The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman - 1423 Words

The terms â€Å"social status† and â€Å"influence† are two that go hand in hand. When one is given a high ranking on the social ladder, they are also given influence, a powerful tool that can be used for good, but also as a weapon if mishandled (which it often is). Many things in society make up social status and can also be found to have a direct relationship with influence, including wealth, sex, age, profession, education, and even race. In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, this correlation and abuse of influence is portrayed through an inside look into the deteriorating mind of a woman whose life is being controlled by her influential, high in social status husband. Although he believes that he is doing the†¦show more content†¦Even most college professors hold a doctoral degree. Society regards anyone with the title of â€Å"doctor† to a much higher standard than anyone else. An excellent example of thi s is in Gilman’s story, in which a doctor (who is also her husband) diagnoses her with hysteria and prescribes her a treatment of solitude. Although she believes otherwise, she must listen to her husband for two reasons: he is male and he is a doctor, two titles that deem him to have more influence than she does. However, this â€Å"treatment† only makes matters worse and her condition proceeds to decline throughout the course of the text. The concept of solitude was at that time known as the â€Å"rest cure.† It was recommended that women diagnosed with the condition of hysteria be isolated from anything that may set them off. In the story, the main character was not allowed to leave the room much, if at all. However, instead of curing her, it drove her crazy. This deterioration of her health can easily be compared to Michael Foucauld’s idea of panopticism. Panopticism was based off a real structure known as the panopticon. In the eighteenth century, it was a prison laid out in such a way that the prisoners could be seen, yet could not see whom it was that was looking at them. Similar in concept to the two-way mirror used in police stations, the prisoners knew that they were being watched, but could not see it for themselves. The

Patriotic Sentiment and National Pride in Panama Canal Assignment

Essays on Patriotic Sentiment and National Pride in Panama Canal Assignment The paper "Patriotic Sentiment and National Pride in the Panama Canal" is a wonderful example of an assignment on history. The intense patriotic sentiment and national pride in the Panama Canal started after the end of the Suez Canal. The project started in 1904 with the guidance of chief engineer John Wallace. In as much as it started under praises and hope of success from the Suez Canal, several challenges prevailed to both European and Spanish laborers. The film A Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama shares these sentiments with Julie Greene’s book Spaniards on the Silver Roll: Labor Troubles and Liminality in the Panama Canal Zone, 1904-1914.   In the film, the building of the canal gets guided by smart people without the wisdom to harmonize different cultures. The deadly look through Nova’s eye brings into perspective a 30-year-old period of torment. The human trap in the film leads to the death of many laborers mainly European and Spanish labourers1. They have no access to information, are victims of corruption and discrimination in terms of payment. For example, many laborers received 10 cents an hour, an amount not able to sustain anybody.The racial segregation in the book also unveils the imperial and complex labor issues in the Canal Zone. Green notes that laborers have the opportunity to suffer but cannot air their grievances. For example, when the Spaniards protest against the right to eat in the job, a foreman suspends 500 people for insubordination2. The high number of workers raises many labor concerns; however, race and nationality take priority during the construction period. Interestingly, recruitment a gents promise heavens despite the deplorable conditions. Worse of all, laborers have no protection from the police or any labor unions.

Sustainable Construction

Question: Describe about the Sustainable Construction? Answer: Introduction Sustainability is one of the most important aspects any development and the concern as well as essentiality of sustainability are constantly increasing. The construction is one of the significant parts of the development; with the help of this construction process the building of necessary infrastructure can be possible. From a long period of time the construction is taking place. Several structures of monument, building and bridges were constructed throughout the year. Several different types of construction can be founded (Aydin, Casey and Riffat, 2015). Some of the constructions are remaining; however, some of the old constructions are demolishing. In this point the sustainable construction is emerging as a refurbish concept of the civil construction engineering. Sustainability was always one of the main parameter of the construction process; however, currently its importance is increasing considerably. The construction of the embankment is very significant as these keep the water of flood and protect the adjacent civilization from the flood. The intrinsic stability of an embankment usually is secured if the embankment is designed as well as constructed according to the guideline (Djokoto, Dadzie and Ohemeng-Ababio, 2013). A sustainable slope gradient is a purpose of the kind of material as well as the height of the embankment. This particular paper will emphasize on the process of securing the stability of the embanking as well as improving the integrity of the flood defence. Main context Review of the issues and various design option The situation under consideration puts it simply that the embankments on the river banks face a risk of flood and therefore needs to be protected in way so that it can be sustainable. The company needs to analyse and evaluate all the roles of strategic overview that would help in mitigating the risks associated with flooding like that of river overflow, sea, groundwater, reservoirs or other surface water. One thing is to be kept in mind that since flooding is a natural event, no matter how many precautions one takes; there is no way of totally preventing it. The only way of preventing the impacts of flood is to make the embankments sustainable enough to overcome the harm caused by it. In order to manage the risks that accompany the flooding, one needs to take the necessary steps (Lutton, 2010). One of the very basic factors is that of investment. The company along with the government needs to make long-term investments for the embankments in order to make them sustainable for a long period of time. The overall risk of flood can be reduced by keeping a regular check on the embankments and improving their condition through investment. Another way of reducing the risk of flood is to locate the properties of construction outside the floodplain (Klijn and Schweckendiek, 2013). Therefore the strategy required for development control need to be mastered. Since this is not applicable in this particular case, thus the management needs to concentrate more on developing the embankments through the application of new technologies and other strategies of developing the areas at risk. The other strategies that can be used to protect the risk prone areas and make them sustainable are Landscaped Floodwalls, Perth Flood Alleviation Scheme etc (Withington, 2013). Secure the stability of the embanking The stability of the embankment depends on the functionality of the materials used in slope gradient as well as on the height of the embankment. The height of the embankment is measured to be the total height from ground to track that is the embankment up to the arrangement, frost guard layer and reinforcing layer along with the blast. The subsoil should have satisfactory level of load bearing capacity and should not have any sustainability issues (Kennedy, 2004). As per the rule the complete sustainability of the embankment can be determined by the condition of the ground and mainly the strength parameter of the ground. This specific condition may hinder the capacity of the potential weight of the embankment and it lead to the changing the design scenarios. Some time special measurement standard is needed for securing the stability of the embankment (Sustainable Steel - Policy and Indicators 2014 published, 2014). At the time embankments use to be constructed on terrain with a verti cal side slope, the local sustainability at the embankment base should be given specific attention. Good connection between the embankment as well as underlying ground must be secured. At the time the ground slope is more vertical than 1:3, the base should be rock-hard according the principles of constructing embankments. It may be essential to graze the rock to give a key (Kibert, 2013). The stabilisation standard may be segregated into two premier groups: first one is the measurement of the decreasing stresses in the ground. These can be happened throughout the constriction of breams, the bream are constructed with by the cross fallout from the road. Improve the integrity of the flood defences The flood defences such as floodwall can be integrated by constructing it with concrete materials like that of brick, masonry, sheet piling etc. In case of sheet piles, the most common material that is put to use is that of Steel. The steel needs to be galvanized in such a way so that it becomes rock hard and stainless at the same moment. The stainlessness of the steel will protect it from being affected by the water and thus there would be no erosion (Pender, 2010). This would ensure that no matter how long the flood reigns, the material used for the protection of the particular site and village under construction would not be harmed because of its longevity. Another technique of integrating the flood defences is by constructing them from the depth of the earth and making their base very strong so that the force with which flood water affects the defences can be gulped by it without undergoing any kind of destruction. The core needs to be made of clay as that would make the flood de fence quite strong and would help in the reduction of the seepage through the embankment. The temporary barrier for flood defence that is used in many cases is often a compilation of numerous sandbags that acts like a sponge and holds the water inside its pores. But this is not very strong and thus the people and property at risk cannot be considered safe even for that temporary period of time (Sayers, 2012). Moreover this type of construction is not well integrated and thus cannot provide quality watertight defence and also on the other hand requires a lot of effort or manpower in order to be erected when emergency situation arises and also removed when there is no need for it anymore. Integration of the defences provides for a long-term protection of the place and people that are under risk and this is the reason why it is availed and applied by many companies or organizations that endeavour to protect the environment from the negative effects of flood. Comparison of the schemes Both the integration of a flood defence along with the stability that it needs to have in order to protect the property and people at risk of the flood are both important in an equal way. But there are many a time when one needs to be given more priority than the other. Integration would ensure that the flood defence would be able to overcome the impact of the flood no matter how strong it is (Mutel, 2010). But without stability, each and every year during the time of flood, the flood defences would need to be constructed again in the same fashion which is not possible or feasible under any circumstances. Integration processes can be incorporated on the flood defences with the passage of time if they sustain the effects of the flood in a stable manner. Thus it can be understood that if the defences are not stable enough then they cannot be integrated as they would not be present after taking the effect of the impact of flood (Jha, Bloch and Lamond, 2012). Therefore in a way stability and sustainability of the flood defences are of much more priority as it is the basic requirement. Once the sustainability and stability factor of a flood defence is improved, it can be slowly and steadily improved and integrated. This would keep on lowering the level of risk with the passage of time. Thus in this case also priority needs to be given to improving the stability of the flood defences so that they can sustain themselves without undergoing much erosion and thereby protecting the property and people for long term purpose. Conclusion The embankment construction is most important as it help to enhance the integrity of the flood defence. The effect of pore water pressure use to be acted as the slice on the sustainability of the embankment. In addition to that, this can be accomplished by the development of two processes as well as applying the formula to numerous practice cases. On the basis of the outcome of the research study numerous conclusions can be drawn(Li et al., 2014). Primarily the magnitudes of the useful horizontal thrust as well as shear forces originated at the inner portion at the time of the inducing of the pore water pressure forces. This has stated that the pore water pressure grew have an impact on the values of the other inner portion forces. Secondly the addition of the net water pressure forces in the sustainability analysis of the embankment investigation clearly demonstrate that the activities of the water pressure forces deliver for promoting instability(Radzi and Droege, 2014). Thirdly, t he accepted practice among the geotechnical engineers for resolving the pressure of the water within a provided portion of inner slice in the direction of the usual at the slice base for the optimization of its value constitute grave mistake. References Sustainable Steel - Policy and Indicators 2014 published. (2014).Steel Construction, 7(4), pp.273-273. Aydin, D., Casey, S. and Riffat, S. (2015). The latest advancements on thermochemical heat storage systems.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 41, pp.356-367. Djokoto, S., Dadzie, J. and Ohemeng-Ababio, E. (2013). Barriers to Sustainable Construction in the Ghanaian Construction Industry: Consultants Perspectives.JSD, 7(1). Kennedy, J. (2004).Building without borders. Gabriola, B.C.: New Society Publishers. Kibert, C. (2013).Sustainable construction. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Li, W., Yao, H., Wang, H. and Wang, Z. (2014). Latest development status of offshore wind power in ChinaThe perspective of developers.J. Renewable Sustainable Energy, 6(5), p.053138. Radzi, A. and Droege, P. (2014). Latest Perspectives on Global Renewable Energy Policies.Current Sustainable/Renewable Energy Reports, 1(3), pp.85-93. Lutton, M. (2010).Land drainage and flood defence responsibilities. London: Thomas Telford. Klijn, F. and Schweckendiek, T. (2013).Comprehensive flood risk management. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Pender, G. (2010).Flood risk science and management. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. Sayers, P. (2012).Flood risk. London: ICE Publishing. Withington, J. (2013).Flood. London, UK: Reaktion Books. Jha, A., Bloch, R. and Lamond, J. (2012).Cities and flooding. Washington, D.C.: World Bank. Mutel, C. (2010).A watershed year. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press

World Food Supplies Essays - Crops, Food Security, Rice, Food

World Food Supplies While there are many issues concerning world food supplies, I will concentrate the efforts here on two main issues. The idea of a country having a surplus of food in one region and starvation in another region brings up the idea that transportation is a major problem in some areas. The concepts of new plant technologies greatly widen the areas in which food supplies can be grown and the number of crops that can be harvested from them. These issues are of great importance, but should not overshadow other equally important issues. As an example, let's look at the country of Kenya, while they possess a veritable Eden of growing areas they are currently suffering from starvation in some areas. The question of why has a simple answer. The food grown in the rich fertile areas is not being transported to the regions that need it desperately. This poor transportation of food stems partly from the poor roads and road maintenance which exists and partly from the political turmoil which should be funding the trucks and personnel to get the food to these people. The United Nations has entered the scene and is trying to get the funding appropriated correctly for these efforts, but they are meeting heavy resistance from the current president and his people. The Kenyan climate is perfect for growing all year round and there should be no reason for the lack of food in a region except for the special cases, such as flooding or other natural disasters. The flooding is the cause for this years problems, although much of the co untry celebrated a bountiful harvest. Just as this example shows much of the food supply problems come from the unavailability of food in one area, which could be easily corrected by supplying food from nearby regions who have not suffered and who are quite willing to help in many cases. The main obstacle is convincing local governments that this is necessary and prudent action. The other issue will be that of newer plant technologies, by this I mean genetically engineered plants which are disease-resistant and high yield. Many of today's Plant Pathologists are working hard and coming up with great strains of hybrids which can resist pest and are disease resistant, which in turn cuts the amount of effort put forth in pest management. They are also working with strains of plants which will improve the annual yield of each plant. The downside here is that many of the funding institutions and money holders want to improve the yield of popular crops such as tomatoes instead of the staple crops like rice, corn, and wheat. Unfortunately these are being over looked for great enhancements by crops which are the big money crops. As usual he who has the money wants more of it, which leaves out many of the smaller institutions for the research capability despite their willingness to make a change. If we as a world population could change just these two issues there would less of a problem with world hunger and the dispersion of food to those who need it desperately. And those remaining would be closer to an answer for their problems.

fireball

fireball Theme Paragraph for Hold FastKyle Sawyer, Block:B, November.18thIn facing adversity a person's strength and determination will allow them to take control of their own destiny. For example, when Michael comes home late from a date with Brenda his Uncle Ted finds out and threatens Michael that if Curtis ever did that he'd "have his ass red enough by now. And [he] got a damn good mind to try it on" Michael. Pg 107. But Michael stands up to Ted's shaking fist in the air intimidating Ted to hit him, with Michael teasing Ted by saying "com'on, com'on hit me"! Ted gets even angrier because Michael is standing up to him but he walks away. Michael showed strength and determination standing up to Ted because he did not want Ted to control him and whom he was. Secondly, Michael is in English class when Kentson and his friends start teasing him about going out with Brenda.Michael, being the only one standing up to him lets Kentson know to "keep [his] tongue quiet if [he] knows what's good for [h im]". Pg. 117. Kentson continued and then Michael took "One smack and sent him sailing back over the seats". Pg. 118. Michael was determined to not have Kentson tease anyone again and he showed strength in standing up to Kentson when no one else had. Thirdly, When Michael comes home from school after being expelled for giving Kentson a concussion, Ted finds out and is furious. Ted yells at Michael and "made a lunge for [Michael]. Grabbing [his] shoulders and rammed [him] up against the kitchen wall banging [his] head in." Pg. 140. As soon as Ted let Michael drop, Michael screamed telling Ted "Don't you offer to lay another finger on me! Don't you offer or I'll have...

Proper Word Order to Enable Parallel Structure

Proper Word Order to Enable Parallel Structure Proper Word Order to Enable Parallel Structure Proper Word Order to Enable Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol Sometimes, word order in a sentence does not interfere significantly with comprehension of the sentence, but it does produce an awkward obstacle to clean reading. Here are several flawed sentences that require only a simple transposition of words to become syntactically valid. Each is followed by a discussion and a revision. 1. Foods on the list below should either go into the compost bin or the trash. When either precedes the operative verb go, the implication is that the counterpoint will lead from a second, distinct verb or verb phrase, such as in the version â€Å"Foods on the list below should either go into either the compost bin or be tossed into the trash.† (At the least, the original sentence should repeat into before â€Å"the trash.†) But if go is to apply to both choices, either should follow the verb: â€Å"Foods on the list below should go into either the compost bin or the trash.† 2. This publication is neither intended to be a legal analysis nor a detailed cookbook of steps to take in every situation. The same idea applies to use of either’s antonym, neither, which should follow, not precede, the verb â€Å"to be†: â€Å"This publication is intended to be neither a legal analysis nor a detailed cookbook of steps to take in every situation.† An alternative is to revise as follows, in which case not can come before â€Å"to be†: â€Å"This publication is not intended to be a legal analysis or a detailed cookbook of steps to take in every situation.† 3. They may not only give insight into what to expect, but also how to handle situations that may arise. Because give applies to both the point and the counterpoint, it should precede both components of the sentence, and into should be repeated: â€Å"They may give insight not only into what to expect but also into how to handle situations that may arise.† (Note, too, that the comma between the components is extraneous.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.Telling a Good Poem from a Bad One55 "House" Idioms

Wesfamers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Wesfamers - Essay Example It provides an in-depth knowledge regarding an entity or an issue or an event to the individuals, which helps them to build conception regarding the same. A company listed under stock exchange has to provide information to its stakeholders so as to keep them updated regarding the performance. This company has to maintain flow of information to its stakeholders as they have to comply with the rules and regulations that are formulated by the higher authorities of stock exchange (Westbrook 7). This information is a medium of communication of the stakeholders with the company. This helps in changing the view point of the stakeholders towards the company. Here, stakeholders refer to customers, employees, shareholders, media, investment community and the bankers. For the companies, which are registered under stock exchanges, information is described as the disclosure as it has direct or indirect impact on its stock price. Information has many forms from announcements to accounting numbers, which depicts achievements of the company, its descriptive activities and different corporate functions that are essential for its operation (Westbrook 7). Communication theory was first established by the famous Greek Philosophers Aristotle and Plato. They had discovered three components as the art of disclosure such as grammar, logic and rhetoric. In the context of corporate communication, rhetoric aims at establishing a relationship between the information that are shared by the company and the way they are communicated to the general public. Presently, the information age had influenced the traditional media and it is challenged by the online source of information. The stock exchanges release data and information regarding company stock performance, which comply with the rules and regulations (Westbrook 7-9) in their website. This information assists the stakeholders to make appropriate decisions regarding any investment. The stakeholders belong to two

Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing Essay

Developing Autonomous Practice in Mental Health Nursing - Essay Example Assessment in mental health nursing is something that is most understood through its application in the case of a patient. In relation, this essay will then examine case of a patient with Paranoid Schizophrenia, who was the patient during my community placement. Performed in a form of a case study, this essay will pay attention to the patient`s psychiatric and personal history. The current sociological, psychological and physiological needs of the patient will be also examined from the point of view of therapeutic approaches. Moreover, this essay aims to demonstrate how the nursing therapeutic approaches work in practice and develop a deeper understanding of applying some therapeutic methods in the care of individuals suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. More specifically, this paper will utilize Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as the main guiding theory or theoretical perspective in the assessment and intervention processes. In addition, the goal of the paper is to examine the role of the nurse, especially as a health educator, in caring for the mentally ill patient. Finally, this paper will discuss therapeutic nursing interventions, assessment of needs, and patient`s progress, analyze the therapeutic efficacy of environment where the patient is being cared for. Case Study Patient’s Background and History As mentioned, the case to be studied involves schizophrenia. This condition is usually diagnosed in adolescents or young patients. In some cases, it can even manifest in the person’s earlier years of life. The peak incidence for the onset of the disease lies between 15 and 25 years for men and 25 to 35 years for women (America Psychiatric Association, 2004). More specifically, this case study will involve the case of Patrick Jones (pseudonym; the name of the patient is changed for confidentiality), a 25 years old who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia last year. Paranoid schizophrenia is considered to be the most common type of schizophrenia all over the world. The clinical picture of this condition is characterized by delusions, paranoia. As with most paranoid schizophrenic patients, Patrick Jones usually has perceptual disturbances and hallucinations, generally of the auditory type. Two months before Patrick was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, his girlfriend was killed by a gang committing acts of violence in the neighbourhood. Patrick`s relatives and friends were concerned about his constant complaints of abdominal pain and headache. He experien ced severe appetite loss and as a result he lost a lot of weight in two and a half months - about 12 kg. Patrick stopped taking his showers and did not pay attention to personal hygiene. As a result, his body acquired an unbearable odour. Patrick also developed an ungrounded fear that he was about to be run over by a car, so he constantly stayed at home and refused to leave it even to go to the store to buy himself some food. His behaviour became utterly anti-social. He stayed locked in his bedroom for days. He also had episodes of outbursts of anger with elements of violence, which greatly terrified his family. Because of these different occurrences and observations, as well as the assumed cause of the patient’s condition (death of girlfriend), Patrick’s family opted to call for medical assistance. Thus, Patrick was brought in for assessment and evaluation. After a series of assessments and interactions with the patient,

Downtown East Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Downtown East Swot Analysis Essay Downtown East was well-known in Singapore as an entertainment hub as it provides a variety of services. Food, Drinks, Shopping and Entertainment, all under one roof. However, in every business or organization, it will certainly have its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, therefore, our group would give a detail explanation on each of these aspects, helping the company to focus on activities where it is strong in, and where the greatest opportunity lies. We would first start off with strength. Basically, strength refers to the good qualities or the strong points of the business. Downtown East is situated around many places of interest, therefore being able to create packages which will attract customers. Furthermore, it is currently the only theme park in Singapore where there is both water activities (Wild Wild Wet) and outdoor rides (Escape Theme Park). As Downtown East homes the only theme park in Singapore, Downtown East would definitely be the first choice that comes into the mind of people seeking for both thrills and entertainment. Not only that, it also have many indoor activities such as arcades for children, teenagers and even adults. Therefore, Downtown East not only have outdoor entertainment, it also have indoor entertainment as well, thus, even on rainy days, people going to Downtown East could also have fun. Weakness is an aspect where the business should spend time studying on it and then work out for solutions to overcome it. The limited land area is a weakness to Downtown East. As land in Singapore is expensive, Downtown East would find it hard to expand their land area to provide more entertainment for customers. Other than that, Downtown East is quite inaccessible. It is troublesome to get there because the only public transport to get there is by bus, thus, making it hard for the people in the west side of Singapore to go to Downtown east. Not only that, it is also expensive to maintain. For example, if equipment in the Escape Theme Park is faulty or spoilt, quite a large sum of money would be needed to either repair or even buy a new one. People might get bored if the attractions are not change constantly and changing the attraction would mean the requirement of new equipments and this would in turn increase the expense of the business. Opportunity refers to the chances available for the business to grow. The government is promoting Singapore as a city of entertainment which will help attract tourists. For instance, launching the F1 grand prix is a move by the government to â€Å"broadcast† Singapore worldwide, thus, attracting people from other countries to visit Singapore. As Downtown East had many facilities and is entertaining, investors may be interested to work together with them. Furthermore, more and more places of interest are being built (e.g Integrated Resort) to attract tourists to Singapore. Although this may be seen as an act to steal customers from Downtown East, the tourists coming to Singapore would not only come for Singapore for a specific area of interest but the various kind of places of entertainment Singapore offers and Downtown East may be one of them, thus, this could be seen as an opportunity. Other than that, Downtown east is located at the east near the coast and the area there could be used to expand their business so as to introduce more facilities and entertainment so as to attract customers. Lastly, it is the threats. Threats would normally be seen as a pressure to the decrease of sales or revenue. Economic downturn is one of the threats which may result in people not willing to splurge on entertainment. As the economy is doing badly, salaries of the workers may be reduced and retrenchment would be common. Reduced salary or no salary (retrenchment) would mean that less money would be available for living expenses, thus, people would save money and visit such entertainment places less frequently. Also, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, more places of interest are built to attract the tourists. Although it can be an opportunity, it can also be a threat to Downtown East if the tourists choose to go to other places of interests rather than Downtown East.

A Poetic Journey of Love and Honor :: English Literature Essays

A Poetic Journey of Love and Honor A Trilogy of Love From the moment we met in early spring, as she stepped out of her car and threw her hair back, I knew I was in love. â€Å"Her long dark hair, her beautiful smile†¦when she say’s â€Å"hi†, I’m faint for a while†. While gazing into her soft beautiful eyes as she spoke, I couldn’t help but notice her laughter that accompanied that mystifying beauty. â€Å"Her laughter echo’s, the silence awakes†¦her beauty abound.. just makes my heart ache..† She told me she was from the mountains in Kentucky and how much she loved and wanted to return some day. â€Å"She comes from the mountains, A place she calls home†¦This place she loves, where she’s not alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I knew this was a woman like no other woman in my life. † She’s into my life like a song and a prayer†¦never before, it just wasn’t there..† In the days that followed, as we strolled in the park immersed with spring fragrances, I knew I would never be the same. â€Å"My life has changed like flowers in June†¦A new day is here, â€Å"smell the lilacs in bloom.† I found her not only beautiful but intelligent and I couldn’t stop thinking of her. â€Å"As your beauty comes into focus.. My thoughts are yours, forever yours†. The more I got to know her, the happier I became. â€Å"For no one has made me happier, filling my life as completely†¦ As you had made me, caressing me with your smile when our eyes meet..†. I set out to honor her whenever I could, she was such a wonderful mother and lover that I was compelled to tell the world. â€Å"If winds could talk, they’d tell a tale that fills the soul with love and warmth†¦ And just having known you, my life is for the better†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then just like that, something changed and we were no longer together. â€Å"But now she’s gone like a crisp spring day, and I’m all alone... with nothing to say†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Where there once was love, is there no more. â€Å"I know not when, love came and gone†¦ where it ended or when it begun..† Today I can only hope and speculate about tomorrow and what might have been. â€Å"With each day passing only hope is alive†¦sweet dreams of a future that did not survive.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 14. Plans

Coasting down the sweeping drive, I was reveling in the scent that was still lingering in the car. When I pulled up to the garage I saw Jasper and Emmett fooling around and wrestling outside. Instead of leaving the vehicle I took another breath. The aroma was intoxicating. Jasper turned to stare at me after he was immersed immediately in undulations of love, like a sponge absorbing water. My intense love was flowing through me as if there were blood flowing through my veins again. Each second, Jasper was being saturated in my bliss. He shook his head in absolute fascination at my involvement with the human girl that was swiftly taking over my existence. I rolled my eyes at him, ignoring his preconceived notions. He turned back to Emmett, grabbing his wrist and swinging him over his shoulder while Emmett landed with a loud thud on the ground. â€Å"I'm going to get you for that,† Emmett grabbed at Jaspers ankle, bringing him down to the ground, another loud thud issued through the small clearing. They both jumped up and began beating on each other. Watching the pair of them brawl was always amusing to me because Jasper would use moves that Emmett had never imagined before and Emmett would ultimately be defeated. Though he was tremendously sturdy, Jasper had familiarity in fighting particularly strong vampires. Their grappling continued while Jasper attempted to throw Emmett down, which eventually worked, but fighting with Emmett reminded me of a human trying to wrestle a piano up the stairs. Dammit! Where does he come up with those moves?Emmett rumbled. Jasper was chuckling in a patronizing tone at Emmett's indistinct muttering. I couldn't help but snicker right along with him. He's in a better mood. â€Å"Hey, wanna wrestle, bro?†Emmet smiled at the thought. â€Å"Emmett,† I tried to stifle my chuckle. â€Å"You know that you will just get angry because I will hear what move you are going to make!† I said in good spirits. Whatever, Edward! Emmett replied sarcastically. His lip curved up in a menacing way and in the next instant he visualized tackling me. He flashed towards me, and in that second I bounded up and on his back, ready for the attack. A few choice curse words exited his mouth. Snickering, I leapt off his back and continued walking towards the house, Jasper's loud guffaws continued echoing through the forest. â€Å"It's so unfair, you know?† Emmett complained. I am beginning to see why Alice likes this human girl so much, Edward is not brooding anymore, Jasper hit Emmett with a small pine tree. Thwack. â€Å"Ahhhh,† Emmett shouted while running full force toward Jasper like a train going full speed. Thwack. Emmett laid on the ground, giving up. Jasper chuckled. I threw them a quick smile over my shoulder before entering the house. â€Å"I bet he won't bring her back,† Jasper said to Emmett, knowing I could still hear. I grimaced. â€Å"What's on the table?† Emmett chuckled. â€Å"I won't use my abilities during our next three football games,† Jasper said, grinning. â€Å"Yeah, no more warm fuzzy feelings about how precious the pig skin football is!† Emmett agreed. â€Å"And if you lose, Emmett?† Jasper continued. â€Å"I won't say another word about that incident in Alaska†¦you remember, don't you?† Emmett retorted with a smile in his voice. â€Å"You're on!† Jasper exclaimed. This was apparently the second bet Jasper had made today, though I never understood why he would bet against Alice. I continued to be in better spirits regardless of the banter between Emmett and Jasper and no doubt it was due to the exceptionally delicate girl, Bella. I saw Alice and Rosalie working on their fashion line when I walked inside and they both looked up. Rosalie was finally starting to rein in most of her frustrations. Alice flitted toward me. Can I meet Bella now? Please! I just found the perfect dress for her to wear. Seriously, have you seen the girl's wardrobe? She needs help! Alice's vision of Bella and her, arms around each other's waist, once more flickered in her mind. There was something new there, though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. â€Å"Alice, please, not now,† I pleaded. Her bottom lip puckered out and she frowned. â€Å"I'm sorry, Alice. I just don't think I am ready.† Or I'm not willing to share her when I just so recently obtained her, I thought dubiously. It will happen, Edward. I love her and you can't keep her to yourself forever!Alice's lower lip was still protruding. She marched away from me and began working with Rosalie again. Pig,Rosalie snapped. At least her thoughts were becoming less insulting. When I entered my room I placed a classical CD in the player, trying to drive my thoughts away from the brown-eyed girl that was always at the forefront of my mind. Instead of listening to the intricate workings of the master piece I was listening to all I could think about is how Bella's heart sounded strangely like the melody flowing from the violin in the background, or how her voice sounded like some musical ballad that no instrument would ever be able to duplicate. Or how the rhythm of her pulse was perfectly harmonious with her very soul. An hour had elapsed and no matter how relentlessly I tried, all I could imagine was her magnificent bouquet, her blushing cheeks or her continuous, melody like heart pumping her soul with life. I was in dispute with myself about going to see her. Each grueling minute was passing at a snail's pace as I sat on my couch, yearning to be close to her. It wasn't long before I lost my internal argument, though; I sprang out my window and proceeded in the direction of Bella's. There he goes again, Emmett saw me through the window. When I arrived outside her house, Billy and Jacob Black were still there. I began searching their thoughts, hoping I hadn't missed something important. Jacob's thoughts were very irritating. He couldn't keep his eyes off Bella but his thoughts were not like Mike's; he put Bella on a pedestal in his mind and respected her. Regardless, I was still not happy about the way he fantasized her. The Blacks were about to depart and I was able to listen in on them with no difficulty, easily probing their minds for information, secretly unlocking more of Bella's thoughts by spying on her. Here I was, being the vampire stalker again, like a falcon searching for prey. â€Å"Are you and your friends coming back to the beach soon?† Jacob asked, excited. I really hope so†¦I think Bella likes me. Man, she is so good-looking! â€Å"I'm not sure,† Bella sidestepped Jacob's question. Dang, I hope she comes to the reservation soon. I had a good time with her last time she was there. I think she likes me, too. She was flirting with me†¦ I think.Jacob was picturing them strolling on the beach together. I clenched my teeth tight enough to cut steel, I was so annoyed. Yes, I was undeniably aggravated. Abruptly my mood was lightened when I saw how Bella was trying to flirt with Jacob in his memory. I suddenly couldn't suppress a laugh that came through my still clenched teeth when I saw how Bella was attempting to flirt. She truly had no idea what she did to the males around her, how her light flick of her lashes brought some boys to their knees, begging to go out with her. Unexpectedly, I felt sorry for the child. It couldn't possibly be his fault that she was entirely unaware to her exquisiteness. â€Å"That was fun, Charlie,† Billy said, though his thoughts were elsewhere. I can't believe I didn't get the opportunity to tell Charlie about Edward! Next time†¦ So, Billy did recognize me earlier. He probably weaved an intricate thread of lies into Bella's head. His recollection of his histories was more involved than I realized, but still, his opinions are based solely on half-truths. â€Å"Come up for the next game,† Charlie encouraged. â€Å"Sure, sure,† Billy said. â€Å"We'll be here. Have a good night.† He suddenly looked at Bella. I'm going to have a talk with her about this Cullen business. â€Å"You take care, Bella,† he added gravely. Billy had every right to be concerned about Bella. She was hanging around a vampire†¦ for fun; what's more perilous than that? And not just any vampire; the one who hungered after her blood above all others of his kind. Though Bella's mind is cut off to my extraordinary gift, one thing was still certain: she was absolutely unique. â€Å"Thanks,† she mumbled and then looked away. She didn't look incredibly pleased with Billy and without thinking about it, once again I tried to penetrate the solid wall surrounding her thoughts. Nothing, silence. So, instead, I was now observing Bella via Charlie's mind which was quite tedious at times considering his thoughts were sometimes non-existent and his human eyes were weak. I saw the back of Bella's head through his cloudy human vision as she began walking towards the stairs. Charlie hurriedly called out to her. â€Å"Wait, Bella.† She jerked slightly and turned around warily. She had a severe look on her face, or maybe it was a look of guilt†¦shame? Hum, I really hope I hadn't missed anything for the short period of time that I was gone. What could she possibly be feeling guilty about? Again, I was chastising myself for not just giving up my hopeless effort to stay away from her. There was something I missed and now I was regretting my absence. â€Å"I didn't get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your day?† Charlie inquired. â€Å"Good,† Bella said, still hesitating on the stairs. It looked like she was in deep thought and once again I was perturbed by the lack of thoughts emitting from her. What could possibly be going through that curious mind of hers? I tried to probe her mind once more, just to check, before I reached the silent and impenetrable barrier that was always there. â€Å"My badminton team won all four games,† she said dubiously. I immediately remembered her hitting the net, herself, and Mike in one swing. Now that I knew she was all right, I laughed loudly. The poor girl really was the clumsiest creature I had ever known. She seriously had the grace of a drunk sailor playing golf. â€Å"Wow, I didn't know you could play badminton!† Charlie exclaimed. Four games? Wow. I'm impressed. I laughed even louder at the fact that he thought she was the reason why the team won. Charlie was truly taken aback and had every right to be according to her statement. â€Å"Well, actually I can't, but my partner is really good,† she admitted with chagrin. Oh. I should have known better. â€Å"Who is it?† he insisted. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she hesitated. â€Å"†¦Mike Newton.† Jealousy ripped at me. This new emotion was masterfully working its way into my daily routine and continuing to aggravate me. She didn't like him, it was obvious, yet every time they talked or I had to listen to his every fantasy, the little green monster grew to another size. â€Å"Oh yeah ?C you said you were friends with the Newton kid. Nice family. Why didn't you ask him to the dance this weekend?† Charlie was smiling now and his thoughts were wistful. There it was again, the now larger green monster tugging at my heart, making me want to bring my previous ‘torture Mike' fantasies to reality. Blow torches came to mind. â€Å"Dad!† Bella groaned, snapping me out of my unhealthy fantasy. â€Å"He's kind of dating my friend Jessica. Besides, you know I can't dance.† â€Å"Oh, yeah,† Charlie muttered, disappointed. â€Å"So I guess it's good you'll be gone Saturday†¦ I've made plans to go fishing with the guys from the station. The weather's supposed to be real warm. But if you wanted to put your trip off till someone could go with you, I'd stay home. I know I leave you here alone too much.† â€Å"Dad, you're doing a great job.† Bella smiled at him and I saw a sign of relief in her eyes. What was she so relieved about? Why wasn't she telling him she would be with me that day? Even if we weren't going to Seattle, as long as he knew she was with me†¦I'd have to bring her back. If she doesn't†¦No. Stop there. â€Å"I've never minded being alone ?C I'm too much like you.† She winked at him, a sign of trust. She went upstairs after that and I could hear her preparing for bed. As soon as she was asleep I would be in her room again, watching over her as her vampire protector. Bella slept very peacefully that night. I was sitting in my usual spot and taking pleasure in the delectable fragrance that was now engrained in my mind forever. Each breath sent flames down my throat, but it was somewhat pleasurable, too. I was hoping that with each painful gulp of air I would eventually become immune to her scent. Deep down, I was still mildly worried that I wouldn't stay in control for long when I had her alone in the far away meadow. I took in another breath and it was like swallowing daggers, but it was almost a good pain, a sweet pain. After several hours, the scent started to feel less agonizing and much sweeter. I was grateful that it was becoming easier to be around her. If I were to be away from her for any period of time I would be afraid I would have to start all over again. I sighed. I was just giving myself excuses to never leave her. Tonight, I ventured towards her pile of books. Along with Shakespeare there were other classics. Her copy of Wuthering Heights was torn to pieces. Going through the small pile next to her bed, I learned that she still had several surprises up her sleeves. She was, undoubtedly, the most original and unordinary teenager I had ever met. When dawn broke across the night sky, I decided I needed to leave before Charlie woke up. Darting through the misty forest, I was whizzing past trees at a lethal speed. The air from the night was moving rapidly past me and my throat was still burning from her magnificent fragrance. I was thinking about hunting prior to Saturday so that I would be prepared before I was with her in the meadow†¦ alone. Me and her delicate soul alone ?C no thoughts, no nosy vampires – just me and her in the riveting meadow. The monster was too tightly bound and needed a release. Just a small ounce of prevention ?C inadequate though I knew it would be. When I arrived at home Alice was waiting for me, already in on the plan. Let's go this afternoon!She beamed at me. Her eyes were twinkling and she couldn't suppress her radiant smile. I soon saw why she wanted to go hunting with me so badly. Her vision was clear; she would be introduced to Bella today. Even though the meeting would be quick and last a few seconds, she was elated. â€Å"Is that the only reason you want to go hunting with me?† I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Of course not, silly! I don't want you to hurt her, Edward. Hunting before you see Bella is a great idea. You could use my company, too. I can tell it bothers you that you don't have the greatest self-control, and I am used to it with Jasper. I understand. â€Å"Okay, but you better be good! Don't thrust yourself on Bella. I don't want to scare her off.† I paused for a moment before adding, â€Å"even though she probably needs a good dose of fear.† I frowned. Alice just grinned widely and scampered off into the house as she sang joyfully in her mind about meeting her new best friend. â€Å"I mean it!† I shouted. I washed up, jumped into my Volvo and hurried back to Bella's, pulling into the driveway as soon as Charlie was gone. Bella ran out of the house quickly, and this time she didn't hesitate before she got into the car eagerly. Her hair was shiny and smelled like strawberries, a strong whiff of it hit me as she shut the car door. As soon as the door was shut, her aroma swam around my nose. I was beginning to enjoy her scent, embracing it instead of cringing away from it. No mistakes. As soon as I saw her smiling face and recognized that she was pleased to see me, too, I couldn't help but smile back at her, it was an automatic response. â€Å"How did you sleep?† I asked. I knew she slept well. I kept watch over her all night. She didn't even speak. It must have been a dreamless night for her. â€Å"Fine, how was your night?† She smiled wider. â€Å"Pleasant.† I was thinking about how Bella had another suitor she didn't want, Jacob Black. She said yes to me. I couldn't help but feel euphoric. She looked at me and her eyes were so warm and inviting. Her hot, delicious breath surrounded me and I just wanted to tell her how much I loved her. Couldn't she tell? It must be obviously splayed across my face. I took in the air between us. Mouth-watering; there were no other words to describe it. â€Å"Can I ask what you did?† she inquired with a smirk. She wanted to know what I was doing last night. Did she really care what I did, or was she just being polite? No, she did think about me. She even thinks that her feelings for me overshadow my own. She couldn't comprehend the mere complexity of my love for her. She didn't realize how lucky I really was. â€Å"No, today is still mine,† I said. She looked at me in disbelief and kitten outrage. Today I had a brand new list of questions to ask her. I asked her about Renee, her hobbies, and what the two of them did in their free time together. I wanted to know about her grandparents, even her school friends. Every thought I unlocked was like opening a door to a new world. During our lunch break together, I remembered I wanted to know more about her past relationships; or not, actually, but I still had to know her complete story. My lips moved and freed the question before I gave them permission to do so. She looked embarrassed and I watched as her face went from her lovely white and slowly began to flush pink. The flood of blood up to her face made me bite down on my cheek. Her flush was utterly stunning, and delectable. My surprise kept the monster at bay as the realization of the fact that she had never chosen anyone before me hit. Were we dating? Is that what this is called?It was hard to believe that she didn't have someone in the past. Every male she has come across has had to mentally remind themselves to put their tongues back in their mouths. They flock to her. Did she say no to every one of them, even before me? She said yes to me, I reminded myself. â€Å"So, you never met anyone you wanted?† I asked. â€Å"Not in Phoenix,† she answered, blushing again. What are you thinking? My lips pressed together into a hard line. I watched her across the cafeteria table as she took a bite of her bagel. Human food did look utterly disgusting. What does Edward see in Bella? She isn't even pretty, Jessica glared at her. I wanted to shield Bella from her thoughts, but at that moment I remembered my hunting trip. â€Å"I should have let you drive yourself today.† â€Å"Why?† she demanded. She looked confused. â€Å"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch,† I said She blinked, â€Å"Oh.† She looked disappointed and then said, â€Å"That's okay; it's not that far of a walk.† What? She couldn't be serious. After all this time did she not think of me as a gentleman? I would never make her walk. I was frowning. â€Å"I'm not going to make you walk home. We'll go get your truck and leave it here for you.† â€Å"I don't have my key with me,† she sighed. â€Å"I really don't mind walking.† She looked upset then. What are you thinking now? This was getting exasperating. I shook my head. I know where the key is, Edward, Alice's thoughts chimed in. â€Å"Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition ?C unless you're afraid someone might steal it.† I laughed. Who would want to steal that truck? If someone did I would hunt them down. â€Å"All right,† she agreed. She pursed her lips like she was thinking hard and I could almost see a hint of a challenge. I smirked at the thought. Having a psychic as a little sister had its advantages. â€Å"So where are you going?† she asked casually. â€Å"Hunting,† I answered grimly. â€Å"If I'm going to be alone with you tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can.† Run, Bella, run! Stay, Bella, stay, I was pleading silently. I had to give Bella the choice. It had to be her choice, always. â€Å"You can always cancel, you know.† She looked down and I was frustrated because I couldn't see her face. â€Å"No,† she whispered and looked up at me again. â€Å"I can't.† She can't? I sighed mentally and realized that I couldn't cancel either. â€Å"Perhaps you're right.† She changed the subject, â€Å"What time will I see you tomorrow?† she asked. She looked upset. Had I said something to upset her? Exasperating, not knowing her thoughts was purely frustrating. Did some god send this wonderful creature here to drive me mad? Hoping I hadn't upset her I answered, â€Å"That depends†¦ it's Saturday, don't you want to sleep in?† I offered. â€Å"No!† she answered quickly. I almost felt my heart restart after 80 years of being still. She didn't want to sleep in because she wanted to be with me. I tried my best to suppress a smile so she wouldn't be able to tell how pleased this actually made me. â€Å"The same time as usual, then,† I decided. Then I wondered about Charlie. She didn't tell him that she was going with me, I speculated how she was going to explain me showing up at her house, â€Å"Will Charlie be there?† Her eyes grew tight and she said, â€Å"No, he's fishing tomorrow.† She seemed enormously pleased about something. I thought about taking her and never bringing her back. Stop! That fantasy, above all the rest, should be the one I would will myself to never think. Didn't she want me to bring her back? I was feeling frustrated and my voice came out a little sharper then I meant, â€Å"And if you don't come home, what will he think?† She looked at me like she was prepared to answer this question, â€Å"I have no idea, he knows I've been meaning to do the laundry. Maybe he'll think I fell in the washer.† She was tempting me to seize her and run for it! I scowled at her and she attempted to be angry by scowling back. Just like always, she was just a vicious kitten. She scowled at me for a few more moments and then her expression changed. She looked thoughtful. What was she thinking now? â€Å"What are you hunting tonight?† she inquired like she was asking me to pass the salt. It was so causal, like she was asking about the weather or what was on TV. â€Å"Whatever we find in the park. We aren't going far.† I mused. â€Å"Why are you going with Alice?† she asked with obvious curiosity. I considered this for a moment. She talked about my clandestine existence like it was normal. I mulled things over; how to tell her that it was Alice that was going because most of my family members were†¦ un-approving of my newly found obsession with a human girl. â€Å"She is the most†¦ supportive.† I frowned, thinking about her visions of vampire Bella. You know it is because I am your favorite sister. Alice thought. Great, she was listening. Bella looked up at me with her beautiful chocolate eyes, â€Å"And the others?† she asked apprehensively, â€Å"What are they?† Pissed off that is what we are. Rosalie thought. Emmet looked at Rosalie then and followed her stare. I try to rein her in bro, but she is feisty. That's Rosalie for ya. Emmett thought. I wrinkled my brow and replied the best way I could without hurting her feelings, â€Å"Incredulous, for the most part.† I watched her gaze go from my face to over her shoulder. I watched my family with disbelief. They were staring off in different directions, acting like they weren't listening. I couldn't be so lucky. â€Å"They don't like me,† she guessed. She wouldn't think that Edward if you would introduce us. You know Bella and I are going to be best friends. You know how much I love her. Alice mused. â€Å"That's not it,† I disagreed. Liar, Rosalie thought. â€Å"They don't understand why I can't leave you alone.† I said. Damn right I can't understand. She's a human. Rosalie thought with disgust. It's true bro, I can't really understand the appeal, but if it makes you happy then I got your back. Emmett contemplated. â€Å"Neither do I, for that matter.† Bella added on top of the already massive amounts of thoughts coming from my family over this conversation. I couldn't accept that she would consider something like that. Didn't she know that her beauty was one of a kind, inside and out? I've never meet a being quite like her before. I shook my head and rolled my eyes towards the ceiling, partially for her answer, and partially answering my family's thoughts. I looked back at Bella, â€Å"I told you ?C you don't see yourself clearly at all. You're not like anyone I've ever known. You fascinate me.† She glared at me with her furious kitten face again. I smiled at her face, â€Å"Having the advantages I do,† I mused, touching my forehead, â€Å"I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But you†¦ you never do what I expect. You always take me by surprise.† She looked away then, and back at my family. She looked†¦ embarrassed? Upset? I couldn't tell, â€Å"That part is easy enough to explain,† I added. I wished she would look my direction, â€Å"But there's more†¦ and it's not so easy to put into words-â€Å" What the hell are you thinking of saying to her, Edward? Rosalie then turned and glared at Bella. What is so special about this girl? Huh? I don't see it. She is so breakable and human. You just keep her around because she smells like the greatest snack you'll ever have! Rosalie continued to give Bella a fierce look. If you take a bite out of her this will hurt our whole family, you know that! I had it with her and I snarled under my breath. Whatever, nitwit. Rosalie turned her head then. Bella looked back at me then and I was relieved to see her face. She looked†¦ frightened? Was that possible? Did Bella even know what fear was? I was going to have to give Rosalie a good scolding later. â€Å"I'm sorry about that. She's just worried. You see†¦ it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with you so publicly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I didn't want to finish my sentence. I was hoping she wouldn't ask to hear the rest, but of course, she would want to know. â€Å"If?† â€Å"If this ends†¦ badly.† I put my head in my hands and tried to push the thought out of my head. Maybe she will finally see that this is serious. That I could†¦ gulp†¦ kill her at any moment. I could breathe her delectable scent in and one day the monster might break free from the darkness I put him in and decide to taste the delicious blood that I could see pulsing on her neck. I heard her drop her hand on the table. I kept trying to push those thoughts away, but then I took in a large gulp of her rich aroma. Instantly the monster reared up. I heard Bella's shaky voice then, â€Å"And you have to leave now?† The monster retreated then. â€Å"Yes,† wait, she wasn't†¦. scared? She still didn't want me to leave? I relaxed and couldn't help but look delighted, â€Å"It's probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology ?C I don't think I could take any more.† Bella gave me a look like she completely understood what I meant, she must have been feeling the same way about the dull movie, not like I was watching it anyways. It's time to meet Bella! Yay! Alice trilled in her mind. I could see the back of my head from her vision as she skipped over to the table. â€Å"Alice,† I said. â€Å"Edward,† she answered, and added, this is where you introduce us, in her thoughts. â€Å"Alice, Bella ?C Bella, Alice,† I introduced them, hoping that Alice won't start bugging me every five minutes about hanging out with her. I only barely obtained Bella, and I didn't want Alice to take all her time away from me. â€Å"Hello, Bella,† Alice smiled, â€Å"It's nice to finally meet you.† Once again I saw a vision of her and Bella arm in arm, smiling at each other, Bella's eyes bright, crimson red. I shot a dark look at her. â€Å"Hi, Alice,† Bella whispered shyly. â€Å"Are you ready?† Alice asked me. I didn't want to leave Bella, but I was more than happy to remove Alice from her, â€Å"Nearly, I'll meet you at the car.† I met Bella, yay. Edward, you know this means that we get to start hanging out right? Alice beamed. I glanced at Bella and as she watched Alice dance away. â€Å"Should I say ‘have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?† she asked, looking back at me. Her expression showed a painful emotion, like me leaving her for a short moment in time would cause her great pain. She was so nonchalant about talking about my world that I couldn't help but grin. â€Å"No, ‘have fun,' works as well as anything.† I said. â€Å"Have fun, then† she said, I could tell there was an edge to her voice. Was she going to miss me while I was away? Being separated from her was overwhelmingly painful, was she feeling this way too? She couldn't possibly grasp the concept of the kind of love I felt for her. â€Å"I'll try,† I continued to smile at her, â€Å"And you try to be safe, please.† â€Å"Safe in Forks ?C what a challenge.† â€Å"For you it is a challenge.† I hoped that she remembered my last request about her safety; that she stays out of the woods. â€Å"Promise.† I begged. If she put herself in harm's way or was hurt in any way because I wasn't there to protect her†¦ it would shattered my cold, silent, heart into pieces. â€Å"I promise to try to be safe,† she mused, â€Å"I'll do the laundry tonight ?C that ought to be fraught with peril.† If that were all she was going to do this evening, she should be safe. I remembered her incident in gym from the other day and grasped the concept that no matter what Bella was doing, there was always an opportunity for her to injure herself. The thought merely brought on an internal chuckle, though, and I teased, â€Å"Don't fall in.† â€Å"I'll do my best† she mocked. I stood then, wishing I didn't have to leave. Bella got up too. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow,† she sighed. I was suddenly absorbed by my desires again. Maybe if I just lightly gripped her around the waist, I would only have to concentrate on the amount of pressure I used. No mistakes, I scolded myself. I suppressed a sigh. â€Å"It seems like a long time to you, doesn't it?† I asked. She nodded with a sullen expression. She was continually saying yes to me. â€Å"I'll be there in the morning,† I promised. The infatuation I had over touching her was winning my inner dispute. I longed to hold her in my arms, to be engulfed in her warmth. I was craving her touch, too. My body was burning with the yearning to possess her and before I knew it I had reached over and touched her face, lightly touching her cheekbone. Her scent was lingering between us and I took air in my lungs slowly, as if to make the burning and aching of my throat a more pleasurable experience. It wasn't, it was only a burning pain and I knew if I didn't turn away now I wouldn't stop at her face. I'd grab at her waist and bring my lips to hers. No mistakes, I yelled internally. I turned on my heel and strode swiftly from the room, even though my mind was begging me to turn around and take the girl into my arms and†¦ stop there! When I arrived at the car Alice was sitting on the hood, â€Å"You know, Carlisle could help you turn her,† Alice mused. I glared at her. â€Å"I will not take her life Alice!† â€Å"Sure fooled me, I thought I was going to have to drag you out of the lunch room with the visions that were flashing in my mind,† Alice said, â€Å"Now I'm super thirsty after all the imagines I saw,† she faux pouted. â€Å"Like I said, I won't end her life,† I eyed her evenly. â€Å"Like I said,† she mocked, â€Å"you should ask Carlisle. If you aren't biting her because you are afraid you will end her life, then why? To keep her human?† she looked at me in aversion, â€Å"but you know†¦ Carlisle won't kill her.† Alice continued. â€Å"Alice, Bella will not be turned into a vampire, the first one who tries will suffer the consequences!† I growled. â€Å"Okay, okay. Just a thought, Edward,† she looked unhappy. Alice got into the Volvo and we drove to Bella's. She'll be fine, you know? Her night looks extremely uneventful. She really needs to get out more†¦ Alice thought. â€Å"I know, being away from her just makes me extremely anxious,† I explained. â€Å"I know,† she trilled. We arrived at Bella's shortly. You'll find the key in her blue jeans downstairs in a blue laundry basket, Alice thought, figured I would save you some time. You would have found it eventually, of course, but this way you get out of there quicker. â€Å"Thanks, Alice,† I said, glad our little spat was patched up, or at least put behind us. â€Å"You're Welcome!† Alice said while she jumped in the driver's side of the Volvo and drove off towards our house. I was lurking inside Bella's house and found her truck key quickly. Her lingering scent was ever present throughout the house. I was breathing in deeper than I ever had before around the seductive scent, only because she wasn't here in the house. I was in no danger of hurting her when she wasn't here, I contemplated. So I took in another gulp of her perfume before I left the house, which I know I would regret later when I was hunting. I drove her truck back to the school; her aroma was stronger in here than in her house. I tried to distract my mind by musing over all the things I could upgrade on her truck before Bella got out of school. If Rosalie and I were on better terms I would have her do some work under the hood. This truck couldn't possibly be that safe. I grabbed a piece of paper out of my backpack and decided to write a note to Bella. I have a keep sake from her, she deserves to have one from me, too. I thought of what to write while I was driving (more like snail crawling) back to the school. I decided simple was safer. When I parked the truck I left the key in the ignition and wrote â€Å"Be Safe† on the white piece of paper. I left it in her seat. I checked to make sure there was no one looking and I speed off through the forest and back home. Alice was waiting on the doorstep for me. â€Å"Are you ready?† She trilled. â€Å"Yes, let's go.† We sprinted through the forest in silence for several miles. I knew it was safe to hunt when the only thoughts I heard were Alice's. She was thinking about what she was going to pick out for Rosalie to wear tomorrow, whether green and pink or black and pink would look better on her new design for a shirt, and which shoe would look better with Esme's pants, open toed or not. Her thoughts wondered every which fashionable way possible, and I was grateful. I didn't want her to bring Bella up. She had so many visions and images in her mind when it came to Bella, and I would never be ready to see some of those visions come to light. Her mind suddenly shifted to our purpose. She stopped suddenly and her eyes went blank. I saw flashes of a large animal in her thoughts but they were flashing and changing so rapidly I was unable to ascertain what she was seeing. Her eyes focused on me now; there is a bear 5 miles from here. Go north and follow the river, you will run into him in 8.2 miles. Alice smiled at me. â€Å"You know, Emmett will be jealous if I tell him you helped me catch a grizzly.† I grinned. â€Å"I know, but you need carnivore blood to help you out with tomorrow.† She smirked. â€Å"Meet you back here in 30?† I asked. You've got it! She was gone before she finished her thought. I ran north until I hit the river and followed it. I was letting the monster out of the cage, disengaging my ever flimsy hold on my growing thirst. The monster had been begging for release more than normal lately and I finally let my animal instincts take over. I thought of Bella's blood, and I was instantly ravenous. I came across a bear exactly 8.2 miles from my starting location. Alice really did have an amazing gift. The monster reared up and I let out a menacing growl. The bear stood on its hind legs and growled back unimpressively. I leapt towards the beast and quenched my thirst. I was right, Bella's scent and blood even made the bear's blood dull to the point of being dissatisfying. Bears were much more delicious then the deer I usually ate, but I had been exceedingly gluttonous with feeding since I met Bella, making my meals less than appetizing. When the animal was dry of its blood I pushed the carcass off me and breathed in the cold night air. I rejoined with Alice shortly after. â€Å"Are you going to Bella's tonight?† she asked. â€Å"Of course, Alice, why?† I stared at her suspiciously. â€Å"Oh, well, Jasper and Emmett have been missing you like crazy, I think I might have even seen Emmett pout the other night when you left so early,† she chortled. I didn't respond. I know that I had been spending an abundance of my time with Bella, but didn't they understand? They hardly leave their other half. That is what Bella had become though, my other half. â€Å"Please, Edward†¦ please,† she begged. I couldn't stand to see my little sister beg like this. I did owe my family a plenitude of my time after everything I had been putting them through lately. â€Å"Okay Alice, but just for the earlier hours of the evening,† I gave in. During the evening Jasper, Emmet, Alice and myself decided that we were going to play cards. With the many talents my family members have, you would think that playing cards would be ludicrous. Jasper would be feeling the triumph or failure emitting from a card player, Alice would see future moves that you were going to make, and I could hear their thoughts. We didn't play games where we had to use our brains though. The card games we played were strictly speed based. With our vampire speed we tore through every deck of cards. Jasper and Emmet loved to gamble, and our games wouldn't be the same without a bet. Because of their constant opposition, Esme made us move our game outside before Emmett broke anymore furniture. Rosalie was still fuming about the situation with Bella, but even she couldn't hold herself up in the garage anymore and came to play. After 79 decks of cards, 2 broken tables, 1 broken vase, 1 ripped shirt (Jaspers), and 3 trees knocked down, we decided that we had ca used enough destruction. I did get pleasure from the time spent during the evening with my siblings. My regular moping had abruptly wilted away after I came back from Denali. I could tell that my family was enjoying the new Edward, the less mummy-like Edward. Something told me they didn't want the sulky one back again, which just gave me another excuse to stay with Bella. Time passed slowly, even with the fun I was having with my family. I looked at the clock and noticed it was 10pm. I quickly stood up, ready to leave and watch Bella sleep. Emmett looked up at me and gave me a pleading look. Come on bro, we are about to play some serious football. Jasper and I have come up with some new rules; you have to catch the ball with your elbows only. Come on, it will be hilarious! Emmett begged. Plus I have a bet that†¦ he continued, but I interrupted him. â€Å"Emmett, I'm sorry†¦ maybe another time. It makes me uneasy to be away from her, you understand, right?† Emmett scoffed and I grinned, â€Å"I knew you would understand!† When I arrived at Bella's, she was already asleep. Any normal teenager would have been out with friends, going on a date, or shopping†¦ but not my Bella. When I finally climbed through her window, I heard music playing. I was instantly intrigued. It was Chopin's Nocturnes. Once again, we shared a common interest. I knew this CD well. As I stepped closer to her, the scent that had almost taken me the first time we met entered my lungs and I felt like succumbing to the monster inside. She turned over once, and I heard her sigh my name. The clawing monster was instantly diminished. She didn't move much after that, and she even lightly snored. I sat in the rocking chair breathing her scent in deeply. I was fighting all of my cravings tonight. She looked absolutely beautiful with her hair splayed across her face and pillow. Her pink cheeks lightly flushed. How long was I going to be able to suppress my growing desires to touch her? I knew that our trip to the meadow would either be our breaking or making point. Would she leave alive, or would she leave a vampire? I won't end her life, I promised myself. Tomorrow, of all the days I had spent with Bella, would be the one day I would not be allowed to make a mistake. I repeated, no mistakes, to myself for good measure. I suppressed a sigh. I honestly don't know if I will ever really leave her alone, but I would like to think that after tomorrow, I will have a plan. When it started to get light outside I decided to leave, realizing Charlie would be up soon to go fishing. I was leaning over Bella, taking in her scent one last time before I left, and suddenly my hand was at her face lightly caressing. I pulled away immediately and flew out the window. I decided that before I took Bella to the meadow, I needed to see Alice. Her visions were versatile lately. My future was a mystery and I wanted reassurance that Bella would come home to Charlie alive and unharmed. I knew what my decisions would be, but these new cravings were taking over. How many times had I reached out and touched Bella, not even realizing it until my hand was warming from her skin. Alice greeted me at the door, â€Å"Edward, I know you are worried, let me show you what I see. There was one outcome where you bite Bella and she becomes a vampire, hum†¦ but that one has become distant and fuzzy. This clearer vision shows you and Bella laying in the meadow, and my last vision shows you bringing her home safely.† Alice showed me mentally. I had a lump in my throat as I tried to thrust the first vision from my mind. That lump continued to grow as I began panicking. I didn't know how to ask, but I had to ask for her help. Before I could request her help, Alice answered, â€Å"I will be close by Edward. I won't let anything happen to Bella.† I love her too, doesn't he realize this! â€Å"Thanks, Alice.† I whispered. I swiftly rose up the stairs to prepare myself for our new journey together.

Ap World History Curriculum Framework Questions

1. In what way do we see the expansion of the Byzantine Empire (or the Muslim Caliphates) facilitating Trans-Eurasian trade & communication? answer: give examples of conquered people being drawn into their conquerors’ economies & trade networks) * Byzantine Empire – use of the gold coin, the bezant, facilitated trade and communication by creating a standard currency by which all peoples could expect to trade with; Balkan Slavic peoples came under Byzantine rule and was drawn into the trade network; became trading partners with other towns that were smaller in size such as Florence of Italy, facilitating long-distance trade * Muslim Caliphates – everywhere, there was a huge incentive to convert to Islam because of the massive trade arena that was created as a result of the religion – in various countries, Islamic religion provided links for trading partners (such as in West Africa); when Islamic empire conquered India, new products were introduced (crops) w hich later spread into Africa and Uerope 2. What examples do you see of cross-cultural interactions resulting in the diffusion of scientific & technological traditions? Byzantine Empire – when China finally opened its doors, many Europeans such as Marco Polo visited there and absorbed many ideas about Chinese culture, writing about them and eventually bringing those ideas back to Europe * Muslim Caliphates – Greek thinking (science and medical texts, as well as philosophy) contributed towards Arab scholarship, and its thinking about the natural sciences and philosophy 3. Following the collapse of empires (most notably Roman), the Byzantine Empire constituted a new government. Give examples of the way that traditional sources of power & legitimacy combined with innovations in governance to produce a gov’t better suited to its circumstances (ie: patriarchy, religion, or land-owning elites combining with new methods of taxation, tributary systems, or adaptation of religious institutions). Byzantine Empire – it maintained a Roman style of centralized imperial court that was based in Constantinople; it set up a caesaropapism where the emperor was both the head of the state as well as the head of the church as appointed by God; maintained many social systems such as taxation and the church; in the 11-13th centuries, there was a leap in urbanization and economic growth, which led to many new chances for women to leave their domestic lifestyles to seek more urban professions * Western Europe – the Roman Catholic Church was separate from the state; the pope held religious authority while the emperor headed the state – system of feudalism ensured loyalty in the chaos-ridden world of that time * China – centralized, individual cities; landowners were given privileges by the government rather than merchants, as merchants were viewed as lazy people who gained profit through the works of others 4. Do you see any examples of i nnovations in agriculture or industrial production? ie: foreign luxury goods & crops like sugar & citrus being grown in new regions) * Byzantine Empire – adopted various mathematical, scientific and philosophical theories of the Arabs and India; adopted the technology from China – papermaking, gunpowder, as well as the compass and much nautical technology; heavy wheeled plow that was adapted to suit the environment – could handle the thicker soil of Northern Europe; relied on horses and used horseshoes probably from China or Central Asia; system of three field crop rotation; adopted silk making techniques and became one of the main producers of silk; developed cannons as a result of the introduction of gunpowder * Muslim Caliphates – new crops introduced in India which were spread around the empire such as cotton and sugarcane (two crops had a very complex production process, and in the rush to produce it, slavery quickly intensified; adopted ancient Pers ian water-drilling techniques, rockets from China, and papermaking techniques all from China; developed a series of math concepts such as algebra, scientific advances such as in medicine and pharmacology 5.What factors do you see that contributed to the decline of urban areas (possible answers: little ice age, invasions, disease, decline of agricultural activity – give examples of this) * western Christendom – around 476, much that had characterized Roman civilization also weakened, declined or disappeared in the several centuries before and after; any semblance of large-scale centralized rule vanished, disease and warfare reduced Western Europe’s population by more than 25%; land being cultivated shrunk, while wasteland expanded; urban life diminished as Europe reverted to a largely rural existence; buildings crumbled from lack of care, and outside Italy, trade routes died out * eastern Christendom – decline in urbanization because of the threat of attac k of outsiders; slavs, arabs, latin crusaders and turks progressively disrupted the empire through simple penetration or military conquests – swelling of Constantinople’s population was not growth, but because many people chased from their region by Byzantium’s enemies sought refuge in Constantinople 6. Do you see continuities & changes in social structures, labor management? (labor: free peasant agriculture, nomadic pastoralism, craft production, guild organization, unfree labor & gov’t enforced labor taxes, military obligations? * China – built a bureaucracy that managed public works; Tang and Song dynasty experienced a revolution that made it the richest, most skilled and most populous country on earth; industrial production soared in both small and large scale enterprises, China’s iron input increased dramatically; produced things for the market rather than for local consumption; growing use of paper money led to the increase in output, population, skills and led to a burst of inventiveness * Byzantine Empire – agriculture – production arranged around two centers – estate and village; distinctions between landholders and tenant farmers; guilds of specified jobs introduced a new and more productive division of labor * Roman Empire – coercive labor system (slavery) 7. Give examples of new forms of coerced labor. Give examples of free peasants resisting attempts to raise dues & taxes (ie: revolts in Byzantine empire or China). Give examples of the increased demand for slaves (for both military & domestic purposes) within Central Eurasia, & Eastern Mediterranean. within the new, fragmented and decentralized kingdoms of the Western Christendom, a social system known as feudalism emerged – lesser lords and knights swore allegiance to greater lords or kings; Roman style slavery gave way to serfdom – unlike slaves, serfs were not the personal property of their masters, couldnâ€⠄¢t be thrown off land and were allowed to live in families, but they were bound to their master’s estates as peasant laborers and owed various payments and services to the lord of the manor * Byzantine Empire highly regulated slavery – natural state of humanity is freedom, but law of nations may supersede natural law and reduce certain people to slavery – basic definition of a slave was – anyone whose mother was a slave, anyone who has captured in battle, and anyone who has sold himself to pay a debt, but it was possible to become free * Abbasid Empire had an army dominated by slave soldiers – mamluks – originally soldiers captures in central Asia, but later boys specifically taken or bought to be trained as soldiers – later dissolved their loyalty to their masters and established themselves as the ruling dynasty * Islamic slaves directed at the service sector – concubines, cooks, porters and soldiers – form of consumpt ion rather than a factor of production – many more female than male slaves 8. In what ways do we see gender relations and family life being affected by religious conversion? may not be many examples in Europe, but several in other areas we’ve already studied) * Song dynasty, reviving Confucianism tightened patriarchal restriction on women to emphasize images of female submission and passivity; emphasized the subordination of women and men and the need to keep them separate * Spread of Christianity opened new opportunities for women – to become nuns/join a convent, offered relative freedom from male control; where women could exercise authority and gain some semblance of education * What rise of Islam meant for women is highly controversial – on a spiritual level, the Quran states explicitly that women and men are equals, but on a social level, they were viewed as subordinate, especially in marriage; sometimes it helped women – banned infanticide, g ave women control over property/inheritance, required a women’s consent for marriage etc. , but also diminished their social roles as there were growing restrictions on women

What the future will be like essays

What the future will be like essays What the future will be like? This question worried and is worrying people. We know almost everything about the past; it has been written a lot of books about the past. Future does not program. We can only conjecture what the future will be like. Now, we live in the world of technology. Every day new technology appears, ranging from mini-CDs that contain entire encyclopedias to giant space telescopes that can send photographs of distant stars back to Earth. Technology has the greatest influence on the daily lives of average people. By this time we can work and take care of personal business without living the house, people even start on-line romances in the chat rooms, every man who have enough money can explore the space. For the last hundred years the biggest spurt of scientific and technological revolution has been done. And what differences will be in technology in next hundred years? By this time a lot of difficult tasks are doing by the robot. In the future robots will replace a lot of professions. Housekeepers, baby-sitters, sick-nurses, hospital nurses, secretaries, waitresses, sellers, street-cleaners, taxi drivers will be replaced by robots. As distinct from sick-nurses and hospital nurses, robots will spend all time with patient. Robots will help patient to move, it will watch closely after state of health and transmit data to the doctor. Most of the surgical operations will be carried by robots. Even our house will be big robot. It is a very good example of the future house in the short- story of Ray Bradbury, There Will Come Soft Rains. Robots in the house will be smart to make our lives as comfortable as it possible. They will take care about our children, cook food, clean the house, pay our bills and take care about our pets. Robots will understand human speech and they will be able to receive all orders by the Internet. Robots will wage war. There wil l be fighting ...

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean

What Introvert and Extrovert Really Mean Think about what an ideal evening for you might look like. Do you imagine yourself going out to dinner with a large group of friends, attending a concert, or going to a club? Or would you prefer to spend the evening catching up with a close friend or getting lost in a good book? Psychologists consider our responses to questions such as these our levels of  introversion  and  extroversion:  personality traits that relate to our preferences for how we interact with others. Below, well discuss what introversion and extroversion are and how they impact our well-being. The Five-Factor Model   Introversion and extroversion have been the subject of psychological theories for decades. Today, psychologists who study personality often see introversion and extroversion as part of what is known as the  five-factor model  of personality. According to this theory, peoples personalities can be described based on their levels of five personality traits:  extroversion  (of which introversion is the opposite),  agreeableness  (altruism and concern for others),  conscientiousness  (how organized and responsible someone is),  neuroticism  (how much someone experiences negative emotions), and  openness to experience  (which includes traits such as imagination and curiosity). In this theory, personality traits range along a spectrum. Psychologists who use the five-factor model see the trait of extroversion as having multiple components. Those who are more extroverted tend to be more social, more talkative, more assertive, more likely to seek out excitement, and are thought to experience more positive emotions. People who are more introverted, on the other hand, tend to be quieter and more reserved during social interactions. Importantly, shyness isnt the same thing as introversion: introverts can be shy or anxious in social situations, but this isnt always the case. Additionally, being an introvert doesnt mean that someone is antisocial. As Susan Cain, bestselling author and introvert herself, explains in an interview with  Scientific American, Were not anti-social; were differently social. I cant live without my family and close friends, but I also crave solitude.   The 4 Different Types of Introverts   In 2011, psychologists at  Wellesley College suggested that there may actually be several different kinds of introverts.  Since introversion and extroversion are broad categories, the authors suggested that not all extroverts and introverts are the same. The authors suggest that there are four categories of introversion:  social  introversion,  thinking  introversion,  anxious  introversion, and inhibited/restrained introversion.  In this theory, a social introvert is someone who enjoys spending time alone or in small groups. A thinking introvert is someone who tends to be introspective and thoughtful. Anxious introverts are those who tend to be shy, sensitive, and self-conscious in social situations. Inhibited/restrained introverts tend not to seek out excitement and prefer more relaxed activities.   Is it better to be an introvert or an extrovert?   Psychologists have suggested that extroversion is correlated with positive emotions; that is, people who are more extroverted tend to be happier than introverts... but is this actually the case? Psychologists who studied this question found that extroverts often do experience more positive emotions than introverts. Researchers have also found evidence that there are indeed  Ã¢â‚¬Å"happy introverts†: when researchers looked at happy participants in a study, they found that about one-third of these participants were also introverts. In other words, more extroverted people may experience positive emotions slightly more often on average, but many happy people are actually introverts. Writer Susan Cain, author  of the bestselling book Quiet: The Power of Introverts points out that, in American society, extroversion is often seen as a good thing. For example, workplaces and classrooms often encourage group work, an activity that comes more naturally to extroverts. In an interview with  Scientific American, Cain points out that we are neglecting the potential contributions of introverts when we do this. Cain explains that being an introvert actually has some advantages. For example, she suggests that introversion may be related to creativity. Additionally, she suggests that introverts can make good managers in workplaces, because they may give their employees more freedom to pursue projects independently and may be more focused on the organizations goals than their individual success. In other words, even though extroversion is often valued in our current society, being an introvert has benefits as well. That is, it isnt necessarily better to be either an introvert or an extrovert. These two ways of relating to others each have their own unique advantages, and understanding our personality traits can help us  study and work with others more effectively. Introvert  and  extrovert  are terms that psychologists have used for decades to explain personality. Most recently, psychologists have considered these traits to be part of the five-factor model, widely used to measure personality. Researchers who study introversion and extroversion have found that these categories have important consequences for our well-being and behavior. Importantly, research suggests that each way of relating to others has its own advantages; in other words, its not possible to say that one is better than the other. Sources McCrae, R. R., John, O. P. (1992). An introduction to the five†factor model and its applications. Journal of Personality, 60(2), 175-215. http://psych.colorado.edu/~carey/courses/psyc5112/readings/psnbig5_mccrae03.pdfTen-item personality inventory. https://gosling.psy.utexas.edu/scales-weve-developed/ten-item-personality-measure-tipi/ten-item-personality-inventory-tipi/Cook, Gareth (2012, January 24). The power of introverts: A manifesto for quiet brilliance. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-power-of-introverts/Grimes, J.O., Cheek, J.M., Norem, J.K. (2011, January). Four meanings of introversion: Social, thinking, anxious, and inhibited introversion. Presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, San Antonio, TX. academia.edu/7353616/Four_Meanings_of_Introversion_Social_Thinking_Anxious_and_Inhibited_IntroversionDiener, E., Oishi, S., Lucas, R. E. (2003). Personality, culture, and subjective well-being : Emotional and cognitive evaluations of life. Annual Review of Psychology, 54(1), 403-425. http://people.virginia.edu/~so5x/Diener,%20Oishi,%20%20Lucas%202003%20Ann.%20Review.pdf Hills, P., Argyle, M. (2001). Happiness, introversion–extraversion and happy introverts. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 595-608. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0191886900000581Cain, S. (2013). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that cant stop talking. Broadway Books. https://books.google.com/books/about/Quiet.html?idDc3T6Y7g7LQCFleming, Grace. How does personality affect study habits? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/how-personality-affects-study-habits-1857077

Operations Strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Operations Strategy - Coursework Example The paper begins with business description and SWOT analysis of each of these three fast-food chains. From the SWOT analysis and business background information the paper shall identify the key operations performance objectives for each company and relate them to their competitive factors. The paper shall then conclude by identifying which internal performance objectives that McDonald’s, Subway and KFC need to focus on in their operations strategy if they are to remain competitive in future. 2.0. Business description and SWOT Analysis 2.1. McDonald’s McDonald’s Corporation franchised and operated a total of 32,737 restaurants in 117 countries as at end of 2010. This essentially makes it the biggest fast-food retailer in the world. McDonald’s revenues come from sales by its own restaurants and fees – in form of royalties and rent – from its franchised restaurants. Fees levied to these franchises vary depending on a myriad of factors stipulated in the franchise agreement that typically runs for 20 years. McDonald’s realised sales slightly in excess of US$ 24 billion in 2010 which was a 6 per cent increase over the 2009 revenue figures (McDonald’s, 2011). The business is managed as distinct geographic segments, namely: the US, Latin America and Canada, Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), and Europe. The bulk of its revenues originates from Europe, US and APMEA in that descending order. Within Europe, more than half of the company’s revenue comes from three countries: France, Germany and the UK. The UK therefore is a major market for McDonalds. Also according to the 2010 Annual Report, restaurants in the U.K., France and Russia are entirely company-operated (McDonald’s, 2011, p.14). 2.1.1. SWOT Analysis Strengths McDonald’s is the global market leader in the retail fast-food industry. Its huge international presence enables it to benefit from economies of scale that bring dow n its costs which supports its low-cost pricing strategy. Additionally, this huge international presence, allows the company to spread risk thus so as to reduce negative effects that may emanate from poor economic performance of certain countries. The McDonald’s brand, which is among the world’s best known is another source of strength as the company benefits from all the advantages that accrue due to brand recognition and loyalty such as increased sales. An additional strength for McDonald’s comes from its large real estate portfolio. McDonald’s real estate operations bring in large revenues and allow it to open more stores. Moreover, the strategic location of McDonald’s outlets – in areas of high visibility, traffic volume and ease of access – further strengthen its brand recognition. The company has also continued to innovate in terms of its menu variety – for example introducing limited offers, introduction of healthy salad s and shakes – and restaurant re-imaging. McDonald’s â€Å"Plan to Win† strategy that focuses on people, products, place, price and promotion that has been in operation since 2003 is also another source of strength as it shows alignment with the company’s corporate strategy. Weaknesses According to Zagat’s 2011 fast food survey, despite being the global leader in market share, McDonald’s was ranked third in the overall ratings of retail mega chains. This implies that the company’s average for food quality, facilities and customer service is lower than expected from its strong brand. Threats Rivalry among competitors in retail fast food industry is intense and it is slowly gravitating towards price competition largely because products and services offered by McDonald’s and its rivals are almost identical and there are virtually nil