The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 7. REPETITION

I WASN'T SURE WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING HERE Was I trying to push myself back into the zombie stupor? Had I turned masochisticdeveloped a taste for torture? I should have gone straight down to La Push I felt much, much healthier around Jacob This was not a healthy thing to do. But I continued to drive slowly down the overgrown lane, twisting through the trees that arched over me like a green, living tunnel My hands were shaking, so I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. I knew that part of the reason I did this was the nightmare, now that I was really awake, the nothingness of the dream gnawed on my nerves, a dog worrying a bone. There was something to search for. Unattainable and impossible, uncaring and distracted but he was out there, somewhere. I had to believe that. The other part was the strange sense of repetition I'd felt at school today, the coincidence of the date. The feeling that I was starting overperhaps the way my first day would have gone if I'd really been the most unusual person in the cafeteria that afternoon. The words ran through my head, tonelessly, like I was reading them rather than hearing them spoken: It will be as if I'd never existed. I was lying to myself by splitting my reason for coming here into just two parts. I didn't want to admit the strongest motivation. Because it was mentally unsound. The truth was that I wanted to hear his voice again, like I had in the strange delusion Friday night. For that brief moment, when his voice came from some other part of me than my conscious memory, when his voice was perfect and honey smooth rather than the pale echo my memories usually produced, I was able to remember without pain. It hadn't lasted; the pain had caught up with me, as I was sure it would for this fool's errand. But those precious moments when I could hear him again were an irresistible lure. I had to find some way to repeat the experience or maybe the better word was episode. I was hoping that dj vu was the key. So I was going to his home, a place I hadn't been since my ill-fated birthday party, so many months ago. The thick, almost jungle-like growth crawled slowly past my windows. The drive wound on and on. I started to go faster, getting edgy. How long had I been driving? Shouldn't I have reached the house yet? The lane was so overgrown that it did not look familiar. What if I couldn't find it? I shivered. What if there was no tangible proof at all? Then there was the break in the trees that I was looking for, only it was not so pronounced as before. The flora here did not wait long to reclaim any land that was left unguarded. The tall ferns had infiltrated the meadow around the house, crowding against the trunks of the cedars, even the wide porch. It was like the lawn had been floodedwaist-highwith green, feathery waves. And the house was there, but it was not the same. Though nothing had changed on the outside, the emptiness screamed from the blank windows. It was creepy. For the first time since I'd seen the beautiful house, it looked like a fitting haunt for vampires. I hit the brakes, looking away. I was afraid to go farther. But nothing happened. No voice in my head. So I left the engine running and jumped out into the fern sea. Maybe, like Friday night, if I walked forward I approached the barren, vacant face slowly, my truck rumbling out a comforting roar behind me. I stopped when I got to the porch stairs, because there was nothing here. No lingering sense of their presence of his presence. The house was solidly here, but it meant little. Its concrete reality would not counteract the nothingness of the nightmares. I didn't go any closer. I didn't want to look in the windows. I wasn't sure which would be harder to see. If the rooms were bare, echoing empty from floor to ceiling, that would certainly hurt. Like my grandmother's funeral, when my mother had insisted that I stay outside during the viewing. She had said that I didn't need to see Gran that way, to remember her that way, rather than alive. But wouldn't it be worse if there were no change? If the couches sat just as I'd last seen them, the paintings on the wallsworse still, the piano on its low platform? It would be second only to the house disappearing all together, to see that there was no physical possession that tied them in anyway. That everything remained, untouched and forgotten, behind them. Just like me. I turned my back on the gaping emptiness and hurried to my truck. I nearly ran. I was anxious to be gone, to get back to the human world. I felt hideously empty, and I wanted to see Jacob. Maybe I was developing a new kind of sickness, another addiction, like the numbness before. I didn't care. I pushed my truck as fast as it would go as I barreled toward my fix. Jacob was waiting for me. My chest seemed to relax as soon as I saw him, making it easier to breathe. â€Å"Hey, Bella,† he called. I smiled in relief. â€Å"Hey, Jacob,† I waved at Billy, who was looking out the window. â€Å"Let's get to work,† Jacob said in a low but eager voice. I was somehow able to laugh. â€Å"You seriously aren't sick of me yet?† I wondered. He must be starting to ask himself how desperate I was for company. Jacob led the way around the house to his garage. â€Å"Nope. Not yet.† â€Å"Please let me know when I start getting on your nerves. I don't want to be a pain.† â€Å"Okay.† He laughed, a throaty sound. â€Å"I wouldn't hold your breath for that, though.† When I walked into the garage, I was shocked to see the red bike standing up, looking like a motorcycle rather than a pile of jagged metal. â€Å"Jake, you're amazing,† I breathed. He laughed again. â€Å"I get obsessive when I have a project.† He shrugged. â€Å"If I had any brains I'd drag it out a little bit.† â€Å"Why?† He looked down, pausing for so long that I wondered if he hadn't heard my question. Finally, he asked me, â€Å"Bella, if I told you that I couldn't fix these bikes, what would you say?† I didn't answer right away, either, and he glanced up to check my expression. â€Å"I would say that's too bad, but I'll bet we could figure out something else to do. If we got really desperate, we could even do homework.† Jacob smiled, and his shoulders relaxed. He sat down next to the bike and picked up a wrench. â€Å"So you think you'll still come over when I'm done, then?† â€Å"Is that what you meant?† I shook my head. â€Å"I guess I am taking advantage of your very underpriced mechanical skills. But as long as you let me come over, I'll be here.† â€Å"Hoping to see Quil again?† he teased. â€Å"You caught me.† He chuckled. â€Å"You really like spending time with me?† he asked, marveling. â€Å"Very, very much. And I'll prove it. I have to work tomorrow, but Wednesday we'll do something nonmechanical.† â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I have no idea. We can go to my place so you won't be tempted to be obsessive. You could bring your schoolworkyou have to be getting behind, because I know I am.† â€Å"Homework might be a good idea.† He made a face, and I wondered how much he was leaving undone to be with me. â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. â€Å"We'll have to start being responsible occasionally, or Billy and Charlie aren't going to be so easygoing about this.† I made a gesture indicating the two of us as a single entity. He liked thathe beamed. â€Å"Homework once a week?† he proposed. â€Å"Maybe we'd better go with twice,† I suggested, thinking of the pile I'd just been assigned today. He sighed a heavy sigh. Then he reached over his toolbox to a paper grocery sack. He pulled out two cans of soda, cracking one open and handing it to me. He opened the second, and held it up ceremoniously. â€Å"Here's to responsibility,† he toasted. â€Å"Twice a week.† â€Å"And recklessness every day in between,† I emphasized. He grinned and touched his can to mine. I got home later than I'd planned and found Charlie had ordered a pizza rather than wait for me. He wouldn't let me apologize. â€Å"I don't mind,† he assured me. â€Å"You deserve a break from all the cooking, anyway.† I knew he was just relieved that I was still acting like a normal person, and he was not about to rock the boat. I checked my e-mail before I started on my homework, and there was a long one from Renee. She gushed over every detail I'd provided her with, so I sent back another exhaustive description of my day. Everything but the motorcycles. Even happy-go-lucky Renee was likely to be alarmed by that. School Tuesday had its ups and downs. Angela and Mike seemed ready to welcome me back with open armsto kindly overlook my few months of aberrant behavior. Jess was more resistant. I wondered if she needed a formal written apology for the Port Angeles incident. Mike was animated and chatty at work. It was like he'd stored up the semester's worth of talk, and it was all spilling out now. I found that I was able to smile and laugh with him, though it wasn't as effortless as it was with Jacob. It seemed harmless enough, until quitting time. Mike put the closed sign in the window while I folded my vest and shoved it under the counter. â€Å"This was fun tonight,† Mike said happily. â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed, though I'd much rather have spent the afternoon in the garage. â€Å"It's too bad that you had to leave the movie early last week.† I was a little confused by his train of thought. I shrugged. â€Å"I'm just a wimp, I guess.† â€Å"What I mean is, you should go to a better movie, something you'd enjoy,† he explained. â€Å"Oh,† I muttered, still confused. â€Å"Like maybe this Friday. With me. We could go see something that isn't scary at all.† I bit my lip. I didn't want to screw things up with Mike, not when he was one of the only people ready to forgive me for being crazy. But this, again, felt far too familiar. Like the last year had never happened. I wished I had Jess as an excuse this time. â€Å"Like a date?† I asked. Honesty was probably the best policy at this point. Get it over with. He processed the tone of my voice â€Å"If you want. But it doesn't have to be like that.† â€Å"I don't date,† I said slowly, realizing how true that was. That whole world seemed impossibly distant. â€Å"Just as friends?† he suggested. His clear blue eyes were not as eager now. I hoped he really meant that we could be friends anyway. â€Å"That would be fun. But I actually have plans already this Friday, so maybe next week?† â€Å"What are you doing?† he asked, less casually than I think he wanted to sound. â€Å"Homework. I have a study session planned with a friend.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Maybe next week.† He walked me to my car, less exuberant than before. It reminded me so clearly of my first months in Forks. I'd come full circle, and now everything felt like an echoan empty echo, devoid of the interest it used to have. The next night, Charlie didn't seem the smallest bit surprised to find Jacob and me sprawled across the living room floor with our books scattered around us, so I guessed that he and Billy were talking behind our backs. â€Å"Hey, kids,† he said, his eyes straying to the kitchen. The smell of the lasagna I'd spent the afternoon makingwhile Jacob watched and occasionally sampledwafted down the hall; I was being good, trying to atone for all the pizza. Jacob stayed for dinner, and took a plate home for Billy. He grudgingly added another year to my negotiable age for being a good cook. Friday was the garage, and Saturday, after my shift at Newton's, was homework again. Charlie felt secure enough in my sanity to spend the day fishing with Harry. When he got back, we were all donefeeling very sensible and mature about it, tooand watching Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel. â€Å"I probably ought to go.† Jacob sighed. â€Å"It's later than I thought.† â€Å"Okay, fine,† I grumbled. â€Å"I'll take you home.† He laughed at my unwilling expressionit seemed to please him. â€Å"Tomorrow, back to work,† I said as soon as we were safe in the truck. â€Å"What time do you want me to come up?† There was an unexplained excitement in his answering smile. â€Å"I'll call you first, okay?† â€Å"Sure.† I frowned to myself, wondering what was up. His smile widened. I cleaned the house the next morningwaiting for Jacob to call and trying to shake off the Litest nightmare. The scenery had changed. Last night I'd wandered in a wide sea of ferns interspersed with huge hemlock trees. There was nothing else there, and I was lost, wandering aimless and alone, searching for nothing. I wanted to kick myself for the stupid field trip last week. I shoved the dream out of my conscious mind, hoping it would stay locked up somewhere and not escape again. Charlie was outside washing the cruiser, so when the phone rang, I dropped the toilet brush and ran downstairs to answer it. â€Å"Hello?† I asked breathlessly. â€Å"Bella,† Jacob said, a strange, formal tone to his voice. â€Å"Hey, Jake.† â€Å"I believe that we have a date† he said, his tone thick with implications. It took me a second before I got it. â€Å"They're done? I can't believe it!† What perfect timing. I needed something to distract me from nightmares and nothingness. â€Å"Yeah, they run and everything.† â€Å"Jacob, you are absolutely, without a doubt, the most talented and wonderful person I know. You get ten years for this one.† â€Å"Cool! I'm middle-aged now.† I laughed. â€Å"I'm on my way up!† I threw the cleaning supplies under the bathroom counter and grabbed my jacket. â€Å"Headed to see Jake,† Charlie said when I ran past him. It wasn't really a question. â€Å"Yep,† I replied as I jumped in my truck. â€Å"I'll be at the station later,† Charlie called after me. â€Å"Okay,† I yelled back, turning the key. Charlie said something else, but I couldn't hear him clearly over the roar of the engine. It sounded sort of like, â€Å"Where's the fire?† I parked my truck off to the side of the Blacks' house, close to the trees, to make it easier for us to sneak the bikes out. When I got out, a splash of color caught my eyetwo shiny motorcycles, one red, one black, were hidden under a spruce, invisible from the house. Jacob was prepared. There was a piece of blue ribbon tied in a small bow around each of the handlebars. I was laughing at that when Jacob ran out of the house. â€Å"Ready?† he asked in a low voice, his eyes sparkling. I glanced over his shoulder, and there was no sign of Billy. â€Å"Yeah,† I said, but I didn't feel quite as excited as before; I was trying to imagine myself actually on the motorcycle. Jacob loaded the bikes into the bed of the truck with ease, laying them carefully on their sides so they didn't show. â€Å"Let's go,† he said, his voice higher than usual with excitement. â€Å"I know the perfect spotno one will catch us there.† We drove south out of town. The dirt road wove in and out of the forestsometimes there was nothing but trees, and then there would suddenly be a breathtaking glimpse of the Pacific Ocean, reaching to the horizon, dark gray under the clouds. We were above the shore, on top of the cliffs that bordered the beach here and the view seemed to stretch on forever. I was driving slowly, so that I could safely stare out across the ocean now and then, as the road wound closer to the sea cliffs. Jacob was talking about finishing the bikes, but his descriptions were getting technical, so I wasn't paying close attention. That was when I noticed four figures standing on a rocky ledge, much too close to the precipice. I couldn't tell from the distance how old they were, but I assumed they were men. Despite the chill in the air today, they seemed to be wearing only shorts. As I watched, the tallest person stepped closer to the brink. I slowed automatically, my foot hesitating over the brake pedal. And then he threw himself off the edge. â€Å"No!† I shouted, stomping down on the brake. â€Å"What's wrong?† Jacob shouted back, alarmed. â€Å"That guyhe just jumped off the cliff! Why didn't they stop him? We've got to call an ambulance!† I threw open my door and started to get out, which made no sense at all. The fastest way to a phone was to drive back to Billy's. But I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. Maybe, subconsciously, I hoped I would see something different without the glass of the windshield in the way. Jacob laughed, and I spun to stare at him wildly. How could he be so calloused, so cold-blooded? â€Å"They're just cliff diving, Bella. Recreation. La Push doesn't have a mall, you know.† He was teasing, but there was a strange note of irritation in his voice. â€Å"Cliff diving?† I repeated, dazed. I stared in disbelief as a second figure stepped to the edge, paused, and then very gracefully leaped into space. He fell for what seemed like an eternity to me, finally cutting smoothly into the dark gray waves below. â€Å"Wow. It's so high.† I slid back into my seat, still staring wide-eyed at the two remaining divers. â€Å"It must be a hundred feet.† â€Å"Well, yeah, most of us jump from lower down, that rock that juts out from the cliff about halfway.† He pointed out his window. The place he indicated did seem much more reasonable. â€Å"Those guys are insane. Probably showing off how tough they are. I mean, really, it's freezing today. That water can't feel good.† He made a disgruntled face, as if the stunt personally offended him. It surprised me a little. I would have thought Jacob was nearly impossible to upset. â€Å"You jump off the cliff?† I hadn't missed the â€Å"us.† â€Å"Sure, sure.† He shrugged and grinned. â€Å"It's fun. A little scary, kind of a rush.† I looked back at the cliffs, where the third figure was pacing the edge. I'd never witnessed anything so reckless in all my life. My eyes widened, and I smiled. â€Å"Jake, you have to take me cliff diving.† He frowned back at me, his face disapproving. â€Å"Bella, you just wanted to call an ambulance for Sam,† he reminded me. I was surprised that he could tell who it was from this distance. â€Å"I want to try,† I insisted, start ing to get out of the car again. Jacob grabbed my wrist. â€Å"Not today, all right? Can we at least wait for a warmer day?† â€Å"Okay, fine,† I agreed. With the door open, the glacial breeze was raising goose bumps on my arm. â€Å"But I want to go soon.† â€Å"Soon.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Sometimes you're a little strange, Bella. Do you know that?† I sighed. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And we're not jumping off the top.† I watched, fascinated, as the third boy made a running start and flung himself farther into the empty air than the other two. He twisted and cartwheeled through space as he fell, like he was skydiving. He looked absolutely freeunthinking and utterly irresponsible. â€Å"Fine,† I agreed. â€Å"Not the first time, anyway.† Now Jacob sighed. â€Å"Are we going to try out the bikes or not?† he demanded. â€Å"Okay, okay,† I said, tearing my eyes away from the last person waiting on the cliff. I put my seat belt back on and closed the door. The engine was still running, roaring as it idled. We started down the road again. â€Å"So who were those guysthe crazy ones?† I wondered. He made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. â€Å"The La Push gang.† â€Å"You have a gang?† I asked. I realized that I sounded impressed. He laughed once at my reaction. â€Å"Not like that. I swear, they're like hall monitors gone bad. They don't start fights, they keep the peace.† He snorted. â€Å"There was this guy from up somewhere by the Makah rez, big guy too, scary-looking. Well, word got around that he was selling meth to kids, and Sam Uley and his disciples ran him off our land. They're all about our land, and tribe pride it's getting ridiculous. The worst part is that the council takes them seriously. Embry said that the council actually meets with Sam.† He shook his head, face full of resentment. â€Å"Embry also heard from Leah Clearwater that they call themselves ‘protectors' or something like that.† Jacob's hands were clenched into fists, as if he'd like to hit something. I'd never seen this side of him. I was surprised to hear Sam Uley's name. I didn't want it to bring back the images from my nightmare, so I made a quick observation to distract myself. â€Å"You don't like them very much.† â€Å"Does it show?† he asked sarcastically. â€Å"Well It doesn't sound like they're doing anything bad.† I tried to soothe him, to make him cheerful again. â€Å"Just sort of annoyingly goody-two-shoes for a gang.† â€Å"Yeah. Annoying is a good word. They're always showing offlike the cliff thing. They act like like, I don't know. Like tough guys. I was hanging out at the store with Embry and Quil once, last semester, and Sam came by with his followers, Jared and Paul. Quil said something, you know how he's got a big mouth, and it pissed Paul off. His eyes got all dark, and he sort of smiledno, he showed his teeth but he didn't smileand it was like he was so mad he was shaking or something. But Sam put his hand against Paul's chest and shook his head. Paul looked at him for a minute and calmed down. Honestly, it was like Sam was holding him backlike Paul was going to tear us up if Sam didn't stop him.† He groaned. â€Å"Like a bad western. You know, Sam's a pretty big guy, he's twenty. But Paul's just sixteen, too, shorter than me and not as beefy as Quil. I think any one of us could take him.† â€Å"Tough guys,† I agreed. I could see it in my head as he described it, and it reminded me of something a trio of tall, dark men standing very still and close together in my father's living room. The picture was sideways, because my head was lying against the couch while Dr. Gerandy and Charlie leaned over me Had that been Sam's gang? I spoke quickly again to divert myself from the bleak memories. â€Å"Isn't Sam a little too old for this kind of thing?† â€Å"Yeah. He was supposed to go to college, but he stayed. And no one gave him any crap about it, either. The whole council pitched a fit when my sister turned down a partial scholarship and got married. But, oh no, Sam Uley can do no wrong.† His face was set in unfamiliar lines of outrageoutrage and something else I didn't recognize at first. â€Å"It all sounds really annoying and strange. But I don't get why you're taking it so personally.† I peeked over at his face, hoping I hadn't offended him. He was suddenly calm, staring out the side window. â€Å"You just missed the turn,† he said in an even voice. I executed a very wide U-turn, nearly hitting a tree as my circle ran the truck halfway off the road. â€Å"Thanks for the heads-up,† I muttered as I started up the side road. â€Å"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention.† It was quiet for a brief minute. â€Å"You can stop anywhere along here,† he said softly. I pulled over and cut the engine. My ears rang in the silence that followed. We both got out, and Jacob headed around to the back to get the bikes. I tried to read his expression. Something more was bothering him. I'd hit a nerve. He smiled halfheartedly as he pushed the red bike to my side. â€Å"Happy late birthday. Are you ready for this?† â€Å"I think so.† The bike suddenly looked intimidating, frightening, as I realized I would soon be astride it. â€Å"We'll take it slow,† he promised. I gingerly leaned the motorcycle against the truck's fender while he went to get his. â€Å"Jake†I hesitated as he came back around the truck. â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"What's really bothering you? About the Sam thing, I mean? Is there something else?† I watched his face. He grimaced, but he didn't seem angry. He looked at the dirt and kicked his shoe against the front tire of his bike again and again, like he was keeping time. He sighed. â€Å"It's just the way they treat me. It creeps me out.† The words started to rush out now. â€Å"You know, the council is supposed to be made up of equals, but if there was a leader, it would be my dad. I've never been able to figure out why people treat him the way they do. Why his opinion counts the most. It's got something to do with his father and his father's father. My great-grandpa, Ephraim Black, was sort of the last chief we had, and they still listen to Billy, maybe because of that. â€Å"But I'm just like everyone else. Nobody treats me special until now.† That caught me off guard. â€Å"Sam treats you special?† â€Å"Yeah,† he agreed, looking up at me with troubled eyes. â€Å"He looks at me like he's waiting for something like I'm going to join his stupid gang someday. He pays more attention to me than any of the other guys. I hate it.† â€Å"You don't have to join anything.† My voice was angry. This was really upsetting Jacob, and that infuriated me. Who did these â€Å"protectors† think they were? â€Å"Yeah.† His foot kept up its rhythm against the tire. â€Å"What?† I could tell there was more. He frowned, his eyebrows pulling up in a way that looked sad and worried rather than angry. â€Å"It's Embry. He's been avoiding me lately.† The thoughts didn't seem connected, but I wondered if I was to blame for the problems with his friend. â€Å"You've been hanging out with me a lot,† I reminded him, feeling selfish. I'd been monopolizing him. â€Å"No, that's not it. It's not just meit's Quil, too, and everyone. Embry missed a week of school, but he was never home when we tried to see him. And when he came back, he looked he looked freaked out. Terrified. Quil and I both tried to get him to tell us what was wrong, but he wouldn't talk to either one of us.† I stared at Jacob, biting my lip anxiouslyhe was really frightened. But he didn't look at me. He watched his own foot kicking the rubber as if it belonged to someone else. The tempo increased. â€Å"Then this week, out of nowhere, Embry's hanging out with Sam and the rest of them. He was out on the cliffs today.† His voice was low and tense. He finally looked at me. â€Å"Bella, they bugged him even more than they bother me. He didn't want anything to do with them. And now Embry's following Sam around like he's joined a cult. â€Å"And that's the way it was with Paul. Just exactly the same. He wasn't friends with Sam at all. Then he stopped coming to school for a few weeks, and, when he came back, suddenly Sam owned him. I don't know what it means. I can't figure it out, and I feel like I have to, because Embry's my friend and Sam's looking at me funny . . and† He trailed off. â€Å"Have you talked to Billy about this?† I asked. His horror was spreading to me. I had chills running on the back of my neck. Now there was anger on his face. â€Å"Yes,† he snorted. â€Å"That was helpful.† â€Å"What did he say?† Jacob's expression was sarcastic, and when he spoke, his voice mocked the deep tones of his father's voice. â€Å"It's nothing you need to worry about now, Jacob. In a few years, if you don't well, I'll explain later.† And then his voice was his own. â€Å"What am I supposed to get from that? Is he trying to say it's some stupid puberty, coming-of-age thing? This is something else. Something wrong.† He was biting his lower lip and clenching his hands. He looked like he was about to cry. I threw my arms around him instinctively, wrapping them around his waist and pressing my face against his chest. He was so big, I felt like I was a child hugging a grown-up. â€Å"Oh, Jake, it'll be okay!† I promised. â€Å"If it gets worse you can come live with me and Charlie. Don't be scared, we'll think of something!† He was frozen for a second, and then his long arms wrapped hesitantly around me. â€Å"Thanks, Bella.† His voice was huskier than usual. We stood like that for a moment, and it didn't upset me; in fact, I felt comforted by the contact. This didn't feel anything like the last time someone had embraced me this way. This was friendship. And Jacob was very warm. It was strange for me, being this closeemotionally rather than physically, though the physical was strange for me, tooto another human being. It wasn't my usual style. I didn't normally relate to people so easily, on such a basic level. Not human beings. â€Å"If this is how you're going to react, I'll freak out more often.† Jacob's voice was light, normal again, and his laughter rumbled against my ear. His fingers touched my hair, soft and tentative. Well, it was friendship for me. I pulled away quickly, laughing with him, but determined to put things back in perspective at once. â€Å"It's hard to believe I'm two years older than you,† I said, emphasizing the word older. â€Å"You make me feel like a dwarf.† Standing this close to him, I really had to crane my neck to see his face. â€Å"You're forgetting I'm in my forties, of course.† â€Å"Oh, that's right.† He patted my head. â€Å"You're like a little doll,† he teased. â€Å"A porcelain doll.† I rolled my eyes, taking another step away. â€Å"Let's not start with the albino cracks.† â€Å"Seriously, Bella, are you sure you're not?† He stretched his russet arm out next to mine. The difference wasn't flattering. â€Å"I've never seen anyone paler than you well, except for† He broke off, and I looked away, trying to not understand what he had been about to say. â€Å"So are we going to ride or what?† â€Å"Let's do it,† I agreed, more enthusiastic than I would have been half a minute ago. His unfinished sentence reminded me of why I was here.

Logistics case Essay

Stanley received multiple calls from customers complaining about late shipments for both truck and rail delays. Transportation delays were measured in days, not hours. Railcar delivery windows increased from two to seven days, and overall truckload service levels fell to less than 85 percent on time. Due to rise in price of the transportation cost for MAP the cost of goods sold rose from 11 to 19 percent. The transportation problems led to a demand by MAP’s largest domestic customer. Stanley tells that even a 10 percent increase in inventory levels would reduce return on asset levels from 13.7 percent to 9.1 percent. MAP’s inventory investment is 22 percent of total assets and inventory carrying costs are nearing 27 percent of inventory value, both of which are consistent with manufacturing industry norms. The outbound logistics is an essential primary activity of the value chain no matter what industry. Question 2 Agricultural commodities and products from the Midwest are shipped to locations around the globe. If global demand continues to grow, how will different transportation modes (rail, truck and barge) be affected? How will these changes impact MAP’s current supply chain strategies? Answer: If the global demand continues to grow then there will be a tough time for the agriculture products which is being shipped from the Midwest to all locations around the globe as if there is a rise in demand then costs related with the different means of transportation will increase and the service levels will most likely fall, mainly with shipping the goods through water ways as demand for containers are increased, the fuel costs are higher and even due to slow steaming. The single railcar shipping rates are as closely as truckload shipments which will lead to decline in on-time transportation service which will cause customer dis-satisfaction. MAP’s service levels fell to less than 85% on time and the domestic customer demand is increased and there are complaints from customers all over the globe regarding the delay in receiving their product due to the deregulation in transportation which will lead to a negative effect on its current supply chain, MAP should place supplier-owned inventory in nearby storage facility or by positioning warehouses around the globe if not will lose 100% of its business. Question 3 Many factors influence location decisions. If MAP were to relocate a facility today, what factors would seem most important? Do MAP’s past location decisions limit or enable their future opportunities? Would your answer change if MAP was a large multi-national corporation? Answer: If MAP were to relocate to any other place, two points should be kept in mind:- Firstly, to relocate to areas where resources are in abundant as it’s the main source for their business. Secondly, transportation should be much easier and should be accessible to various areas. Distance from both suppliers and customers are important as when it comes to the efficiency of an operation suppliers are involved and delivery of goods to customers or key infrastructure is just as important. It’s better off if MAP does not relocate its facilities because in its current location in the Midwest it offers an abundance of corn and soyabean suppliers which is the main source of MAP’s business. Since transportation is the main problem for MAP, but after Mary’s talk with various other Midwest shippers to better utilize the existing transportation infrastructure it looks like a bright future ahead. I believe a large organization would choose to locate in a similar fashion, b ut would also strive to choose a location with easy access to rail and highways. Question 4 Manly Terminal LLC successfully enables modal shifts from truck to rail transportation, and specifically to unit-train pricing, for ethanol shippers producing single carload shipment sizes. What prevents MAP from realizing these same rate advantages? Can these challenges be overcome? How? Answer Map is unable to realize these same advantages for a few reasons: Poor model optimization. MAP is not located near a major national and international railroad hub. They are in fact only shipping single carloads, but an individual car costs a fair amount more when we are not speaking about a until-train. With the right partnership, I believe those problems could be overcome. Question 5 Manly Terminal LLC offers the ethanol industry exciting supply chain solutions. Are the ethanol industry’s transportation needs similar to any other sectors? Could Manly Terminal expand to serve other industries? Which sectors should they target? Answer The requirements for shipping ethanol sound very similar to what we believe it would take to ship corn syrup or soybean oil. Manly could service almost any liquid bulk product. Manly terminal are already located in the Midwest servicing corn refineries for ethanol. They can also service the corn refineries for other by-products to make corn sweetener’s, refined corn feed products, starch, corn oil, ethanol and other bio-products. Manly terminal can target the sectors or industries who ship grains, biofuels/bioenergy and products involved in trans loading.

HRM in Organisations Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HRM in Organisations - Coursework Example Ulrich’s foundation to HR model was based on his statement, â€Å"HR should be defined not by what it does but by what it delivers – the results that enrich the organization’s value to customers, investors, and employees† (1998; p.29). To underpin this proposition, Ulrich has proposed the four-role model of HRM that clearly defines the roles of human resource professionals in creating value for the organization. The present work is an attempt to understand both models from a critical perspective through respective advantages and disadvantages. These models have been studied based on few examples derived from organizations that have successfully adopted them; demerits have also been explored based on some unsuccessful attempts. Four-role model of HR: Identification of various roles that HR professionals performed has led Ulrich to organize these multiple roles in a more systematic and understandable fashion that resulted in the four-role model. In the four-role model, Ulrich has emphasized the business-partnership roles that HR professionals play in terms of focus on long-term/strategic to short-term/operational functions, and activities ranging from managing processes through HR tools and systems to managing people. Based on these two dimensions, focus and activities, Ulrich has identified four key roles for HR professionals that include, management of strategic human resources, management of firm infrastructure, management of employee contribution, and management of transformation and change (Ulrich, 1997; p.25). Ulrich (1997) has referred to each of these functions with specific metaphors that are identical with respective role or function, namely, strategic partner, administrative expert, employee champion, and change agent. As strategic partners, HR professionals are involved in framing HR strategies in line with organizational goals and objectives; specific operational objectives are also considered while framing the strategies. For instance, Ulrich (1997) cites the example of Marriott Hotel’s initiative while starting their operations in Hong Kong. This strategic initiative included introduction of five-day working schedule for its staff, which was unlike most other competitors in that sector. This initiative was meant to attract the best talent in the industry, as well as a step to retain them. Ulrich stated, â€Å"The five-day workweek became a cornerstone of Marriott’s strategy for achieving high-quality service, enabling the company to advertise, solicit, and secure the talented employees who would provide that service in Hong Kong market† (1997; p.26). It has been proven in many organizations that appropriate HR strategies are very effective in achieving organizational objec tives. Critiques, which include Ulrich also, have argued that the HR roles in this model literally mean HR functions, and not limited to specific roles. However, many organizations that adopted the Ulrich model had misinterpreted the model and its adoption. Adoption of this model had lead to division of HR functions based on roles, which was not the original intention or idea embedded in this model. Moreover, HR functions and structures cannot be fixed, and need to be changed based on

Iconography of power Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Iconography of power - Case Study Example Ancient art uses hierarchy of scale to underpin images of power. It can be defined as specific manipulation with the sizes of objects and space in order to stress the most important ones in a composition. For instance, in the Standard of Ur people of high social status are significantly bigger than their servants. The same applies to Naram-Sin's depiction because it is bigger than any other object in the composition. Important figures are often depicted in conceptual poses which add special meaning to an artwork. In the Naram-Sin victory stele, the king stands above all his followers to present his power over them. The heads of the followers are turned to Naram-Sin to show their respect. In the Standard of Ur, all kings sit while their slaves stand. Sitting is a privilege as it stresses people's high social status compared to those who stand close to them. Narrative composition is a composition which "tells a story" by placing objects in their relation to one another. For instance, W arka vase is a good example of a narrative composition; it shows the relations between people, divinities, animals, water and plants. All objects have the same proportions; connections between them create the story which explains many details about the culture that created the vase. Another good example of narrative composition is the Battle of Till Tuba; this stone relief depicts a battle scene where all characters are depicted in action. Unlike hieratic composition, where relations between people are rendered.

IBM as the heartbeat of e-business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IBM as the heartbeat of e-business - Essay Example Next, listen to responses to the ideas presented. The vision may change to include some of the thinking from the employees and other corporations. In the sequence follows reshaping the vision by including the specific details that will give a responsive day-to-day meaning to the organization. That includes elaborating the steps on how to achieve the vision. It states clearly how the changes will transpire. It will push the people to be part of the technology that would revolutionize the world. The leaders are communicating the vision need to be courageous to communicate what is unjust and wrong. That is sometimes very difficult, but the people will definitely see the truth in what you are saying. On open standards, IBM faced the challenge of using the internet as a proprietary sole technology and thus to gain an advantage over the other competitors they opted to use it to respond to needs of their clients thus giving them an advantage (Smh.com.au). IBM also sought to advocate for services that could run on a neutral platform. That faces the challenge of more investment that is more costly and may need extra labor to leverage the technology. Further, the cost of carrying out the research may be expensive especially the infrastructure. As a result, the expected cost may not be as lower as expected. Investing in the Global market has the challenge of diversity in client’s needs, approach, and mode of delivery. That requires IBM to invest in diverse human resource and delivery of content in various forms to suit diverse needs.

Governments Role in Organizing Big Sporting Events Essay

Governments Role in Organizing Big Sporting Events - Essay Example Decisions of this nature should be based upon and measured against certain basic principles regarding the proper role of government. Functions of a government can be broadly categorized as; In fact these are just indicative types of functions. It is amply clear from these points that the government is supposed to perform a range of tasks in order to look after its people. Now the question arises, "Should the government give financial aid to such projects like the World Cup Soccer, or the Olympics events and why" On the face of it, one ponders to think as to why the government should go whole hog after such an event ignoring its majority of the priority areas. But on deeper thought we realize that there's something beyond the 'apparent truth'. An event of this magnitude gives wide exposure to the country in the international arena. This sort of event generates worldwide interest and people from all over the world flock to the scene of action. Therefore, the government is duty-bound to facilitate such visitors. Governments of the host nations try their level best to make sure that such events become tools for encouraging tourism potential of the country. Towards this end, the government facilitates the organization of this event in different attractive corners of the country. For example during the world cup soccer-2006 sports enthusiasts' came to know about the beautiful historical cities like Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfurt etc. while the lesser known cities like Dortmund, Leipzig, Nuremberg, Gelsenkirchen etc. also came on the tourist map. Similarly all efforts are on to make sure that the London Olympics 2012 becomes an opportunity for the world to know more about UK, its heritage, economic potential and the love of British nationals towards sports. In fact, immediately after organizing the highly successful Commonwealth Games in Manchester, UK Govt started lobbying for the 2012 games. The speculated expenditure for organizing an event of this magnitude is around 8 billion pounds, but London Mayor is confident that London Olympics will bring profits for UK. This will result in generation of revenues for the federal governments as well as for the local governments. The real estate industry gets a big boost as the government starts gearing up for modern infrastructural facilities. Government gets revenues in the form of taxes, sponsorships etc. Revenues earned this way, by the country will of course be put to use for the sake of the countrymen. In fact government is also duty-bound to encourage all the sporting events. Sports like Tennis, Cricket having the backing of wealthy sponsors will continue to prosper even if the government looks the other way round, but sporting events like athletics, swimming may suffer if no government backing is provided. In today's market driven economy concept, the art of communication to existing consumers as well as prospective consumers takes a great deal out of the managerial brain storming sessions. Therefore the respective governments make all out efforts to strengthen the communication channel through sporting

Information Security Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Information Security Management - Research Paper Example With this concern, the research paper intends to investigate software tools, certifications, techniques and methods that are currently considered as best practices in the context of managing the business continuity constituents of corporate data. In the modern day context, organisations are required to adopt effective software tools and techniques along with methods for managing and storing enormous data effectively. Presently, one of the best practices for the continuity of a business is viewed to be the technique of BCM, which can be used by the organisation (Campbell, 2012; FFIEC, 2003). Based on the above discussion, the varied constituents of the appraisal have been discussed in the following: Presently, different technological devices are used with the aim of managing information or data within a particular organisation. It will be vital to mention in this similar context that large corporations with the use of different technologies are able to ensure that valuable data is stored and disseminated appropriately (Campbell, 2012; FFIEC, 2003). Notably, management of data comprises different activities that include documentation, handling, storage and planning along with analysis that help in preserving high quality and reliable data. Subsequently, organisations managing data with the incorporation of the above discussed activities will be facilitated with the opportunity of ensuring that operations can be conducted in accordance with organisational objectives (IJC, n.d.). In this rapidly changing business environment, organisations are often viewed to face the challenge of managing huge figure of data in an effectual manner. Ineffective management of data might lead to the loss of relevant information, which in turn can affect the overall performance of an organisation (Protiviti Inc, 2013; Sikich, 2003). In this context, organisations implementing the above discussed data management techniques and tools are recognised to make

Business plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words - 1

Business plan - Essay Example The Encore Specialty Coffee shop is a substitute to other coffee shops because it offers its customers a refined and calmer environment. The cafà © does not have televisions or radios. There is subtle music that plays in the background. Also, the pictures of local musicians are displayed on the walls. The cafà © has overstuffed leather seats and sofas that are like a library. While it pays homage to past times, the cafà © is at the technological cutting edge because it has Wi-Fi and the most modern espresso machines. The Encore Specialty Coffee Shop measures its success based on whether its market share increases, leading to a rise in earnings. Currently, it has a local market share valued at  £40 million. Its success arises from the fact that it offers quality coffee and leverages on its small workforce. The cafà © selects the best coffee beans from the distributors in Middlesex. Encore enjoys larger profits because of its small size and, thus, lower overhead. Its management handpicks the baristas and offers them salaries that equal other chains. The research was aimed at determining the market size, competition, business opportunity and market analysis of the coffee industry in the UK. Several research tools were used. First, all the coffee cafes in Liverpool were profiled. Particulars that were studied included their size, the number of employees, and the array of products they offer. Other information that was collected included their annual revenue, business philosophy and anticipation for the future. A lot of traveling was done to different parts of the city. Questionnaires and interviews were created to get the most relevant information on the interviewees. They included the customers that frequented this coffee house, the employees, and the management. Questions regarding the products that were stocked other than coffee to carry out co-marketing were asked. The internet was used to

Forms of Business Organizations and Int'l Law Essay

Forms of Business Organizations and Int'l Law - Essay Example Further, the death of either of the partners is enough reason to cause dissolution of the partnership regardless of whether the remaining partners resolve to continue or not. The fact that Raylan and Boyd had agreed orally to set up a partnership and share profits and expenses equally does not amount to an agreement in law because in absence of a written document containing provisions and guidelines about the partnership, the courts will apply the state law on partnerships (Bagley and Savage, 2010 chapter 20). (b)Party to be sued by Sassy Sauces if Justified BBQ refuses to pay at the time Raylan and Boyd are winding down the business The partnership will be the one to be sued by Sassy Sauces and bears full liability to pay for the supply of the BBQ sauce. A partnership is created expressly or implied by two or more people with a common understanding about capital input, sharing of profits and losses, efforts and labor as well as skills. Even with the implied agreement, decisions on t hird party transactions made by some partners without consent from the rest are binding on the partnership and not on the individual partners involved. In this case, Boyd entered into a third party transaction for the supply of BBQ sauce without the knowledge of Raylan. In spite of the contract price being overstated, the transaction was binding to the partnership and is viewed in the eyes of the law as though it was a consequence of a shared decision. Partners owe each other duty of care in regards to entering into irresponsible business transactions as Boyd did in order to get the attention of the receptionist in Sassy Sauces and they should hold in trust the property and profits of the partnership business. These fiduciary duties towards each other continue until the business is wound up completely (Bagley and Savage, 2010 chapter 20). (c)Responsibility for payment for the BBQ sauce if Justified BBQ was a corporation and went bankrupt The corporation would be the one to pay for t he BBQ sauce. In law, a corporation is a legal entity different from its owners and the liability of the shareholders is limited to the amount of investment in the corporation therefore the corporation carries the responsibility arising from actions of the shareholders and/or directors although the veil of incorporation may be pierced to determine the real owners and hold them personally liable. In the worst case scenario, Boyd as a shareholder would lose the amount of capital investment equivalent to the payment required by Sassy Sauces. Because ‘Justified BBQ’ has two owners only then it would most probably be a close or closely held corporation. If it as a close corporation in which case shareholders have an option in written agreement to run the day to day operations and not appoint directors, the actions of a shareholder (like Boyd in this case) would translate to personal liability because the veil of incorporation would ordinarily be lifted or pierced to establis h who are the real owners of the corporation involved in swindling the corporation of its resources and apportion the loss accordingly. In the case of a closely held corporation which is identifiable with lack of a market for its stock, greater responsibility is placed on the majority shareholders and the directors, in this case Ralyan. Boyd will still be held accountable for his actions because Ralyan did not a

Restorative community programs Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Restorative community programs - Research Paper Example In the analysis of these issues, restorative justice requires that several questions are addressed. For instance, questions concerning which laws are broken, who is the offender, which punishment to be applied and what harms arise out of the crime are such fundamental concerns that should always be addressed in the program. Restorative programs have become important segments of the societal form of living. This is necessitated by the fact that crime needs to be addressed from its deepest roots other than simply curbing its prevalence (Braithwaite 2002). Societies organize programs where the offenders are made aware of the negativities of their characters and proper ways are sought in order to rehabilitate any willing minds. Restorative justice works well in relation to such other contemporary methods like community policing, community prosecution and crime prevention. The fundamental fact in this respect is that offenders must always take responsibility of their actions while the community seeks to assist in the overall accountability of the society. Restorative programs work well in societies where communities have not been involved much in the justice process. In that case, participation is normally enhanced in a way that the community understands itself and takes charge of its fundamental

My first car Essay Example for Free

My first car Essay So, this is freedom. That was the first thought that crossed, ironically, through my mind as I shook the empty gas-can back and forth, hearing the trickle of fuel inside slosh around the conspicuously light container. My car had glided that March morning, on empty, into a rest-stop just off the Interstate. The rest-stop was pretty much deserted, though I spotted a highway patrol car parked in on one of the slanted slots nearby. I decided that would be my best bet for getting immediate assistance. As I sat in the silent car, looking at the fuel gauge which dipped far beneath Empty I drew a deep breath and savored the pine-scented odor of air-freshener (a rectangular, green ornament that hung on the rear-view mirror) mixed with the smell of vinyl and the faint, teasing, scent of gasoline and I suddenly realized my former calculations had been dead wrong. For the longest time, since I first rode the go-carts at amusement parks or at county fairs as a kid, Id dreamed of the day that Id own my own real car. The association between freedom and cars in my mind was so strong that it was almost painful to me for those long, pre-license years. When I finally found myself behind the wheel of my own car, with the key in the ignition, car-stereo booming, and my foot on the accelerator, it was thrilling! But as soon as I pulled into traffic, or got stuck at a red light, or found myself cut-off by some idiot on the road, my dream of absolute freedom became a bit more tainted. By the time Id run out of gas at the rest-stop, Id reached the conclusion that despite the myth which is generated about cars in American society, cars do not represent freedom, individuality, or escape from everyday troubles. In fact, cars represent the exact opposite of freedom. As I sat there, out of gas, and rehearsing my self-introduction to the highway patrolman, I thought about the reality of cars and how that reality conflicted, very deeply, with my dreams. If I thought about it deeply, I realized that the dent in the dream had actually occurred much sooner than my disillusionment regarding traffic-jams and one-way streets. The problems started right from the beginning when Id taken the written-test and road-test to acquire my drivers license. The stench of freedom-killing beureuacracy could not have been any stronger. Standing in a long-line for hours, filling out forms in triplicate, having your vision tested, your picture taken, having everything right down to the disposition of your bodily organs in the event of your untimely death pinpointed and notated on a handy, laminated card which you were to keep upon your person at all times these aspects alone should have told me, as clearly as the bleached and stained floor of the Secretary of States overcrowded facility that freedom and cars were actually conflicting ideas. The destruction of my dream continued, after registering the car and paying for the outsized insurance policy which was afforded to people of my age and gender, I realized that, because the car was a used-car, and already had nearly 100,000 miles on it, that Id better be at least somewhat selective about driving long-distances. In fact, due to a couple of strange knocks and bumps that seemed to crop up whenever the car was going over 55 mph, Id decided that taking long road-trips in the car was probably a very bad idea. That ditched my dream of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in my own car, and my dream of taking a long trip to the coast of Florida or California. Id dreamed about all of these trips and many more in the years leading up to the day that I bought my first car. Realizing almost immediately, that my more flamboyant dreams were dead in the water, i consoled myself with happy thoughts of cruising around my town and the nearby outskirts with my friends. Unfortunately, this dream was also put to an early test when I realized that cruising costs quite a bit of money due to gasoline and other miscellaneous expenses like fast-food, sodas, snacks, and whatnot. The first time I went cruising with only a single dollar to put in my gas-tank, I actually paid that dollar in quarters, nickels, and dimes. Up to that point Id always envisioned gas-stations as friendly oasis that spewed forth fuel, snacks, and soda. Up to the point of paying for gas myself, Id always thought of gasoline pretty much as I thought of water: ubiquitous and unending. After only a week of car ownership, IU started to watch the gas-needle like a hawk and I got miffed if anyone asked me for a ride somewhere without also offering to pay for gas. Not only was it a hit to my wallet, but the expense of maintaining the car was embarrassing because I simply couldnt handle the expenses. Or chose not to handle them. Given the choice between a lube job and an oil change or buying a new video game or C. D. , I usually, if not always, chose the latter. If it was a choice between having the (retread) tires rotated, or going out to see a band, I always chose what was fun adn not what was practical. Eventually, the car became little more than a loadstone around my neck. The interior of the car became almost like a closet because I pitched a lot of my stuff in there and forgot about it; other people pitched stuff there and in the trunk. Most of the time, the car sat, gas-needle tipping toward empty and it usually looked like it needed to be washed. A couple of the service engine soon lights also blinked on at intervals and the knocking noises kept on knocking. I had descended from my dream of freedom into the reality of ownership. The car , as a dream, represented freedom and escape to faraway places; the car, in reality, represented a responsibility and expense which pretty much insured that the only use I would be able to get out of the car would be to drive it back and forth to work. IN fact, due to thee expense of the car, I was forced to take an extra part-time job, the following Spring, in order to have some work done on its transmission. As it happened, the job was in a town a few miles away from my home, but, because I had a car, getting there and back posed little obstacle. That is: until I ran out of gas in the rest stop. Sitting there in the mostly-empty parking lot, I contemplated the dissolution of my dream but comforted myself one small triumph. My car had run out of gas, but, steering into the rest-stop on fumes, Id guided my car into an empty parking slot. It was the first time I could remember not having to circle a parking lot searching for a place to park. Outline: Thesis statement: Cars represent not freedom but responsibility. 1. Cars are promoted in America as emblems of freedom. 2. Cars are actually part of a complex beureuacracy. 3. The costs of maintaining a car are high. 4. Mostly, cars are used to take people back and forth to work. To pay for their cars. 5. Rather than freedom, cars usually represent responsibility.

How femininities and masculinities were constructed in Latin America Essay Example for Free

How femininities and masculinities were constructed in Latin America Essay The upsurge of the American culture has vehemently exploded across the world in general, but in particular in the Latin America, where the conventional living styles have been upset. From the Caracas to Havana, feminism and masculinity have been snared. Socially, a new social fabric is in the memory where gender polarity is being erased to pave way for a neoman who neither recognizes nor respects individual external orientations. Though in numerous cases education system in different courses have recognized the fauna and flora into two distinct groups based on anatomical feature; a good proportion of the modern people have failed to respect this early natural innovation. As far as human studies reveals, the aftermath of long researches with devotion and dedications from global scientists has to be alluded for verification and confirmatory of the kind evolutions that might have taken place. Perhaps, it can be claimed that biologists, psychologists and other individuals in the anthropological research and studies have over the time been disillusioned on their work. (Viveros, 2001) The two terminologies of masculinity and femininity have been widely used in the research involving human being. They have been used primarily in researches in the field of science of biology, sociology and medicine. Despite their wide application in the scientific world, these terms have been used to bring a sense of gender category/ identity. Both masculinity and femininity are two opposite terms which etymologically were derived from the word male and female respectively. In spite of their derivation, masculinity and maleness are widely distinct entities, hence they have meaning which are quite unrelated. Similarly, femininity and femaleness has different application to bring different meanings. Advances in education and technology in defense of new world, masculinity and femininity meanings have been diffused, and this has led to flooding of different characteristics to define them, thus impressive characteristics such as communion and separations by Balkan are widely adopted.   Ã‚  Ã‚  (Stern, 2001) Overall, distinguishing of such terminologies has over the decades been confusing, throwing most readers out of the track. Sex and gender are the most perplexing words especially in relation to masculinity and femininity.   However, the recent simplicity of these indicates the body as being the sex while gender is the complexities which are portrayed by the body. This sophistication thus comprises of the body behavior, the mental thinking and the general features which describes the personality of an individual (Gutmann, 1970). Therefore, masculinity and femininity are highly rooted on the gender term rather than sex. Masculinities and femininities are gendered terms which refers to behavioral characteristics that are distinctive and general pronounced in give sex.   The study of females and males in gender revealed context is something that has not taken place in an overnight elapse; however, this is estimated to have been in existence for more than a century. Approximately, femininity and masculinity studies have lasted from late 19th century and early 20th century up to date. First and foremost, men’s interest on the study of gender work was more inclined in the field of social activities. The arousal of gender related interest was emanating from the many numerous mistreatments that were inflicted on the females by the male counterparts. Since the first inscriptive work concerning gender issues, inequalities in the society were eminent with much exploitation of the females. Thus the imbalances and disparities which are still distinctive in the currently world’s community are the traces of scalds which were inflicted by our forefathers. Variations on behavior and other inherent characters of the males and females in the communities of the Latin America are conspicuous features not only to the Latin America but to the other communities within the United States (Viveros, 2001). Masculinity and femininity has been displayed in numerous ways in the Latin America. The intimacy of power and sexuality is like nut and bolt. Since the creation of human nature, they have always fitted into each other forming a bound which is hard to break. Over the year, sexual powers have played major role in the maintenance of procreation process in the board. Sexual power on either side of femininity and masculinity has been of great value over the formation of couple families. Man and female partners have served as great firms; each housing within it very important commodities of pressure and live. Although the firm machines is fueled by spiritual means, the running the firms to produce an extraordinary products has always been threatened. While market places are set up for commodities exhibitions, jargonization  Ã‚   has taken place in the market place of the firm established and their commodities are neither valued nor can they enter the targeted marketed audiences. This was earlier perceived by Marx, hence, according to his elucidation of commodity, he pointed out that the process of change has got far reaching consequences. (Sallie, 2000) Family life in the Latin America has been dominated with capitalism, with men trying to harvesting unfairly on what they did not deserve. Repressive and coercive environments raged among many house in the Latin America couple compelling the females to submissive condition. For a number of decades, violence combined with oppression on the Latin America women was usual tolerance of the family life. Through well strategic and tactical ways, manipulations were legally and illegally set to capture the commodity. This conformed to the works of Bauman, whom in his work, he found that consumption was so much important to capitalist and therefore, during the early times, there were deficiency in erecting effective barrier to the consumer. Women were handicapped economically and socially making them vulnerable to challenges of men. Women situations have always been challenged to that of men by the variations of the availability of the commodities and consumers. Like a tourists in foreign land, the proportion of women to men has always been at an alarming level, paving the way for capitalistic men to maneuver their way from entangles of monogamy to polygamy and other kind of behavior misconducts. Bauman said â€Å" our desired are constantly recycled, reinvented and even invented in relation to new products, the endless pursuits for new, which fuses the thrill of invention with the status afforded innovations and newness in most of the world†. Through commodities rareness and scarcity in the Latin America, thrilling and tempting emotions painful punctures the lives of the women making them to surrender the demands of nature. This means natural hierarchy of human power was hence established from the sexuality and its connection to power was thus imbued from creation and continued in human life by inequality (Sueann, 1998). The liberation of the females from the bondages of sexual powers has taken a long struggle. Men have always dominated the females either under the influence of laws of under the ignorance and pride of man. Masculinity and femininity in the Latin America has raised a lot of heated debates over the recent decades due to its continued oppressive nature on both men and women. Though the laws of the Latin America have endeavored to perpetuate the moral thinking of most religious groups such as Christianity, Islamic and many others, the imposing of state power to prohibiting homosexually was impinging making Latin American females to tolerate the unwelcoming condition dominancy of the males. While lesbianism and gay remained prohibited marriage practices in the Latin American region, the citizens were enslaved to the adherence to heterosexual partnership, which was termed as bleach of freedom and liberty from colonial sovereignties. Under the disguise of moral conservations on reproduction, men were privileged to exercise political power which degenerated and deprived off the women freedom of leadership on politics generating a lot of criticism from human right activists. The expression of masculinity and femininity in the society has therefore been a battling matter between the societies, the religions other organization such human right bodies. However, the diversification of masculinity and femininity has solely been propelled through the authorities of the states governments. With the hurricanes and hailstorms of change in culture and traditions, scores of Europeans nations as well as numerous United States have been thrown to the seas of homosexuality with great acceptance. The desire for freed men and women has been the main argument for the easy penetration of the modernized homogeneity of masculinity and femininity. (Stern, 2001) Although there is now generalized acceptance in homosexuality in the globe, some states mostly in developed continents have remained adamant to the forces and pressures of the multitude move, hence, heterosexuality which has been dominating marriage and sex practices for many years is still conserved. According to the works of Sallie, it is observed that not only did most Latin American government prohibit the practices of homosexuality, but they have also abolished use of natural commodities as means of exploitation of fellow men. Thus, both homosexuals and commercial heterosexuals never escape the legal authorities, but mercilessly and without impunity faces the full charges of legal courts where they duly pay their debts. Masculinity and femininity has therefore been maintained in place despites the enormous forces to dissolve it by the authority and the communities themselves. The severity and weight of homosexuality has been varied from one Latin American state to another.   Like in the antiquity of the Israelites, prostitution and homosexuality are illegal in the face of Ecuador dwellers. Besides illegalization of these behaviors, homosexuals and prostitutes in the Ecuador risks their lives to physical abuse which consequently can lead to instant deprivation of live through public stoning or gun shooting. In Brazil, the Brazilians are much more lenient on the maintenance of the healthy community with diversified masculinities and femininities. There is feeling that these are unethical practices, hence Brazilians have outlawed them by just concealing them from the public innocent persons, while on the black points such as brothels far from schools, residential places and other hidden places are business as usual. Undoubtedly, this can be perceived as strategy which is employed to eliminate the paupers either economically of in color discriminatory means. (Peake, 1990) For many decades which have passed over, it was unthinkable for the Brazilian females to get involved into risky relationships as it is rampant in the today world. The moral compulsion together with the cultural laws sternly denied chances of loose living of both brazened girls and mothers in honor of virginity. Virginity among the young girls was so precious that, if it was lost in any undeserving ways, valuable returns were paid by the offenders for not less than five years. The search and confirmatory work of the virginity in the Brazilians advanced technology and knowledge in the field of medicine. At first, lack of enough knowledge about the anatomical sex examination led to numerous errors from inexperienced practitioners. This perhaps led to imposing of unfair punishments to the perpetrators of the legal laws concerning defilements and other related matters. According to Sales, this was an overwhelming opportunity in medical fields especially in Brazil where the government shouldered the task of deflowering examinations. In the eve of the praise of virginity as an honor to the female, Manoel and Maria Pereira appeared in the system of justices in search for honor of virginity. While to the Europeans, deflowering was like a norm, the Brazilians felt that it was an act of guiltiness which could only be compensated fully by marriage union. Hence, Peixoto said â€Å"†¦the scarcity of women makes them so precious, that upon loss of virginity, they promptly demand due repair by marriage†. (Buckley, 1999) The value that was attached to virginity and more to the hymen was unparalleled. Thus, from the ancients time when live was worthy living, most Latin Americas females honored their virginity to the extent that they would commit serious offences like murder rather than losing it. Like a jewel, virginity was preserved by most of females in the Brazilian community of Latinos. Due to the efforts to preserve the culturally valued jewel, men who trespassed in snatching it were heavily reprimanded in the justice systems.   This saw justice systems being filled with abnormal number of deflowering disputes. Surprisingly, the majority of the seeker for justices hailed from lower class women of the society, which lead to the inappropriate conclusion that they were only sexually preoccupied as result of race, ignorance, climates and the upbringing environment which lead them to have undeveloped moral and mental cultures. (Sallie, 2000) Like many other kinds of cultural practices, the culture on virginity was skewed giving men much opportunity on the freedom of sexual matters more than females. While the acts of deflowering were sternly against the laws of lands, the resolutions were quite simplified through the acceptance of the offender to make marriage with the deflowered female. The continuation of the culture and tradition with increased value attached to virginity, men obtained the status of polygamous marriage which was not only a symbol of wealthy, but this increased their honor in the community. The fact that females were getting married as second wives, thus, they accepted to live as concubine, which meant that men’s virginity was neither an issues nor was it considered as of any value during marriage time. Therefore, men had full freedom and liberty to engage to any number marriage relationships of the opposite sex, while females found themselves adhering to only single man’s relationship that made them to lose virginity. Sueann found it not satisfying on the Brazilian females due to the inequality on sexual issues which had merited men more than females. Though the culture on virginity in the Brazilian community was a way of enhancing diversity of masculinity and femininity among the people, however, the adverse effects were eminent. This was overt from the works of Sueann where he said â€Å"†¦.the persistent valorization of the female virginity and male aggressiveness,   coupled with a long standing tradition of premarital sexual relations, gave men an enormous advantage over their female partners†¦Ã¢â‚¬  There are numerous other noble men and women in different organization with similar opinions and who have got even greater powers to initiate change on them. When the issue dawn on jurists and legislators, the got receive it as a debatable material which ended without unanimous steps of resolutions. It only served as a stepping stone to those in the political sector which was use to broaden their politics drive leaving men the trod on the females as much   as the rules and laws permitted. The defense on the female rights and the definition of the roles and responsibilities are therefore been a rich ground of political expansion while this has left female survival at the fate of tormenting men. (Buckley, 1999) Although female rights and responsibilities have fallen into disarray in most of time, collection of efforts over time has made a break through of female liberation. The enlightenment of women through education and formation movement groups fought for the liberation of women. However, the overthrow of men is long process which is happening at a gradual pace. Beginning with the discrimination of men over punishments on offences which were committed in environment each of the two parties to receive equally penalties, men was more inflicted than the female partners (Green, 1999). Thus, the controversies which arose in the formation of protective rights emerged to overturn the justice to injustice in the men side, making him to be overburdened with penalties. Oppression and undermining of the man through unfair punishments on sexual matters diminished the meaning of family. Women began praising themselves as the heads of their families and defied to be submissive to their husbands. With the support to intimidate men from activists, government and other groups, men became symbolic in the family status; but women encountering men with disrespect and defending their daughter misconducts were issue that made them to be more conspicuous. As a consequence of men intimidation and the usually consensus of the practices to empower women, pride of cultures and tradition lost and men’s authority and manipulations over the women fainted away. However, there was diverged on the interactivity of men and women creating a new ways of social interaction both in power and social activities. (Sueann, 1998) The later years of the twentieth century are marked with great changes of social and power in all Latin American countries. The struggle to equalize men and women in power altered the social interaction and the equality was thus literally applied on the social and power. Men and women in the Latin America became exercising homosexually where men power was dissolved and equality granted to relationship. The scene although has now become a norm over the four corners of the globe, masculinity and femininity in the marriages ground are thus a passive biological terms (Green, 1999). The adoption of the modern lifestyles in the Latin America has changes the stability of most families. With the adoption of the homosexuality and the despise of the early notions of heterosexually, marriage in the new generation of the Latin America has turned to be contractual, which give both men and women the chance of terminating the marriage, a fact which is contrary to the old relationships where death and men like Manoel had the fate of marriage. However, this worsened the healthy families which were once established under the polygamous culture as more flexibility of men and women doubled, tripled and sometime went several unaccounted folds. Despite the presences of the pernicious ailments such as HIV/AIDS, lesbianism and gay has continued at rapid rates in the Brazilians community. The stigmatization of the HIV/AIDS with homosexuals and bisexuals made them to be vulnerable than their counterparts heterosexuals. Hence, sex preference was now becoming a factor of consideration in the job market. The homosexuals and bisexuals became to be discriminated in the employment sectors which gave another race for such patients. The effect of AIDS/HIV gave a new setting of the society by dissolving the boundaries of culture; however, the distinction which existed on role and work responsibilities was generalized. (Haggerty, 1985),

The Life Of Alexander Pushkin

The Life Of Alexander Pushkin Freedom in Alexander Pushkin’s literary works occupies one of the central positions; however, Pushkin treats freedom from various sides and perspectives. Living in the period of social and political changes, in the era of the Great Patriotic War of 1812 and the revolt of Decembrist of 1825, Pushkin belonged to the generation which was in search of ideal freedom. However, being unable to attain this kind of freedom, Russian poets of the nineteenth century made constant attempts to replace one idea of freedom with another, finally realising that freedom in real life was constantly restricted. Alexander Pushkin went further than other poets of his times in his treatment of freedom, inspiring the formation of new Russian civic poetry and influencing such poets as Nekrasov and Lermontov. As Janko Lavrin points out, â€Å"what the world now understands and admires under the name of Russian literature came with and after Pushkin† (p.65).   Ã‚   At the beginning of Pushkin’s literary career, the issue of freedom in his literary works acquires a strong political tendency. In his early poem Volnost (1817) Pushkin reveals his vision of ideal freedom, opposing the existing absolute power of kings and expressing the idea that true freedom can be achieved only under the constitutional monarchy.   In Pushkin’s poem K Chaadaevy (1818) the political idea of freedom acquires a slightly different direction; in this poetic work Pushkin points at the necessity of defending his native land. For Pushkin, love for homeland is inseparably connected with the struggle for freedom. However, as Pushkin becomes mature, he rejects a pure political treatment of freedom, demonstrating his interest in inner freedom of a person. In this regard, Pushkin implicitly draws a parallel between inner freedom and poetic perception of freedom in his poetic work Derevnja (1819). Such a combination uncovers many possibilities for achieving freedom, but, on the other hand, it evokes inner doubts, which the poet does not dissipate by the end of the poem. The first part of Derevnja reveals the poet’s ecstatic delight of his achieved freedom: In the second part of the poem Pushkin ponders over the destiny of Russian people, feeling that his poems are unable to provide them with long-waited freedom, that they are unable to completely eliminate serfdom which destroys people’s lives and their inner selves. Contrasting beauty of nature with lack of freedom in the village, Pushkin shows that people can acquire happiness only in free society. As Alexander Pushkin claims,    Thus, the poet appeals to the king and asks him to annihilate serfdom, providing people with freedom and knowledge. As the poet, Pushkin has the only tool – his poetry – to strive for universal freedom. But in such poems as K Moryu (1824) and IzPindemonti (1836) Alexander Pushkin continues his discussion of inner freedom, presenting a romantic embodiment of freedom. As the poet realises that he is not able to achieve freedom in real life, he turns to freedom in his dreams, identifying himself with nature. In the poetic work K Moryu Pushkin applies to the image of sea, which symbolises both inner freedom of a person and poetic freedom. For Pushkin, sea is the embodiment of free and rebellious nature, but at the same time through the image of sea Pushkin reveals the poet’s loneliness in his struggle for freedom. However, it is nature that gives necessary power and freedom to Pushkin, saving him from any dependence: These words from Pushkin’s poem IzPindemonti reveal that the poet is in search of new verges of freedom, the verges that overcome the existing reality. This search is especially obvious in his famous poem Uznik (1822), where the appeal for inner freedom is expressed through eagle’s cry. Both the eagle and the prisoner are captives who are deprived of their freedom. Alexander Pushkin creates this poem in exile, where he is deprived of freedom, of close relatives and friends.   However, the eagle is a freedom-loving bird, and its greatest wish is to attain freedom. Alexander Pushkin identifies himself with the eagle, maintaining the idea that a person is also free by nature, thus freedom is crucial for any human being: In this regard, Pushkin implicitly shows that political, outer and poetic freedom stand behind inner freedom. On the other hand, Pushkin realises that it is impossible for the poet to completely reject one aspect of freedom for the sake of another; As Angus Calder points out, â€Å"a man who respects himself as ‘autonomous’ will of course tend to chafe against political tyranny and may well seek a place where he may have ‘independent’ control of his own life† (p.35). Uznik was written when Pushkin was only twenty-three years old, but even at this age the poet realised that society, in which he lived, specifically created invisible barriers and restrictions, wrong ideals and illusions, and Pushkin expressed his longing for real freedom. Deviating from the political treatment of freedom, Pushkin realises that a poet should be free both from people and from authorities; only in this case it is possible to create freedom-loving poetry. In Pesni o veshem Olege Pushkin points out that any literary work should be free and truthful. After the Decembrists’ defeat, Pushkin continues to dream of freedom, hoping to realise this dream. As Pushkin claims in his poem Vo glubine sibirskich rud dedicated to his friends-Decembrists, In the series of Southern Poems Alexander Pushkin introduces the idea that outer freedom can not be attained. In such poems as Zygane (1930) and Fontany Bahchizaraiskogo dvorza (1824) Pushkin portrays certain spheres where freedom of people is strongly confined, but nevertheless, a person is able to develop and preserve inner freedom. Such treatment of freedom coincides with the ideals of Renaissance; Pushkin’s obsession with inner freedom reflects the revival of national consciousness under complex social changes. Thus, Pushkin’s ideas of freedom possess cultural roots rather than political, despite the fact that some of his poetic works, such as Arion, Anchar and Skaski, demonstrate an open protest against the existing political system. But Pushkin’s rebel is of spiritual nature; it is the rebel of a person who is overwhelmed with humanism and who rejects any personal violence. Instead of the existing ideology of the nineteenth century, Alexander Pushkin create s his own ideology of inner freedom in the context of universal freedom (Edmunds, pp.29-32). In his poem Ya pamyatnik sebe vozdvig nerykotvorniy Alexander Pushkin points out that his major life achievement is his freedom-loving poetry:   Ã‚   But Pushkin does not restrict himself only to poetry; he freely experiments with different literary genres, making an attempt to â€Å"explore the possibilities of prose in the same way as he had explored the possibilities of verse† (Lavrin, p.183). However, his ideal of inner freedom remains central to all his literary works. This is especially true in regard to Pushkin’s short stories, novels and tales. In his famous verse novel Evgeniy Onegin Pushkin points at the characters’ inability to achieve inner freedom. Pushkin portrays aristocratic society, which is unable to overcome the existing restrictions (Falen, pp.7-10). Perhaps, the only character who is able to attain inner freedom is Tatiana, a young girl with intelligence and longing for love. Tatiana falls in love with Onegin, the principal character of the play, and she is the first who makes a declaration of love. However, Onegin rejects her in a most inappropriate way, and Tatiana suffers much, loosing her inner freedom. As Tatiana claims: She marries an old gentleman and remains devoted to him, despite the fact that she still loves Onegin. Thus, in Evgeniy Onegin Pushkin uncovers the reality of his life, embodying his own thoughts of inner freedom in the character of Tatiana. In Pushkin’s tale Pikovaya Dama the writer discusses inner freedom in a different context. Introducing the character of Germann, Pushkin reveals the negative consequences of Germann’s wish to achieve freedom. Germann considers that true freedom can be attained only with the help of money, but as he gets more and more entangled in deceits, he destroys himself and other characters. In fact, Germann looses his self and his freedom, as he becomes obsessed with playing cards; in this context, abstract things take full control over Germann’s life, driving him mad by the end of the narration. Comparing his character with Napoleon and Mephistopheles, Pushkin uncovers the essence of Germann who does not acknowledge any moral principle s or laws. As Pushkin claims in regard to his character, The similar portrayal Pushkin utilises towards an old countess, ‘Pikovaya Dama’. The old woman in Pushkin’s tale is identified with an Egyptian mummy; she is a lifeless creature who lacks any freedom and who leads meaningless life within aristocratic society. Alexander Pushkin does not treat old woman’s death as tragedy, because, for Pushkin, life without freedom is empty existence. In this regard, inner freedom in Pikovaya Dama is discussed through freedom of moral choice. Germann and the old woman make a wrong choice, thus loosing the possibility to attain inner freedom. However, in contrast to these characters, Pushkin introduces the character of Lisaveta Ivanovna who greatly values her moral principles that finally save her. In his story Egypetskiye Nochi Pushkin returns to the issue of freedom in the context of poetry. On the example of Charskii, a poet and aristocrat, Pushkin reveals his own suffering, as he makes an attempt to become a freedom-loving poet (Debreczeny, pp.11-13). Similar to Pushkin’s poetry, Egypetskiye Nochi discusses the relations between the poet and society, and these relations reflect the essence of his views on the idea of inner freedom. Although Pushkin demonstrates a close connection between the poet and people, he nevertheless points at the necessity of freedom for the poet. At the beginning of the story Pushkin shows Charskii’s dependence on society: However, further Pushkin demonstrates Charskii’s dissatisfaction with such position and his attempts to preserve his inner freedom. In his conversation with a stranger, Charskii exclaims: Charskii, similar to Pushkin himself, feels loneliness within society in which he lives. In his poem Svobody seyatel pustynniy (1823) Pushkin reveals a notion that a poet lives among people who are not able to perceive his ideas of freedom. On the other hand, in the poem Prorok (1826) Pushkin states that any poet that wants to appeal for freedom should endure many difficulties and pain. Alexander Pushkin suffered throughout his life, and these sufferings were reflected in all his freedom-loving poetry and prose.    Analysing the ideas of freedom in Alexander Pushkin’s poetry and prose, the essay suggests that Pushkin’s treatment of freedom changes throughout his literary career. Starting with an idea of political freedom, Pushkin gradually realises the vainness of his attempts to attain outer freedom. In his further works the poet pays more attention to inner freedom of an individual, applying to symbolical understanding of freedom through understanding of nature. It is this inner freedom that Pushkin values above all other kinds of freedom, implicitly or explicitly referring to inner freedom in almost all his poetic and prose works. This inner freedom in Pushkin’s poetry concerns various issues, such as freedom of choice, freedom from any biases, freedom of religious beliefs and, above all, freedom of creative work. In Pushkin’s prose works inner freedom is inseparable from moral values of people. Overall, freedom-loving poetry and prose of Alexander Pushkin contrib ute to the formation of a characteristic writing style, which is adopted by further generations of Russian poets. Works Cited Calder, Angus. Russia Discovered: Nineteenth-Century Fiction from Pushkin to Chekhov. London: Heinemann, 1976. Debreczeny, Paul.   Introduction, in Alexander Pushkin:Complete Prose Fiction.   Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983, pp.5-11. Edmunds, Robin. Pushkin: The Man and His Age. New York: St. Martins Press, 1994. Falen, James. Alexander Pushkin. Eugene Onegin. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Lavrin, Janko. Pushkin and Russian Literature. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1948. ПÃ'Æ'Ã'ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½, Ð Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã °Ã ½Ã ´Ã'€ Ð ¡Ã µÃ'€Ð ³Ã µÃ µÃ ²Ã ¸Ã'‡. ЕÐ ²Ã ³Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ¹ ОÐ ½Ã µÃ ³Ã ¸Ã ½. Ð ¡Ã ¾Ã ±Ã'€Ð °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã ½Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ¹ Ð .Ð ¡. ПÃ'Æ'Ã'ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½Ã ° Ð ² Ð ´Ã µÃ' Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ¼Ã °Ã'…, Ð ¢.4. ÐÅ"Ð ¾Ã' Ã ºÃ ²Ã °: ГÐ ¾Ã' Ã'Æ'Ð ´Ã °Ã'€Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ð ¸Ã ·Ã ´Ã °Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'Ã' Ã'‚Ð ² Ð ¾ Ð ¥Ã'Æ'Ð ´Ã ¾Ã ¶Ã µÃ' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã µÃ ½Ã ½Ã ¾Ã ¹ ЛÐ ¸Ã'‚Ð µÃ'€Ð °Ã'‚Ã'Æ'Ã'€Ã'‹, 1960. ПÃ'Æ'Ã'ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½, Ð Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã °Ã ½Ã ´Ã'€ Ð ¡Ã µÃ'€Ð ³Ã µÃ µÃ ²Ã ¸Ã'‡. ЕÐ ³Ã ¸Ã ¿Ã µÃ'‚Ã' Ã ºÃ ¸Ã µ Ð Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ¸. Ð  Ã ¾Ã' Ã' Ã ¸Ã' : ИÐ ·Ã ´Ã °Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾ Ð  Ã ¾Ã' Ã ¼Ã' Ã ½-ПÃ'€Ð µÃ' Ã' , 2002. ПÃ'Æ'Ã'ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½, Ð Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã °Ã ½Ã ´Ã'€ Ð ¡Ã µÃ'€Ð ³Ã µÃ µÃ ²Ã ¸Ã'‡. Ð ¡Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã'…Ð ¾Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾Ã'€Ð µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã' . ПÐ µÃ'€Ð ¼Ã'Å': ПÐ µÃ'€Ð ¼Ã' Ã ºÃ ¾Ã µ Ð ºÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ¶Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ð ¸Ã ·Ã ´Ã °Ã'‚Ð µÃ »Ã'Å'Ã' Ã'‚Ð ²Ã ¾, 1987.   ПÃ'Æ'Ã'ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½, Ð Ã »Ã µÃ ºÃ' Ã °Ã ½Ã ´Ã'€ Ð ¡Ã µÃ'€Ð ³Ã µÃ µÃ ²Ã ¸Ã'‡. ПÐ ¸Ã ºÃ ¾Ã ²Ã °Ã'  ДÐ °Ã ¼Ã °. ПÐ ¾Ã »Ã ½Ã ¾Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã ±Ã'€Ð °Ã ½Ã ¸Ã µ Ã' Ã ¾Ã'‡Ð ¸Ã ½Ã µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ¹ Ð .Ð ¡. ПÃ'Æ'Ã' ˆÐ ºÃ ¸Ã ½Ã ° Ð ² Ð ´Ã µÃ' Ã' Ã'‚Ð ¸ Ã'‚Ð ¾Ã ¼Ã °Ã'…, Ã'‚.6. ЛÐ µÃ ½Ã ¸Ã ½Ã ³Ã'€Ð °Ã ´: Ð Ã °Ã'Æ'Ð ºÃ °, 1978.     

Videogames Dont Have a Negative Effect on Kids Essay example -- Argum

Videogames Don't Have a Negative Effect on Kids There are many things that today’s society worries about; television, role models, etc. The biggest ones are those that affect the children. One that many people overlook is video games, a national past time in almost every home. It is clear that they can cause changes in children, but are the changes good or bad? Do video games have a negative effect on kids? Personally, I felt there was nothing wrong with video games. I play them for fourteen hours or more a week, and I’ve been doing â€Å"fine† in life. I made it to a fine college, I learned unique words when I was young, and I even won prizes in some video game contests. I still have that Star Fox t-shirt even to today. Still, I wanted more than just my input before coming to a conclusion. There are hundreds of ways to get information, and the internet is not a reliable one, yet I still rummaged through it. At first, I merely found commentaries and opinions from people that were quite biased. In fact, most of them were trying to get me to buy what they were talking about, whether it was a new game or even a phone. However, after a few hours, I struck gold. Studies have been done on video games before, but unless the children are in a controlled environment from birth, it is nearly impossible to find how video games truly affect people. Many of the independent researchers produced the same results that while placing an action game the child’s testosterone levels rose, along with heartbeat and breathing patterns. The same pattern is found in a person when involved in a fight, usually with adrenaline running through them, or when a person is doing an intense workout at the gym. This research can be taken in many ways, ... ...s rummaging and questioning, I feel that there is no definite answer to this question, but rather only opinions due to personal experiences. There are simply too many variables and not enough research to make a clear judgment. And what is my view on the matter? I feel that videogames do not have a negative effect on kids as long as the parents are there to help guide them through. While there are clearly some bad things they can pick up from playing a videogame, there are also many good things to be taught as well. Works Cited Croal, N’Gai. â€Å"This is serious fun.† Newsweek 4 October 2004: 61. Kellerman, Jonathan. â€Å"Violence Doesn’t Begin in the Theater† Wall Street Journal 9 Jun. 1999: pg. 1 Paul Gee, James. â€Å"Turning Games into Learning Machines.† Game Developer 10.9 (2003): 56. â€Å"Videogames are bad for you.† Electronic Gaming Monthly September 2003: 68.

Gauguin :: Essays Papers

Gauguin Gauguin was born in Paris on June 7, 1848, into a liberal middle-class family. After an adventurous early life, including a four-year stay in Peru with his family and a stint in the French merchant marine, he became a successful Parisian stockbroker, settling into a comfortable bourgeois existence with his wife and five children. In 1874, after meeting the artist Camille Pissarro and viewing the first Impressionist exhibition, he became a collector and amateur painter. He exhibited with the Impressionists in 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, and 1886. In 1883 he gave up his secure existence to devote himself to painting; his wife and children, without adequate subsistence, were forced to return to her family. From 1886 to 1891 Gauguin lived mainly in rural Brittany (except for a trip to Panama and Martinique from 1887 to 1888), where he was the centre of a small group of experimental painters known as the School of Pont-Aven. Under the influence of the painter Émile Bernard, Gauguin turned away from Impressionism and adopted a less naturalistic style, which he called Synthetism. He found his inspiration in the art of indigenous peoples, in medieval stained glass, and in Japanese prints; he was introduced to Japanese prints by Vincent van Gogh when they spent two months together in Arles, in the South of France, in 1888. Gauguin's new style was characterized by the use of large flat areas of non-naturalistic colour, as in The Yellow Christ (1889, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York State). In 1891, ruined and in debt, Gauguin sailed for the South Seas to escape European civilization and "everything that is artificial and conventional". Except for one visit to France from 1893 to 1895, he remained in the Tropics for the rest of his life, first in Tahiti and later in the Marquesas Islands. The essential characteristics of his style changed little in the South Seas; he retained the qualities of expressive colour, denial of perspective, and thick, flat forms. Under the influence of the tropical setting and culture of Polynesia, however, Gauguin's paintings became more powerful, while his subject-matter became more distinctive, the scale of his paintings larger, and his compositions more simplified. His subjects ranged from scenes of ordinary life, such as Tahitian Women, or On the Beach (1891, Musà ©e d'Orsay, Paris), to brooding scenes of superstitious dread, such as Spirit of the Dead Watching (1892, Albright-Knox Art Gallery).