Histor Tubman-Madison - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1400 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2018/12/18 Category History Essay Type Analytical essay Level High school Tags: Slavery Essay Did you like this example? Harriet Tubman was born between 1819 and 1820 near Buck town in Maryland. The actual date that she was born is not well known since her parents were slaves and there were no proper records that were kept for children that were born by slaves. Despite her being born and brought up in slavery, she was called by many Moses for leading majority of them out of bondage all the way to freedom. Her parents were slaves on Marylands Eastern Shore. The family that she was born in was a large one and her parents came from Africa. During the American Civil war, she was an abolitionist, a humanitarian, an integral part of the Underground Railroad, a spy and also a nurse during that period. As she grew up, she passed a lot of challenges since she was born a slave and brought up as a slave meaning that she had no freedom. One of the challenges that she passed through was child labor. At an age of between five and six years, she was loaned out to a different plantation despite that some of her siblings were sold out of the state buyer. In this plantation, she was given the mandate of working in checking muskrat traps that were located in a river. As she continued working here, she became too sick to work and therefore she was returned. At this time she had been malnourished and she was suffering due to excessive exposure to coldness. She was later lent to a different plantation after she recovered from this illness and in this plantation; she was working as a nursemaid to the child of the planter. During her teenage stage, she also worked as a field hand, hauling and plowing wood. All these were difficult jobs for someone who was of a tender age like her and this is considered to be child labor. At this period also, she was able to defend her fellow field hand who had tried to escape from the plantation. She faced the angry overseer who threw a two-pound weight at the field hand which then fell short and hit her in the head which caused a long-life headaches, narcole psey and seizures to her. These were mistreatments that she faced since she was a slave who was seen to have no rights to fight for her. The marriage family that she had was also a problem since it was not stable and had no peace. Back in 1844, she married John Tubman who was a freeman but she still had to continue working for herself so as to sustain herself. After the death of their master back in 1849, she together with her two brothers ran away from the plantation that they were working as slaves. Her husband did not permit her to escape. Later, her brothers had a second thought and decided to go back to the plantation leaving her alone. She had no plan of going back but escaping completely from Maryland. After this, she left on her own on foot where she had to travel at night only for the sake of ensuring that she was secure and no one could know the route that she had followed. She used the North Star to travel during night and she also get instruction from helpers who were in the Underground Railroad and she was able to travel for a distance of 90 miles all the way to Pennsylvania. Marriage breakage; while she left for Pennsylvania, her husband John married another wife who was a free woman. After she had lived in the exile for a period of two years, she decided to go back and rescue any other slave who was willing to risk escaping together with her family. On her arrival at Maryland, she was shocked to find that her husband had already married another wife after she had left for her safety. She faced many challenges. Later after she was now completely free she had to marry up another husband which was a major challenge to her. Despite all these challenges that she passed through, she continue fighting for those who had been enslaved till they were set free. A good example of this is seen after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 where she went to Canada where she made many slaves free. On the other hand, James Madison was born back i n March 15th 1751. He was raised up in a plantation in sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, just the same way that Harriet did despite that he was not a slave. His father was rich from inheritance of wealth from his father together with marrying a daughter who belonged to a tobacco merchant and this also added his wealthy. James Madison was a sickly child who never came out of his mothers sides during her child age, the same way that Harriet served several sicknesses during her early stages. The main different that existed between this two protagonists is that James was born in a freeman family that was also very wealthy, while Harriet was born in a poor slaved family where there was no freedom at all. One of the great differences between the lives of the two protagonists is that James was brought up in a stable family where she was also able to get adequate education that helped her in the future to become a U.S president. He was recognized as the father of the America n constitution. On the other hand, Harriet was born in an enslaved family where she had no chance to study since she faced child labor by working in the plantations. As she participated in setting her fellow slaves for freedom, James played a vital role in ensuring that America had their own constitution and he was able to be called the father of constitution, as Harriet was called Moses for enabling majority of the slaves to escape. James played an important role in drafting some of the human rights that were included in the constitution later. The only difficulties that james passed through in his childhood was fear of being attacked by Indians during the French and Indian war of 1754 – 1763. On the other side, Harriet passed through many difficulties including breaking up from her marriage and escaping away into an exile while she ended up breaking her marriage with John, who married a free woman after she had left. As Harriet passed through some health sufferings in her t end age, James also passed through the same. He suffered from psychosomatic which is said to be a stress-induced illness, epileptic fits which is also similar to seizures, a similar disease that Harriet also suffered from and this plagued him on and off throughout his youth stage. After he returned back to Virginia back in 1772, he found himself caught up in tension between the colonist and the British authorities. This was also some of the challenges that he passed through. This can be seen to be similar to the one that Harriet passed through when she treated to defend one of her fellow slaves who had tried to escape from the plantation that led to her obtaining some severe injuries that caused her to obtain severe injuries which led to prolonged headaches. Despite this, the difficult that the two protagonists passed through were totally different. James found himself in trouble while fighting to get into power while Harriet found herself in trouble while fighting to set her fre e from slavery. These two situations are totally different from each other. Despite this, the two ended up being success. One of the major achievements between the two protagonists is that their fight influenced the society positively. Harriet fought for her fellow slaves to be set free while James for the Americans to have their first constitution that valued human values. Both achieved this with Harriet earning herself the name Moses for enabling many of slaves to escape for their freedom while James was renamed the father of constitution for ensuring that America got a new constitution. He also became the fourth American president. Also, Harriet played a key role in the invention of the railroad conductor. She also should to be very courageous by walking at night while using a star to guide her throughout her walk to the new state where she was able to get freedom and lived a better life. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Histor Tubman-Madison" essay for you Create order

Enron Stakeholders Essay - 1634 Words

Enron Stakeholder Assignment Enron was a dream come true for a lot of people, but it was also a nightmare waiting to happen for many more. I am going to examine the collapse of Enron from the management perspective. The three examples of Enron behaving badly that I am going to study are the incidents in Valhalla, the electricity trading in California and the conflict of interest between Andy Fastow and his special purpose entities (SPE). These are just a few cases that led to the failure of the Worlds Leading Company. In 1985 Houston Natural Gas merged with InterNorth, of Omaha, Neb., to form Enron and Ken Lay was named chief executive officer. The company was basically a producer of natural gas and had control over enormous†¦show more content†¦This new information was hard for Ken Lay to swallow for a number of reasons. First of all, the Valhalla trading company was bringing in profits of $30 million a year, which accounted for one-third of Enrons earnings. The trading company was also off-set ting the bleak natural gas prices. Finally, Ken Lay, along with COO Rich Kinder and a few internal auditors made a trip to New York to investigate the trading group. Within a short time of investigating, auditors stated that foul play had occurred (1 p31). Mastroeni and Borget explained the transactions with an absurd story to carry their enormous profits from 1986 into 1987 so as to start the year with a positive balance on the company books. Enron had exceeded its budget estimate for 1986, they said, and they created the Apple account to move money to 1987. The traders got caught in cooking the books; they were keeping two sets of accounting books, one was legitimate for Author Anderson and the other recorded the real transactions (1 p31). At this point Ken Lay had the chance to do the right thing and get rid of the greedy, law-breaking traders. Instead he limited the traders power and called for a reform, which is visible today, did not happen according to plan. The Calif ornia energy crisis in 2001 left the state in chaos and in the dark. Enron convinced the state to deregulate electricity which would save billions of dollars a year, but would ultimately cost the state farShow MoreRelatedEnron Stakeholders1700 Words   |  7 PagesBA 215 Spring 2007 Enron Stakeholder Assignment Enron was a dream come true for a lot of people, but it was also a nightmare waiting to happen for many more. I am going to examine the collapse of Enron from the management perspective. The three examples of Enron behaving badly that I am going to study are the incidents in Valhalla, the electricity trading in California and the conflict of interest between Andy Fastow and his special purpose entities (SPE). These are just a few cases that ledRead MoreKey Stakeholders Affected By The Collapse Of Enron1065 Words   |  5 PagesList 5 key stakeholders affected by the collapse of Enron? Explain briefly how each stakeholder was affected. a. Stockholders at first reaped tremendous gains from their investments in Enron stock, because the company’s value rose a lot of quicker than market averages throughout the late Nineteen Nineties. In 2001, because the stock value folded, investors lost $70 billion in value. Each individual and institutional shareholders were hurt. Significantly blasted were Enron workers whose 401(k) retirementRead MoreAgency And Stakeholder Theories To The Enron Debacle6344 Words   |  26 PagesBusiness and Society Review 110:1 59– 76 Applying the Agency and Stakeholder Theories to the Enron Debacle: An Ethical Perspective Blackwell Oxford, Business BASR  © 0045-3609 O 1 110 BUSINESS CULPAN riginal 2004 Center UK Article and and Publishing, and TRUSSEL Society for SOCIETY Business Ltd. Review REVIEW Ethics at Bentley College REFIK CULPAN AND JOHN TRUSSEL INTRODUCTION W e examine the infamous Enron debacle from an ethical perspective by deï ¬ ning its theoretical underpinnings and analyzingRead MoreEssay Business Ethics1686 Words   |  7 PagesThe stockholder and stakeholder theories are two popular frameworks used to examine the purpose of business and its ethical obligations. With reference to the quote above, both theories seem rational and enjoy strong support. However, a common failing of both is typically how humans interpret and implement the theories in contemporary business environments. For instance, Enron was so focused on the raising the price of their stock that they â€Å"cooked the books to produce fake profits†1. This paperRead MoreEnron’s Stakeholder Impact Case Analysis Essay1725 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction: Widely known as the champion of the energy industry, Enron is suddenly faced with a corporate crisis in the form of a scandal. This scandal involves not only Enron’s accounting practices but also its corporate governance and culture (Lawrence Weber, 2008). This report will recommend some potential strategies for Enron to move forward from the scandal. To do this, we must incorporate stakeholder theory, which â€Å"argues that corporations serve a broad public purpose; to create valueRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of Enron Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesEnron was formed in 1985 following the merger of Houston Natural Gas Co. and InterNorth Co. The Chairman Kenneth Lay, CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and CFO Andrew Fastow were the backbone of Enron during its growth period. These executives exercised their power and expertise to unethically â€Å"increase† Enron’s profits by hiding the company’s debt. The ethical dilemma that Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling faced w as whether to let their stakeholders know how poorly the company was doing, or to hide the debtRead MoreThe Collapse Of Enron Corporation1787 Words   |  8 Pagesthere somewhere.† -Daniel Henninger, The Wall Street Journal The collapse of Enron Corporation has created many discussions about the structure of corporate governance. The question of this essay first calls to examine some of the strengths and weaknesses of the shareholder model of corporate governance and how the fundamental principles of this model were instrumental in the disintegration of Enron. In particular, I will discuss Deakin’s article about the third position addressing howRead MoreThe Enron Scandal Of Enron Essay1458 Words   |  6 Pagesevent that took place in our economy was the Enron Scandal, which happened in late 2000 and lasted into the following year. Those who were involved in this incident directly such as CEO’s Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling thought what they were doing was not wrong and that they were able to get away with making millions falsely (Seabury, 2008). However, this was a serious crisis situation and many people were affected through the process as well as their money. Enron was valuing themselves at a higher priceRead MoreInternal Control and Home Improvement1928 Words   |  8 Pagesstores throughout United States, Canada, Mexico operating with more than 234,000 employees (Lowe s home improvement, 2012†). Stakeholders are individuals, groups, or organizations that have a stake in the business. Stakeholders are categorize into two types: internal or external. Internal stakeholders can be owners, managers, and employees. External stakeholders can be suppliers, lenders, and customers (Worthington, 2009). Human Resource (Safety) There are many safety rules in Lowe’s HomeRead MoreEthical Codes Of Conduct Are Secondary Thoughts1531 Words   |  7 PagesEnron, WorldCom and Bank of Credit and Commerce, just to name a few, runs chills up and down the spines of, well, just about everybody. These scandals swirled around several large businesses, and hinged on unethical practices – unethical accounting practices, specifically. The idea of ethics is a hot button these days in all genres. In fact, universities and colleges are including ethics in the curriculum of every discipline instead of offering an ethics major, per se (Kanaiah Kumar, 2009).

HM Strategy Free Essays

The firm has several agreements with providers which must sign HM’s â€Å"behavior code† for ex in 2006 implementation of an agreement with Procter and Gamble (one on its providers) stipules that HM can control PG activities and all its fabrication process. ing high wages. That ability of adaptation shows that HM can diversify its production and targets specific consumers: its factories make sportswear, masculine and feminine clothes, as well as accessories or lingerie. We will write a custom essay sample on HM Strategy or any similar topic only for you Order Now The role of advertisement is extremely important in HM’s strategy. The firm uses different ways to sell its products (stores, internet, catalogues): a huge budget is used for communication and advertisement. There is a lot of competition on the clothing market. Zara is the direct competitor of HM but its prices are a little higher, so HM enjoys a real economic advantage. HM minimizes its production costs by building production factories in developing countries (like China, India†¦). The firm enjoys their foreign legislations because they authorized low wages (or lower than European legislations). Social: The ethical aspect is one of the most important principles of HM (inscriptions on t shirts must not be obscene, racist). For them, protection of animals is necessary (the firm has launched important campaigns), it doesn’t sell real fur, doesn’t buy leather from India for its cruel treatment of animals. And it doesn’t import materials from disappearing species. Moreover, HM follows fashion and trends to satisfy its consumers and especially the teenagers. This is how the firm owns a real capacity of adaptation. Technological: HM also sells its products on the Internet by an efficient Websites. News is broadcasted on their Website (when a new line of clothes is launched for ex†¦everyone is aware of partnerships with famous people like Madonna, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella Mc Cartney. )The new technologies used by the firm are a way to make their advertising campaigns more efficient. Textile industry is protected by a lot of patents to assure the authenticity of products and counter fakes. How to cite HM Strategy, Papers

Designing Qualitative Research Publications â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Questions: How Efficient Is The Fishing Industry In The Australian Market? How Has The Industry Help In Employing More Number Of People? How It Has Helped In Alleviating The Poverty Of The Country? Answers: Introduction The demand of fish has increased on a global scale, which has put a lot of pressure on the fisheries that harvests the fishes from the wild. Most of the demands have been met by shifting the global trend towards increasing the productivity within the aquaculture sector. The Australian fishing industry is estimated to be worth over AUD 2 million on an annual basis and helps in contributing towards the employment of many numbers of people. It can be seen that aquaculture in its present form is one of the fastest growing industry in the Australian economy (Voyer et al., 2017). The managing part of the fisheries that harvests the wild fishes is done jointly by the States and the Commonwealth. The responsibility of the Commonwealth is beyond the 3 nautical mile territory from the states. The States are responsible for the harvests that are done within the boundary of 3 nautical miles. The present fishing industry that is present is Australia is managed by both the States and the territories that is within the three nautical miles and the requirement for legislative framework is currently under development within the range of 3-200 nautical miles. The managers of the fisheries of both the state and the territory are taken in to consultation so that it can provide a better view of the value chain to the government (Byrnes et al., 2016). Purpose of the project The project will deal with the fishing industry of the Australian market, as iot is one of the major markets in the country, which has been helping the country in rising its export incomes and is also providing people with employment. The project will help in analyzing the opportunities that are present in the fishing market in Australia so that it can help the economy in gaining profits. Aim and objectives The main aim of the project will be as follows: To understand the efficiency of the fishing industry To understand the employment factor that is generated due to this industry To understand the social contribution from this industry Literature Review The seafood that is edible and non-edible in nature has been almost stable over the last twenty years and it is estimated that it is over 230,000 tons on an annual basis. The consumption of the seafood by an average Australian has increased from 13 kilograms in the past decade to around 15 kilograms during 2013-14. The production of the fisheries that are present in Australia has been estimated to be around $2.4 billion per year, which has shown a positive impact on the economy of the country. The industry also has export earnings of an estimate $1.2 billion on an yearly basis, which has helped them in maintaining the balance of payments in the international market. The majority of the imports are done by countries such as the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States, which has helped them in gaining popularity for their quality of catches (Fowler, Roberts Rigney, 2016). This quality of catches and the increase in their exports has taken a heavy toll on the Australian market, which has to be borne by the Australian consumers, as they have to pay a heavy price for their own share of meals. The products of the fisheries fetch a high price in the export markets, as a result of which the Australian consumers have to pay a bigger price in consuming the local products (Frusher et al., 2014). It can be seen that the fishing industry that is present in Australia is able to fill in the gaps that is present within the demand and supply of the materials. The shortfall of the supply is lean because of amount of fish that is harvested in a wild manner is fit for consumption for the non-humans, which are often discarded in the sea. This has helped the country in increasing its consumption and supplying to the rest of the world, as most of the fishes that are caught are largely for the humans to consume (Fleming et al., 2014). Employment factor The fishing industry that is present in the country has helped in attracting large employment opportunities, as the requirement of labors have increased many times. The pattern of employment includes the harvesters of fishes, traders, processors, builders of boat, suppliers of ice and makers of net just to name a few. There are even employment opportunities for people who are experts in scaling and gutting of the fishes. These opportunities have helped in increasing the opportunities for employment, which has further led to the increase in the purchasing power of the people and a better growth of economy within the country (Marchal et al., 2016). Women play an integral part in the fishing industry, as they carry out the critical tasks in this industry alongside the shore line of the operations. The women counterparts unlike the males also have an opportunity in going out to the sea, which has helped them in being independent. They are even known to gear the boats and some of them are also owners of the boats that are being given to the fishing companies on rent. This helps in increasing the wealth with the Australian community (Shaw, Stocker Noble, 2015). Balance in foreign exchange The heavy fishing activity that is carried out within the country has helped in contributing generously towards the foreign exchange by exporting the fishes to other countries as well. fishes such as salmon and lobsters fetch high price in the export market and the country has developed in producing harvesting these catches in a better manner by utilizing the latest technologies that are available to them. This has helped the country is substituting their deficiency in exporting other rich protein items, which needs to be imported from the other countries as well (Kienzle, Courtney ONeill, 2014). It has also helped in alleviating the poverty, as people from the societies that are not affluent can turn up to seek jobs within the fishing industry on a temporary or a permanent basis. This has helped them in increasing their capacity to purchase items and strengthen their income levels as well (Holbrook Johnson, 2014). Research Methodology It is an organized method through wehich the dissertation will be carried out in an efficient manner. It is inclusive of the types through which the researcher can carry out the process of research study so that the results can lead to a finite conclusion. It also enables the researcher in identifying the various techniques that are available in conducting the process of research. Types of investigation There are primarily three types of investigation methods that the researcher needs to consider for conducting the process of research, which are as follows: Exploratory Descriptive Hypothesis (Macket Gass, 2015) Justification of the investigation type chosen In carrying out the process of research in a successful manner, the researcher will take the help of descriptive type of investigation, as there are lot of datas that are available previously in carrying out the research in an efficient manner. Method of data collection The use of data collection method helps the researcher in collecting the data in an organized manner. It is basically of two types such as primary and secondary. The data that is collected on a primary basis is inclusive of the questionnaire sample that is distributed among various participants whose responses are collected along with the interviews that are conducted so that the answers can be collected (Herr Anderson, 2014). The data that is considered to be secondary in nature consists of the various books, articles and journals that are already present along with all the necessary information that has been published previously by other researchers, which will help the process of research to be conducted in a better manner (Wall Stokes, 2014). Method chosen for the proposal The researcher will consider the secondary sources of data, as a preferred choice in carrying out this present process of research in an efficient manner. The researcher will use the books, journals and other sources of information that are already established by other researcher so that it can be compared and a finite conclusion can be reached (Marshall Rossman, 2014). Accessibility issues The research her may encounter various difficulties in accessing the information, as the facts and figures can be manipulated, which can lead to wrong conclusions in the final study. These problems need to be taken in to account by the researcher while carrying out the process of research. Reference List Byrnes, T., Buckley, R., Howes, M., Arthur, J. M. (2016). Environmental management of boating related impacts by commercial fishing, sailing and diving tour boat operators in Australia.Journal of Cleaner Production,111, 383-398. Fleming, A., Hobday, A. J., Farmery, A., Van Putten, E. I., Pecl, G. T., Green, B. S., Lim-Camacho, L. (2014). Climate change risks and adaptation options across Australian seafood supply chainsA preliminary assessment.Climate Risk Management,1, 39-50. Fowler, M., Roberts, A., Rigney, L. I. (2016). The very stillness of things: object biographies of sailcloth and fishing net from the Point Pearce Aboriginal Mission (Burgiyana) colonial archive, South Australia.World Archaeology,48(2), 210-225. Frusher, S. D., Hobday, A. J., Jennings, S. M., Creighton, C., DSilva, D., Haward, M., ... van Putten, E. I. (2014). The short history of research in a marine climate change hotspot: from anecdote to adaptation in south-east Australia.Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries,24(2), 593-611. Herr, K., Anderson, G. L. (2014).The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty. Sage publications. Holbrook, N. J., Johnson, J. E. (2014). Climate change impacts and adaptation of commercial marine fisheries in Australia: a review of the science.Climatic change,124(4), 703-715. Kienzle, M., Courtney, A. J., ONeill, M. F. (2014). Environmental and fishing effects on the dynamics of brown tiger prawn (Penaeus esculentus) in Moreton Bay (Australia).Fisheries Research,155, 138-148. Mackey, A., Gass, S. M. (2015).Second language research: Methodology and design. Routledge. Marchal, P., Andersen, J. L., Aranda, M., Fitzpatrick, M., Goti, L., Guyader, O., ... Macher, C. (2016). A comparative review of fisheries management experiences in the European Union and in other countries worldwide: Iceland, Australia, and New Zealand.Fish and Fisheries,17(3), 803-824. Marshall, C., Rossman, G. B. (2014).Designing qualitative research. Sage publications. Shaw, J., Stocker, L., Noble, L. (2015). Climate change and social impacts: women's perspectives from a fishing community in Western Australia.Australian Journal of Maritime Ocean Affairs,7(1), 38-51. Smyth, L., Stewart, W., Stewart, Y., Butler, T. (2016). Project update: Aboriginal fishing values on the New South Wales South Coast.Native Title Newsletter, (Aug 2016), 18. Voyer, M., Barclay, K., McIlgorm, A., Mazur, N. (2017). Connections or conflict? A social and economic analysis of the interconnections between the professional fishing industry, recreational fishing and marine tourism in coastal communities in NSW, Australia.Marine Policy,76, 114-121. Wall, T., Stokes, P. (2014). Research methods.

Night By Elie Weisel Essays (297 words) - , Term Papers

Night By Elie Weisel Life is easier to take than you'd think; all that is necessary is to accept the impossible, do without the indispensable, and bear the intolerable. This quote was said by Kathleen Norris. I think that I agree with the quote, and also that the quote was not being sarcastic. One example of this quote being true is in the book Night by Elie Weisel. When the Nazi powers began to take over the country Elie and his family didn't accept the impossible. They thought they if they stayed where they were, that the whole thing would blow over. But they were wrong. His family are sent to a concentration camp. He and his father are separated from his family, and then they are forced to do series of tests in which the is inhumane in regular society. These tests included, getting shaved, getting doused with gasoline, and staying out in the cold for hours with no clothes on. They had to bear the intolerable. Another example of the quote was the move Max and Helen. They, just as the Weisel family, refused to accept the impossible and evacuate their homes before it was too late. In this movie, however, Max, Helen, and, Helen's sister were separated from their parents and sent to a quarry where they had to work. They had to work very hard and were beaten, and they had to bear the intolerable . If these families would've lived by the quote by Kathleen Norris, they could have saved themselves from much suffering and agony. If you can accept the impossible, you can just live without worrying about what's going to happen. And if you can bear the intolerable, you can get through the tough times, and live for the good. English Essays

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buy custom Parkinson's Disease essay The video My Father, My Brother and Me is the story of a FRONTLINE correspondent Dave Iverson. In the year 2004, Dave Iverson received the shocking news that he had Parkinsons disease as his father and brother had earlier years ago. The Parkinsons disease affects over a million people in the United States. The Parkinsons disease is a neurological disease that exhibits degenerative disorders in the affected people. It is clear that its causes are still a mystery to scientists and doctors and finding them has proved a frustrating elusive. This essay aims at demystifying the major concepts that the narrator brings out on the video with regard to Parkinsons disease, the challenges faced by scientists in finding a cure, and the controversies that have arisen in research on stem cells in role in finding a cure. Lastly the essay will find the approaches that could be used by people having Parkinsons disease in coping with it the disease. The narrator in the video, Iverson after being diagnosed as suffering from the Parkinsons disease begins carrying out research in understanding the disease that had taken a toll on his family. It is on this journey that these four concepts that form the basis of this essay have come out with clarity. It is clear that Iverson discovered that the causes of Parkinsons are universally unknown but he sets on researching on identifying the roles those genetic proclivities and environmental toxins play as suspected causes of Parkinsons. It is in this quest that one of the doctors suggests to Iverson that his genetic form of the Parkinsons disease was genetically transmitted down his ancestry and possibly from one of his seafaring ancestors. Another doctor also proposes that his Parkinsons was probably caused by MPTP, a chemical used in producing popular herbicides in the 1980s. This chemical compound was found in an exacting strain of heroin in which it exhibited Parkinsons symptoms in the patients diagnosed as having developed reactions to i (FRONTLINE, 2012). The second concept that comes out in the video is Iversons interaction with other victims of the Parkinson disease. For instance, in his conversation with writer Michael Kinsley and Michael J. Fox an actor, it is laid out that people having Parkinson caught up in the politics of Parkinson's research and finding its cure. It is clear that Bush administration vetoed the research on the use of stem cells in finding the cure for Parkinsonso the researchers lost funding from the federal. Dave Iverson notes that this decision made Parkinson disease patients to suffer and their hope in getting a cure for this disease diminished progressively for six years. However, with the coming of a new president, Barrack Obama there is a hope that the research will again get federal funding. The third concept that comes out in the video is the role of genetics as a cause of the Parkinsons disease. This contrasts to previous researches carried out in this field and has nullified the role of genetics as a cause of Parkinsons. To negate this conclusion Iverson volunteered at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville for a study on the role of genetics on Parkinsons disease based on his family history. Six genes whose mutations are possible causes of Parkinsons disease were identified. This identification has made possible finding of cure to Parkinsons more optimistic than it was ten years ago. This was according to Matthew Farrer a geneticist at the mayo clinic (FRONTLINE, 2012). The last concept in the video is the use of brain repair through surgical procedures as means of compensating the lack of dopamine that characterizes Parkinsons disease patients. This brain repairis through fetal cell brain transplant in the patients. The use of this method to remove Parkinsons disease is not 100% fool-proof. This is because it has resulted in disappointing results in which it has catalyzed Parkinsons ailment in the patients after the surgery (FRONTLINE, 2012). Over the years more and more knowledge on Parkinsons has been garnered by scientists but the hope of finding a cure has faded all the more. This is because the information gathered has depicted the complexity eluded by Parkinsons disease thus making it hard to find an absolute cure for the disease. However, the information has paved way for more inventive and better ways of minimizing its effects on the patients (Lichtenstein Creative Media, 2005). L-dopa has been the major treatment drug for Parkinsons but its continued use by the patients for long time reduces its effectiveness. This has become a big challenge in finding a cure for the disease with new methods such as implanting a pacemaker-like device in the brain in question (Lichtenstein Creative Media, 2005). The practical difficulties that have arisen from the stem cell procedures have led to a number of leading scientists seeing the use of stem cells as no longer the cure for Parkinsons. This is because of the complexity in using it given that the human brain is not a pincushion that scientists can keep opening and closing while plucking and putting cells in it (FRONTLINE, 2012). It is also clear that experiments carried out on stem cells have not been as successful as anticipated. This has necessitated halting the use of this procedure in treating Parkinsons disease patients until a later date when the outcomes will be more positive. Despite that there is no cure for Parkinsons disease, at the end of the film Iverson gives people suffering from Parkinsons hope from unlikely place. It is clear Iverson had discovered from a new research carried out that regular exercises may help delay or slow down Parkinsons disease from progressing in the patients. It had proved that properly designed exercise programs for people suffering from Parkinsons disease would yield better results than medications and surgeries that were being given the top-notch in treating the disease. Buy custom Parkinson's Disease essay

CORPORATE AND GLOBAL STRATEGY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

CORPORATE AND GLOBAL STRATEGY - Essay Example Nevertheless the strategy of a company needs to be reviewed after a certain interval of time, so that the current strategies meet the changing needs of the customers and matches the changing business environment. By practising this, the probability of a firm to get success in the market place increases to a large extent (Stonehouse and Houston, 2012, p.1). In this context of the study, HSBC has been chosen as the organization. The study revealed that the emerging markets and opening up of the world economy has allowed the company to carry out international expansion. HSBC always follows foreign direct investment strategy to operate in international markets. The external environmental analysis clearly highlighted that in most of the countries where HSBC operates have stable political environment and therefore do not have any operational constraints. In order to gain competitive advantage HSBC uses a mixture of differentiation and cost leadership strategy to operate in the market. Howe ver it is recommended that the company should also focus on employing focus strategy, which will allow them to cater to niche segment as well. Introduction HSBC Holdings Plc or commonly known as HSBC, is a UK based multinational financial and banking organization. HSBC Holdings plc was established in the year 1991 by Sir Thomas Sutherland. However the origin of HSBC bank dates back to 1865, when the branches were opened in Shanghai and Hong Kong (Stadler, 2011, p.189). It is presently headquartered at Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. HSBC is mainly involved in providing commercial banking services, wealth management, retail banking, investment banking services and also global private banking. It is one of the largest financial services and banking organization of the world. The products of the company include various type of loans, current and savings account, insurance, credit cards, fixed deposits, investment services and advisory services. Furthermore HSBC also has strong pr esence in sectors such as resources and energy, and research & analysis (Hsbcnet, n.d.). According to the list of Forbes magazine 2012, the company was the sixth largest publicly traded company and third largest bank of the world. HSBC Holdings plc was established in the year 1991 by Sir Thomas Sutherland. However the origin of HSBC bank dates back to 1865, when the branches were opened in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The company has presence in 84 countries of the world and is listed in the Bermuda, London, New York, Hong Kong and Paris stock exchanges. HSBC comprises of around 6900 offices throughout the areas of its operations (Hsbcservicedelivery, n.d.). The major competitors include Barclays bank, Royal Bank of Scotland, Citigroup and J P Morgan Chase among others. The report will primarily highlight the corporate level and business level strategies of HSBC. In the course of the study, internal as well as external analysis of the organization will be carried. In this context analysi s tools such as SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s 5 forces, and value chain will be employed. Depending on the outcome, few recommendations will be also presented. Finally the report will conclude by highlighting the important and critical issues of the study. Corporate Strategy Corporate strategy can be referred to as the guide of decision making which is responsible for determining and revealing the purpose and objective of the organization. Furthermore a corporate strategy also highlights plans and policies by which the organization will be able to achieve those goals. HSBC is considered as one of the largest publicly traded company and is trying to expand their business in those countries, where they did not started the operations. However in every aspect

Consumer Math Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Consumer Math - Essay Example The value of the annuity after five years will be the sum of all the deposits plus the interest earned over a period of five years. Another example where an annuity can be applied in one’s personal finances is when one plans for one’s retirement fund. An individual may decide to put in $2,000 at the end of each year for the next 20 years into an IRA. If the IRA promises a return of 12 percent per year compounded annually, the individual will get a certain amount from the IRA after 20 years. In making investments, annuities are very relevant. Several options are presented to individuals who want to make an investment. One such example is deciding whether to make a lump sum deposit or a periodic deposit for several years. If the interest rates are equal and the maturity date is the same, one has to decide which alternative will be more profitable. The examples presented above are just some applications of consumer math, specifically annuities. Indeed, it is essential for every individual to understand the concepts covered by consumer math because it has a huge impact on one’s personal finances. Chatham Central Schools. (n.d.). Consumer math – Annuities and the TVM solver. Retrieved May 10, 2012, from chathamcentralschools.com:

History 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History 1 - Essay Example He understood the weaknesses of Germany and came to the realization that conflicts within the European region were not possible anymore because all the superpowers would be engaged in a more large-scale conflict. Based on this assumption, Bismarck laid out the essential guiding principles of German policy. First, Bismarck argued that Germany should refrain from continuing its territorial expansion; rather, all the powerful nations excluding France should compete with one another for Germany’s alliance. Moreover, the conflict among these powerful nations would be massive enough to prevent them from collaborating against Germany. Second, Bismarck had a rational understanding of international relations and the importance of the balance of power. Third, he regarded it crucial to prevent the Russians from building an alliance with France which would consequently pressure and endanger the Reich on both sides. Initially, Bismarck focused on Germany’s alliance with Russia and A ustria. This alliance facilitated the realization of Bismarck’s foreign policy objectives: it effectively secluded France and gained the friendship of two European superpowers. He took advantage of alliances to control his allies. Bismarck believed that it was crucial for Germany to cut off a resentful France from European relations. Hence, he built an alliance with Austria-Hungary. Afterward, the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy was formed. He also strived to sustain a diplomatic agreement with Russia so as to prevent an alliance between Russia and France that would pressure Germany to wage war against these two superpowers. Basically, the Triple Alliance was meant to keep France at bay. It declared that if France attacked Italy without any reasonable purpose, Austria-Hungary and Germany would help Italy. Accordingly, if France attacked Germany, Italy would help the latter. In summary, Bismarck’s major foreign policy goal was to strengthen and build up the Second Reich, and his foreign policy was therefore aimed against France. 2) However, in these chapters, as well as Chapter XVI, â€Å"Emperor William II†, he also revealed the difficulties he actually experienced in carrying out his policies, both within Germany at the highest levels, as well as in his diplomatic dealings with Russia. Which of the two did he imply posed the greater danger to the stability, safety, and survival of the Second Reich? The economic gains of subsequent years were able to conceal the major problems of the Second Reich, particularly after the rise of Wilhelm II to power. In his letters, Bismarck clearly revealed what he perceived are the real threats to the Second Reich: his diplomatic relations with Russia and his relationship with Germany’s monarchy. But he named the latter as a greater threat to the survival of the Second Reich. Wilhelm II did not have sufficient strategic and political skills. In foreign policy, Bismarck strug gled to help the young Reich develop in terms of diplomacy. Yet, his plan for the future of Germany was grander than sheer peace. His alliances with Russia and Austria not merely strengthened the Reich’s international influence, but also protected monarchies against the pressure of radical socialism. However, paradoxically, it was the growing influence of Germany’s social democracy that created the problems for the Second Reich.

Macbeth English CW Essay Example for Free

Macbeth English CW Essay Malcolm calls Macbeth and Lady Macbeth this dead butcher and his fiend like queen, (Act 5, Scene 9, Line 36). Do you think that Lady Macbeth has any redeeming qualities? In this essay I will try to show that Lady Macbeth, although she is evil, does have some redeeming qualities. I think that Lady Macbeth does have redeeming qualities and that she shows these at different points throughout the play. I think that we can see Lady Macbeth as a different person because we see what happens at points when Malcolm doesnt. We know that Lady Macbeth was not responsible for the killing of Banquo and The thane of Fifes wife and children. However, there is ambiguity over the question of whether Lady Macbeth is a witch or not. In these times a witch could have been identified by her ability to predict the future, fly, sail in sieves, bring on night in daytime and their damned spot. This is a supposed red mark on a witchs body from where the devil has supposedly sucked blood. In act 1, scene 5 she says: Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty This suggests that she wants evil spirits to take over to allow her to do what needs to happen. This makes us think that she may be a witch. In Elizabethan times people were quite scared of witches and King James, the king at the time, was especially fascinated by witches. In act 1, scene 5 Lady Macbeth seems very pleased to receive Macbeths letter but we see her say that she doesnt think that Macbeth will be brave enough to murder Duncan for the crown. We also see that she is ambitious and ruthless when she says: And chastise with the valour of my tongue All that impedes thee from the golden round, But she appears to be ambitious for her husband and not for herself. I think that this is a redeeming quality as she just wants to help her husband, as she doesnt think he will go through with it because he is not tough enough. This seems fiend like as to suggest to kill a king is awful, made even worse by the fact that he will be sleeping and unarmed. A soldier would only consider killing and armed man, in battle morally right but to kill a guest is morally wrong. This is also regicide, and Shakespeare was taking a big risk putting such a controversial thing into one of his plays. I think that Lady Macbeth might horrify the audience with her language here especially when she says: Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem To have thee crowned withal. I think that the audience would have been particularly shocked with the words metaphysical aid as these are supernatural forces. I think that the audience would have been shocked further when Lady Macbeth says: Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here And fill me from the crown to the toe topfull Of direst cruelty Here Lady Macbeth calls to the evil spirits and asks them to full her with cruelty. This would have suggested that she either was a witch or wanted to become a witch. For the audience at this time this would have been horrifying. The words that Shakespeare uses suggest that Lady Macbeths head is full of thoughts of becoming queen, especially when she says, crown. Also the alliteration in the phrase, to the toe topfull, stresses the t sounds and stresses the syllables of topfull. Then Shakespeare uses soft s sounds, which sound like hissing, suggest Lady Macbeths association with evil. The association with evil comes from the story of Adam and Eve. In the Bible Adam and Eve are tempted by a snake to take an apple from the tree. This snake was in fact the devil and this therefore associates a snake (or hissing sounds) with the devil and evil. I dont think that Macbeths and Lady Macbeths relationship is conventional for the time as she seems to have a more male role. She seems stronger than Macbeth and in a way seems to have a power over him. She hasnt even spoken to him yet and she has already decided what the plan of action is going to be in order for him to become king. In Act 1, Scene 6, we see Lady Macbeth welcoming Duncan to her house. In this scene she plays the role of the hostess and seems to be extremely evil in this scene. We have just seen her telling Macbeth about the plan to kill Duncan and now she is being really nice to Duncan. This will cause the audience to dislike her as we can see that she is obviously not a very nice person. This shows her as being really two faced and insincere towards Duncan. She is being, as she tells Macbeth to be later on, the innocent flower but the serpent underneath. In Act 1, Scene 7, we see Macbeth talking to himself and saying that he has no motives or good reasons to kill Duncan. But then Lady Macbeth comes in and uses blackmail and she taunts him to get him to go through with this, and to get her own way. When you durst do it, then you were a man. And to be more than what you were, you would Be so much more the man. This suggest that Lady Macbeth thinks that Macbeth is a coward and therefore not a man. This is fiend like as she is blackmailing Macbeth into doing it. She is telling him he is not a man, and to be unmanned was a bad thing in Elizabethan times. Lady Macbeth, therefore, looks like she is very responsible for Duncans death as it wouldnt have even happened if Lady Macbeth hadnt persuaded Macbeth to do it. In this scene Macbeth appears to be weak and not the dominant person in this relationship. Also she doesnt appear to show any recognition that what she is doing is so wrong. I think that Lady Macbeth would shock the audience when she says that she would rather kill her own child than break such a promise as this one. I have given suck and know How tender tis to love the babe that milks me: I would, while it was smiling in my face, Have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums And dashed the brains out, had I so sworn This also shoes Lady Macbeths fiend like qualities. This statement would have shocked the audience greatly. She says that she would kill her own baby while it was smiling at her while she was breast feeding it if she had sworn to do so. This is a shocking statement and I think it would have shocked anyone. This truly shows how evil she is. This statement also raises another point of ambiguity. Lady Macbeth says, I have given suck This suggests that she has had a baby but there appears to be no child now. This raises the question of where the child is or if it is even alive. In Act 2, Scene 2 Lady Macbeth appears to have a few redeeming qualities. The fact that she has had to have a drink because she isnt feeling brave is a redeeming quality. Also the fact that her thought are flicking around shows her tension and suggests that she is not as impenetrably ruthless as she seems. He is about it. The doors are open, and the surfeited grooms Do mock their charge with snores. This is another redeeming quality as it may shows her feeling guilty. Also when she says: Had he not resembled My father as he slept, I had donet. This shows that she does have compassion as she couldnt kill someone who looked like her father. Also in this scene when Macbeth comes back from killing Duncan, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a frantic, disjointed conversation while Macbeth is holding the daggers. This conversation last for thirty seven lines and it is only on the last line that Lady Macbeth realises that Macbeth is still holding the daggers. This shows how panic stricken they are and how neither is thinking clearly. This is a redeeming quality as this suggests that Lady Macbeth feels guilty and worried. In Act 2, Scene 3, Lady Macbeth faints when she hears that Duncan has been murdered. This is ambiguous as we dont know if she is actually fainting or whether she is trying to cover up the situation. However this point is ambiguous as there are a number of reasons for why she might have fainted. She could be surprised (or even dismayed) that Macbeth is acting on his own or she might be shocked at Macbeths rashness when he kills the guards. Another point is that she might genuinely be upset at Macbeths gory description, as she said that Duncan reminded her of her father. The story which is probably more likely is that she is trying to draw attention away from the fact that Macbeth killed the guards to stop him from looking so guilty. This shows how evil she is. She doesnt want people to focus on it too much and she also doesnt want to be blamed. In Act 3, Scene 2, we see that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have drifted apart ad become more distant. Macbeth has become more independent as well. We see this when we see that Macbeth has made plans to kill Banquo, but Lady Macbeth is not involved. This is a redeeming quality as we see that Lady Macbeth has nothing to do with this murder, only they murder of Duncan which was to help her husband anyway. She seems to be affected by this as she asks him what will happen, Whats to be done?, but Macbeth wont tell her. In Act 3, Scene 4, we see the banquet held by Macbeth. Lady Macbeth seems to be different at the start of this scene as Macbeth says, our hostess keeps her state. These suggest that Lady Macbeth is sitting quietly, away from everyone else. This shows that she is not acting like the conventional hostess. This also ambiguous and suggests that Lady Macbeth may have begun to lose her mind already or she may be feeling isolated as she and Macbeth have drift apart. This could also shows that she is feeling guilty which is a redeeming quality. However, as soon as Macbeth leaves the feast Lady Macbeth goes after him to remind him that he mustnt leave and that he needs to go and be the host. When Macbeth starts to see Banquo and behave weirdly, Lady Macbeth covers up for him but tells him to stop being stupid and entertain the guests. You have displaced the mirth, broke the good meeting With most admired disorder. Here she is scorning Macbeth for ruining the banquet and drawing attention to himself. Lady Macbeth does not seem to feel guilty in this scene but she does seem afraid. I dont think that she shows signs of feeling in this scene as she still blackmails and taunts Macbeth to get him to sit down and act as though everything is normal. Act 5, Scene 1 is the last scene that we see with Lady Macbeth in it. I think that Shakespeare uses the sleepwalking in this scene so that all can be revealed by Lady Macbeth to another character. I think that in this scene we begin to feel sorry for Lady Macbeth and I think that she has some redeeming qualities in this scene. One is that she acknowledges that she has done something wrong. What will these hands neer be clean? This shows that she thinks she has blood on her hands and she wants then to be clean. She obviously feels guilty as she is having nightmares about it all. Also in this scene Lady Macbeth begins to speak in prose. Shakespeare always makes his main characters speak in verse but Lady Macbeth no longer speaks in verse. This shows that she is mad and is no longer important to the play. Also I think another redeeming quality is that she seems to feel responsible for all the deaths throughout the play, even tough she was only really responsible for one of the deaths, Duncans. I think that in this scene we begin to feel sorry for Lady Macbeth and like her a bit more. This scene shows that she does have redeeming qualities and that she isnt completely evil. I dont think that lady Macbeth is a fiend like queen. I think she is evil but has many redeeming qualities which make her seem a lot better as you go through the play. I also think that the fact that we see more of Lady Macbeth than Malcolm does mean we have the opportunity to see these redeeming qualities whereas Malcolm might not. I think that the moral of this play is dont kill the king. It is not honourable or good and it will come back to haunt you.

Great Depression Essays -- essays research papers

The Great Depression   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout the 1930’s, the United States of America underwent its worst economic hardship ever. This struggle, known as the Great Depression, affected every aspect of American life. As the result of economic disparity brought on by the First World War and the great stock market crash of 1929, the depression sent America into a downward spiral into poverty. Businesses filed for bankruptcy, farmers were unable to sell crops, and banks were incapable of providing people with their money as the once booming economy came crashing down. The most profound impact that the Great Depression had, however, was on the social lives of the American population. As poverty struck, numerous Americans were left without food, jobs, and, of course, money. Eventually, the people were forced to move into broken down communities, which they named â€Å"Hoovervilles,† after president Herbert Hoover. The depression even had many gradual psychological effects on the unemployed workers. Family status also changed during this time as unemployed men spent more time at home and the influence of wives began to increase. Much American Literature about the hardships of American life, by authors such as John Steinbeck and William Faulkner, also became prominent in the 1930’s. Overall, aside from its obvious economic effects, the Great Depression also significantly altered the American way of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the Great Depression stretched th...

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 25. MIRROR

I FORCED MYEYES – FROZEN WIDE OPEN WITH SHOCK – to move, so that I could not examine too closely the oval object wrapped in tendrils of shivering, fiery hair. Edward was in motion again. Swift and coolly businesslike, he dismembered the headless corpse. I could not go to him – I could not make my feet respond; they were bolted to the stone beneath them. But I scrutinized his every action minutely, looking for any evidence that he had been harmed. My heart slowed to a healthier rhythm when I found nothing. He was lithe and graceful as ever. I couldn't even see a tear in his clothes. He did not look at me – where I stood frozen to the cliff wall, horrified – while he piled the quivering, twitching limbs and then covered them with dry pine needles. He still did not meet my shocked gaze as he darted into the forest after Seth. I didn't have time to recover before both he and Seth were back, Edward with his arms full of Riley. Seth was carrying a large chunk – the torso – in his mouth. They added their burden to the pile, and Edward pulled a silver rectangle from his pocket. He flipped open the butane lighter and held the flame to the dry tinder. It caught at once; long tongues of orange fire licked rapidly across the pyre. â€Å"Get every piece,† Edward said in a low aside to Seth. Together, the vampire and the werewolf scoured the campsite, occasionally tossing small lumps of white stone into the blaze. Seth handled the pieces with his teeth. My brain wasn't working well enough for me to understand why he didn't change back to a form with hands. Edward kept his eyes on his work. And then they were done, and the raging fire was sending a pillar of choking purple toward the sky. The thick smoke curled up slowly, looking more solid than it should; it smelled like burning incense, and the scent was uncomfortable. It was heavy, too strong. Seth made that snickering sound again, deep in his chest. A smile flickered across Edward's tense face. Edward stretched out his arm, his hand curled into a fist. Seth grinned, revealing the long row of dagger teeth, and bumped his nose against Edward's hand. â€Å"Nice teamwork,† Edward murmured. Seth coughed a laugh. Then Edward took a deep breath, and turned slowly to face me. I did not understand his expression. His eyes were as wary as if I were another enemy – more than wary, they were afraid. Yet he'd shown no fear at all when he'd faced Victoria and Riley. . . . My mind was stuck, stunned and useless as my body. I stared at him, bewildered. â€Å"Bella, love,† he said in his softest tone, walking toward me with exaggerated slowness, his hands held up, palms forward. Dazed as I was, it reminded me oddly of a suspect approaching a policeman, showing that he wasn't armed. . . . â€Å"Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully. Don't hurt yourself.† I'd forgotten all about my crude weapon, though I realized now that I was grasping it so hard that my knuckle was screaming in protest. Was it rebroken? Carlisle would put me in a cast for sure this time. Edward hesitated a few feet from me, his hands still in the air, his eyes still fearful. It took me a few long seconds to remember how to move my fingers. Then the rock clattered to the ground, while my hand stayed frozen in the same position. Edward relaxed slightly when my hands were empty, but came no closer. â€Å"You don't have to be afraid, Bella,† Edward murmured. â€Å"You're safe. I won't hurt you.† The mystifying promise only confused me further. I stared at him like an imbecile, trying to understand. â€Å"It's going to be all right, Bella. I know you're frightened now, but it's over. No one is going to hurt you. I won't touch you. I won't hurt you,† he said again. My eyes blinked furiously, and I found my voice. â€Å"Why do you keep saying that?† I took an unsteady step toward him, and he leaned away from my advance. â€Å"What's wrong?† I whispered. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Are you . . .† His golden eyes were suddenly as confused as I felt. â€Å"Aren't you afraid of me?† â€Å"Afraid of you? Why?† I staggered forward another step, and then tripped over something – my own feet probably. Edward caught me, and I buried my face in his chest and started to sob. â€Å"Bella, Bella, I'm so sorry. It's over, it's over.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I gasped. â€Å"I'm okay. I'm just. Freaking out. Give me. A minute.† His arms tightened around me. â€Å"I'm so sorry,† he murmured again and again. I clung to him until I could breathe, and then I was kissing him – his chest, his shoulder, his neck – every part of him that I could reach. Slowly, my brain started to work again. â€Å"Are you okay?† I demanded between kisses. â€Å"Did she hurt you at all?† â€Å"I am absolutely fine,† he promised, burying his face in my hair. â€Å"Seth?† Edward chuckled. â€Å"More than fine. Very pleased with himself, in fact.† â€Å"The others? Alice, Esme? The wolves? â€Å"All fine. It's over there, too. It went just as smoothly as I promised. We got the worst of it here.† I let myself absorb that for a moment, let it sink in and settle in my head. My family and my friends were safe. Victoria was never coming after me again. It was over. We were all going to be fine. But I couldn't completely take in the good news while I was still so confused. â€Å"Tell me why,† I insisted. â€Å"Why did you think I would be afraid of you?† â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said, apologizing yet again – for what? I had no idea. â€Å"So sorry. I didn't want you to see that. See me like that. I know I must have terrified you.† I had to think about that for another minute, about the hesitant way he'd approached me, his hands in the air. Like I was going to run if he moved too fast. . . . â€Å"Seriously?† I finally asked. â€Å"You . . . what? Thought you'd scared me off?† I snorted. Snorting was good; a voice couldn't tremble or break during a snort. It sounded impressively offhand. He put his hand under my chin and tilted my head back to read my face. â€Å"Bella, I just† – he hesitated and then forced the words out – â€Å"I just beheaded and dismembered a sentient creature not twenty yards from you. That doesn't bother you?† He frowned at me. I shrugged. Shrugging was good, too. Very blas. â€Å"Not really. I was only afraid that you and Seth were going to get hurt. I wanted to help, but there's only so much I can do. . . .† His suddenly livid expression made my voice fade out. â€Å"Yes,† he said, his tone clipped. â€Å"Your little stunt with the rock. You know that you nearly gave me a heart attack? Not the easiest thing to do, that.† His furious glower made it hard to answer. â€Å"I wanted to help . . . Seth was hurt. . . .† â€Å"Seth was only feigning that he was hurt, Bella. It was a trick. And then you . . . !† He shook his head, unable to finish. â€Å"Seth couldn't see what you were doing, so I had to step in. Seth's a bit disgruntled that he can't claim a single-handed defeat now.† â€Å"Seth was . . . faking?† Edward nodded sternly. â€Å"Oh.† We both looked at Seth, who was studiously ignoring us, watching the flames. Smugness radiated from every hair in his fur. â€Å"Well, I didn't know that,† I said, on the offense now. â€Å"And it's not easy being the only helpless person around. Just you wait till I'm a vampire! I'm not going to be sitting on the sidelines next time.† A dozen emotions flitted across his face before he settled on being amused. â€Å"Next time? Did you anticipate another war soon?† â€Å"With my luck? Who knows?† He rolled his eyes, but I could see that he was flying – the relief was making us both lightheaded. It was over. Or . . . was it? â€Å"Hold on. Didn't you say something before – ?† I flinched, remembering what exactly it had been before – what was I going to say to Jacob? My splintered heart throbbed out a painful, aching beat. It was hard to believe, almost impossible, but the hardest part of this day was not behind me – and then I soldiered on. â€Å"About a complication? And Alice, needing to nail down the schedule for Sam. You said it was going to be close. What was going to be close?† Edward's eyes flickered back to Seth, and they exchanged a loaded glance. â€Å"Well?† I asked. â€Å"It's nothing, really,† Edward said quickly. â€Å"But we do need to be on our way. . . .† He started to pull me into place on his back, but I stiffened and drew away. â€Å"Define nothing.† Edward took my face between his palms. â€Å"We only have a minute, so don't panic, all right? I told you that you had no reason to be afraid. Trust me on that, please?† I nodded, trying to hide the sudden terror – how much more could I handle before I collapsed? â€Å"No reason to be afraid. Got it.† He pursed his lips for a second, deciding what to say. And then he glanced abruptly at Seth, as if the wolf had called him. â€Å"What's she doing?† Edward asked. Seth whined; it was an anxious, uneasy sound. It made the hair on the back of my neck rise. Everything was dead silent for one endless second. And then Edward gasped, â€Å"No!† and one of his hands flew out as if to grab something that I couldn't see. â€Å"Don't -!† A spasm rocked through Seth's body, and a howl, blistering with agony, ripped from his lungs. Edward fell to his knees at the exact same moment, gripping the sides of his head with two hands, his face furrowed in pain. I screamed once in bewildered terror, and dropped to my knees beside him. Stupidly, I tried to pull his hands from his face; my palms, clammy with sweat, slid off his marble skin. â€Å"Edward! Edward!† His eyes focused on me; with obvious effort, he pulled his clenched teeth apart. â€Å"It's okay. We're going to be fine. It's -† He broke off, and winced again. â€Å"What's happening?† I cried out while Seth howled in anguish. â€Å"We're fine. We're going to be okay,† Edward gasped. â€Å"Sam – help him -â€Å" And I realized in that instant, when he said Sam's name, that he was not speaking of himself and Seth. No unseen force was attacking them. This time, the crisis was not here. He was using the pack plural. I'd burned through all my adrenaline. My body had nothing left. I sagged, and Edward caught me before I could hit the rocks. He sprang to his feet, me in his arms. â€Å"Seth!† Edward shouted. Seth was crouched, still tensed in agony, looking as if he meant to launch himself into the forest. â€Å"No!† Edward ordered. â€Å"You go straight home. Now. As fast as you can!† Seth whimpered, shaking his great head from side to side. â€Å"Seth. Trust me.† The huge wolf stared into Edward's agonized eyes for one long second, and then he straightened up and flew into the trees, disappearing like a ghost. Edward cradled me tightly against his chest, and then we were also hurtling through the shadowy forest, taking a different path than the wolf. â€Å"Edward.† I fought to force the words through my constricted throat. â€Å"What happened, Edward? What happened to Sam? Where are we going? What's happening?† â€Å"We have to go back to the clearing,† he told me in a low voice. â€Å"We knew there was a good probability of this happening. Earlier this morning, Alice saw it and passed it through Sam to Seth. The Volturi decided it was time to intercede.† The Volturi. Too much. My mind refused to make sense of the words, pretended it couldn't understand. The trees jolted past us. He was running downhill so fast that it felt as if we were plummeting, falling out of control. â€Å"Don't panic. They aren't coming for us. It's just the normal contingent of the guard that usually cleans up this kind of mess. Nothing momentous, they're merely doing their job. Of course, they seem to have timed their arrival very carefully. Which leads me to believe that no one in Italy would mourn if these newborns had reduced the size of the Cullen family.† The words came through his teeth, hard and bleak. â€Å"I'll know for sure what they were thinking when they get to the clearing.† â€Å"Is that why we're going back?† I whispered. Could I handle this? Images of flowing black robes crept into my unwilling mind, and I flinched away from them. I was close to a breaking point. â€Å"It's part of the reason. Mostly, it will be safer for us to present a united front at this point. They have no reason to harass us, but . . . Jane's with them. If she thought we were alone somewhere away from the others, it might tempt her. Like Victoria, Jane will probably guess that I'm with you. Demetri, of course, is with her. He could find me, if Jane asked him to.† I didn't want to think that name. I didn't want to see that blindingly exquisite, childlike face in my head. A strange sound came out of my throat. â€Å"Shh, Bella, shh. It's all going to be fine. Alice can see that.† Alice could see? But . . . then where were the wolves? Where was the pack? â€Å"The pack?† â€Å"They had to leave quickly. The Volturi do not honor truces with werewolves.† I could hear my breathing get faster, but I couldn't control it. I started to gasp. â€Å"I swear they will be fine,† Edward promised me. â€Å"The Volturi won't recognize the scent – they won't realize the wolves are here; this isn't a species they are familiar with. The pack will be fine.† I couldn't process his explanation. My concentration was ripped to shreds by my fears. We're going to be fine, he had said before . . . and Seth, howling in agony . . . Edward had avoided my first question, distracted me with the Volturi. . . . I was very close to the edge – just clinging by my fingertips. The trees were a racing blur that flowed around him like jade waters. â€Å"What happened?† I whispered again. â€Å"Before. When Seth was howling? When you were hurt?† Edward hesitated. â€Å"Edward! Tell me!† â€Å"It was all over,† he whispered. I could barely hear him over the wind his speed created. â€Å"The wolves didn't count their half . . . they thought they had them all. Of course, Alice couldn't see. . . .† â€Å"What happened?!† â€Å"One of the newborns was hiding. . . . Leah found him – she was being stupid, cocky, trying to prove something. She engaged him alone. . . .† â€Å"Leah,† I repeated, and I was too weak to feel shame for the relief that flooded through me. â€Å"Is she going to be okay?† â€Å"Leah wasn't hurt,† Edward mumbled. I stared at him for a long second. Sam – help him – Edward had gasped. Him, not her. â€Å"We're almost there,† Edward said, and he stared at a fixed point in the sky. Automatically, my eyes followed his. There was a dark purple cloud hanging low over the trees. A cloud? But it was so abnormally sunny. . . . No, not a cloud – I recognized the thick column of smoke, just like the one at our campsite. â€Å"Edward,† I said, my voice nearly inaudible. â€Å"Edward, someone got hurt.† I'd heard Seth's agony, seen the torture in Edward's face. â€Å"Yes,† he whispered. â€Å"Who?† I asked, though, of course, I already knew the answer. Of course I did. Of course. The trees were slowing around us as we came to our destination. It took him a long moment to answer me. â€Å"Jacob,† he said. I was able to nod once. â€Å"Of course,† I whispered. And then I slipped off the edge I was clinging to inside my head. Everything went black. I was first aware of the cool hands touching me. More than one pair of hands. Arms holding me, a palm curved to fit my cheek, fingers stroking my forehead, and more fingers pressed lightly into my wrist. Then I was aware of the voices. They were just ahumming at first, and then they grew in volume and clarity like someone was turning up a radio. â€Å"Carlisle – it's been five minutes.† Edward's voice, anxious. â€Å"She'll come around when she's ready, Edward.† Carlisle's voice, always calm and sure. â€Å"She's had too much to deal with today. Let her mind protect itself.† But my mind was not protected. It was trapped in the knowledge that had not left me, even in unconsciousness – the pain that was part of the blackness. I felt totally disconnected from my body. Like I was caged in some small corner of my head, no longer at the controls. But I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't think. The agony was too strong for that. There was no escape from it. Jacob. Jacob. No, no, no, no, no . . . â€Å"Alice, how long do we have?† Edward demanded, his voice still tense; Carlisle's soothing words had not helped. From farther away, Alice's voice. It was brightly chipper. â€Å"Another five minutes. And Bella will open her eyes in thirty-seven seconds. I wouldn't doubt that she can hear us now.† â€Å"Bella, honey?† This was Esme's soft, comforting voice. â€Å"Can you hear me? You're safe now, dear.† Yes, I was safe. Did that really matter? Then cool lips were at my ear, and Edward was speaking the words that allowed me to escape from the torture that had me caged inside my own head. â€Å"He's going to live, Bella. Jacob Black is healing as I speak. He'll be fine.† As the pain and dread eased, I found my way back to my body. My eyelids fluttered. â€Å"Oh, Bella,† Edward sighed in relief, and his lips touched mine. â€Å"Edward,† I whispered. â€Å"Yes, I'm here.† I got my lids to open, and I stared into warm gold. â€Å"Jacob is okay?† I asked. â€Å"Yes,† he promised. I watched his eyes carefully for some sign that he was placating me, but they were perfectly clear. â€Å"I examined him myself,† Carlisle said then; I turned my head to find his face, only a few feet away. Carlisle's expression was serious and reassuring at the same time. It was impossible to doubt him. â€Å"His life is not in any danger. He was healing at an incredible rate, though his injuries were extensive enough that it will still be a few days before he is back to normal, even if the rate of repair holds steady. As soon as we're done here, I will do what I can to help him. Sam is trying to get him to phase back to his human form. That will make treating him easier.† Carlisle smiled slightly. â€Å"I've never been to veterinarian school.† â€Å"What happened to him?† I whispered. â€Å"How bad are his injuries?† Carlisle's face was serious again. â€Å"Another wolf was in trouble -â€Å" â€Å"Leah,† I breathed. â€Å"Yes. He knocked her out of the way, but he didn't have time to defend himself. The newborn got his arms around him. Most of the bones on the right half of his body were shattered.† I flinched. â€Å"Sam and Paul got there in time. He was already improving when they took him back to La Push.† â€Å"He'll be back to normal?† I asked. â€Å"Yes, Bella. He won't have any permanent damage.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Three minutes,† Alice said quietly. I struggled, trying to get vertical. Edward realized what I was doing and helped me to my feet. I stared at the scene in front of me. The Cullens stood in a loose semicircle around the bonfire. There were hardly any flames visible, just the thick, purple-black smoke, hovering like a disease against the bright grass. Jasper stood closest to the solid- seeming haze, in its shadow so that his skin did not glitter brilliantly in the sun the way the others did. He had his back to me, his shoulders tense, his arms slightly extended. There was something there, in his shadow. Something he crouched over with wary intensity. . . . I was too numb to feel more than a mild shock when I realized what it was. There were eight vampires in the clearing. The girl was curled into a small ball beside the flames, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was very young. Younger than me – she looked maybe fifteen, dark-haired and slight. Her eyes were focused on me, and the irises were a shocking, brilliant red. Much brighter than Riley's, almost glowing. They wheeled wildly, out of control. Edward saw my bewildered expression. â€Å"She surrendered,† he told me quietly. â€Å"That's one I've never seen before. Only Carlisle would think of offering. Jasper doesn't approve.† I couldn't tear my gaze away from the scene beside the fire. Jasper was rubbing absently at his left forearm. â€Å"Is Jasper all right?† I whispered. â€Å"He's fine. The venom stings.† â€Å"He was bitten?† I asked, horrified. â€Å"He was trying to be everywhere at once. Trying to make sure Alice had nothing to do, actually.† Edward shook his head. â€Å"Alice doesn't need anyone's help.† Alice grimaced toward her true love. â€Å"Overprotective fool.† The young female suddenly threw her head back like an animal and wailed shrilly. Jasper growled at her and she cringed back, but her fingers dug into the ground like claws and her head whipped back and forth in anguish. Jasper took a step toward her, slipping deeper into his crouch. Edward moved with overdone casualness, turning our bodies so that he was between the girl and me. I peeked around his arm to watch the thrashing girl and Jasper. Carlisle was at Jasper's side in an instant. He put a restraining hand on his most recent son's arm. â€Å"Have you changed your mind, young one?† Carlisle asked, calm as ever. â€Å"We don't want to destroy you, but we will if you can't control yourself.† â€Å"How can you stand it?† the girl groaned in a high, clear voice. â€Å"I want her.† Her bright crimson irises focused on Edward, through him, beyond him to me, and her nails ripped through the hard soil again. â€Å"You must stand it,† Carlisle told her gravely. â€Å"You must exercise control. It is possible, and it is the only thing that will save you now.† The girl clutched her dirt-encrusted hands around her head, yowling quietly. â€Å"Shouldn't we move away from her?† I whispered, tugging on Edward's arm. The girl's lips pulled back over her teeth when she heard my voice, her expression one of torment. â€Å"We have to stay here,† Edward murmured. â€Å"They are coming to the north end of the clearing now.† My heart burst into a sprint as I scanned the clearing, but I couldn't see anything past the thick pall of smoke. After a second of fruitless searching, my gaze crept back to the young female vampire. She was still watching me, her eyes half-mad. I met the girl's stare for a long moment. Chin-length dark hair framed her face, which was alabaster pale. It was hard to tell if her features were beautiful, twisted as they were by rage and thirst. The feral red eyes were dominant – hard to look away from. She glared at me viciously, shuddering and writhing every few seconds. I stared at her, mesmerized, wondering if I were looking into a mirror of my future. Then Carlisle and Jasper began to back toward the rest of us. Emmett, Rosalie, and Esme all converged hastily around where Edward stood with Alice and me. A united front, as Edward had said, with me at the heart, in the safest place. I tore my attention away from the wild girl to search for the approaching monsters. There was stillnothing to see. I glanced at Edward, and his eyes were locked straight ahead. I tried to follow his gaze, but there was only the smoke – dense, oily smoke twisting low to the ground, rising lazily, undulating against the grass. It billowed forward, darker in the middle. â€Å"Hmm,† a dead voice murmured from the mist. I recognized the apathy at once. â€Å"Welcome, Jane.† Edward's tone was coolly courteous. The dark shapes came closer, separating themselves from the haze, solidifying. I knew it would be Jane in the front – the darkest cloak, almost black, and the smallest figure by more than two feet. I could just barely make out Jane's angelic features in the shade of the cowl. The four gray-shrouded figures hulking behind her were also somewhat familiar. I was sure I recognized the biggest one, and while I stared, trying to confirm my suspicion, Felix looked up. He let his hood fall back slightly so that I could see him wink at me and smile. Edward was very still at my side, tightly in control. Jane's gaze moved slowly across the luminous faces of the Cullens and then touched on the newborn girl beside the fire; the newborn had her head in her hands again. â€Å"I don't understand.† Jane's voice was toneless, but not quite as uninterested as before. â€Å"She has surrendered,† Edward explained, answering the confusion in her mind. Jane's dark eyes flashed to his face. â€Å"Surrendered?† Felix and another shadow exchanged a quick glance. Edward shrugged. â€Å"Carlisle gave her the option.† â€Å"There are no options for those who break the rules,† Jane said flatly. Carlisle spoke then, his voice mild. â€Å"That's in your hands. As long as she was willing to halt her attack on us, I saw no need to destroy her. She was never taught.† â€Å"That is irrelevant,† Jane insisted. â€Å"As you wish.† Jane stared at Carlisle in consternation. She shook her head infinitesimally, and then composed her features. â€Å"Aro hoped that we would get far enough west to see you, Carlisle. He sends his regards.† Carlisle nodded. â€Å"I would appreciate it if you would convey mine to him.† â€Å"Of course.† Jane smiled. Her face was almost too lovely when it was animated. She looked back toward the smoke. â€Å"It appears that you've done our work for us today . . . for the most part.† Her eyes flickered to the hostage. â€Å"Just out of professional curiosity, how many were there? They left quite a wake of destruction in Seattle.† â€Å"Eighteen, including this one,† Carlisle answered. Jane's eyes widened, and she looked at the fire again, seeming to reassess the size of it. Felix and the other shadow exchanged a longer glance. â€Å"Eighteen?† she repeated, her voice sounding unsure for the first time. â€Å"All brand-new,† Carlisle said dismissively. â€Å"They were unskilled.† â€Å"All?† Her voice turned sharp. â€Å"Then who was their creator?† â€Å"Her name was Victoria,† Edward answered, no emotion in his voice. â€Å"Was?† Jane asked. Edward inclined his head toward the eastern forest. Jane's eyes snapped up and focused on something far in the distance. The other pillar of smoke? I didn't look away to check. Jane stared to the east for a long moment, and then examined the closer bonfire again. â€Å"This Victoria – she was in addition to the eighteen here?† â€Å"Yes. She had only one other with her. He was not as young as this one here, but no older than a year.† â€Å"Twenty,† Jane breathed. â€Å"Who dealt with the creator?† â€Å"I did,† Edward told her. Jane's eyes narrowed, and she turned to the girl beside the fire. â€Å"You there,† she said, her dead voice harsher than before. â€Å"Your name.† The newborn shot a baleful glare at Jane, her lips pressed tightly together. Jane smiled back angelically. The newborn girl's answering scream was ear-piercing; her body arched stiffly into a distorted, unnatural position. I looked away, fighting the urge to cover my ears. I gritted my teeth, hoping to control my stomach. The screaming intensified. I tried to concentrate on Edward's face, smooth and unemotional, but that made me remember when it had been Edward under Jane's torturing gaze, and I felt sicker. I looked at Alice instead, and Esme next to her. Their faces were as empty as his. Finally, it was quiet. â€Å"Your name,† Jane said again, her voice inflectionless. â€Å"Bree,† the girl gasped. Jane smiled, and the girl shrieked again. I held my breath until the sound of her agony stopped. â€Å"She'll tell you anything you want to know,† Edward said through his teeth. â€Å"You don't have to do that.† Jane looked up, sudden humor in her usually dead eyes. â€Å"Oh, I know,† she said to Edward, grinning at him before she turned back to the young vampire, Bree. â€Å"Bree,† Jane said, her voice cold again. â€Å"Is his story true? Were there twenty of you?† The girl lay panting, the side of her face pressed against the earth. She spoke quickly. â€Å"Nineteen or twenty, maybe more, I don't know!† She cringed, terrified that her ignorance might bring on another round of torture. â€Å"Sara and the one whose name I don't know got in a fight on the way. . . .† â€Å"And this Victoria – did she create you?† â€Å"I don't know,† she said, flinching again. â€Å"Riley never said her name. I didn't see that night . . . it was so dark, and it hurt. . . .† Bree shuddered. â€Å"He didn't want us to be able to think of her. He said that our thoughts weren't safe. . . .† Jane's eyes flickered to Edward, and then back to the girl. Victoria had planned this well. If she hadn't followed Edward, there would have been no way to know for certain that she was involved. . . . â€Å"Tell me about Riley,† Jane said. â€Å"Why did he bring you here?† â€Å"Riley told us that we had to destroy the strange yellow-eyes here,† Bree babbled quickly and willingly. â€Å"He said it would be easy. He said that the city was theirs, and they were coming to get us. He said once they were gone, all the blood would be ours. He gave us her scent.† Bree lifted one hand and stabbed a finger in my direction. â€Å"He said we would know that we had the right coven, because she would be with them. He said whoever got to her first could have her.† I heard Edward's jaw flex beside me. â€Å"It looks like Riley was wrong about the easy part,† Jane noted. Bree nodded, seeming relieved that the conversation had taken this non-painful course. She sat up carefully. â€Å"I don't know what happened. We split up, but the others never came. And Riley left us, and he didn't come to help like he promised. And then it was so confusing, and everybody was in pieces.† She shuddered again. â€Å"I was afraid. I wanted to run away. That one† – she looked at Carlisle – â€Å"said they wouldn't hurt me if I stopped fighting.† â€Å"Ah, but that wasn't his gift to offer, young one,† Jane murmured, her voice oddly gentle now. â€Å"Broken rules demand a consequence.† Bree stared at her, not comprehending. Jane looked at Carlisle. â€Å"Are you sure you got all of them? The other half that split off?† Carlisle's face was very smooth as he nodded. â€Å"We split up, too.† Jane half-smiled. â€Å"I can't deny that I'm impressed.† The big shadows behind her murmured in agreement. â€Å"I've never seen a coven escape this magnitude of offensive intact. Do you know what was behind it? It seems like extreme behavior, considering the way you live here. And why was the girl the key?† Her eyes rested unwilling on me for one short second. I shivered. â€Å"Victoria held a grudge against Bella,† Edward told her, his voice impassive. Jane laughed – the sound was golden, the bubbling laugh of a happy child. â€Å"This one seems to bring out bizarrely strong reactions in our kind,† she observed, smiling directly at me, her face beatific. Edward stiffened. I looked at him in time to see his face turning away, back to Jane. â€Å"Would you please not do that?† he asked in a tight voice. Jane laughed again lightly. â€Å"Just checking. No harm done, apparently.† I shivered, deeply grateful that the strange glitch in my system – which had protected me from Jane the last time we'd met – was still in effect. Edward's arm tightened around me. â€Å"Well, it appears that there's not much left for us to do. Odd,† Jane said, apathy creeping back into her voice. â€Å"We're not used to being rendered unnecessary. It's too bad we missed the fight. It sounds like it would have been entertaining to watch.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward answered her quickly, his voice sharp. â€Å"And you were so close. It's a shame you didn't arrive just a half hour earlier. Perhaps then you could have fulfilled your purpose here.† Jane met Edward's glare with unwavering eyes. â€Å"Yes. Quite a pity how things turned out, isn't it?† Edward nodded once to himself, his suspicions confirmed. Jane turned to look at the newborn Bree again, her face completely bored. â€Å"Felix?† she drawled. â€Å"Wait,† Edward interjected. Jane raised one eyebrow, but Edward was staring at Carlisle while he spoke in an urgent voice. â€Å"We could explain the rules to the young one. She doesn't seem unwilling to learn. She didn't know what she was doing.† â€Å"Of course,† Carlisle answered. â€Å"We would certainly be prepared to take responsibility for Bree.† Jane's expression was torn between amusement and disbelief. â€Å"We don't make exceptions,† she said. â€Å"And we don't give second chances. It's bad for our reputation. Which reminds me . . .† Suddenly, her eyes were on me again, and her cherubic face dimpled. â€Å"Caius will be so interested to hear that you're still human, Bella. Perhaps he'll decide to visit.† â€Å"The date is set,† Alice told Jane, speaking for the first time. â€Å"Perhaps we'll come to visit you in a few months.† Jane's smile faded, and she shrugged indifferently, never looking at Alice. She turned to face Carlisle. â€Å"It was nice to meet you, Carlisle – I'd thought Aro was exaggerating. Well, until we meet again . . .† Carlisle nodded, his expression pained. â€Å"Take care of that, Felix,† Jane said, nodding toward Bree, her voice dripping boredom. â€Å"I want to go home.† â€Å"Don't watch,† Edward whispered in my ear. I was only too eager to follow his instruction. I'd seen more than enough for one day – more than enough for one lifetime. I squeezed my eyes tightly together and turned my face into Edward's chest. But I could still hear. There was a deep, rumbling growl, and then a high-pitched keen that was horribly familiar. That sound cut off quickly, and then the only sound was a sickening crunching and snapping. Edward's hand rubbed anxiously against my shoulders. â€Å"Come,† Jane said, and I looked up in time to see the backs of the tall gray cloaks drifting away toward the curling smoke. The incense smell was strong again – fresh. The gray cloaks disappeared into the thick mist.

Politics

Nowadays mass media plays significant role within the society structure and has grand influence on its development. Media already is tightly intervened with all the spheres of our everyday life. It is generally accepted that the press form public opinion and understanding. Media also has the power to shape even the country’s policy. Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman examine all these burning questions and give even more information in their book â€Å"The Press Effect: Politicians, Journalists and the Stories that Shape the Political World†. Their central thesis is that the stories the press tells are shaped not by a â€Å"liberal agenda† or a â€Å"right wing conspiracy† but rather by the desire, even pressure, to cast the news in a dramatic, easily packaged form.Jamieson and Waldman produce an incisive analysis of political media coverage, and how the press and the people both fail to think critically about one of the most important components of o ur political process – politicized media. â€Å"The Press Effect† makes a nonpartisan, well-documented, and very persuasive case that the mainstream media doesn’t so much report the news as create it. Focusing mostly on the 2000 presidential campaign and its aftermath, and on coverage of 9/11, the book also touches on historical issues and their presentation as well.Wide-ranging and accessible, â€Å"The Press Effect† is a must for news junkies and political buffs, and an excellent addition to any journalism, social studies, or government classroom. To illustrate more vividly the events the authors represent numerous recent examples, from media participation in spreading fabrications during the election campaign to the weight of journalists on the outcome of the 2000 presidential election in the United States.Too often, authors argue, reporters merely analyze the strategies used by the opposing instead of sorting out the facts behind the issues. While ack nowledging that the truth can be indefinable and very subtle, the authors cite a few exemplary cases of journalistic truthfulness and reliability and fact-finding. This important book, makes obvious the fact that media misrepresentation is far too complex and subtle to be explained by mere liberal or conservative bias, belongs in all journalism collections.The authors of â€Å"The Press Effect† suggests that the media frames issues and political figures in a way that their future stories on the matters or subjects will tend to fit neatly inside the predetermined scene. In view of the fact that the media is a follow-the-leader game, once a frame takes hold it doesn't let go very easily. Jamieson and Waldman utilize this speculation mainly to explore the 2000 Election between Gore and Bush.Unfortunately, there are simply no trustworthy ways of establishing definite effects of media products on public, opinions, attitudes or behavior. There are few credible analyses of how diffe rent media events, or the outcomes of particular media organizations, produced particular perceptions in media audiences. Taking into consideration the conformity between media representations and public opinion considered within the work â€Å"The Press Effect† puts an interesting question and not an answer.All in all, the title of the work is rather bold, for it speaks for itself and highlights how important the press is in shaping not only politics but also the society structure. But, apteral, it is not very understandable who is telling these â€Å"stories† that actually shape the political world and who in point of fact are the authors of them, or where they come from. Authors of this work also represent a critique of the media’s deep inclination for close psychological examination of foremost celebrities. In addition they review in brief some techniques of media effects research that are being used throughout the media world, at the same time emphasizing t heir confines and flaws.They pay attention to the fact what qualities a story should possess to influence strongly the public opinion. But what they are describing is better viewed as connections, mediated in both directions through political characters, representatives of press and public, rather than as direct causal effects. Yet Jamieson and Waldman do try to build up a more detailed approach. They combine critiques of media content with analysis of political rhetorical strategies, including opinion and survey data, thus the authors build up a persuasive and disturbing illustration of media unfairness and of  failure to tell the full story. In other words they what to communicate to the reader that not always the media is a liable source of getting true information.Nevertheless, throughout the book the authors make references to praiseworthy exceptions and admit that there are still many professionals  whose commitment to truth is undisputable. But we should mark that the pre vailing idea of Jamieson and Waldman’s study is to raise deep concern about the state of health of American journalism.Jamieson and Waldman outline six critical and very essential functions that the media and the press in particular perform in American society: storyteller, amateur psychologist, soothsayer, and shaper of events, patriot, and custodian of fact.In a function of a storyteller driving by the natural desire to tell a consistent story, journalists have a natural inclination to omit information that is somehow at odds with the general scene. For example, social scientists tell that the media circles create a particular outline or a frame for an event or a person, and all the data that does not comply with this frame is very often tends to be neglected. As an example we make take the following fact from the analyzed book. During the 2000 election course Gore was represented, as a liar so any report he made that could not be verified at once was believed to be a misre presentation.Bush on the other hand appeared as an intellectually challenged person with a lack of knowledge. Consequently, we seethe confirmation to the statements relayed within the â€Å"Press Effect† the media can easily shape the character either true or misinterpreted but it is immediately is believed by the public and it is very difficult to change that formed image. Here we may firmly assert that the media failed to serve the public in way of representing vital and burning information.As the Amateur Psychologist the media makes sometimes a monkey business. Rather than examining essential facts and characters the press instead analyzes the motives and strategies of moves made by a political figure sometimes irrelevant to the moment. The result is that an emphasis is made not on issues of importance, but on questions of technique and strategy. Very often the media seizes such facts as what one particular figure is wearing and how it moves rather than the aim he is tryin g to achieve.Even today, if one political figure announces a new program or political agenda, the mass media is inclined to focus its attention on analyzing why he chooses this particular moment to make the announcement rather than to analyze the suggestion itself. Again we wee that the authors try to communicate to us that the media fails to serve the public especially when it attempts to attribute motives to politicians instead of analyzing their proceedings and their policies.Taking into consideration the function of a custodian of fact imputed to the media it is important to say that it is a natural task of the mass media to explain or even uncover the data, hypothesis, and calculations behind declarations made by political figures in an election or officials in their offices. The media again fails to serve in relaying information to the public when it accepts the basically prejudiced accounts of a political actor and transfers them to the public without challenge.The authors pu t the question whether it is a fault of media in its unsuccessfulness. In fact, it is the blunder of all three participants within the structure of political system: politicians, mass media, and the electorate. Jamieson and Waldman conclude by stating, â€Å"We believe that if democracy is to thrive, holding journalists to the highest standards is not only reasonable but essential†. It has been observed on many occasions that we â€Å"get the government we deserve†, Jamieson and Waldman make a strong statement that we â€Å"get the media we deserve† as well.The key concept within the work is â€Å"framing,† which seeks to define what aspects of particular stories are given weight in their telling in the media. Analyzing print and broadcast media on a series of  issues over elections 2000, the authors reveal how story may shape the whole attitude of the public. Media coverage of the 2000 presidential election campaign is often said to have assumed the ou tline of Gore-as-liar and Bush-as-stupid. In part, it is attributed to the media’s need for personality profiling. In describing how the media treated recent political chapters, Jamieson and Waldman are being neither exceptional nor exceptionable.Jamieson and Waldman observe, reasonably, that the press highlights political strategy over policy and also how and why, rather than the what and who. But they are on icy ground when they claim that the responsibility of the press is to determine whose claims were correct. Policies, and any judgments on them, are matters of interpretation rather than statements of fact. The authors are definitely correct to say that media representatives play an essential role in serving the public make sense of policy choices, but that may as often involve judgments on motivation as arbitrations on fact.Telling stories is a bulky part of how we cooperate and how we make sense of things. It is rather significant to take into consideration the specifi c role of the press and to measure its performance against stated standards. It is a different thing to dispute that the press is the strongest linkage in the story-generating chain or to argue that it is deviating from its primary responsibility in telling stories or to argue that it accommodates too comfortably to the politically dominant story-frames. Jamieson and Waldman are ambitious and daring in seeking to argue all of these schemes, and even more. In addition, they offer much helpful evidence that others will want to scrutinize too. But, on balance, their case is unproven.As to investigate the issue further we should say that one of the most troublesome things about journalism nowadays is how normally and regularly lies and misrepresentations broadcasted on all sides of the political scale. To a great extent, this is the fault of journalists, whose primary job is or has to be to find out and report the truth about the most important issues of the day. Democracy is not suppos ed to function in well-organized manner if the public is constantly misinformed.Simply giving account of few opposing views also does not help the public find out the truth. There is general tendency that truth telling has to be rewarded and deception has to be punished. Unfortunately, this is not happening now, it is just the goal we are trying to achieve. The task of a real journalist is not to repeat the â€Å"spin† but to find the truth of the particular event and communicate it to public.Here we are bound to cite the authors of the â€Å"Press Effect† â€Å"Reporters should help the public make sense of competing political arguments by defining terms, filling in needed information, assessing the accuracy of the evidence being offered, and relating the claims and counterclaims to the probable impact of the proposed policies on citizens and the country†. Undoubtedly this is the hard work to do. It is much easier to make emphasis on the horse race and characte rs than to give a definite account and analytical information on the subject.Concluding we may say that this book can be of use not only for amateur readers but also for all journalists and concerned citizens. It gives an interesting and new approach to the problem of mass media truthfulness. It makes one think it over again about the facts we see on the TV, read in newspapers and listen over the radio. It gives the food for meditation over the fact whether we should rely completely on the media sources. â€Å"Press Effect† is the right book for those readers who are just entering the subject of media and are freshmen to the topic.In â€Å"The Press Effect†, Jamieson and Waldman carefully document the interaction between politicians or other political actors, such as press secretaries or campaign consultants and the media in the process of building up an overall message that is supposed to be communicated to the public. From the first sight it may probably come to one' s surprise that the media have actually failed in their task to both politicians and the public. But why and how it is still for us to decide.In this scrupulously researched and documented work Jamieson and Waldman have represented a chain of problems that come about when the media let down the public. The most noticeable and evident effects of this malfunction embrace cynicism about political figures in general, distrust of the government, doubt in the objectivity of journalists, and actually overall voter indifference. In about 200 pages of prose Jamieson and Waldman describe the causes, history, and consequences of the mass media's failures, including well-documented and unbiased examples.Jamieson and Waldman show that when political campaigns evade or reject to engage the facts of the opposing side, the press often fails to step into the void with the information citizens require to make sense of. â€Å"The Press Effect† is, ultimately, a wide-ranging critique of the pres s's role in mediating between politicians and the citizens they are supposed to serve.Reference:1.Brian Trench, reviewed. The Press Effect: Politicians, Journalists, and the Stories That Shape the Political World by Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Paul Waldman. Logos. Spring 20032.Eytan, Gilboa. Media and Conflict: Framing Issues, Making Policy, Shaping Opinions. Ardsley, NY: Transnational Pub Inc: 2002.3. World In Crisis, Media In Conflict. Database on www.mediachannel.org.   (last accessed February 13, 2006)