Foreign Policy Toward Iraqi Refugees Essay

In 2003, the US war in Iraq finally toppled Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime and freed the Iraqi people from the bondage of tyranny. However, the re-establishment of democratic processes and the road to achieving peace have led to perdition, as Islamist fundamentalism prevailed during the cultural-religious bestowal even at the time prior to Saddam’s reign of power. The victory of democracy in the installation of a new Iraqi government instilled the shadow of political unrest and extreme economic recession, in which the fall of Baghdad may have been buried in a deep grave. At present, the violence in Iraq is showing no sign of slowing down and majority of the Iraqi people continue to suffer tremendously as documented on this account : the UN estimates that 2. 6 million Iraqis have fled since 2003 ranging from 40,000 to 50,000 Iraqis leaves their homes every month; two million flees to nearby countries and about 1. 8 million of the civilian populace seek refuge in safer areas within Iraq, in which Syria and Jordan are among the countries directly helping the refugees for the past three years, and some have fled to Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, almost daily the media reports on the desolation of Iraqi. The Refugee International has accounted for series and continuing street crimes, the prevalence of business closures, human trafficking, and kidnap-for-ransom cases. In addition, the media said that the documentation of casualties and victims of similar crimes has to be reconciled with at large proportion due inability to locate substantial witnesses and the family of the victims. Goal Positioning The goal of this paper generally seeks to discuss and examine the continuing struggle for survival in Iraq. The product of examination shall be presented through a course of study pertaining to foreign policy toward Iraqi refugees. In particular, a holistic approach will be undertaken, to: (1) identify the extent and magnitude of mass evacuation of refugees, and (2) examine the availability of foreign policies that concern Iraqi refugees. In addition, the objective of the study is to address the long debatable issue on host country refugee adoption and to answer the question â€Å"why and how Iraqi refugees could be hosted by countries like the United States of America but neither by other European countries or in Asia? † This question plainly posits the feasible means of a foreign policy that could be adopted [if there once that exists,] in which this compendium could ventilate the avenues of legislation and to the meanest effort of influencing the public interest for policy initiatives. Background of Study The background of the study focuses on the sub-human conditions of the Iraqi people and their desire to flee from their homeland in exile as refugees. The background [based on the plight of the Iraqi refugees] will also discuss derivatives of study on foreign policies that evolve the goals of this paper. The additional consideration on the need for enabling a foreign policy for Iraqi refugees could indicate and can be comparatively analyzed with the proportion of violence that links the overall unaccounted number of Iraqi casualties. Thus, the initial indicator is based on the documented report that follows: (1) US military killed in Iraq is estimated at 3,973; (2) number of US troops wounded in combat since the war began is 29,203; (3) Iraqi Security Force deaths is 7,924; (4) Iraqi civilians killed is estimated at a range from 81,632 to 1,120,000; (5) internally displaced refugees in Iraq is estimated at 3. 4 million. On the other hand, as part of the documented report , the cost of war has accounted to; $526 billion to date, with a cost per day of $275 million and being estimated at a long- term bill of $3 trillion. In addition, Iraqi unemployment has grown from 25 to 40 percent. Literature Review A brief review of similar literatures will be discussed in this section in order to: (1) present the collection of initiatives and collaboration of international entities and governments for refugees, and (2) link the relevance to the process of this paper. Canada was tasked to assume the role of â€Å"gavel-holder† of the newly established Refugee Working Group (RWG) in January of 1992 as part of the design of the general Middle East peace process (MEPP) that created the Expert and Advisory Services Fund (EASF) as a Canadian involvement to the Middle East Multilateral Peace Process . The EASF is administered by Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in partnership with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). The implementation of EASF for the period of March 2002-2008 works within key policy issues on refugees, in which EASF (Phase 3 IDRC) programs embark on the â€Å"compensation to Palestinian refugees as part of a comprehensive solution, challenges of repatriation and absorption, and gauging and engaging public opinion† . In a related finding, the Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service through its Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) located in Qatar and the Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM) in Washington jointly conducted a study in 2007 regarding this for . The study showed that Iraqis in Jordan and Syria are beneficiaries of two opposing foreign policies, one is the tradition of Arab brotherhood which comprises a political and moral responsibility in providing refuge while the other is an option of Jordan and Syria not to integrate the Iraqis’ permanency . However, the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) considers the Iraqis as â€Å"prima facie refugees† (being registered refugees) who were issued with â€Å"asylum seeker cards† in Jordan and refugee cards in Syria. The UN agencies and NGOs have provided immediate support to lessen the misery. Furthermore, the study team stated that â€Å"the war in Iraq is not limited to Iraq since it has intensely affected the Middle East region . However, according to a statement of a UK-based NGO, many refugees are denied asylum status, being degraded and are even called as â€Å"welfare scroungers† or â€Å"fake refugees† when they come to the UK . It is obvious that the US and UK’s â€Å"War on Terror† is marginalizing refugees still further as numerous legitimate political movements are labeled â€Å"terrorist† . In addition, based on the statement, the UK has curved entire migrant communities as terrorist suspects [in which the anti-terrorism laws have widened the classification of terrorism] encompassed with political activities even on those who are against oppressive regimes overseas . Moreover, the US government has recently released a press statement disclosing that about 12,000 Iraqi refugees will be admitted to US before the end of 2008. According to State Department’s Senior Adviser James Foley, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs’ Tony Edison and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Senior Adviser on Iraqi Refugee Issues’ Lori Scialabba, Iraqis were identified as potential candidates for emigration to the United States. After a year of redoubled efforts, all of the organizations involved in the process are working together to build a more effective refugee screening program . The three US officials further stated that the US has poured in $171 million in humanitarian assistance to displaced Iraqis both in and outside the country in 2007. However, the UN has appealed for $123 million in 2007 to $261 million for 2008 . Scope and Limitation The scope of work will be composed of a 2-prong method which are: (1) on-field and out- field research; within the scope of finding available and adequate materials as derivatives in the conduct of evaluation and the actual field validation of data and (2) study review in areas of fitting in the study parameters in view of legislative policy agenda for refugees in order to re-examine the gaps and further conduct of study. Considerably, the aspect of out-filed research may be limited only to accessing the available data sources, such as on-site interviews to various individuals or personalities and gathering of other data materials that are readily available. Perspectives It has been a glaring and presently debatable issue that Iraqi refugees pose a challenge to global governments and communities of progressive people. The parameters of the study believe that Iraq has not yet overcome the war. While it is true that Iraq was once a captive of political and religious dogmas, the country must still be retained to its sovereign people. The Iraqi refugees is a shame to the least part of developed and even underdeveloped world from Africa to Asian continents because in that part of Middle East lies a bleeding country characterized by the plagues of war. It is in this regard, the study envisions a perspective that would create and supplant the bondage and stigma of war from the life of the Iraqi people. The study also aims to map out the road to recovery, and through that, a foreign policy for Iraqi refugees may guide the ascendancy of moral values and responsibility in order to achieve peace in Middle East and the rest of the world. Conclusion It is clear the Iraqi people continue to walk on the road to perdition due to their long struggle of tyranny. It could be described that the misery after the fall of Baghdad has a continuum in despicable plight. The global partnership in restoring and retaining the democratic processes in Iraq may be a long process and difficult due to the intensely adverse cultural-religious entanglement. Nevertheless, it is necessary to first restore the people’s lives, specifically women, and children. Once this is achieved, it will be no longer hard to once again see the flourishing city of Baghdad where people co-exist in abundant life amidst the barren lands. Bibliography America. Gov, â€Å"United States to Welcome 12,000 More Iraqi Refugees in 2008† (February 06, 2008) [http://www. america. gov/st/peacesec- english/2008/February/20080206160027idybeekcm0. 824032. html] Erik Leaver and Jenny Shin, â€Å"The Iraq Quagmire†, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute of Foreign Policy, Washington DC 20036. (March 4, 2008). [http://www. fpif. org/fpiftxt/5036] International Development Research Centre (IDRC), â€Å"Middle East Expert and Advisory Services Fund†, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (2008). [ http://www. idrc. ca/uploads/user-S/12060300201Microsoft_Word_- _EASF_Program_Profile__3__final. pdf] Kristele Younes, â€Å"The Iraqi Refugee Crisis†, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute of Foreign Policy, Washington DC 20036 (March 14, 07). [http://www. fpif. org/fpiftxt/4059] Patricia Weiss Fagen, Iraqi Refugees: â€Å"Seeking Stability in Syria and Jordan†, Georgetown University Institute for the Study of International Migration (2007). [http://www12. georgetown. edu/sfs/isim/Publications/PatPubs/Iraqi%20Refugees. pdf] The Refugee Project, 44 Ainger Road, London, NW3 3AT (2008). [http://www. therefugeeproject. org/]

My house

I live in a small town which called Wborg. Here I live with my family : father, mother, brother and cat. We have been living in block of flats house since 1994. Our flat placed on the sixth floor, we have a nice view on the nature from our balcony. On the first floor we have fence with hedge and lawn of ours home ornamented with animals. I live in a standard two room flat without facilities like a gym or sauna in flat. Big wardrobe with mirror staying in the passage where we keep our clothes and shoes. The floor is parquet in the passage, living room and kitchen.In the living room a big Persian rug with near standing sofa-bed with cushions, curtain on the window, huge bookcase with fitted place for tv, folding table from wood standing in the center of room. Hole room in bright and brown colors and curtain in brown color too. In the bedroom I live with my older brother who is living here now. Colors of our room are white, brown and red. We have two sofa-bed with pillows where we are s leeping, wardrobe for me and brother, little chest of drawers, large table where standing two computers with acoustic near 80 kilowatt.The main part of our room is horizontal bar with punching bag. It allows doing sport in a room without gym. The bathroom isn't separated with toilet but it's both tiled in bright colors. Ordinary bath with shower standing in the bathroom, washing machine standing there too, washbasin with drawer where we keep thing like shampoo, razor, shaving foam and something for bath. The main difference from kitchen of other people it's bar. It's really comfortable to eat for it or sitting in internet. There are a lot of electronic device such as : fridge, ooker, toaster, microwave, food processor, electronic kettle and laptop.We haven't fitted kitchen and so we have a lot of cupboard and drawers. Big table standing in the center of kitchen where I with my family can have dinner together and share all news with them. Colors of kitchen are silver and blue. Unfort unately it's better to live in the suburbs but I love to live here. It isn't far from city center and it close to all my friend. My home is where I feel safe and happy, where I am always welcome and where I can come in any difficult minute and find help and comfort.

Hershey Marketing

The Hershey Company 1. History and Overview The first Hershey’s Chocolate Bar was produced in 1900, six years after the firm that would become The Hershey Company (â€Å"Hershey†) was founded by candy-manufacturer Milton S. Hershey. 2. Strategic Planning, Corporate Vision Until late last year when Hershey announced plans to revamp how it organizes its business with two new strategic business units—one for chocolate and the other for sugar confectionery—the company’s marketing organization was comprised of five primary product groups and three divisions: Hershey North America, Hershey International and the Global Marketing Group.According to their 2009 Annual Financial Report, this organization structure allowed Hershey to capitalize on unique customer and consumer trends, leverage marketing and sales leadership in the US and Canada, and focus on key growth areas in global markets (Annual Report p. 2). As indicated by a November 2nd, 2010 press relea se, the new structure is meant to leverage competencies for global growth, strengthen regional focus with additional resources, and augment confectionery consumer insights and innovation capabilities. (http://www. hehersheycompany. com/newsroom/news-release-1490640. aspx) In 2009, Hershey put forth their first Corporate Social Responsibility Report. In the opening paragraphs of this report they call Corporate Social Responsibility integral to their mission of â€Å"Bringing sweet moments of Hershey happiness to the world every day. † Kotler and Keller (27) contend that not only should a mission statement be short, memorable, meaningful, and enduring, it should provide employees with a shared sense of purpose, direction, and opportunity.Hershey is attuned to these needs. The report elaborates, â€Å"Our employees are committed to our mission†¦In all of our efforts, we are guided by our values, which have enabled our company to succeed over the long term. † Hersheyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s internal marketing strategy is driven by their stated corporate values—â€Å"One Hershey: A global and diverse team, operating with integrity, working together, determined to make a difference (Hershey Our Values). Kotler and Keller (29) identify the importance of utilizing three specific nternal groups toward the goal of successful strategy making: employees with youthful perspectives; employees far removed from company headquarters; and employees new to the industry. In a concerted effort to encourage ideas from the younger generation, Hershey has implemented an innovative approach by putting in place an R&D mentoring program where new Millennial employees are paired with experienced Boomers. Hershey recognizes that Millennials have categorically received greater support from their schools and families and expect it from their employers as well.Hershey also has a program called Quality Through Excellence that engages â€Å"the most committed and energetic tho ught leaders from all over the company and from different functional areas. † Among other things, these employees are charged with the duty of provided feedback to the company about what’s going well and what needs to be changed. Further, they have redesigned their performance management system to reward employees for their contributions to the success of the company. Attracting, Developing and Retaining Talent p11) A superior value chain incorporates a high level of product quality, service, and speed (Kotler and Keller 23). The conjunction of these components allows marketers to achieve profitable growth by, among other things, building loyalty and capturing customer lifetime value. Hershey has an ongoing commitment to deal fairly and ethically with all parties in its global value chain which extends from the farmers who supply raw materials for ingredients to consumers all over the world.They are dedicated to conserving energy and reducing emissions throughout their value chain, beginning with a company-wide initiative in 2007 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both their facilities and their transport operations. (CSR Report 26) 3. Strategic Planning-Business Vision Hershey relies on strong R&D efforts to continue making progress in the areas of cost reduction, quality assurance, and process improvement. Their research and development initiatives are centered on the creation/ improvement of new/existing manufacturing methods.Recent R&D activities have enabled Hershey to offer customized products which have turned out to be a major growth driver (SWOT 2). Hershey’s ability to capitalize on its internal strength in manufacturing continues to benefit the company. Another strength the company boasts is a robust and diverse product portfolio. However, though the company does not demonstrate an overdependence on a particular product segment, it does face the threat of dependence on a single customer.Hershey sells its products to va rious wholesale distributors, department stores and grocery stores, however, in 2009 more than a quarter of the company’s net sales were derived from sales to McLane Company, Inc. (SWOT 4). While Hershey has huge opportunities to expand in the emerging markets, specifically in India and China where disposable income continues to steadily rise, the company also faces the threat of a growing counterfeit goods market. This threat not only affects sales, it affects the image of established brands (SWOT 4). Underperformance of counterfeit products will have a significant negative impact on consumer confidence.In addition to the added competition the counterfeit market brings, Hershey will also continue to see new players enter the market. This will create a still greater challenge to keep costs down in order to stay competitive. When the company began more than one hundred years ago, it was granted immediate success with its low-cost, high quality milk chocolate. Though one of Mil ton Hershey’s founding principles that has persisted over the years is to â€Å"make and sell a high-quality product at a fair price† (CSR Report 7), another threat Hershey contends with is changing consumer preference. The company is experiencing changing consumer trends toward premium and trade-up product segments (SWOT 4). † In order to adapt to the changing marketplace, Hershey will have to continue to constantly develop, produce and market new products. 4. Marketing Strategies In 1963 Hershey acquired H. B. â€Å"Harry† Reese’s Candy Company which had been making chocolate-covered peanut butter cups since 1928. In the early 1980s Hollywood producer Steven Spielberg met with Hershey executive Jack Dowd.The two struck a deal and the newly developed Reeses’s Pieces appeared in the legendary box office hit, E. T. : The Extraterrestrial. Fortunately for Hershey, the candy shared in the success. (thehersheycompany. com) Early this year in Las Vegas, NV, at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show, Hershey unveiled Reese’s Minis—smaller unwrapped versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. According to Anna Lingeris, spokesperson for Reese’s, â€Å"Techies at CES seek out cool innovations like min-tuners, mini-cams, nano-mice, mini-keyboards, and gotta-have gadgets so small you could fit a fistful in our pocket, so who says the next, big mini innovation can’t come from a candy company? (Business Wire 1/6/2011)† It remains to be seen whether this latest Reese’s marketing blitz is a success, however, the videos which spoof the â€Å"unboxing† trend in the tech world have had widespread play on YouTube and across a number of social networks (Business Wire 1/6/2011). This product falls in the popular hand-to-mouth category that, according to a recent Hershey presentation, presently makes up 16% of chocolate sales (adage. com 10/21/10).Erin Swanson, a Morningstar analyst, points ou t that this product is lower risk because it is an extension of an existing brand instead of an entirely new one. Hershey has tried its luck with some recent similar brand extensions. Modeled after Reese’s Pieces, early last year Hershey launched Almond Joy Pieces, York Pieces and Hershey’s Special Dark Pieces. According to a Hershey spokeswoman, Jody Cook, they launched these new products in hopes they would â€Å"entice consumers who eat the traditional form in a private setting to share a bag of Pieces in a social setting (nytimes. om 2/17/10)†. In 2005 the company introduced cookies by each of these three brands which were all discontinued a few years later. Hershey promoted the new product launch with a â€Å"wrapper reward program† which encouraged consumers to be one of the first 25,000 to mail in a wrapper from the full-size version of one of these candies. In turn, participants received a coupon for a free bag of the smaller product. Hershey reli es on promotional programs like this one as a marketing strategy to stimulate sales of certain products at various times throughout the year (2009 Annual Report p 5).We have a variety of promotional programs for our customers as well as advertising and promotional programsfor consumers of our products. We use our promotional programs to stimulate sales of certain products at various times throughout the year. Our sales are typically higher during the third and fourth quarters of the year, representing seasonal and holiday-related sales patterns. In late 2010 Hershey revealed plans to launch TV ads for PayDay and Hershey’s Syrup—two products that haven’t been promoted on television for a decade—alongside the new campaign for Reese’s Minis and Hershey’s Drops.According to CEO David West, this decision was made in response to the positive results from a pledge in 2008 to increase ad spending by 20% for two years. â€Å"Sales analysis consists of measuring and evaluating actual sales in relation to goals (Kotler and Keller 34). For the most part, the spending on these recent brands has exceeded expectations. Effective sales analysis highlighted the strong results Hershey won from their amped up efforts at promoting core brands like Kisses and Reese’s and caused them to later extend this effort to Twizzlers and Kit Kat.

Future of Quantum Computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Future of Quantum Computing - Research Paper Example In the year 1982, Feynman revealed that to produce a quantum structure, the computer has to be operational quantum automatically, or else one wants a QC. The preliminary application for the practical execution of a Quantum Computing was developed in 1993. The fundamental element of quantum data and information in a Quantum Computing is the qubit or quantum bit. A particular quantum bit is can be envisioned because of a two-state structure like that a two-level atom and a spin-half. The probable influence of a Quantum Computing is foundational on the capability of quantum arrangements to be in a superposition of its fundamental circumstances. The entire of these statistics signifies through the fundamental states that would be controlled at the same time. For that reason, a Quantum Computing has vast quantum parallelism (Shu-Shen Li, 2003). Merging mathematics, physics as well as computer science, QC has developed in the precedent two decades beginning a visionary thought to one of the majority attractive regions of quantum technicalities. The modern anticipation in this active as well as approximate area of research was prompted by (Peter Shor-1994) who demonstrated how a quantum technology algorithm might exponentially "accelerate" conventional working out as well as attribute huge statistics into leading a great deal further swiftly (as the smallest amount in terms of the number of computational phases concerned) than some acknowledged standard algorithm (Hagar, 2007). The algorithm for Quantum Computing is offered by Shor which is acknowledged as the Shor’s algorithm was quickly pursued through numerous additional algorithms that intended to find the solutions of combinatorial and algebraic problems, as well as in the preceding a small amount of years abstract improved quantum systems allocation for the reaso n that computational strategy has attained incredible development.  

Listening Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Listening Assignment - Essay Example ue Note Label recording company and it had a unique characteristic of being comprised of young players such as Bobby Timmons and Lee Morgan who played for the band in their early twenties . The band leader Art was commonly known for his hard hitting style of drumming and together with his band he made a revolution of bebop and later oversaw its transition into hard bop style of jazz (Lesslie 23). They toured many parts of the world such as the Netherlands, Japan, France and Belgium where they enjoyed a large fan base. In 1958, the band made a memorable live performance in Brussels Belgium where they performed tracks such as â€Å"Just By Myself†, â€Å"Moaning†, â€Å"I Remember Clifford†, â€Å"A Night In Tunisia†, â€Å"It’s You or No One†, â€Å"Whisper Not†, and â€Å"NY Theme† (Lesslie 36). This paper will focus more on the performances of the first four listed tracks, giving a vivid description of the performance, the various jazz styles the players incorporate in each of the tracks and also the role of the instruments used in the tracks. â€Å"Just By Myself† was a live jazz performance in 1958 by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers in Olympia Paris. A Benny Golson’s composition, â€Å"Just By Myself† was the opening performance of the Olympia concert. The band members are looking sharp with black suits. The five-minute performance starts right on the melody by a powerful drumming by the band’s leader and drummer Arthur Blakey who is rested sitting behind a Gretsch sparkle set. The song’s style is soft jazz and the piano sets the mood for smooth transitions of the bass guitar and the piano. Lee Morgan is the first soloist, his pitch and tone is spot on for twenty-year old musician. Benny Golson’s who is the second soloist starts with his famous long lines and quickly progresses with short quicker ones. He appears forceful, but rich in content. Bobby Timmons who is the final soloist appears more boppish than usual, but his skill on the keys is exceptionally

Behavioural finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Behavioural finance - Essay Example Incurring of additional risk helps attain high rates of return. There has been a proposal relating to the utility maxim and the general solution for the portfolio selection problem (Von Neumann and Morgenstern, 2007). The process of making an investment choice includes; choosing a unique optimum combination of risky assets and separate choice regarding to the allocation of funds. To obtain a maximum resulting satisfaction, there is combination and application of certain wants and commodities. The weakness of this model is it’s cumbersome to separate the purely technical from the ones in the conceptual nature. According to Mr. Jack Treynor, the total utility function can be given by U = f (E, a) illustrating the meters of distribution and the expected value and the standard deviation, where E indicates the future wealth and a shows the standard deviation under prediction (Markowitz, Miller & Sharpe, 1991). There is the preference of a high expected future wealth to a value which is low; this is known as ceteris paribus illustrated as (dU/dEw > 0). This leads to an upward slope as seen in the earlier graph of risk against the expected rate of return. For a simpler analysis, there is an assumption that an investor decides to commit an amount (W) of their wealth to investment. By letting R be the rate of return and W as the terminal wealth, then; R= (Wt- Wi)/Wi. The mean-variance under certain conditions leads to unsatisfactory predictions of behaviour. A model based on semi-variance is preferable basing on standard deviation and variance (Markowitz, Miller & Sharpe, 1991). There is an assumption that the curves can diminish marginal rates of substitution between E and ÃŽ ±, from the earlier equations. There is a derivation of indifference curves from the assumption that the investor wishes to maximise the expected utility and thus,

Becoming an ATF Agent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Becoming an ATF Agent - Essay Example All ATF agents are required to receive at least a bachelor’s degree. The individual must be at least twenty-one years old and no older than thirty-seven. There are a number of smaller requirements as well. In these regards the individual must, â€Å"Complete and pass the ATF special agent assessment test and the Treasury Enforcement Agent exam† (Jess, 2011). Potential ATF agents also undergo stringent background testing, including a polygraph test. In addition, it’s noted that you will need to, â€Å"undergo a physical exam and drug screening. If you are selected to become an agent, you will also participate in a much more specific law enforcement training program† ("Criminal justice degrees," 2011). While ATF agents must receive a four-year degree, there is not a specific major or degree the individual must receive; although many ATF agents pursue studies in criminal justice, law, or related fields. In addition there are specific paths within the ATF that require post-graduate coursework. In terms of cost, there is a great amount of cost differential based on the type of education – public or private – the individual seeks. In addition, concerns related to room and board also make the cost highly relative. Once individuals are hired as ATF agents there is also a considerable amount of training. It’s noted that the individual undergoes, â€Å"9 weeks in Glynco, GA where new agents are trained in surveillance, arrest techniques, firearms training and other skills.   New agents then spend 13 weeks at FLETC where they are trained on explosives, bomb scene investigation and other similar areas† ("Atf agent career," 2011). Even as there are considerable requirements to become an ATF agent, the beginning salary is commensurate with the extensive training; in these regards, beginning agents make approximately $25,000 per year, but within a few years can make nearly $50,000. In conclusion,

The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights Essay

The International Covenant On Civil And Political Rights - Essay Example With regard to the exercise of the cultural rights protected under article 27 [of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights], the Committee observes that culture manifests itself in many forms, including a particular way of life associated with the use of land resources, especially in the case of indigenous peoples. Discuss whether Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which New Zealand is a signatory, is effective in protecting the right of MAORI to enjoy Maori culture in New Zealand. Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights gives to the Maori culture the right to engage in fishing activities and it reiterates its obligations to ensure that these rights are recognized. The Fisheries Settlement has achieved this to a large extent in as much as it gave them the right to revenue through quota together with Maori participation in the Sealords deal in what may be called as the modern day embodiment of Maori claims to the commercial fishery. In this way, Maori exercises effective control in a company through their shareholding and their representatives on the Board of Directors and has placed them in an unprecedented position to expand their presence in the market through the acquisition of further quota and fishing assets as well as through diversification in international catching processing and marketing. Its implementation is ensured and protected by the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission and its companies as well as individual tribes. Apart from this, the Fisheries settlement has come a long way in protecting non-commercial fishing i.e. for customary food gathering and a successful attempt has been made to recognize the special relationship between Maori and places of importance for customary food gathering. It may be noted that the right of minorities under Article 27 is not unlimited. They are subject to reasonable regulation provided these measures have a reasonable and ob jective justification and are consistent with the other provision of the Covenant and most importantly do not result in a denial of right. In Re Mahuika V New Zealand, it was held by one of the committee members that as far as in relation to Article 27 of the Covenant, an overall settlement of fisheries claims is found to be compatible to Article 27 provided that the conditions of effective consultation and securing the sustainability of culturally significant forms of Maori fishing are met. The Human Rights Committee was of the view that there is no breach of any article of the Covenant. In pursuance of the protection of the rights of the Maoris under Article 27 of the Covenant, the State has ensured that through a tedious and complex process of consultation with the various Maori groups it has attempted to secure broad Maori support to a nationwide settlement and regulation of fishing activities. It was only when there was substantial Maori support that the Settlement was enacted. It would not be out of place to mention that the consultation process gave special attention to the cultural and religious significance of fishing for the Maori inter alia to securing the possibility of Maori individuals and communities to engage themselves in non-commercial fishing activities. In this way, the State has taken necessary steps to ensure that the Fisheries Settlement and its enactment through legislation including the Quota Management System are in line with article 27.

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society Essay

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society - Essay Example In most criterions, one would think that the Americans are happier now than they were in Middle of the 19th era. Oddly, however, if you asked Americans how exultant they are currently, you will discover that they are no better off than they were during 1946. This paper will discuss Technology its effect on human freedom and happiness in society. In attempting to decode how technology influences the well-being of a person, it is crucial to look at two things. Do better and more technology make individuals happy? Secondly, there exists something inherently uneven about people explanations of their individual states of mentality (Dick 32). Forget folks’ uncertainty concerning what will render them happy in the coming; can we trust that persons know what render them happy currently? Most sincerely, reflecting on technology is tough because persons adapt so rapidly to available technologies. Someone in 1870 would have been happier if she or he could had possessed a car that gave hi m or her freedom to voyage a great distance in a day at a relative cost. Today, however, people are not so thrilled about planes, cars and telephones. People recognize their use; however, they are likewise sources of stress and frustrations. For instance, a lottery winner is very, very happy when he or she wins, but after a while, that feeling of euphoria disappears. This is the same with technology that no matter how dramatic a fresh innovation is, people will eventually take it for granted. In the technological world, when the things become mundane or stop operating efficiently, people get frustrated (Postman 54). Does our swift incorporation of technological development denote that technology makes no change? No. It merely makes the issue of technological effect, for ill and good, more complex (Putnam 46). Beginning with the disadvantage: There are particular ways where technology renders life evidently worse. Traffic jams, telemarketing, and identity embezzlement all suggest the mselves (Kraut et al. 13). These phenomena make persons consciously unhappy. Nevertheless, for the great part, modern criticizers of technology have not focused very much in particular - the effect of technology on humanity. However, those criticizers have put out two seemingly opposed po ­sitions that nonetheless disclose a common cynicism about individuals’ ability to utilize technology towards their personal ends. The first opinion, seen in the books of Dick Philip K., is that technology development is steering to a constantly more controlled, rigid, soulless community, where it is simpler for persons to be monitored and manipu ­lated. The second view that has been thoroughly articu ­lated in hard covers of Putnam Robert Bowling Alone (pg. 44) and Postman Neil Amusing Ourselves to Death (pg. 55), is that technology remains crucial to the swelling privatization of experience that is in turn designing a fragmented, disordered society. A society where traditional relati ons are tougher to sustain, the community is gradually becoming an illusion, and folks’ relationships to one another, arbitrated as they regularly are by technologies, grow progressively tenuous. There is evidently an explanation to both opinions. Privacy has increasingly grown fragile in a globe of connected databases. In most workplaces, technologies such as keystroke observation

KPMG case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

KPMG case - Essay Example Company had initial public offering in 2004 with a par value of $0.50 Price per share as of year end of 2007 plunged to $12.00 from $15.75 of 1st quarter quote with an EPS of $0.69. The company had approximately 9,500 holders as of February 29, 2008. This part will show trends of profitability, liquidity and solvency using ratios for the three year period. The trend analysis will present any significant fluctuation or movement in the three year operations that will have an impact in its financial operations. It will also be compared to industry sector using industry index as benchmark. (Reuters) Analysis will be presented in 3 parts, profitability, liquidity and solvency ratios. (See Annexes 1 and 2) Definition of financial terms provided by Investopedia. The comparison of the financial performance of the company against the industry (Reuters) where TMH belong and trend analysis of its own performance provided an insight on the strengths and weaknesses of the company and is presented below. Cash flows of the company consist of retained earnings and proceeds from loan transactions. The cash flows are used to pay debts, interests, taxes and other operating expenses. Retained earnings are not sufficient to fund payments for interests, taxes and long term debts. Accounts receivables and inventory of homes locks up cash for operations and affects cash flows. A slow turn over of accounts receivables and inventories reflects problems in the efficiency of management. The usual 120 to 180 loan repayments should be looked into as large amount of cash is tied up into this. 3.2. Complexity of underlying transactions. The sale of mortgage manufactured home contracts to unrelated financial institutions involves complex transaction particularly to default payments of mortgage borrowers. Recent economic crisis saw foreclosures of mortgage properties in financial institutions, and these losses could be passed on to TMH in cases of default. 3.3. Extent to

Polygamy and why people should be imprisioned Essay

Polygamy and why people should be imprisioned - Essay Example Current followers of polygamy, also called plural marriage or the Principle, as it is referred to by those who practice it must can only be understood within the context of its social and historical ties. We should be careful to note, however, that the history of any practice is irrelevant to understanding its importance as a religious practice. While history can help us understand polygamy as outsiders, those within the group would likely consider the historical context irrelevant to the religious importance of the practice. Whether we as outsiders think the practice is legitimately based on religious tenets or is recently "made-up" will not help us to understand the role that it plays. A forced marriage, in contrast, consists of imposing a partner on a girl or a young man, regardless of or even against their wishes. Young women can find themselves under threat of violence, even death, if they marry outside the community. Although of Pakistani ethnic origin, Nasreen Rafiq was a British citizen and Scottish domiciliary (Glasgow); prior to 1983, she had not been to Pakistan since she was six months old. In 1983 she was taken to Pakistan, ostensibly for a visit, by her father; until the very last minute the fourteen year old girl did not realize that the wedding preparations she witnessed at the house of her relatives in Pakistan were intended for her own marriage to her cousin. She objected to the marriage; during the ceremony itself she vigorously refused her consent. Nevertheless, she was "married" to her cousin and left in what was to her a foreign country whose language she did not speak, without friends or funds, totally dependent on her "husband" and his relati ves (who, although related to her, were strangers to her Forced marriages are an issue in Belgium too. As early as 1986, Jorgen Nielsen has noted that in Belgium "a more common problem than polygamy are cases of marriages forced on Moroccan girls to prevent them marrying a man of their own choice, especially if he is Belgian and non-Muslim". Young girls of Muslim origin have long been a central element of national integration and public health policies. It has been noted that in order to fight against violence and other forms of gender discrimination within the family, some Muslim girls in Belgium have devised strategies including the quoting of egalitarian Qur'anic verses to the father Consequently, polygamy can be given a kind of hidden approval. Any marriage that occurs after the recording of a first marriage in the civil register will obviously have no legal status, but since marriages do not actually have to be registered, contracting more than one cannot be considered illegal Emotional abusing In many cultures, women are the repositories of family honour, which makes them first victim if this honour is brought into question through allegations or actual violation by themselves or by their family members. The UN population fund estimates that about 5000 women are killed each year around the world through so called honour killing (Feminist.com, 2003) A study of female homicide in Egypt, revealed that 47% of all women killed were murdered by a relative after they had been raped (Side Bars, 2003). In parts of Ethiopia, families and communities use abduction and rape as a tool to take wives who risk being ostracised if they do not consent. Female

Performance in a Business Environment Essay Example for Free

Performance in a Business Environment Essay The purpose and benefits of continuously improving my own performance at work is to move one step forward and exceed my limitations, achieve further goals, self-motivation, not to be the same person and on the same position after a certain of time, to exceed my performance at work and doing work, improving my own performance helps me to progress on my career and give me a job satisfaction. However this leads me to evaluate my own work by looking at the work that takes the most time, and what actions can I take to do this task in a less time, however at the same time I look at the best part of the job that I do and also look for areas where I can improve. I normally speak to my colleagues that are more experience than me regarding this and take advice as well as guidance to do so. It is so important for me to get feedback and to accept it from others as this will help me to learn from my mistakes and be more confident in the work I am doing. Receiving feedback also helps me see myself from the perspective of others and how other people see me I always accept feedback whether positive or negative, as positive will help me to work harder and keep the good work I’m doing, as well as negative will help me to learn from my past failures and mistakes so I can correct them. In every organisation it is so important to provide a Good quality piece of work, as a very challenging person I always try new ways, different ways to do my work with a good quality and within less time scale. I always learn new things either in the office as my day to day tasks or at home for my long term career goals. My own learning and development does not only improve my work and productivity, it improves and benefits the team I work with as well as the whole organisation. The more I learn, the more I can do. This benefits the organisation by increasing productivity. It helps me to identify gaps between my job requirements or future work roles and the existing knowledge, understanding and skills. This is one of the reasons that we have in our organisation a private website that provides different short courses for self-development. The progression route from my current role will be towards a Management Information Analysts role, and then eventually a Business Analyst role as my long term role. This will also help me work towards my career I wish to pursue in the educational field, where I will have to also demonstrate data management tasks on my day to day tasks at work. After completing my Apprenticeship in Business and Admin L3, I am looking forward to starting an Apprenticeship L4 with a hard working to  develop my career to the next level as Management Information Analysts towards my long term career as a Business Analysts. I already have experie nce working in education, retail and IT. I will be working harder to meet my above career development with a good salary package and job description, where I can best use my skills, talents and capabilities. So by developing my skills I can look at possible interesting careers and sectors that I might be interested in and develop my opportunities in securing a good job. A learning plan is a way for everyone to set personal targets and record achievements. It helps me as a person to keep on track towards where I want to be in my life and my work. The reason for making a plan is, it simply helps me to take more control of my future, by reminding me what I have learned, achieved and enjoyed. Creating my plan can help me develop more confidence in my ability to tackle new things, become more employable, and get more out of life.

Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals

Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals â€Å"Statistically, about 10-15 of you have or will develop a substance use disorder† (Welsh 2002). This quote is stated by Christopher J. Welsh, M.D. to a group of healthcare providers during a substance abuse lecture. He is reinforcing the fact of how likely a healthcare worker can get into the habit. Substance abuse can include, but is not limited to, alcohol, narcotics, benzodiazepines and illegal drugs. It is not officially known why the abuse is so common in this specific group but it can be easily assumed that knowledge, access, and psychological issues would play a huge part. According to Dr. Welsh, the reasoning behind not knowing why substance abuse is so prevalent is because the majority of healthcare workers strongly object to the idea that they are addicted. In other words, they are in denial. There are two specific levels that drug users can divide themselves into: Abuse, which is the milder of the two, and dependence, which takes a more intense intervention and effort to cut the person of the habit. Since the focus of this paper is substance abuse that is the category that will be discussed. What exactly is considered abuse and how is it distinguished between an actual medical need? In Dr. Welshs lecture he mentioned four factors that are included. According to him at least one of these four factors must be accurate in order to be considered official abuse. These factors are: (1) A person is unable to complete social tasks in his or her life, (2) The consistent use of the drug in unsafe situations, (3) repeated drug affiliated legal offenses and (4) use of drugs even though it may cause social or interpersonal problems (Welsh 2002). For example, if a person is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder you may be prescribed Alprazolam. It is not considered abuse if you take your prescribed dose for oncoming anxiety while following the doctors instructions. When having an anxiety attack, or other symptoms of anxiety, Alprazolam helps to relax the person and help them feel ‘normal. When using Alprazolam without anxiety it can give a ‘drugged feeling with symptoms such as severe drowsiness to the point of impairment (Epocrates). Therefore if you use the drug without anxiety in unsafe situations, such as driving, it is considered abuse. When a person uses a drug they do so with the intention of trying to make themselves feel better. This could be a major cause for the denial that they actually have a problem. Not every person realizes how it affects friends, family, and peers. Even more so, they do not realize how it affects their job. It would take most people a serious intervention in order to help them break the habit. In the topic of drug use in the Health care workforce three questions come to mind: Why is it so prevalent among this specific profession? What are the signs to show if/when you should involve yourself with the suspected abuser? And where is help provided for the substance abusers? These three ques tions will be discussed in the following paragraphs. Why is substance abuse so prevalent in health care professionals? As mentioned above there are no precise facts as to why it is, because of the large percentage of people denying that what they do is considered abuse. Also mentioned above is that it can be assumed the reason can fall into at least one of the three categories: knowledge, access, and psychological factors. When a person works in healthcare they are exposed to a lot of basic information not commonly known outside of the healthcare facility, even if it is unintentional. An employee may hear and/or see how a patient is reacting to certain medications, such as morphine, see it is relaxing for the patient, then gain the knowledge that it is a medication that makes you ‘feel good. On an even higher level, many healthcare workers are required, for their job, to know what a drug does, why it is being given to the patient, and what common and serious complications to monitor for. When a nurse is ‘hands on with the p atient they become even more acquainted with the effects of the drugs. This can contribute to any future situation where the nurse may want to experiment. With this information at hand healthcare workers feel more comfortable using drugs and feel as if they can manage them better than the average person because of their knowledge. The access of drugs is a contributing factor as well. A nurse who works full time works at least 36 hours per week, giving him or her plenty of access to drugs. Although the new technology is making it harder to steal medications, it is still done. In addition to stealing nurses often time befriend doctors and could have doctors write prescriptions which allows even more access to drugs. Being a nurse, as mentioned above, requires knowledge of drugs and what they are used for. Because of this a nurse could make an appointment with her doctor, name specific symptoms, and know they will get a drug that they are seeking. Lastly, psychological factors contribu te to substance abuse being so prevalent. Nurses and Physicians have extremely stressful jobs, and they may seek to alleviate their stress in drug form. According to a study done by Cicala (2003) 8-12% of physicians abused or became substance abusers and Trinkoff and Storr (1998) did a study only to find that 32% of the 4,438 nurses being studied had some form of abuse. With all things considered, these are only including the healthcare individuals who admitted to having an abuse problem. Most of the drugs found to be used among the physicians were opioids and benzodiazepines while nurses had a wider variety and included illegal substances such as cocaine (Cicala 2003). What are the signs to show if/when you should involve yourself with the suspected abuser? According to a study done by Samuel D. Uretsky, PharmD (2008), it is difficult to determine a drug abuser in the healthcare field because it is generally found the job is the last thing to be affected. He goes on to explain that families and social lives are first to be torn apart versus in the average non healthcare worker there are the early signs to look for: being consistently late or absent, slacking off on the job, etc. He also goes on to make a valid point of coworkers not noticing, or turning their shoulder away from signs of abuse because they may be friends or they just dont want to get involved. In an online government brochure it sets certain guidelines to determine if the suspected individual is an abuser. These guidelines include: change in attitude and appearance, â€Å"heavy wasting of drugs†, relationships start to decline, more time than necessary spent near the drug sup ply, â€Å"insisting† on handling all injected narcotics, etc (Department of Justice). As a nurse we learn to follow the chain of commands. With this in mind it puts anyone at the predicament of being ‘the rat. No one wants to be the person who puts another persons license and career on the line. However, many patients are in the hands of drug abusers. When it doubt, or if making excuses for the potential drug abuser it, think if you would let a person of great importance to you be in the care of that specific healthcare worker. When suspecting a coworker of drug abuse you must, again, follow the chain of commands. Go to the charge nurse, or if it happened to be the charge nurse then go to the nurse manager. Most of the time, the employee will be approached by their superior and talked to about the obvious concerns. Many times this wakes them up to realize they actually have a problem and immediate improvements are shown, however sometimes it takes more serious interven tion (Department of Justice). Where is help provided for the substance abusers? There are a range of different rehabilitation programs available all over the country and some specific to health care workers. In fact, there are some affiliations aimed at preventing substance abuse among healthcare workers. The Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest has started to develop programs to help prevent the abuse. The method of prevention is to send messages out in different forms and educate the prevalence. They are trying to influence this by making it a part of their health and wellness program. â€Å"Included in our campaign are messages delivered in educational videos and newsletters, health risk appraisals, and personal health coaching† (BHRCS 2007). This is all taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but this is just the start of prevention. They hope to expand to health care workers around the country. The Interventional Project for Nurses, or IPN, has been created to assist nurses whose jobs m ay have been impaired or started to be impaired by drug use, alcohol use, or mental disorders. A nurse can place their own self in the program or can be placed in the program by their superior, or employer (IPN). Depending on where the individual works is the determining factor of what happens to the nurse, if caught being a substance abuser. The nurse could get as little as probation to as much as being fired in addition to losing their license. Either way, the program is there to help Nurses get back on their feet and get over their addiction. As a recap, drug abuse is prevalent in healthcare although there is no factual information to determine why, it can only be assumed. There are many abusers all around you as you work in the healthcare field and most go unnoticed. Their signs and symptoms are not the same as the average drug abuser and their work tends to be the last thing severely affected, making it more difficult to determine the abusers. If drug abuse is suspected it is an obligation as a licensed nurse to report it in the chain of commands, which in the long run will benefit the bigger picture. Being a drug abuser is a hard situation which may seem to have a dead end, however there are many rehabilitation programs focused on health care workers and at least one large affiliation focusing specifically on Nurses. Although it seems common sense that abusing drugs is wrong, it does not happen overnight. A person may find relief with a drug and start to use it without it thinking of long term effects. They may casuall y use it once and a while, and then increase it to more often, and then very frequently. Being educated on drug abuse, before stepping foot into the real world of nursing, helps to be prepared through primary prevention. Drug abuse, though hard to determine has a huge impact on our health care system as a whole and needs to be remedied. It is progressively improving, however only baby steps. This isnt a perfect world and not everyone can be helped, however, every person you help is one step in the right direction for our future. References Uretsky, Samuel D. (2004). Addicts in the OR? Retrieved July 17, 2008, from  www.medhunters.com No Author (2007). Substance Abuse Among Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved  July 17, 2008, from www.addictionsearch.com Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest (2007). Substance Abuse  Intervention for Healthcare Workers. Retrieved July 17, 2008, from  http://www.bhrcs.org Welsh, Christopher J. (2002). Substance Use Disorders in Physicians [Powerpoint  Slides]. Retrieved from www.alcoholmedicalscholars.org/physician-out.htm Department of Justice (n.d.) Drug Addiction in Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved  from www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/drug_hc.htm Intervention Project for Nurses (2008). Retrieved from http://www.ipnfl.org Alprazolam (n.d.). Epocrates Online. Retrieved on July 17, 2008, from  www.epocrates.com

The Definition Of The Concepts Of Time English Literature Essay

The Definition Of The Concepts Of Time English Literature Essay Transcending Temporality: Escaping the Shackles of Linear Time. The concept of time is one which eludes the standard dictionary definition that etymologists so simply thrust upon the more concrete words that compose the English language. Perhaps time defies the ability to be defined as a result of its ubiquitous nature humans find time to be so ordinary that it seems senseless to seek out a method with which to describe it. Perhaps it evades an explanation because society is so fixated on its passage rather than its existence. Or perhaps it cannot be defined because it is merely a figment of the human imagination a method of mental measurement to maintain sanity. Over the course of literatures development, many have strived to craft a novel that serves as an accurate portrayal of the human experience of time. As the modernist literary movement began, this concern shifted towards the forefront, and one author emerged who artfully fashioned a novel that moved beyond the simplicity of plot and instead delved into the depths of the human subconscious. Through her creation of To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf produces an avant-garde illustration of the way in which humans undergo the passage of time in order to criticize societys fascination and fixation with the future. Throughout her novel, Woolf collapses the steady progression of linear time and instead utilizes an interplay between the diachronic and synchronic dimensions of time to more accurately demonstrate the way in which humans truly experience times progression. In the late 1980s, a historian by the name of Dominick LaCapra revolutionized the way in which scholars view time. Essentially, The LaCaprian theory of time theorizes time to be a multidimensional phenomenon composed of a structure consisting of both a horizontal and a vertical plane. This horizontal plane is representative of what LaCapra calls diachronic time, or the passing and progression of both commonplace and significant events, while the vertical plane, which represents synchronic time, concerns itself with the passing of time when one fixates upon the minute details of any given event (LaCapra 138). Virginia Woolf, in To the Lighthouse, transcends the simplicity and monotony of diachronic time and interpolates passages th at are written from a synchronic perspective, thus increasing the complexity of her work and allowing her to break free from the constraints caused by a plot based solely on linear time. If Woolf were to write exclusively in the diachronic plane, her depiction of everyday life would not be nearly as profound as synchronic descriptions allow it to be (Gemmill 2). Her synchronic passages give her the ability to convey the details of seemingly simple events that hold deeper symbolic significance. However, it is Woolfs ability to seamlessly transition between diachronic and synchronic descriptions that causes her portrayal of time to be so truthful to the human experience in any given period, one event may seem to fly by quickly while one may notice every minute detail of another. This interchange is facilitated through a use of stream of consciousness narration. By utilizing a stream of consciousness format of narration, Woolf facilitates the ability to slow down the apparent progression of time in order to synchronically highlight the significance of certain moments or memories. As the modernist literary movement reached its peak, a narrative technique known as stream of consciousness became increasingly popular. Stream of consciousness narration allows for insight into the thoughts of a character, presenting them to the reader in the exact method in which an individual would process them. For example, the vivid image painted by Woolf as James is sitting on the floor cutting out pictures from the illustrated catalogue of the Army and Navy stores, endowed the picture of a refrigerator, as his mother [speaks] (Woolf 12) demonstrates James processing of all that is occurring around him, offering insight into his thoughts. While James actions in this moment seem unremarkable, stream of consciousness narration helps to focus on an infinitesimal moment in time and elaborate upon it, a technique which Woolf calls upon often. In essence, Woolf utilizes stream of consciousness narration to enhance the impact of synchronic moments by further lengthening the description of each portion of a moment, much in the way that a specific moment in the human experience can be drawn out by the mind. As Albert Einstein once said, When you sit with a nice girl for two hours, it seems like two minutes. When you sit on a hot stove for two minutes, it seems like two hours-thats relativity. Woolfs use of stream of consciousness allows her audience to experience the progression of time in the same manner as her characters-as they fixate on a moment, so does the audience. The significance of this effect and of Woolfs use of stream of consciousness lies in her choice of when to employ it-she delves into the synchronic dimension of seemingly insignificant moments, focusing on the colors and auras (Stewart 3) of everyday living. Through this method, Woolf captures an authentic recreation of the human experience, henceforth increasing the validity of her criticism of it. In stark contrast with her ability to extend a nanosecond on the synchronic plane, Woolfs use of brackets creates a harsh and unexpected severity and hastiness throughout the second portion of the novel that serves to illuminate societys desensitization to the significance of the moment. Throughout part two of the novel, Time Passes, the harsh typographical appearance of the parenthetical marks [used by Woolf] themselves (Gemmill 3) emphasizes the abrupt nature of Woolfs return to a diachronic description of a linear progression of events. Woolfs return to a dry, dull portrayal of events within these brackets signals a choice to return to linear time as she states that [Prue Ramsay died that summerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] ( Woolf 132) and [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mr. Carmichael, who was reading Virgil, blew out his candleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] (Woolf 127) highlights a key syntactical pattern. It is evident that the events depicted within Woolfs brackets reflect simplicity within both their syntax and dict ion, causing them to be portrayed as commonplace even in cases when they are rather tragic. Each set of parentheses contains one or more brief, telegraphic sentences written with simplistic diction and a blatant lack of detail, understating the significance of the event contained within and signaling a shift to a more omniscient perspective (Sang 3). A shift from the personable, relatable stream of consciousness style to this newfound omniscience stems from Woolfs desire to highlight how desensitized society has become to events such as death. To focus upon the synchronic dimension of time is to be personal, dramatic, to embody the carpe diem ideals of seizing each moment. Hence, Woolfs regression to diachronic depictions signals a step away from this ideal, and mirrors modern societys lack of concern with the significance of the moment. While it may be argued that Woolfs use of juxtaposition in terms of color is the most essential tool in the conveyance of her views regarding socie ty (McCarthy 1), it is this ability to delve into and then fall away from a synchronic examination of time that truly buttresses her disdain for humanitys choices. By using a wholly diachronic approach towards the description of death, Woolf downplays its significance to suggest that an individuals priorities are better placed in a concern with life rather than its impending end. As Woolfs characters struggle with the understanding of lifes ephemerality, many of them grasp for some sense of permanence as they preoccupy themselves with the future and whether or not they will be remembered, paralleling that which Woolf believes is currently occurring in society. Mr. Ramsay fears that his work will be easily forgotten as a result of mortality and the brevity of human life, so he seeks out some sort of permanence in the intellectual sphere which he hopes will cause his memory to stand the test of time. His attempts to make a lasting philosophical contribution demonstrate Woolfs views regarding the human need for individuality and competitive success. Essentially, the alacrity of Mr. Ramsays frantic attempts at rising above the rest of society allows insight into Woolfs distaste with the need in todays society to focus on future personal accomplishment rather than happiness in the present. When Mrs. Ramsay dies, causing Mr. Ramsay to [lose] touch with the order of the physical world (Doyle 9), his attempts become scarcer, and his feelings of worthlessness reflect Woolfs view that humans base their sense of self-worth upon their permanence. This fixation with that which will come in the future is also visible in the character of Lily Briscoe. Lily dreads the fact that one day her paintings will be thrown into the attic and never again seen by the rest of society, leading to a fear of lifes ephemerality reminiscent of Mr. Ramsays. Whereas Ramsay searches for permanence in the intellectual world, Lily turns to her artwork for comfort. Her paintings act as methods of synchronically capturing events in diachronic time, exhibiting the dichotomy between the two dimensions of time and leading to insight as to Woolfs intent. Lilys paintings being forgotten parallels society forgetting the significance of that which has occurred and is occurring as a result of a preoccupation with the future and that which is to come. The colors included within Lilys paintings are ones which often are associated with cheerfulness or happiness (Stewart 2), symbolically indicating that Woolf believes humanity is forgetting the joy that is connected with living life. In addition, Woolf includes many aspects of her life into the novel, and it is often argued that Lily may be a representation of Woolf herself, signaling that Woolf has undergone an inner struggle similar to this one (Brivic 9). Woolfs personal connection to this issue may serve as an explanation as to why she wishes for her knowledge to take on a didactic tone regarding a carpe diem mentality. Finally, during the denouement of the novel, Lily Briscoe comes to terms with the fact that her life is ephemeral and that time will progress after she is gone, further demonstrating Woolfs views regarding societys obsession with permanence. Lilys ability to finally fulfill her artistic vision comes only after letting go of her need for permanence as she [lays] down [her] brush in extreme fatigue (Woolf 209) in the last line of the novel. This final portion of the novel is written in an extremely synchronic manner as Woolf painstakingly drags out every last moment of the plot, capturing the significance of each and every detail and underscoring the significance an instant of time can have. This is done in order to mirror the human experience of self-actualization as Lily reaches a sense of closure, further validating Woolfs portrayal of time. Because this closure comes only once Lily has accepted the inevitableness of the ephemerality and transience of a mortal life, it is indisputab le that Woolfs aim is to didactically demonstrate the downfalls of an obsession with the future and a refusal to accept the temporary nature of ones time on earth. This conclusion to the novel reinforces the significance of this fascination-fundamentally, Woolf posits that without recognizing the aspects of life that are truly important, humanity will not be able to reach the same self-actualization that Lily is able to accomplish. Woolf essentially wishes to persuade her audience that embracing the synchronic dimension of time (Gemmill 5) and leading a life focused on the present rather than the future is the most meaningful manner in which to spend a lifetime. By meticulously illustrating the human experience of relativity and the progression of time through the approach of a two-dimensional interplay, Virginia Woolf is able to point out a key fault in modern society. Her emphasis on societys fixation with the future and straying from a carpe diem lifestyle illuminates a potentially dangerous characteristic of that which humanity is becoming. Essentially, To the Lighthouse reveals that societys path towards living without being able to appreciate the significance and importance of each and every moment in time is one which will ultimately lead to its downfall if not reversed.

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of E

Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and to be able to deliver this to today’s youth has been a dream of mine for a long time. There are many advantages to teaching. I feel that is a very fulfilling profession. I have seen my sister in the classroom, and it greatly inspired me to want to make a difference in some ones life. Through watching my sister in action I was inspired to follow in her footsteps. I believe that each child has the will to learn, and that if they have a teacher who is on fire they will be on fire. I think that if a teacher cannot be excited about why they are doing, how can they expect their students to be excited. I want to be a teacher who brings the classroom to life. I want to have students who share their own views, and show the desire to learn. I strongly feel that if I show a desire to learn, they will want to learn from me. Children of all race, and creeds want to learn and excel. Unfortunately they usually come across an experience that can alter this desire. I also feel that a child’s home life can greatly affect their desire to learn. In order to help children in these situations you must be understanding, and try to see where they are coming from in order to give them the desire back. By being patient with students especially at the early childhood level when many times they are still in the early stages of life, I strongly feel they will gain a respect and love for school. Knowledge is an endless institution from which you can always take from regardless of the situation. This has to be wanted from the beginning, children must understand that it is theirs for the taking. I strongly feel that each child can learn whatever he... ... chance to do things in the real world it will be easier for them to learn what we are teaching. I hope to one day be able to deliver all of these ideas and concepts to children in a classroom I call my own. I hope to graduate from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education with a minor in history. While teaching I intend on working through graduate schools earning a masters, and physical doctrine in special education. I hope to one day be employed by a university, and be able to educate future teachers. I hope to run a classroom where students have a say in their education, and I hope to have a great amount of mutual respect. My best learning experiences in school were in classrooms where I had a say so in my education. I hope to show children that they all have the same opportunity, and can achieve whatever their hearts desire. Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of E Statement of Educational Goals and Philosophy Knowledge is a very powerful thing, and to be able to deliver this to today’s youth has been a dream of mine for a long time. There are many advantages to teaching. I feel that is a very fulfilling profession. I have seen my sister in the classroom, and it greatly inspired me to want to make a difference in some ones life. Through watching my sister in action I was inspired to follow in her footsteps. I believe that each child has the will to learn, and that if they have a teacher who is on fire they will be on fire. I think that if a teacher cannot be excited about why they are doing, how can they expect their students to be excited. I want to be a teacher who brings the classroom to life. I want to have students who share their own views, and show the desire to learn. I strongly feel that if I show a desire to learn, they will want to learn from me. Children of all race, and creeds want to learn and excel. Unfortunately they usually come across an experience that can alter this desire. I also feel that a child’s home life can greatly affect their desire to learn. In order to help children in these situations you must be understanding, and try to see where they are coming from in order to give them the desire back. By being patient with students especially at the early childhood level when many times they are still in the early stages of life, I strongly feel they will gain a respect and love for school. Knowledge is an endless institution from which you can always take from regardless of the situation. This has to be wanted from the beginning, children must understand that it is theirs for the taking. I strongly feel that each child can learn whatever he... ... chance to do things in the real world it will be easier for them to learn what we are teaching. I hope to one day be able to deliver all of these ideas and concepts to children in a classroom I call my own. I hope to graduate from college with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education with a minor in history. While teaching I intend on working through graduate schools earning a masters, and physical doctrine in special education. I hope to one day be employed by a university, and be able to educate future teachers. I hope to run a classroom where students have a say in their education, and I hope to have a great amount of mutual respect. My best learning experiences in school were in classrooms where I had a say so in my education. I hope to show children that they all have the same opportunity, and can achieve whatever their hearts desire.

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho :: Film Movies

An Analysis of the Opening Sequence from Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho Just like a building, a film needs a strong foundation in order to be successful, a foundation which is made up of the starting moments of the film. In Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock successfully uses the opening credit sequence to establish a foundation on which to build an interesting plot, including techniques to elicit involvement by the spectator, and the suggestion of a "Psycho" theme. A musical composition consisting of quick strokes on tightly wound violins, later used in the famous shower scene, starts to play at the beginning of the sequence. Names begin to slide on and off the screen in a series of horizontal and vertical lines. The top and bottom portions of the names slide onto the screen, followed by the middle portion. The last name to appear is that of Alfred Hitchcock, which settles in the middle of the screen and begins to twitch and flutter in an unusual manner. The credits then dissolve into a long shot of an auspicious section of an unknown city where a building is being constructed (paralleling the idea of Hitchcock shaping a foundation). As this dissolve takes place, a more subtle and mellow music (again composed of string instruments) fills the air, suggesting a stable environment. The sun burns brightly in the sky and a desert landscape is seen in the background through a haze. The shot immediately begins to pan slowly to the right, revealing more city rooftops and streets. As a dissolve zooms us slightly closer to the city and the camera continues to pan, small block letters appear on both sides of the screen and converge in the middle to read "PHOENIX, ARIZONA." Hitchcock immediately brings the reoccurring theme of birds into the film by setting the scenery in "Phoenix." The camera continues to pan to the right, now moving on to a more dreary side of the city. The next set of titles converges in the center of the screen, reading "FRIDAY, DECEMBER ELEVENTH." As the panning continues, a slow zoom begins to bring us closer to one of the buildings. The last title appears in the same fashion as the preceding, "TWO FORTY-THREE P.M." Yet another dissolve stops the camera on a rather unattractive wall, slowly zooming in on a window with Venetian blinds drawn down. A cut to a closer view of the window reveals an opening a few inches below the blind in which the camera continues to zoom in on, bringing us into a dark apartment room.

Claudio – ‘A man of honour betrayed’?

In Shakespeare's ‘Much Ado About Nothing' honour is very important to all the gentil characters. To know Claudio's character and his cruel treatment of Hero, it is important to understand the honour code. Specific to aristocracy, honour meant reputation, status and respect. A man's honour was earned through conduct in battle and the virtue of a wife and daughter. Contemporary audiences would not approve of Claudio's manner towards Hero, whereas Renaissance audiences would understand Claudio's behaviour towards Hero. This is because honour was regarded very highly n their social class, which would suggest why audiences would see Claudio as ‘a man of honour betrayed'. Throughout the play, even when the truth of Hero's chastity comes out, Claudio is a respected character who is not disliked by other characters, such as Benedick and Don Pedro. Audiences in the renaissance periods believed honour was everything. Claudio's ‘dishonouring' would not only act as a threat to his reputation, but also undermine the social structure, as honour was an important tool of social cohesion. The Renaissance era believed that honour was synonymous with order. It is important to emphasize this concept to understand that Claudio is ‘a man of honour betrayed'. Nevertheless Shakespeare recognizes the importance of honour throughout the play. However,he also sees that the code as flawed, meaning men can defend their honour using weapons in the battlefield and in duel, yet a man can shame a woman, as Claudio does Hero, and she cannot defend herself. If Claudio had allowed Hero to dishonour him he would have lost his well-earned reputation, so he ‘shames' her. Claudio talks of Hero as if she were an object, and insults her at every opportunity. For instance, whilst he is alking to Leonato he says: â€Å"There, Leonato, take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend, She's but the sign and semblance of her honour. † There are many contradictions within the honour code, men are meant to cherish and ‘honour' women, but are only too ready to dishonour them, accusing them of being â€Å"spoiled goods†, as in the case of Claudio and Hero. At the beginning of the play when the messenger enters he describes Claudio as having : â€Å"the figure of a lamb, the feats of a lion†¦ † Claudio is considered a man of honour, he is praised in battle and is portrayed as a great soldier; he is said to be noble Claudio†. The lamb/lion metaphor is very appropriate for Claudio as he could be seen as naive and easily influenced by Don John, this is because of his extreme youth. Even without evidence Claudio was ready to believe Don John over Hero. When Don John delivers the news of Hero's disloyalty, Claudio and Don Pedro are quick to believe a fellow male soldier, without thinking that Don John could be lying. This could be seen as a contradiction as it was believed that â€Å"bastards† were not to be trusted. Don John referred to himself as a bad character saying; â€Å"I am a plain-dealing illain†, audiences may think that Claudio is not ‘a man of honour betrayed', as he is the one who is betraying Hero by believing the words of Don John. There are also many characters in the play that sympathize with him and believe that he is right to shame H ero. The honour code meant that if a friend got disrespected and dishonoured then it could affect other friends, in the same way that Don Pedro felt dishonoured. â€Å"I stand dishonoured, that have gone about to link my dear friend to a common stale. † Don Pedro supports his friend and believes that he is dishonoured, as it was him who wooed Hero for him. Due to the allegations about Hero, other characters in the play believe that they too are dishonoured. One of whom is Leonato, Hero's father. Leonato believes that Hero has destroyed the family's reputation and throws terrible insults at her as well as refusing to believe that she could be his daughter by saying; â€Å"No part of it is mine; This shame derives itself from unknown loins? â€Å". Before knowing the facts Leonato instantly believes that his daughter has ruined the family. It could be argued that Claudio invites sympathy as Don John tricks him into believing that Hero has dishonoured him. There are many different nterpretations to whether Claudio actually believes that he was betrayed. For example if Claudio genuinely believes himself betrayed then perhaps his actions can be justified, like in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing production, he makes Claudio's rage and hurt believable by making the witnessed infidelity convincing. To understand the presentation of Claudio's character it is necessary to consider him as a man of honour betrayed', which means the scene where Hero, allegedly, is dishonouring Claudio should be believable. In Shakespeare's time, a woman's honour was based upon her virginity and chaste ehaviour. For a woman to lose her honour by having sexual relations before marriage meant that she would lose all respect, a catastrophe from which she could never recover. Furthermore, this loss of honour would destroy the woman's whole family. Hence, when Leonato believes Claudio's shaming of Hero at the wedding ceremony, he tries to obliterate her entirely: â€Å"Hence from her, let her die†. Moreover, he speaks of her loss of honour as an unforgettable stain from which he cannot distance himself, no matter how hard he tries: â€Å"O she is fallen / Into a pit of ink, that the wide sea / Hath rops too few to wash her clean again†. Leonato is prepared to align himself with Claudio rather then his own daughter. The illusory betrayal of Claudio's ‘honour' becomes Leonato's dishonouring as she has ‘smeared the family name'. Honour was a frequent theme in some of Shakespeare's plays and was also common in that period, for example in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, Brutus says â€Å"Believe me for mine honour, and have respect to mine honour that you may believe†. Mowbray states in Richard 11 â€Å"Mine honour is my life; both grow in one/Take honour from me, and my life is done†. This shows the importance of honour in that period. Claudio speaks of Hero as an ‘object' by referring to her as a â€Å"jewel†. Claudio's tendencies to see Hero as an object was because he had no intimacy with her and perceived her as a commodity. His language portrays the differences between his and Benedick's love. The way Claudio speaks of his love shows the audiences that Claudio is not very romantic, which could affect how audiences would think of him. Audiences might dislike Claudio because he is not the conventional romantic character like ‘Romeo'. Whilst talking about Hero, Claudio sometimes uses blank verse. His speech seems more constructed and artificial then others, which has the effect of making him sound less genuine. He doesn't talk about Hero with passion, whereas Benedick uses poetry and sonnets to show and represent his love towards Beatrice. There is irony in the play when it comes to the denunciation of Hero, where Claudio speaks with passion to Hero for the first time, out of hatred. This shows audiences that Claudio did not love Hero truly otherwise he would not have been so quick to judge her. In act 4 scene 1 he likens her to an animal; â€Å".. or those pampered animals that rage in savage sensuality†. However, it could be said that after Claudio finds out the truth he knows that he has wronged Hero. He tries to renew Hero's reputation by marrying Leonato's niece even if she is an â€Å"Ethiope†, which means that he was truly apologetic. Some critics argue that Claudio has a business like approach, it can be argued that he only wants the estate, before Claudio married Hero he was fully informed about the property: â€Å"Hath Leonato any son, my lord? † In aristocratic society, people were dependant upon marriages of conveniences based on status and property, which could mean that Claudio is not a man of honour betrayed, as he only married for onvenience. Before Claudio went to war all he thought about was fighting but as soon as he has finished it is time for marriage. When he had finally come from war, audiences can tell that he is ready for marriage as one of the first sentences he says are â€Å"I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife. † Critics can also argue that ‘war' can be seen as a central metaphor, the men return from war and instantly convey the values engaged on the battlefield into the domestic arena. ‘Love' is presented by Shakespeare as a form of warfare with the sexes battling it out. However, it is not a fair fight because women, unlike men, can not physically defend their honour. Hero's honour is betrayed, but there is little she can do about it. Claudio uses the metaphor â€Å"beauty is a witch†, even before his relationship with Hero, Claudio started showing that he was already suspicious of her -seeing her as an Eve, a betrayer of men. This emphasizes what he felt about women and reflected a popular renaissance view – that women were untrustworthy. It may be argued that Claudio lived in a society that was very misogynistic; during that period much of the fiction included misogynistic views. In the renaissance period people used to live by the bible, this is where the idea of male superiority came from. The story of Adam and Eve blames Eve for tempting Adam to eat the fruit. Thus, it was the woman who was morally weak. In Genesis, Chapter Two vs. 21-25 it says; â€Å"and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman.. † Women were ‘made from men' reinforcing the illusion of inferiority. In renaissance times it was believed that women were deceivers and were there to tempt, just like Eve. It could be argued that Claudio was not to blame for his reaction to Hero, as he was erely reacting as men would at that time as it represented Elizabethan values. Benedick has similar values, believing that if he gets married he would be cuckolded; â€Å"I will live a bachelor†. There are endless Elizabethan jokes about cuckoldry, which reveal a general fear of infidelity that was perceived as dishonour. It was believed that the honour code was important and that soldiers such as Claudio were supposed to behave with chivalry. Audiences might have found it hard to sympathize with Claudio even in the Renaissance period because he was not behaving n a truly chivalrous manner. His behaviour could be seen as unacceptable and immoral as he treats Hero in a shameful way. However, Claudio's behaviour can be seen as acceptable once audiences understand the honour. Claudio's honour was so important to him, but when Hero allegedly cheated on him, he believed that it was only right to shame her. Claudio could have been seen as a victim of gossip within the play as he was lied to and manipulated by Don John to fulfill his plan. However despite this, Claudio changed his mind about Hero and instantly believed that she had done wrong. In conclusion, it could be argued that Claudio was not at fault. He was just mirroring the values of renaissance society. It is important to understand how social status and honour worked in the renaissance period to understand Claudio's cruelty. He was a ‘man of honour betrayed' and to understand what he did to Hero, audiences would have to consider that he thought that he had been betrayed. Nevertheless, it would be hard for any audience to sympathize with Claudio, as he did not behave with chivalry. However, Claudio realized his mistake and was willing to marry Hero's cousin.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 13 KILLER

IF IT WAS ANYONE BUT JACOB, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, shaking my head as I drove down the forest-lined highway to La Push. I still wasn't sure if I was domg the right thing, but I'd made a compromise with myself. I couldn't condone what Jacob and his friends, his pack, were doing. I understood now what he'd said last nightthat I might not want to see him againand I could have called him as he'd suggested, but that felt cowardly. I owed him a face-to-face conversation, at least. I would tell him to his face that I couldn't just overlook what was going on. I couldn't be friends with a killer and say nothing, let the killing continue That would make me a monster, too. But I couldn't not warn him, either. I had to do what I could to protect him. I pulled up to the Blacks' house with my lips pressed together into a hard line. It was bad enough that my best friend was a werewolf. Did he have to be a monster, too? The house was dark, no lights in the windows, but I didn't care if I woke them. My fist thudded against the front door with angry energy; the sound reverberated through the walls. â€Å"Come in,† I heard Billy call after a minute, and a light flicked on. I twisted the knob; it was unlocked. Billy was leaning around an open doorway just off the little kitchen, a bathrobe around his shoulders, not in his chair yet. When he saw who it was, his eyes widened briefly, and then his face turned stoic. â€Å"Well, good morning, Bella. What are you doing up so early?† â€Å"Hey, Billy. I need to talk to Jakewhere is he?† â€Å"Um I don't really know,† he lied, straight-faced. â€Å"Do you know what Charlie is doing this morning?† I demanded, sick of the stalling. â€Å"Should I?† â€Å"He and half the other men in town are all out in the woods with guns, hunting giant wolves.† Billy's expression flickered, and then went blank. â€Å"So I'd like to talk to Jake about that, if you don't mind,† I continued. Billy pursed his thick lips for a long moment. â€Å"I'd bet he's still asleep,† he finally said, nodding toward the tiny hallway off the front room. â€Å"He's out late a lot these days. Kid needs his restprobably you shouldn't wake him.† â€Å"It's my turn,† I muttered under my breath as I stalked to the hallway. Billy sighed. Jacob's tiny closet of a room was the only door in the yard-long hallway. I didn't bother to knock. I threw the door open; it slammed against the wall with a bang. Jacobstill wearing just the same black cut-off sweats he'd worn last nightwas stretched diagonally across the double bed that took up all of his room but a few inches around the edges. Even on a slant, it wasn't long enough; his feet hung off the one end and his head off the other. He was fast asleep, snoring lightly with his mouth hanging open. The sound of the door hadn't even made him twitch. His face was peaceful with (deep sleep, all the angry lines smoothed out. There were circles under his eyes that I hadn't noticed before. Despite his ridiculous size, he looked very young now, and very weary. Pity shook me. I stepped back out, and shut the door quietly behind me. Billy stared with curious, guarded eyes as I walked slowly back into the front room. â€Å"I think I'll let him get some rest.† Billy nodded, and then we gazed at each other for a minute. I was dying to ask him about his part in this. What did he think of what his son had become? But I knew how he'd supported Sam from the very beginning, and so I supposed the murders must not bother him. How he justified that to himself I couldn't imagine. I could see many questions for me in his dark eyes, but he didn't voice them either. â€Å"Look,† I said, breaking the loud silence. â€Å"I'll be down at the beach for a while. When he wakes up, tell him I'm waiting for him, okay?† â€Å"Sure, sure,† Billy agreed. I wondered if he really would. Well, if he didn't, I'd tried, right? I drove down to First Beach and parked in the empty dirt lot. It was still darkthe gloomy predawn of a cloudy dayand when I cut the headlights it was hard to see. I had to let my eyes adjust before I could find the path that led through the tall hedge of weeds. It was colder here, with the wind whipping off the black water, and I shoved my hands deep into the pockets of my winter jacket. At least the rain had stopped. I paced down the beach toward the north seawall. I couldn't see St. James or the other islands, just the vague shape of the water's edge. I picked my way carefully across the rocks, watching out for driftwood that might trip me. I found what I was looking for before I realized I was looking for it. It materialized out of the gloom when it was just a few feet away: a long bone-white driftwood tree stranded deep on the rocks. The roots twisted up at the seaward end, like a hundred brittle tentacles. I couldn't be sure that it was the same tree where Jacob and I had had our first conversationa conversation that had begun so many different, tangled threads of my lifebut it seemed to be in about the same place I sat down where I'd sat before, and stared out across the invisible sea. Seeing Jacob like thatinnocent and vulnerable in sleephad stolen all my revulsion, dissolved all my anger. I still couldn't turn a blind sye to what was happening, like Billy seemed to, but I couldn't condemn Jacob for it either. Love didn't work that way, I decided. Once you cared about a person, it was impossible to be logical about them anymore. Jacob was my friend whether he killed people or not. And I didn't know what I was going to do about that. When I pictured him sleeping so peacefully, I felt an overpowering urge to protect him. Completely illogical. Illogical or not, I brooded over the memory his peaceful face, trying to come up with some answer, some way to shelter him, while the sky slowly turned gray. â€Å"Hi,Bella.† Jacob's voice came from the darkness and made me jump. It was soft, almost shy, but I'd been expecting some forewarning from the noisy rocks, and so it still startled me. I could see his silhouette against the coming sunriseit looked enormous. â€Å"Jake?† He stood several paces away, shifting his weight from foot to foot anxiously. â€Å"Billy told me you came bydidn't take you very long, did it? I knew you could figure it out.† â€Å"Yeah, I remember the right story now,† I whispered. It was quiet for a long moment and, though it was still too dark to see well, my skin prickled as if his eyes were searching my face. There must have been enough light for him to read my expression, because when he spoke again, his voice was suddenly acidic. â€Å"You could have just called,† he said harshly. I nodded. â€Å"I know.† Jacob started pacing along the rocks. If I listened very hard, I could just hear the gentle brush of his feet on the rocks behind the sound of the waves. The rocks had clattered like castanets for me. â€Å"Why did you come?† he demanded, not halting his angry stride. â€Å"I thought it would be better face-to-face.† He snorted. â€Å"Oh, much better.† â€Å"Jacob, I have to warn you† â€Å"About the rangers and the hunters? Don't worry about it. We already know.† â€Å"Don't worry about it?† I demanded in disbelief. â€Å"Jake, they've got guns! They're setting traps and offering rewards and† â€Å"We can take care of ourselves,† he growled, still pacing. â€Å"They're not going to catch anything. They're only making it more difficultthey'll start disappearing soon enough, too.† â€Å"Jake!† I hissed. â€Å"What? It's just a fact.† My voice was pale with revulsion. â€Å"How can you feel that way? You know these people. Charlie's out there!† The thought made my stomach twist. He came to an abrupt stop. â€Å"What more can we do?† he retorted. The sun turned the clouds a slivery pink above us. I could see his expression now; it was angry, frustrated, betrayed. â€Å"Could you well, try to not be a werewolf?† I suggested in a whisper. He threw his hands up in the air. â€Å"Like I have a choice about it!† he shouted. â€Å"And how would that help anything, if you're worried about people disappearing?† â€Å"I don't understand you.† He glared at me, his eyes narrowing and his mouth twisting into a snarl. â€Å"You know what makes me so mad I could just spit?† I flinched away from his hostile expression. He seemed to be waiting for an answer, so I shook my head. â€Å"You're such a hypocrite, Bellathere you sit, terrified of me! How is that fair?† His hands shook with anger. â€Å"Hypocrite? How does being afraid of a monster make me a hypocrite?† â€Å"Ugh!† he groaned, pressing his trembling fists to his temples and squeezing his eyes shut. â€Å"Would you listen to yourself?† â€Å"What?† He took two steps toward me, leaning over me and glaring with fury. â€Å"Well, I'm so sorry that I can't be the right kind of monster for you, Bella. I guess I'm just not as great as a bloodsucker, am I?† I jumped to my feet and glared back. â€Å"No, you're not!† I shouted. â€Å"It's not what you are, stupid, it's what you do!† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† He roared, his entire frame quivering with rage. I was taken entirely by surprise when Edward's voice cautioned me. â€Å"Be very careful, Bella,† his velvet voice warned. â€Å"Don't push him too far. You need to calm him down.† Even the voice in my head was making no sense today. I listened to him, though. I would do anything for that voice. â€Å"Jacob,† I pleaded, making my tone soft and even. â€Å"Is it really necessary to kill people, Jacob? Isn't there some other way? I mean, if vampires can find a way to survive without murdering people, couldn't you give it a try, too?† He straightened up with a jerk, like my words had sent an electric shock through him. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes stared wide. â€Å"Killing people?† he demanded. â€Å"What did you think we were talking about?† He wasn't trembling anymore. He looked at me with half-hopeful disbelief. â€Å"I thought we were talking about your disgust for werewolves.† â€Å"No, Jake, no. It's not that you're a wolf. That's fine,† I promised him, and I knew as I said the words that I meant them. I really didn't care if he turned into a big wolfhe was still Jacob. â€Å"If you could just find a way not to hurt people that's all that upsets me. These ate innocent people, Jake, people like Charlie, and I can't just look the other way while you† â€Å"Is that all? Really?† he interrupted me, a smile breaking across his face. â€Å"You're just scared because I'm a murderer? That's the only reason?† â€Å"Isn't that reason enough?† He started to laugh. â€Å"Jacob Black, this is so notfunny!† â€Å"Sure, sure,† he agreed, still chortling. He took one long stride and caught me in another vice-tight bear hug. â€Å"You really, honestly don't mind that I morph into a giant dog?† he asked, his voice joyful in my ear. â€Å"No,† I gasped. â€Å"Can'tbreatheJake!† He let me go, but took both my hands. â€Å"I'm not a killer, Bella.† I studied his face, and it was clear that this was the truth. Relief pulsed through me. â€Å"Really?† I asked. â€Å"Really,† he promised solemnly. I threw my arms around him. It reminded me of that first day with the motorcycleshe was bigger, though, and I felt even more like a child now. Like that other time, he stroked my hair. â€Å"Sorry I called you a hypocrite,† he apologized. â€Å"Sorry I called you a murderer.† He laughed. I thought of something then, and pulled away from him so that I could see his face. My eyebrows furrowed in anxiety. â€Å"What about Sam? And the others?† He shook his head, smiling like a huge burden had been removed from his shoulders. â€Å"Of course not. Don't you remember what we call ourselves?† The memory was clearI'd just been thinking of that very day. â€Å"Protectors?† â€Å"Exactly.† â€Å"But I don't understand. What's happening in the woods? The missing hikers, the blood?† His face was serious, worried at once. â€Å"We're trying to do our job, Bella. We're trying to protect them, but we're always just a little too late.† â€Å"Protect them from what? Is there really a bear out there, too?† â€Å"Bella, honey, we only protect people from one thingour one enemy. It's the reason we existbecause they do.† I stared at him blankly for one second before I understood. Then the blood drained from my face and a thin, wordless cry of horror broke through my lips. He nodded. â€Å"I thought you, of all people, would reali2e what was really going on.† â€Å"Laurent,† I whispered. â€Å"He's still here.† Jacob blinked twice, and cocked his head to one side. â€Å"Who's Laurent?† I tried to sort out the chaos in my head so that I could answer. â€Å"You knowyou saw him in the meadow. You were there† The words came out in a wondering tone as it all sunk in. â€Å"You were there, and you kept him from killing me† â€Å"Oh, the black-haired leech?† He grinned, a tight, fierce grin. â€Å"Was that his name?† I shuddered. â€Å"What were you thinking?† I whispered. â€Å"He could have killed you! Jake, you don't realize how dangerous† Another laugh interrupted me â€Å"Bella, one lone vampire isn't much of a problem for a pack as big as ours. It was so easy, it was hardly even fun!† â€Å"What was so easy?† â€Å"Killing the bloodsucker who was going to kill you. Now, I don't count that towards the whole murder thing,† he added quickly. â€Å"Vampires don't count as people.† I could only mouth the words. â€Å"You killed Laurent?† He nodded. â€Å"Well, it was a group effort,† he qualified. â€Å"Laurent is dead?† I whispered. His expression changed. â€Å"You're not upset about that, are you? He was going to kill youhe was going for the kill, Bella, we were sure of that before we attacked. You know that, right?† â€Å"I know that. No, I'm not upsetI'm† I had to sit down. I stumbled back a step until I felt the driftwood against my calves, and then sank down onto it. â€Å"Laurent is dead. He's not coming back for me.† â€Å"You're not mad? He wasn't one of your friends or anything, was he?† â€Å"My friend?† I stared up at him, confused and dizzy with relief. I started babbling, my eyes getting moist. â€Å"No, Jake. I'm so so relieved. I thought he was going to find meI've been waiting for him every night, just hoping that he'd stop with me and leave Charlie alone. I've been so frightened, Jacob But how? He was a vampire! How did you kill him? He was so strong, so hard, like marble† He sat down next to me and put one big arm around me comfortingly. â€Å"It's what we're made for, Bells. We're strong, too. I wish you would have told me that you were so afraid. You didn't need to be.† â€Å"You weren't around,† I mumbled, lost in thought. â€Å"Oh, right.† â€Å"Wait, JakeI thought you knew, though. Last night, you said it wasn't safe for you to be in my room. I thought you knew that a vampire might be coming. Isn't that what you were talking about?† He looked confused for a minute, and then he ducked his head. â€Å"No, that's not what I meant.† â€Å"Then why didn't you think it was safe for you there?† He looked at me with guilt-ridden eyes. â€Å"I didn't say it wasn't safe for me. I was thinking of you.† â€Å"What do you mean?† He looked down and kicked a rock. â€Å"There's more than one reason I'm not supposed to be around you, Bella. I wasn't supposed to tell you our secret, for one thing, but the other part is that it's not safe for you. If I get too mad too upset you might get hurt.† I thought about that carefully. â€Å"When you were mad before when I was yelling at you and you were shaking ?† â€Å"Yeah.† His face dropped even lower. â€Å"That was pretty stupid of me. I have to keep a better hold on myself. I swore I wasn't going to get mad, no matter what you said to me. But I just got so upser that I was going to lose you that you couldn't deal with what I am† â€Å"What would happen if you got too mad?† I whispered. â€Å"I'd turn into a wolf,† he whispered back. â€Å"You don't need a full moon.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Hollywood's version doesn't get much right.† Then he sighed, and was serious again. â€Å"You don't need to be so stressed out, Bells. We're going to take care of this. And we're keeping a special eye on Charlie and the otherswe won't let anything happen to him. Trust me on that.† Something very, very obvious, something I should have grasped at oncebut I'd been so distracted by the idea of Jacob and his friends fighting with Laurent, that I'd completely missed it at the timeoccurred to me only then, when Jacob used the present tense again. We're going to take care of this. It wasn't over. â€Å"Laurent is dead,† I gasped, and my entire body went ice cold. â€Å"Bella?† Jacob asked anxiously, touching my ashen cheek. â€Å"If Laurent died a week ago then someone else is killing people now.† Jacob nodded; his teeth clenched together, and he spoke through them. â€Å"There were two of them. We thought his mate would want to fight usin our stories, they usually get pretty pissed off if you kill their matebut she just keeps running away, and then coming back again. If we could figure out what she was after, it would be easier to take her down. But she makes no sense. She keeps dancing around the edges, like she's testing our defenses, looking for a way inbut in where? Where does she want to go? Sam thinks she's trying to separate us, so she'll have a better chance† His voice faded until it sounded like it was coming through a long tunnel; I couldn't make out the individual words anymore. My forehead dewed with sweat and my stomach rolled like I had the stomach flu again. Exactly like I had the flu. I turned away from him quickly, and leaned over the tree trunk. My body convulsed with useless heaves, my empty stomach contracting with horrified nausea, though there was nothing in it to expel. Victoria was here. Looking for me. Killing strangers in the woods. The woods where Charlie was searching My head spun sickeningly. Jacob's hands caught my shoulderskept me from sliding forward onto the rocks. I could feel his hot breath on my cheek. â€Å"Bella! What's wrong?† â€Å"Victoria,† I gasped as soon as I could catch my breath around the nauseous spasms. In my head, Edward snarled in fury at the name. I felt Jacob pull me up from my slump. He draped me awkwardly across his lap, laying my limp head against his shoulder. He struggled to balance me, to keep me from sagging over, one way or the other He brushed the sweaty hair back from my face. â€Å"Who?† Jacob asked. â€Å"Can you hear me, Bella? Bella?† â€Å"She wasn't Laurent's mate,† I moaned into his shoulder. â€Å"They were just old friends† â€Å"Do you need some water? A doctor? Tell me what to do,† he demanded, frantic. â€Å"I'm not sickI'm scared,† I explained in a whisper. The word scared didn't really seem to cover it. Jacob patted my back. â€Å"Scaled of this Victoria?† I nodded, shuddering. â€Å"Victoria is the red-haired female?† I trembled again, and whimpered, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"How do you know she wasn't his mate?† â€Å"Laurent told me James was her mate,† I explained, automatically flexing the hand with the scar. He pulled my face around, holding it steady in his big hand. He stared intently into my eyes. â€Å"Did he tell you anything else, Bella? This is important. Do you know what she wants?† â€Å"Of course,† I whispered. â€Å"She wants me.† His eyes flipped wide, then narrowed into slits. â€Å"Why?† he demanded. â€Å"Edward killed James,† I whispered. Jacob held me so tightly that there was no need for me to clutch at the holehe kept me in one piece. â€Å"She did get pissed off. But Laurent said she thought it was fairer to kill me than Edward. Mate for mate. She didn't knowstill doesn't know, I guessthat that† I swallowed hard. â€Å"That things aren't like that with us anymore. Not for Edward, anyway.† Jacob was distracted by that, his face torn between several different expressions. â€Å"Is that what happened? Why the Cullens left?† â€Å"I'm nothing but a human, after all. Nothing special,† I explained, shrugging weakly. Something like a growlnot a real growl, just a human approximationrumbled in Jacob's chest under my ear. â€Å"If that idiot bloodsucker is honestly stupid enough† â€Å"Please,† I moaned. â€Å"Please. Don't.† Jacob hesitated, then nodded once. â€Å"This is important,† he said again, his face all business now. â€Å"This is exactly what we needed to know. We've got to tell the others right away.† He stood, pulling me to my feet. He kept two hands on my waist until he was sure I wasn't going to fall. â€Å"I'm okay,† I lied. He traded his hold on my waist for one of my hands. â€Å"Let's go.† He pulled me back toward the truck. â€Å"Where are we going?† I asked. â€Å"I'm not sure yet,† he admitted. â€Å"I'll call a meeting. Hey, wait here for just a minute, okay?† He leaned me against the side of the truck and released my hand. â€Å"Where are you going?† â€Å"I'll be right back,† he promised. Then he turned and sprinted through the parking lot, across the road, and into the bordering forest. He flitted into the trees, swift and sleek as a deer. â€Å"Jacob!† I yelled after him hoarsely, but he was already gone. It was not a good time to be left alone. Seconds after Jacob was out of sight, I was hyperventilating. I dragged myself into the cab of the truck, and mashed the locks down at once. It didn't make me feel any better. Victoria was already hunting me. It was just luck that she hadn't found me yetjust luck and five teenage werewolves. I exhaled sharply. No matter what Jacob said, the thought of him coming anywhere close to Victoria was horrifying. I didn't care what he could turn into when he got mad. I could see her in my head, her face wild, her hair like flames, deadly, indestructible But, according to Jacob, Laurent was gone. Was that really possible? EdwardI clutched automatically at my chesthad told me how difficult it was to kill a vampire. Only another vampire could do the job. Yet Jake said this was what werewolves were made for He said they were keeping a special eye on Charliethat I should trust the werewolves to keep my father safe. How could I trust that? None of us were safe! Jacob the very least of all, if he was trying to put himself between Victoria and Charlie between Victoria and me. I felt like I might be about to throw up again. A sharp rap on the truck's window made me yelp in terrorbut it was just Jacob, back already. I unlocked the door with trembling, grateful fingers. â€Å"You're really scared, aren't you?† he asked as he climbed in. I nodded. â€Å"Don't be. We'll take care of youand Charlie, too. I promise.† â€Å"The idea of you finding Victoria is scarier than the idea of her finding me,† I whispered. He laughed. â€Å"You've got to have a little more confidence in us than that. It's insulting.† I just shook my head. I'd seen too many vampires in action. â€Å"Where did you go just now?† I asked. He pursed his lips, and said nothing. â€Å"What? Is it a secret?† He frowned. â€Å"Not really. It's kind of weird, though. I don't want to freak you out.† â€Å"I'm sort of used to weird by this point, you know.† I tried to smile without much success. Jacob grinned back easily. â€Å"Guess you'd have to be. Okay. See, when we're wolves, we can hear each other.† My eyebrows pulled down in confusion. â€Å"Not hear sounds,† he went on, â€Å"but we can hear thoughtseach other's anywayno matter how far away from each other we are. It really helps when we hunt, but it's a big pain otherwise. It's embarrassinghaving no secrets like that. Freaky, eh?† â€Å"Is that what you meant last night, when you said you would tell them you'd seen me, even though you didn't want to?† â€Å"You're quick.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"You're also very good with weird. I thought that would bother you.† â€Å"It's not well, you're not the first person I've known who could do that. So it doesn't seem so weird to me.† â€Å"Really Waitare you talking about your bloodsuckers?† â€Å"I wish you wouldn't call them that.† He laughed. â€Å"Whatever. The Cullens, then?† â€Å"Just just Edward.† I pulled one arm surreptitiously around my torso. Jacob looked surprisedunpleasantly so. â€Å"I thought those were just stories. I've heard legends about vampires who could do extra stuff, but I thought that was just a myth.† â€Å"Is anything just a myth anymore?† I asked him wryly. He scowled. â€Å"Guess not. Okay, we're going to meet Sam and the others at the place we go to ride our bikes.† I started the truck and headed back up the road. â€Å"So did you just turn into a wolf now, to talk to Sam?† I asked, curious. Jacob nodded, seeming embarrassed. â€Å"I kept it real shortI tried not to think about you so they wouldn't know what was going on. I was afraid Sam would tell me I couldn't bring you.† â€Å"That wouldn't have stopped me.† I couldn't get rid of my perception of Sam as the bad guy. My teeth clenched together whenever I heard his name. â€Å"Well, it would have stopped me,† Jacob said, morose now. â€Å"Remember how I couldn't finish my sentences last night? How I couldn't just tell you the whole story?† â€Å"Yeah. You looked like you were choking on something.† He chuckled darkly. â€Å"Close enough. Sam told me I couldn't tell you. He's the head of the pack, you know. He's the Alpha. When he tells us to do something, or not to do somethingwhen he really means it, well, we can't just ignore him.† â€Å"Weird,† I muttered. â€Å"Very,† he agreed. â€Å"It's kind of a wolf thing.† â€Å"Huh† was the best response I could think of. â€Å"Yeah, there's a load of stuff like thatwolf things. I'm still learning. I can't imagine what it was like for Sam, trying to deal with this alone. It sucks bad enough to go through it with a whole pack for support.† â€Å"Sam was alone?† â€Å"Yeah.† Jacob's voice lowered. â€Å"When I changed, it was the most horrible, the most terrifying thing I've ever been throughworse than anything I could have imagined. But I wasn't alonethere were the voices there, in my head, telling me what had happened and what I had to do. That kept me from losing my mind, I think. But Sam† He shook his head. â€Å"Sam had no help.† This was going to take some adjusting. When Jacob explained it like that, it was hard not to feel compassion for Sam. I had to keep reminding myself that there was no reason to hate him anymore. â€Å"Will they be angry that I'm with you?† I asked. He made a face. â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"Maybe I shouldn't† â€Å"No, it's okay,† he assured me. â€Å"You know a ton of things that can help us. It's not like you're just some ignorant human. You're like a I don't know, spy or something. You've been behind enemy lines.† I frowned to myself. Was that what Jacob would want from me? Insider information to help them destroy their enemies? I wasn't a spy, though. I hadn't been collecting that kind of information. Already, his words made me feel like a traitor. But I wanted him to stop Victoria, didn't I? No. I did want Victoria to be stopped, preferably before she tortured me to death or ran into Charlie or killed another stranger. I just didn't want Jacob to be the one to stop her, or rather to try. I didn't want Jacob within a hundred miles of her. â€Å"Like the stuff about the mind-reading bloodsucker,† he continued, oblivious to my reverie. â€Å"That's the kind of thing we need to know about. That really sucks that those stories are true. It makes everything more complicated. Hey, do you think this Victoria can do anything special?† â€Å"I don't think so,† I hesitated, and then sighed. â€Å"He would have mentioned it.† â€Å"He? Oh, you mean Edwardoops, sorry. I forgot. You don't like to say his name. Or hear it.† I squeezed my midsection, trying to ignore the throbbing around the edges of my chest. â€Å"Not really, no.† â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"How do you know me so well, Jacob? Sometimes it's like you can read my mind.† â€Å"Naw. I just pay attention.† We were on the little dirt road where Jacob had first taught me to ride the motorcycle. â€Å"This good?† I asked. â€Å"Sure, sure.† I pulled over and cut the engine. â€Å"You're still pretty unhappy, aren't you?† he murmured. I nodded, staring unseeingly into the gloomy forest. â€Å"Did you ever think that maybe you're better off?† I inhaled slowly, and then let my breath out. â€Å"No.† â€Å"‘Cause he wasn't the best† â€Å"Please, Jacob,† I interrupted, begging in a whisper. â€Å"Could we please not talk about this? I can't stand it.† â€Å"Okay.† He took a deep breath. â€Å"I'm sorry I said anything.† â€Å"Don't feel bad. If things were different, it would be nice to finally be able to talk to someone about it.† He nodded. â€Å"Yeah, I had a hard time keeping a secret from you for two weeks. It must be hell to not be able to talk to anyone.† â€Å"Hell,† I agreed. Jacob sucked in a sharp breath. â€Å"They're here. Let's go.† â€Å"Are you sure?† I asked while he popped his door open. â€Å"Maybe I shouldn't be here.† â€Å"They'll deal with it,† he said, and then he grinned. â€Å"Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?† â€Å"Ha ha,† I said. But I got out of the truck, hurrying around the front end to stand close beside Jacob. I remembered only too clearly the giant monsters in the meadow. My hands were trembling like Jacob's had been before, but with fear rather than rage. Jake took my hand and squeezed it. â€Å"Here we go.†