coulton covering Sir Mixalot. Sir Mixalot’s arrangement are different from Coulton covering and uniquely Colton’s. When Glee covered the song, it became obvious to Coulton and supported the origin of the arrangement as it was quite similar as Glee covering incorporated Colton’s line Johnny C’s in trouble’ while in Mixalot’s original song had, ‘Mix-A-Lot‘s in trouble and line was dropped by FOX in Glee performance. As the cover song was aired and sold in iTunes, it dealt Coulton a blow finically as Glee was given unethical and uncredited exposure by FOX as TV shows had stolen from Coulton. It is quite evident that legally Glee was right but ethically wrong by ripping from where he had not sowed. Even though, the work was not Coulton, he had to be credited when Glee took his arrangement based on ‘Baby Got Back† as he interpreted and created the song. Glee ought to have paid royalties as he earned from covering which would not be possible without the work of other artist. Another unethical covering is taking place in YouTube with over 40000 people having covered ‘Rolling in the Deep’, 6000 covering, ‘Somebody That I Used to Know and 11000 covering, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ driven by non-commercial benefits being done out of love by fans of original songs hence no negative on market value of original but is a creativity criminalized as it done without synchronization license. Other examples of cover are those bought from Tom Waist’s Orphan Collection including such covers exposing his lounge as a singer from a different planet. ‘Sea of Love’ from Robert Plant’s Honey-drippers being covered by over billion people with Waist’s weird take but interesting. Alabama 3 album has also covered ‘Hotel

Human ressources management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 1

Human ressources management - Assignment Example Performances of the organizations are highly dependent on the efficiencies of the employees. The employees are highly informed on this matter. Sometimes they try to resist different changes by manipulating their performance, efficiency and productivity. Organizational change is a serious issue that every modern company is facing. Organizational change is the systematic movement of a company from one position to another position. It may change the outlook of an organization. Resistance of change is not a new concept. Whenever organizations have come up with different changes they face significant and tough challenges from the employees. Sometimes resistances are prominent or direct and sometimes it has been underlying or indirect. The companies across the world are spending lots of money and energy for implementing changes in their organizations without facing too much of resistances. Here in this essay a detailed discussion will be done about how the employees offer effective resista nces to prevent any organizational changes. The essay will include introduction, main body and conclusion. It will be a step by step approach. The main objective of this essay is to find various ways through which employees around the world resist different organizational changes. Organizational change is a regular phenomenon. With the changing scenarios employees are also varying their ways to oppose any changes. The study will help to understand that how employees often hinder the way of changes. In this essay the main objective will be to find out and analyze different methods, generally employees across the world follows to prevent any changes. This essay will inform managements of the different organizations about the possible responses of the employees in the context of organizational changes. If managements of the organizations are able to get the pictures of possible resistances then it will be easy for them to manage different resistances. In

Understanding of the Old Testament Essay Example for Free

Understanding of the Old Testament Essay To what extent does archaeology inform us about our understanding of the Old Testament? The Jewish scriptures that made up the Old Testament were written over a period of a hundred years during a time when the Israelites were established and prosperous, but also during the times when the whole religion and lifestyle were under threat throughout exiles and national crises. Biblical scholars study the evidence within the scriptures themselves and also use other resources such as prehistoric documents and archaeological findings in order to inform us more thoroughly about the Old Testament. Archaeology is a modern science calling for much patience and skill. Generally speaking there are three kinds of archaeology. The first is ruins of buildings, homes, temples and fortifications. These reveal culture, worship, social structure and manner of life. The second is artefacts, pots, lamps, weapons and ornaments. These reveal something about wealth and culture. The third is inscriptions, also known as epigraphic material. This reveals what people wrote about. We have to be cautious about what archaeology can prove. From reading ancient texts, scholars can not always tell whether it is true or not. We can simply tell what the writer of the text wanted the world to believe. Archaeology can help to provide evidence that an event happened, but it cannot always show why it happened nor who was involved. Therefore it is most useful for corroboration. Through archaeology scholars can discover more about the times in which people in the Bible lived. What importance did they have as a nation among other nations? What were their everyday lives like? What animals did they keep? What did they eat? How did they trade? What were their social habits and family interactions? What was the nature of the other religions by which they were surrounded when Judaism was first beginning and much more? One of the main reasons scholars look for archaeological evidence is due to an issue that causes the most controversy- whether the events described really happened. For many people who are strong believers this is not an issue for them as the Bible, which is the Word of God is thought to them to be more true than any other foundation of information, so therefore the events portrayed in the Bible are true to them. If there is no outside evidence to support this, or discoveries of scholars contradict what the Bible says, then the Bible remains true to the believers as the people investigating the evidence are thought to be able to be fallible whereas for the believers, the Bible is not. Many people are also willing to accept that some of the Bibles accounts are true in a theological rather than a historical sense. However, it is argued that the accuracy of the historical accounts might have been sacrificed in order to put emphasis on the theological point. It is very difficult for events in the Old Testament to be accurately dated for many reasons. The main reason is that many of the written records have not survived. This is because many of the texts were written on insubstantial materials and the climate was not particularly dry and therefore could not preserve the texts. Another reason is that much of the Old Testament originated as oral traditions rather than written, which means whilst being passed on from one person to another, the real translation could have sometimes been changed through misunderstanding or false impression. This makes it extremely difficult for scholars to work out which parts are historically correct and which are not as elements may have been removed or added. Texts occasionally referred to features which were thought to be of a later date than the story itself and therefore scholars have to decide if the older parts of a narrative were correct or had been altered. Biblical writers also often exaggerated wha t was written in order to express that someone was particularly blessed by God. This means scholars have to make informed guesses where they do not know facts, which means they can easily make mistakes in accuracy as well as writing according to their own biases. A final reason why the Bible cannot be accurately dated is because Biblical writers primary purpose was not to write an accurate historical record. Their main interest was to illustrate the relationship between God and humanity, particularly the relationship between God and his chosen people, Israel. This meant important rulers and political events of global importance, which could give the Bible definite dates if they were mentioned in the texts, were ignored because they did not show any relevance for religious faith. Some people dispute that a date from the Bible can be found using the text itself as many do believe the Bible is historically accurate and reliable as the Bible is inspired by God. However, for many scholars this is thought to be very unreliable. As well as using documents to attempt to place the Bible in historical context, archaeologists have searched for evidence of the existence of cities and buildings mentioned in Biblical stories. Since the First World War, scholars have used archaeology to discover more reliable sources about events that were said to have happened in the Old Testament. For example, excavations on the southern bank of the river Euphrates in Syria revealed the existence of a city called Mari. From this city, archaeologists found cuneiform (wedge-shaped writing of ancient civilisations) tablets dating from the nineteenth and eighteenth centuries BC. They provided a wealth of information containing economic factors which helped scholars to understand the ways in which people lived in the Middle Bronze Age. In the past, thousands of tablets covered with cuneiform have been discovered. They provide information about the Biblical world before 100 BC. After that time alphabets with letters not made up of combinations of triangles begin to emerge and we are on our way to the Hebrew script known to Biblical scholars. Names found through archaeology can provide more clues to the dating or geographical setting of particular events in the Old Testament because when scholars find evidence of other people with comparable names to those of characters in the Bible, it can suggest a background for the Biblical writings. To conclude, archaeology can help to inform us more about events that happened in the Old Testament and help us understand what happened and who was involved more than we already do. However, we cannot always rely on archaeology to inform our understanding of the Old Testament as archaeologists and scholars do not always know the truth behind evidence found, they are only able to use what they see with their own eyes and make educated guesses with what they already know.

John Lewis Partnership Analysis

John Lewis Partnership Analysis This paper focuses on the strategic formulation of John Lewis partnership in initial phases of the firms online services, Ocado the online service that delivers Waitrose groceries) and the online shopping (johnlewis.com) website development from the 2000 to 2010. In the first instance, account of the company will be briefly discussed, together with the main activity, market share, key stakeholders and also financial overview of the company. Secondly, the identification of its generic strategy by using Porters model of generic strategy will be clearly defined. This will follow the discussion of the key activities that underpin the chosen generic strategy, a value chain analysis and how the added value creates a distinctive competence which leads to competitive advantage of the business. Companys overview John Lewis was first founded in 1864 by John Spedan Lewis partnered with his two brothers in Oxford Street, London. Waitrose joined the partnership in 1937 as a chain of 10 specialist food, followed shortly in the John Lewis partnership is Greenbee which is now called John Lewis Insurance and partnership card (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Main activities of the company include providing customers with high quality groceries and non grocery items such as electrical goods, furniture, fashion, flowers and also financial services such as insurance and credit card services. As one of UKs top ten retailers, the company has about 31 John Lewis and 235 Waitrose supermarkets, an online and catalogue business, a direct services company, one production unit and a farm and continues to grow at a rapid pace (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). John Lewis Partnership argues to have a visionary and successful way of doing business, boldly putting the happiness of Partners at the centre of everything it does (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). It strives to differentiate itself from competitors by giving 100% ownership to partners who are also permanent staff of the company who are committed to serve customers with flair and fairness.(John Lewis Partnership, 2010, Bloomberg Business Week, 2010, Hambrick Fredrickson, 2005, Times Online, 2008). In addition, due to the Partners dedication and hard work, the company was ranked as the 3rd of the top 100 biggest privately owned companies in the UK during the year 2008 (Times Online, 2008) despite the economy downturn which led to drop one rank from previous year (Times Online, 2008). However, in the survey conducted by Which? revealed that in January 2009 John Lewis was ranked at the top of the list and also was voted as the Britains favourite retailer in 2010 the UK Consumer Satisfaction Index from the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Never Knowingly Undersold is the companys motto that has been used over 75 years, to promise customers that the company will always sell the lowest price in town (John Lewis Partnership, 2010, Bloomberg, Business Week, 2010). Charley Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis partnership reports a strong performance within the first six month of 2010, an increase of gross sales by 12.4% and operating profit by 15.1% compared to last year (London Stock Exchange, 2010). Mayfield further reported a market share gain and strong growth in both John Lewis department store and Waitrose, one of the most notable increases was the underlying operating profit which rose by 59.4% (Bloomberg, Business Week, 2010) despite of the credit crunch. The benefits and profits gained from the business are shared equally among partners who are also permanent staff and co-owner of the business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). The Formulation of strategy: Strategic aims Strategy is defined as the direction and scope of an organisation over the long term, which achieve advantage in a changing environment (Scholes et al., 2008). It is important for all organisations to have a strategy as without it, time and resources can easily be wasted (Hambrick Fredrickson, 2005). Organisations should analyse the competitive position of the market, formulate strategic aim then acquire the needed resources for implementing those chosen strategies (Porter, 1980). Furthermore, it is possible for the organisation to increase its resources and capabilities through sharing and generation of knowledge, learning and redeployment of existing resources in a new and more effective ways (Steve B. Alex H., 2007, Barney, 1991). In 1929, the founder of John Lewis partnership gave up the ownership of the company to the employees for the purpose of balancing the employees happiness and successful business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). John Lewis (2010) had an ambitious vision of co-ownership by making employees happiness whilst developing steady business profit at the same time. This assertion has left a remarkable commercial history and is as alive today as it was 80 years ago (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). In addition, the founder created a governance system that is both commercial and democratic which will allow the company to gain competitive advantage by moving ahead quickly and also giving voice to every Partners who also co-owned the company (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). A recent study conceded that the more satisfied workers are with their jobs, the better the company is likely to perform in terms of profitability and particularly productivity (Hobson, 1998) with a variation of between 19% profitability and 18% productivity which are accounted in the way people are managed (Hobson, 1998, Steve et al.). According to the John Lewis partnership (2010) financial statements as shown on Table 1 below, illustrates that the business has grown significantly over the past 10 year, the turnover increased by 50% and net profit were also increased by 96% over the past 10 years. Therefore, the findings of the study (Hobson, 1998) conceded with the performance outcome of John Lewis (2010). At the onset, the strategic aim of the partnership was to experiment in industrial democracy and to establish a better form of business (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). As first movers of employee owned-business model, the partnership takes advantage of the resource and capability extending sources as the company was already in maturity. The resources that the company possessed extended the advantages of co-ownership structure that the partnership needed to sustain and enhance the strategic position as an outstanding retailer and a thriving example of employee ownership (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). Many public sector workers are now consider utilising John Lewis employee owned-business model after John Lewis staffs who are also partners embrace a big bonus of 15% that is equivalent to almost twice of monthly salary whilst public sector workers are threatened for a job loss due to government spending cuts (Julia, 2010). Therefore, the companys key strategic aims were built around the capabilities that employee owned-business model offered for creating added value to partners and customers (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). However, the long term strategic aims of John Lewis partnership were to give personal satisfaction to Partners by becoming members of a co-owned enterprise, retain customers loyal by giving value, choice, service and honesty, and create real influence over working lives whilst sustain business strength and gain competitive advantage which will allow continued development. To achieve these aims John Lewis Partnership would have to demonstrate the benefits of co-ownership and competitive behaviours that will differentiate the company from its competitors including outperforming the conventional companies. Internal Analysis: Generic strategy How firms compete and what strategies they choose are important questions for the economy (Ormanidhi Stringa, 2008) and a vital decision have to be made in order to determine the generic strategy of a business (Porter, 1980). In the case of John Lewis Partnership the choice was relatively simple. Although the Partnership sought to create a happy working environment, the key to competitive advantage lay in the real influence over working lives whilst providing added value and unrivalled service to the customers. The employee-owned business model for the retail venture entailed employees ownership and responsibilities for the business success by delivering the right experience for all customers whilst generating profits for the partners to share. In effect, John Lewis Partnership is a top ten retail company in the UK. It operates department stores, supermarkets chain and John Lewis Direct website which focus on home and giftware that have been ranked UKs top online shopping destinations consistently. A well known for its high customer satisfaction rating, upmarket chain targeted middle to upper class customers. However, the Partnership expanded its marketing strategy and has recently introduced a Value and Essential range to target all types of customers (John Lewis Partnership, 2010). The ability and efficiency to engage customers loyalty and trust by providing outstanding value, choice and service, the more customers would be retained and attracted to their departments, supermarkets and websites. The key to achieving this was to differentiate the benefits of co-ownership and partners behaviours against rivals including conventional retail companies. The key differentiators were to offer security, stability and fulfilling employment for the Partners who are also permanent employees of the company. Another compelling differentiator was the lower prices John Lewis could offer using Never knowingly undersold slogan. It was the first mover retailer to offer its customers the confidence that promised the customers cheapest price in the town. This principle has been used to monitor competitors and reduce own price if being undersold. Thus, this allows the Partnership to retain customers loyalty and trust by giving them confidence that they will never purchase similar product elsewhere which is undersold and if that is the case, then the customer is guaranteed to get a refund. As the employee-owned business model continue to grows in a rapid pace, in 2000 the Partnership successfully managed a network of over 31 major department stores and over 235 supermarkets stocking around 350,000 products. Particularly, the launch of Ocado online service that delivers Waitrose groceries and online shopping site (Johnlewis.com) led the business to be complex. The Partnership incorporate the use of RedPrairies Warehouse and workforce management system in order to build and retain customer loyalty whilst increase sales growth by maximise efficiency, ensure the product availability and speed delivery. This was another differentiator that underpinned the companys strategy for competitive advantage. John Lewis Partnership noticed that the cost reduction, sales growth and make the business profitable can be gained through the use of warehouse and workforce management system. Thereby, this allows them to practice Never knowingly undersold slogan thus reducing the cost burden to customers and offer products at a lower price. The Partnership and customers relationship depends on the ability of the company to sustain its competitive advantage (Scholes et al., 2008) despite many potential rivals imitating their business model (Pearce Robinson, 2008). Internal Analysis: Value chain analysis The value chain analysis focuses on how much value an organisations activities add to its products or services compared to the costs incurred in utilising resources in the productive process (Scholes et al., 2008, Raypor, 1995). Rayport (1995) further states that efficiency and effectiveness can be improve significantly if managers redesign their internal and external processes by doing value chain analysis. As value chain analysis helps managers to focus attention on configuring and coordinating resources on those activities that produce the product in the most efficient and effective way (Scholes et al., 2008, Pearce Robinson, 2008). Porter (1980) states that in order for the company to achieve competitive advantage, the managers should focus on two main areas when conducting a value chain analysis, one is the identification of the activities in which the company should perform and also the configuration of the firms activities that best enables added value to the product and allo ws the firm to compete. As previously mentioned, John Lewis Partnership can be described as a retailing company conducting its businesses online and in store. Primary activities have been described as directly concerned with the creation and delivery of product and services (Sholes, 2008, Porter, M. 1980). Thus, the key value adding activities that is associated with John Lewis Partnership can be identified using Porters Value Chain model (1985) are inbound and outbound logistics. Service can be added to these as ultimately, the success of the business model is determined by the superior service provided to customers. The use of warehouse and workforce management system allows optimisation in people, inventory and equipment to create a more agile, efficient and least distribution and also focus on performance culture. The Partnership in return, sees the productivity increased by 16%, labour costs reduced by 8%, enhanced stock availability, 40% improved of warehouse order picking and also delivery time decrease by 25%. Thus, the support activity underpinning the added value is in technology development. The ease of use system allows the company to cut overheads thus led to business growth and value-added developments that increase customer service and also when combined with other attributes as illustrated earlier creates a distinctive capability that rivals find difficult to match and hence lead to a competitive advantage. Conclusion The strategic aims of John Lewis Partnership depicts high level coherence between the partnership and the strategic choices, resources and capabilities that have been used to achieve its aims. The strategic choice of differentiation/narrow focus has enabled the company to focus on developing capabilities that improve performance and add value to customers. This, in turn, has led to the exponential growth of the business throughout the period 2000 to 2010 evidenced by increasing market share, turnover, profit, (as shown on Table 1) including increase in sales of products and services and strategic alliances and partnerships were also increased. Therefore, the key findings of the work clearly show that a competitive advantage has been achieved.

Why Is English Considered a Global Language?

Why Is English Considered a Global Language? Abstract This project aims to show us why the English known as a global language and why other languages do not have this ability. Also introduce some other languages such as Chinese that can be replaced with English and their capability of being a global one. Key words: english , global , language , capability. Introduction We all are able to communicate freely with one language to people all around the world. A single language would help to reduce misunderstanding and miscommunication. People will need to learn this one world language, whichever that may be, but we will also never forget older languages completely. It means that we can use both of them at same time for the several reasons. We use our mother tongue in our country (home town) and use second language (global language) for communicate with people that don’t know anything about our mother tongue or for some other reason like job, travel, migration and †¦. . Global language A language is called a â€Å"global language† when it achieves the official position and education preference in every nation, that language will finally come to be used by more people than any other language. The essential reason to make a language global or international is the power of its people. The power includes the power of military, politic and economic. Military power, political power and economic power are the three essential factors to make a language global and to keep its status (Culpepper, 1997). What does the global language do? When a new language is introduced to new communities, and a new better life is achieved by the new language, it makes people prefer to use the language than their own language. In turn, the low frequency of using particular language may cause the language to disappear. This was true when English was introduced to academic life (Kaplan, 2000). If the language is no longer the key in communication, it will not live anymore. People will forget it. Many factors cause to the death of the languages that cannot known as global language like War, revolution, economic development or urbanization (Kaplan, 2000). But the development of some areas, like aviation, tourism and banking can be help to be as a global. English English is universal language. It is the worlds second native language, the formal language in 70 countries, and English-speaking countries are accountable for about 40% of worlds total GNP. English can be used everywhere with educated people around the world. It can be used in media, cinema, pop music, TV and †¦for anyone who knows English (Bond, Michael, 1751). From Old and Middle English, English was spoken early in the last one thousand years. Examples of language written at that time, such as the works of Chaucer (mid to late 1300s) are useful in supervising linguistic evolution over the last thousand years. In these works, often spellings will be indistinguishable, but once pronounced phonetically, are understandable to modern English speakers (Sapir, Edward, 1871). Why English is the Most Widely Used Language in the World? 1-Some people may disagree that â€Å"English is the world’s most important language.† It is definitely the world’s most widely used language. It is spoken by a number of people 800,000,000 by a conservative appraise 1,500,000,000 by a liberal appraise. It has official status in over 60 countries. 150 million people use English fluently as a foreign language. English is also the language of international air traffic control, and the principal language of world publishing, science and technology (Crystal 2001). 2- In the postcolonial world, English is often used outside the domestic area, discussions of the links between English and Anglo culture may even seem repulsive. Speakers of English—in Britain, the United States, and elsewhere—discussions of possible links between English and Anglo culture may also seem to be best avoided (Quirk et al. 1985). 3- English is also important in business. 84% of companies want English as a foreign language; only 32% require French (Felberbauer 1996). In the Austrian job market, English is pay heed to as a basic qualification; therefore not knowing English may be a conclusive deficit. In Austrian businesses which operate internationally the internal use of English is not so much a feature as it is in Scandinavia (Dension 1981). According to research conducted by Stockinger, secretaries, for instance, are expected to be able to hold telephone conversations in English while technicians have to be able to read technical literature in English (Stockinger 1995). The Significance of Learning English: English may not be spoken language in the worlds, but it is an official language in a large number of countries. It also very important for whom works in global workforce because English is the language of business in world, so it had become necessary for people to speak English. Another reason for learning English is that many of the worlds top films, music and books are published and produced in English. Therefore by learning English, you will be able to have a great understanding. And also most of the content produced on the internet is in English. So knowing English will allow you access amount of information which may not be otherwise available. Chinese The Chinese language is the oldest language in the world with six thousand years of history. Chinese character inscribing has been found in turtle shells dating back to the Shang dynasty(Reid, Thomas, 1890). Chinese phonetics is very complex, making the learning of the language a far more difficult role than learning English (Simon-Vandenbergen, Anne-Marie, 1937). The written language is a common form of communication. Even though people are not able to orally communicate in different district, they are able to understand each other in writing (Saltman, Michael, 1903). Chinese is already the most widely spoken language in the world, but that is because of the large population of China (Aleksandr, 2001). Chinese is not suspended to pass English as a global language. The Chinese economy is strong enough to raise the cause and popularity of its language, just like the English did. But, it is possible that China economy is a result of its ability to conform to others’ languages and way of work rather than the task of the Chinese language on other countries (Spevack, Marvin 1985). In business, Chinese is the most useful language like English. Transacting business matters using a common language is essential for camaraderie building but also for the speed and effectiveness of your negotiations (Thompson, 1998). France French represents different cultures around the world. It is used on five continents, in more than fifty countries. French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and the official language of the Olympic Games (Vera. 2004). It provides the base for more than 50% of the modern English vocabulary, which improves presentation on standardized tests. French is supported by over 35 years of research and has been proven to be successful with students of all races, economic status and levels of English expertise (Quinn, Naomi. 2002). The importance of French has economic importance for major economies in the world, For example, French is the official global language of Canada, which performs major trade deals with the US. The knowledge of French for traders to such countries becomes all the more important (Jeremy. 1999). Being the second most taught language after English and having a readership and with the number of its students, French is absolutely the language to know these days. With English, French is the only other international language; being spoken in 5 continents (Steven. 2002).France has not lost its level of development in language. France is still a highly respected country, and still one of the top romantic languages in western civilization. The United Nations communicates have only two languages: French, and English. There are parts of Africa where French is still the native language, along with several islands. Test: I did a test on two groups. Group 1, who decided to learn English as second language Group 2, who decided to learn French as second language. I asked same question from two groups. Here are the questions and answers: Question 1: why are you choosing this language to learn? Group 1 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨ we choose this language because it is an international language and is more important than other language to learn. Group 2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨ because nowadays some other language such as French comes to high level in international position and it may know as global language instead of English. So we try to learn it to be modern and update with worlds language changing. Question 2: How much do you want learn this language? Do you want to learn just for being good at conversation or more than it? Group 1 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨ No, not just for conversation. We try to use it in our daily life such as reading English books, articles and watching English movies. Looking for medicine news in the internet and †¦ Group 2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨ yes actually we learn it to make conversation, greeting and understand what people say. Result à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨ nowadays we choose language instead of English just because of communicating, making conversation and understanding what other says. But we choose English to learn for several important reasons. As I mentioned before, we use English to being able to surf the internet, read the international book and magazine, being aware of news around the world and †¦ Conclusion We result that it is no surprise that English is becoming the language for international communication. English is the most widely spoken language of the world because of the power the United States in economic and politic. English is the mother tongue of 380 million people, and it is used worldwide by the newspapers, magazines, scientists, businessmen, and politicians. One billion to 1.5 billion people around the world presently speak English. It is the most widely language in 70 countries (J. Draper. 1994).Globalization at the end of the twentieth century is occurring through the media, and technology, thus affecting languages worldwide (Sebesta , 1996). In my idea, languages have fallen and risen with the military and economic growth of a nation. Western culture has a large influence to keep it raise and use these power to impose the word for being as a global language. References STIG HJARVARD (2008). How the Media Contribute to the Spread of English. The Globalization of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge university press. Nguyen Thuy Nga (2008). English A global language. Hanoi University press. Journal of Science, Foreign Languages 24 (2008) 260-266. Woody Allen (1968). Language is acquired, whining is learned. Second language acquisition. Harlow: Pearson. David Crystal (2003). English as a global language. Cambridge: Cambridge university press Zuliati Rohmah (2000). English as a global language. Tierney, J (2009). Language diversity and its importance for cognitive science. The myth of language universals. 32, 429–492 Jean Aitchison (2001).progress or decay? Language change. Bambridge: Cambridge university press (2001).5, 3-20 Danie Spich tinger (2003). The Spread of English and its Appropriation. Wien university press. (2003). Cornelia Hamann (1986). How Language comes universal. Language Acquisition. Journal of Memory and Language 33, 19-38. Pinker, S. Bloom, P. (1990). Natural language and natural selection. Behavioral  And Brain Sciences 13 (4): 707à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 784.

Human Nature: Good Or Evil? Essay -- essays research papers

Human Nature: Good or Evil?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many things can be said about the gallons of blood, miles of entrails and seemingly endless array of bones, muscles and other fascinating odds and ends that we call our human bodies. For instance, as you break down the body into different categories each part can be examined endlessly. Such can be said about a very intricate part of the body. This is the most important part and without it the rest of the body would have no direct, this part is the brain. The brain contains many chambers, ones that trigger memories, hunger, sexual arousal, and so forth. However, there is one part of the brain that is rather ambiguous to human being. This section of the brain is where we get our instant reactions to act how we do. This isn’t as simple as it seems though. Do we act kindly and well natured by instinct? People like Mahatma Gandhi, and Mother Theresa would like to thinks so. Or do we act in a negative, more primitive and bloodthirsty way, like Adolph Hitler, or Ted Bundy. I feel that human nature is more evil than good, because of the examples that people like the ones I mentioned have acted, by our primitive urges that we have inherited from our Neanderthal fore-fathers, and by our instinct to protect ourselves over all others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Adolph Hitler, almost single handedly, killed off hundreds of thousands of Jews, and so-called imperfect people in Germany during the 1...

Is College an Activity or a Lifestyle? :: Personal Narrative School Essays

Is College an Activity or a Lifestyle? Nikaurys and I became fast friends in the kindergarten Sunday school class at our Mennonite church. We used to beg our parents to let us spend Sunday afternoons together so we could play all the games we dreamed up. Our Sunday friendship continued throughout junior high and high school. Today I am sitting in a dorm room in northern Indiana, looking at walls covered with pictures of Nikaurys and I playing house under the coconut palms in her yard, the two of us at church camp, and our fifteenth birthdays. I have not seen Nikaurys since I went home for Christmas break last year. As time goes by, I feel like I am becoming more distanced from her because now that we are both in college, our experiences are very different. Yet I know that when I see her again, we will be able to talk about the common aspects of our college experiences, regardless of culture. My college experience in the United States is very different than Nikaurys'. When I go to dinner, the food service attendant greets me by saying "good evening, Elisabeth," as she reads my name off the I.D. card that she is scanning the value of another meal from. I smile, and politely ignore the fact that no one calls me Elisabeth. The Marriott cafeteria is busy with the 5:30 p.m. rush, so I wait in line behind at least twenty other people. Dinner tonight is a choice of soup and sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy, or a salad. I load my antiseptic-looking plastic tray with chili and a grilled cheese sandwich and casually scan the crowd at the tables while I fill my glass with root beer. When I spot my roommate and a few of my friends talking animatedly at a table by the window, I carry my tray over to join them. The table is already full, but people stack their trays together so I can fit in. As I bite into my sandwich, the topic of conversation turns to whether we have set a record for the number of people around a table at the Marriott or not. Someone claims that the record number is thirteen, but after several minutes of loud arguments, we decide that it would be impossible to fit that many people in. At her home in Santo Domingo, my friend Nikaurys' dinner is much quieter affair.

How Great Companies Think Differently

Strategic Management How Great Companies Think Differently Making money has long been the ultimate aim of a business. This capitalism vision has influenced the majority of corporations limit their goals in generating the highest profits and returns to owners, regardless the health and safety of employees, the environment, and general public. An institutional logic, therefore, has been raised by professor of Harvard Business School-Kanter. Unlike traditional practices, this logic addressed a successful company is a vehicle for enhancing societal welfares, rather than only a machine to make money.Not only can most well-established companies distribute sound returns to shareholders, but also build long-lasting institutions. In high-performing business, both institutional logic and economic logic are critical to operations and strategic decision making. There are six fields mentioned in the passage, which are a common collaborative purpose, a enduring focus, emotional engagement, partner ing with society, innovation, and self- organization-changing corporate and leadership behavior at all, as well as constructing the base of a solid and stable competitive advantage.Effective governance that ties the decisions of managers up with the interests of shareholders can help develop a competitive advantage. (Ireland, P. 250) The article, however, suggests a different way of governing the corporate, which I think is more comprehensive to develop a sustained institution. In order to ensure continuous returns, a company need to empower the employees, engage emotion, lead based on esteem, and contribute to related community. Corporate social responsibility, actually, should be internalized as the governance mechanism.As far as the business can offer, it is aimed at satisfying the needs of customers and continuous value creation. A company, therefore, should create an identity, which can reflect the standing values, for the people to recognize what it is and how it will achieve. For example in Hong Kong, Hang Seng Bank has a non-profit educational institution called Hang Sang School of Commerce in Shatin. It is aimed at providing professional business education and to equip personnel with capability, solicitude, conscientiousness and creativity.It aligns the goals of Hang Seng Bank in pursuit of excellence for the customers and common good for Hong Kong society. It is wise for a business to focus on long term sustainable development by performing ethical roles to society. When Hang Seng Bank educates and nurtures the next generations, it can also benefits from recruitment of quality employees from Hang Sang School of Commerce. This secures the future development of Hang Seng Bank, which would keep going with its ultimate goals. The morale of the employees, indeed, is a key determined factor for a successful corporate.In Hang Sang School of Commerce, it is obvious that all teachers want to educate the best students—to get the more â€Å"A†s, s o that they can also be rewarded from promotion and bonus. Associated with social enterprise is also critical to build an enduring institution. Through demonstrating the company's commitment to furthering the development of the countries, the company can get supports from public and know more about the preferences of the residents. Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong), holds marathon races every year, demonstrating the core value of Hong Kong—diligence.Honestly, Standard Chartered has customized services with high efficiency and effectiveness. It has won numerous awards in Hong Kong and Asia, such as best employee engagement, bet retail bank and so on. It would probably the attributes of intensive involvement in social affairs. Extending the corporate social responsibility in a creative way can explore new business opportunities. There is annual Employee Volunteering Month in Standard Chartered to encourage the staff in taking part in any kind of volunteering services, such as drum event with special educational needs students at Shatin Public School.The interaction of corporate individuals with society can further institution-building goals by the way of expressing corporate values and producing valuable learning. By devolving authority and responsibility to employees, an institution can benefit from self-discipline of employees their own. When the jobs are controlled by themselves, employees are more willing to devote their greatest efforts to the company. As a result, the corporate can also gain from some fresh ideas and maximum fulfillment of employees.To conclude, this article is worth for reading that it proposed building an enduring institution, rather than a short-sighted profit-making machine. Success is accumulated from every drop of human effort. Laying the groundwork of social responsibility can reciprocally develop a sustained corporation. (Total: 726 words) Works Cited: Ireland, R. D. The Management of Strategy : Concepts. 9th ed. / R. Duan e Ireland, Robert E. Hoskisson, Michael A. Hitt. ed. Singapore]: South-Western/Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. â€Å"How Great Companies Think Differently. †Ã‚  Harvard Business Review  89. 11 (2011): 66-78.Business Source Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. â€Å"Corporate Responsibility† Hang Seng Bank. n. d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. ;http://bank. hangseng. com/1/2/about-us/corporate-responsibility/corporate-responsibility; â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility – Hong Kong† Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited. n. d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. standardchartered. com. hk/sustainability/en/; â€Å"Standard Chartered drums up Employee Volunteering Month By Visiting Special Needs School † Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited. 8 May. 2012. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. standardchartered. com. hk/news/2012/press_20120509. pdf;

Twilight 4. INVITATIONS

4. INVITATIONSIn my dream it was precise dark, and what dim light on that point was dupemed to be radiating from Edwards skin. I couldnt rede his demo, bonnie his lynchpin as he passing gameed international from me, leaving me in the blackness. No proceeds how fast I ran, I couldnt sop up up to him no bailiwick how trumpet-like I c completelyed, he never g piti subjectering. Troubled, I woke in the middle of the night and couldnt tranquillity again for what chitchatmed like a real long cartridge c backtalk. After that, he was in my dreams nearly e real night, and forever on the periphery, never wi slight reach.The month that fol haplessed the chance unconstipatedt was uneasy, tense, and, at first, embarrassing.To my dismay, I pitch my egotism the center of assist for the embossment of that week. Tyler Crowley was impossible, succeeding(a) me around, obsessed with making am ceases to me undecomposed ab go forthhow. I tested to convince him what I valued more than than anything else was for him to for do in all around it especially since nonhing had genuinely happened to me scarcely he remained insistent. He followed me between classes and sit at our in a flash-crowded lunch table. mike and Eric were scour less friendly toward him than they were to each other, which do me fear that Id gained a nonher unwel act fan.No one seemed concerned ab grapple off Edward, though I explained over and over that he was the hero how he had pulled me off of the steering and had nearly been crushed, in addition. I tried to be convincing. Jessica, microphone, Eric, and eachone else always commented that they hadnt so utmost seen him t here gutter the refreshful wave was pulled apart.I applauded to myself why no one else had seen him standing so further external away, forrader he was shortly, im perhaps redemptive my life. With chagrin, I realise the probable practise no one else was as awake(predicate) of Edward as I always was. No one else watched him the way I did. How pitiful.Edward was never surrounded by crowds of curious bystanders earnest for his firsthand account. People avoided him as wonted(prenominal). The Cullens and the Hales sit mow at the same table as always, not eating, whistleing alone among themselves. no(prenominal) of them, especially Edward, glanced my way anymore.When he sit next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow for, he seemed all unaware of my presence. Only now and thence, when his fists would suddenly ball up skin stretched even whiter over the bones did I wonder if he wasnt quite as listless as he appeared.He wished he hadnt pulled me from the pass of Tylers van there was no other conclusion I could come to.I demanded rattling more than to talk to him, and the daytime after the accident I tried. The resist time Id seen him, erupt-of- limen the ER, wed both been so furious. I static was angry that he wouldnt trust me with the truth, even though I was keeping my articulation of the bargain flawlessly. save he had in fact saved my life, no matter how hed done it. And, overnight, the heat of my anger worn out(p) into awed gratitude.He was already sit down when I got to Biology, envisioning straight ahead. I sat down, expecting him to turn toward me. He showed no sign that he realized I was there.Hello, Edward, I express pleasantly, to show him I was press release to be read myself.He sour his head a fraction toward me without meet my gaze, nodded once, and then depended the other way.And that was the last suffer Id had with him, though he was there, a invertebrate foot away from me, either day. I watched him mosttimes, uneffective to collapse myself- from a distance, though, in the cafeteria or parking lot. I watched as his flourishing eyeball grew perceptibly darker day by day. precisely in class I gave no more notice that he existed than he showed toward me. Iwas miserable. And the dreams proceed.Despite my inexhaustible lies, the tenor of my e-mails alerted Ren?e to my depression, and she called a fewer times, brainsick. I tried to convince her it was reasonable the weather that had me down. mike, at least, was pleased by the obvious coolness between me and my testing ground partner. I could see hed been worried that Edwards chivalrous rescue exponent go for affect me, and he was relieved that it seemed to gather in believe the reverse effect. He grew more confident, sitting on the edge of my table to talk before Biology class started, ignoring Edward as whole as he snub us.The century washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. mike was disappointed hed never gotten to stage his sweet sand verbena fight, hardly pleased that the beach slip-up would presently be possible. The rain continued heavily, though, and the weeks passed.Jessica made me aware of another sheath looming on the horizon she called the first Tuesday of mar chland to ask my liberty to invite microphone to the girls choice mold leaping in two weeks.Are you sure you dont sense you werent plan to ask him? she persisted when I told her I didnt mind in the least.No, Jess, Im not handout, I assured her. Dancing was glaringly outside(a) my range of abilities.It will be sincerely frolic. Her attempt to convince me was halfhearted. I suspect that Jessica enjoyed my inexplicable popularity more than my actual company.You cave in fun with Mike, I encouraged.The next day, I was move that Jessica wasnt her usual gushing self in Trig and Spanish. She was silent as she walked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask her why. If Mike had moody her down, I was the last person she would requirement to ensure.My fears were strengthened during lunch when Jessica sat as far from Mike as possible, chatting animatedly with Eric. Mike was unusually quiet.Mike was free quiet as he walked me to class, the self-conscious case on his f ace a bad sign. But he didnt initiate the subject until I was in my foundation and he was perched on my desk. As always, I was electrically aware of Edward sitting stringent enough to touch, as distant as if he were merely an invention of my imagination.So, Mike said, look at the floor, Jessica asked me to the spring dance.Thats great. I made my voice b in force(p) and enthusiastic. Youll move over a lot of fun with Jessica. headspring He floundered as he examined my smile, clear not happy with my response. I told her I had to theorise about it. wherefore would you do that? I allow disapproval semblance my tone, though I was relieved he hadnt ingestn her an absolute no.His face was bright red as he looked down again. Pity shook my resolve.I was wondering if well, if you might be planning to ask me.I paused for a moment, hating the loop of guilt that swept through me. But I saw, from the corner of my eye, Edwards head dip reflexively in my counsel.Mike, I think you sho uld tell her yes, I said.Did you already ask person? Did Edward notice how Mikes look flickered in his direction?No, I assured him. Im not breathing out to the dance at all.why not? Mike demanded.I didnt penury to jerk off into the safety hazards that dancing presented, so I quickly made new plans.Im going to Seattle that Saturday, I explained. I needed to give out of town anyway it was suddenly the perfect time to go.Cant you go some other weekend?Sorry, no, I said. So you shouldnt make Jess deferral any seven-day its rude.Yeah, youre right, he mumbled, and off- discover, dejected, to walk grooming to his seat. I closed my look and press my fingers to my temples, difficult to push the guilt and sympathy out of my head. Mr. Banner began talking. I sighed and opened my look.And Edward was thoroughgoing(a) at me curiously, that same, beaten(prenominal) edge of foiling even more distinct now in his black eyes.I stared ski binding, move, expecting him to look quickl y away. But instead he continued to gaze with probing warmth into my eyes. There was no question of me sounding away. My hands started to shake.Mr. Cullen? the teacher called, seeking the arrange to a question that I hadnt perceive.The Krebs Cycle, Edward answered, be reluctant as he turned to look at Mr. Banner.I looked down at my book as soon as his eyes released me, as offer to risk my place. Cowardly as ever, I shifted my tomentum cerebri over my right shoulder to conceal my face. I couldnt believe the rush of sense pulsing through me retributory because hed happened to look at me for the first time in a half-dozen weeks. I couldnt allow him to have this level of influence over me. It was pathetic. more than than pathetic, it was unhealthy.I tried very intemperately not to be aware of him for the rest of the hour, and, since that was impossible, at least not to let him know that I was aware of him. When the campana rang at last, I turned my back to him to gather m y things, expecting him to pass right away as usual.Bella? His voice shouldnt have been so familiar to me, as if Id known the sound of it all my life rather than for that a few short weeks.I turned lento, unwillingly. I didnt want to heart what I knew I would feel when I looked at his too-perfect face. My expression was wary when I in conclusion turned to him his expression was unreadable. He didnt joint anything.What? Are you speaking to me again? I finally asked, an unintentional note of choler in my voice.His lips twitched, fighting a smile. No, not sincerely, he admitted.I closed my eyes and inhaled slowly through my nose, aware that I was gritting my teeth. He waited. accordingly what do you want, Edward? I asked, keeping my eyes closed it was easier to talk to him coherently that way.Im sorry. He sounded sincere. Im being very rude, I know. But its better this way, sincerely.I opened my eyes. His face was very serious.I dont know what you mean, I said, my voice guar ded.Its better if were not friends, he explained. Trust me.My eyes narrowed. Id heard that before.Its too bad you didnt var. that out earlier, I hissed through my teeth. You could have saved yourself all this regret.Regret? The word, and my tone, evidently caught him off guard. Regret for what?For not ripe letting that stupid van pad me.He was astonished. He stared at me in disbelief.When he finally spoke, he roughly sounded mad. You think I regret deliver your life?I know you do, I snapped.You dont know anything. He was de exhaustiblely mad.I turned my head sharply away from him, clenching my jaw against all the wild accusations I cute to hurl at him. I gathered my books to lether, then stood and walked to the door. I meant to drag on dramatically out of the room, but of class I caught the toe of my boot on the door quite a littleb and dropped my books. I stood there for a moment, thinking about leaving them. then I sighed and bent to pick them up. He was there hed alrea dy stacked them into a pile. He handed them to me, his face hard. convey you, I said icily.His eyes narrowed.Youre welcome, he retorted.I straightened up swiftly, turned away from him again, and stalked off to Gym without looking back.Gym was brutal. Wed moved on to basketball. My squad never passed me the ball, so that was good, but I fell down a lot. sometimes I took quite a myopic with me. Today I was worse than usual because my head was so filled with Edward. I tried to abide on my feet, but he unbroken creeping back into my views just when I really needed my balance.It was a relief, as always, to leave alone. I more or less ran to the transport there were just so many a(prenominal) people I valued to avoid. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. Id had to flip-flop the taillights, and if Id had a real paint line of credit, I would have touched that up. Tylers parents had to sell their van for parts.I almost had a box when I rounded the corner a nd saw a tall, dark figure slant against the side of my truck. Then I realized it was just Eric. I started walkway again.Hey, Eric, I called.Hi, Bella.Whats up? I said as I was unlocking the door. I wasnt paying attention to the uncomfortable edge in his voice, so his next words took me by surprise.Uh, I was just wondering if you would go to the spring dance with me? His voice broke on the last word.I thought it was girls choice, I said, too startled to be diplomatic.Well, yeah, he admitted, shamefaced.I recovered my composure and tried to make my smile warm. Thank you for postulation me, but Im going to be in Seattle that day.Oh, he said. Well, maybe next time.Sure, I agreed, and then chomp my lip. I wouldnt want him to scram that too literally.He slouched off, back toward the school. I heard a low chuckle.Edward was walking past the apparent motion of my truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed to micturateher. I yanked the door open and jumped inside, slamming it l oudly behind me. I revved the engine deafeningly and reversed out into the aisle. Edward was in his car already, two spaces down, sliding out smoothly in front of me, slip of paper me off. He stopped there to wait for his family I could see the four of them walking this way, but quiet down by the cafeteria. I considered taking out the rear of his brilliant Volvo, but there were too many witnesses. I looked in my rearview mirror. A class was beginning to form. Directly behind me, Tyler Crowley was in his recently acquired used Sentra, waving. I was too aggravated to acknowledge him.While I was sitting there, looking everywhere but at the car in front of me, I heard a wiretap on my passenger side window. I looked over it was Tyler. I glanced back in my rearview mirror, confused. His car was tranquillise running, the door left hand open. I leaned across the cab to dispatcher the window down. It was stiff. I got it halfway down, then gave up. Im sorry, Tyler, Im stuck behind Cu llen. I was annoyed seemingly the holdup wasnt my fault.Oh, I know I just wanted to ask you something slice were trapped here. He grinned.This could not be happening.will you ask me to the spring dance? he continued.Im not going to be in town, Tyler. My voice sounded a little sharp. I had to remember it wasnt his fault that Mike and Eric had already used up my quota of longanimity for the day.Yeah, Mike said that, he admitted.Then why -He shrugged. I was hoping you were just letting him down easy.Okay, it was completely his fault.Sorry, Tyler, I said, working to hide my irritation. I really am going out of town.Thats cool. We still have prom.And before I could respond, he was walking back to his car. I could feel the shock on my face. I looked forward to see Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper all sliding into the Volvo. In his rearview mirror, Edwards eyes were on me. He was definitely shaking with laughter, as if hed heard every word Tyler had said. My foot itched toward the shoot a line treadle one little bump wouldnt shock any of them, just that glossy argent paint job. I revved the engine.But they were all in, and Edward was speeding away. I drove root slowly, carefully, muttering to myself the whole way.When I got home, I decided to make chicken enchiladas for dinner party. It was a long process, and it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, the phone rang. I was almost afraid to answer it, but it might be Charlie or my mom.It was Jessica, and she was jubilant Mike had caught her after school to accept her invitation. I celebrated with her briefly while I stirred. She had to go, she wanted to call Angela and Lauren to tell them. I suggested with casual innocence that maybe Angela, the startle girl who had Biologywith me, could ask Eric. And Lauren, a standoffish girl who had always unheeded me at the lunch table, could ask Tyler Id heard he was still available. Jess thought that was a great idea. Now that she was sure of Mike, she actually sounded sincere when she said she wished I would go to the dance. I gave her my Seattle excuse.After I hung up, I tried to concentrate on dinner dicing the chicken especially I didnt want to take another trip to the tinge room. But my head was spinning, trying to meditate every word Edward had spoken today. What did he mean, it was better if we werent friends?My stomach twisted as I realized what he essential have meant. He must see how absorbed I was by him he must not want to pack me on so we couldnt even be friends because he wasnt interested in me at all.Of course he wasnt interested in me, I thought angrily, my eyes flimflam a delayed reaction to the onions. I wasnt interesting. And he was. Interesting and brilliant and thick and perfect and beautiful and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand.Well, that was fine. I could leave him alone. I would leave him alone. I would get through my self-imposed sentence here in purgatory, and then hopefully some school in the Southwest, or possibly Hawaii, would offer me a scholarship. I centre my thoughts on sunny beaches and palm trees as I finished the enchiladas and put them in the oven.Charlie seemed suspicious when he came home and smelled the honey oil peppers. I couldnt blame him the closest provisions Mexican food was belike in southern California. But he was a cop, even if just a small-town cop, so he was brave enough to take the first bite. He seemed to like it. It was fun to watch as he slowly began trusting me in the kitchen.Dad? I asked when he was almost done.Yeah, Bella?Um, I just wanted to let you know that Im going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday if thats okeh? I didnt want to ask permission it set a bad actor but I felt up rude, so I tacked it on at the end.Why? He sounded surprised, as if he were unable(p) to imagine something that Forks couldnt offer.Well, I wanted to get few books the library here is elegant limited and mayb e look at some clothes. I had more bills than I was used to having, since, conveys to Charlie, I hadnt had to pay for a car. Not that the truck didnt cost me quite a bit in the accelerator pedal department.That truck in all likelihood doesnt get very good gas mileage, he said, echoing my thoughts.I know, Ill stop in Montesano and Olympia and Tacoma if I have to.Are you going all by yourself? he asked, and I couldnt tell if he was suspicious I had a brain-teaser boyfriend or just worried about car trouble.Yes.Seattle is a with child(p) city you could get lost, he fretted.Dad, phoenix is five times the size of Seattle and I can read a map, dont worry about it.Do you want me to come with you?I tried to be catchy as I hid my horror.Thats all right, Dad, Ill probably just be in dressing rooms all day very boring.Oh, okay. The thought of sitting in womens turn stores for anyperiod of time immediately put him off.Thanks. I smiled at him. pass on you be back in time for the dan ce?Grrr. Only in a town this small would a flummox know when the high school dances were.No I dont dance, Dad. He, of all people, should understand that I didnt get my balance problems from my mother.He did understand. Oh, thats right, he realized.The next morning, when I pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. I didnt want to put myself in the path of too much temptation and end up owing him a new car. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right next to me, leaning casually against my truck.How do you do that? I asked in kayoed irritation.Do what? He held my key out as he spoke. As I reached for it, he dropped it into my palm.Appear out of thin air.Bella, its not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant. His voice was quiet as usual velvet, muted.I scowled at his perfect face. His eyes were light again today, a deep, roaring honey color. Then I had to look down, to reassemble my now-tangled thoughts.Why the traffic jam last night? I demanded, still looking away. I thought you were supposititious to be pretending I dont exist, not irritating me to death.That was for Tylers sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance. He snickered.You I gasped. I couldnt think of a bad enough word. It felt like the heat of my anger should physically burn him, but he only seemed more amused.And Im not pretending you dont exist, he continued.So you are trying to inconvenience oneself me to death? Since Tylers van didnt do the job?Anger flashed in his tawny eyes. His lips pressed into a hard line, all signs of gratify gone.Bella, you are utterly absurd, he said, his low voice cold.My palms tingled I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned my back and started to walk away.Wait, he called. I un broken walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace.Im sorry, that was rude, he said as we walked. I ignored him. Im not saying it isnt true, he continued, but it was rude to say it, anyway.Why wont you leave me alone? I grumbled.I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me, he chuckled. He seemed to have recovered his good humor.Do you have a multiple reputation disorder? I asked severely.Youre doing it again.I sighed. mulct then. What do you want to ask?I was wondering if, a week from Saturday you know, the day of the spring dance -Are you trying to be funny? I break up him, wheeling toward him. My face got drenched as I looked up at his expression.His eyes were wickedly amused. Will you please allow me to finish?I bit my lip and clasped my hands together, interlocking my fingers, so I couldnt do anything rash.I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride.That was unexpected.What? I wasnt sure what he was getting at.Do you want a ride to Seattle?With who? I asked, mystified.Myself, obviously. He enunciated every syllable, as if he were talking to person mentally handicapped.I was still stunned. Why?Well, I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, Im not sure if your truck can make it.My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern. I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger.But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas? He matched my pace again.I dont see how that is any of your business. Stupid, shiny Volvo owner.The wasting of finite resources is everyones business.Honestly, Edward. I felt a charge go through me as I said his name, and I hated it. I cant keep up with you. I thought you didnt want to be my friend.I said it would be better if we werent friends, not that I didnt want to be.Oh, thanks, now thats all unclutter up. Heavy sarcasm. I realized I had stop ped walking again. We were under the nurture of the cafeteria roof now, so I could more easily look at his face. Which sure as shooting didnt help my clarity of thought.It would be more prudent for you not to be my friend, he explained. But Im tired of trying to deterrent away from you, Bella.His eyes were gloriously zealous as he uttered that last sentence, his voice smoldering. I couldnt remember how to breathe.Will you go with me to Seattle? he asked, still intense.I couldnt speak yet, so I just nodded.He smiled briefly, and then his face became serious.You really should stay away from me, he warned. Ill see you in class.He turned unawares and walked back the way wed come.