Assess the Impact Malcolm X Had on the Civil Rights Movement free essay sample

Malcolm X, a social liberties extremist, significantly affected the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Malcolm X tested moderate Americans by the Civil Rights Movement uncovering oppressive practices which prompted noteworthy changes in what the lawful framework proclaimed unlawful. In spite of the fact that Malcolm X had an alternate way to deal with Martin Luther and delivered various outcomes, their end point was the equivalent. His effect socially, strategically and lawfully is as yet perceived today and he is celebrated for his consistent battle for uniformity for African Americans. Malcolm X’s sad youth occasions, conviction impacted his intentions in social change. Socially, Malcolm X’s perspectives and approaches were distinctive to the next social equality activists of that time. Before Malcolm X, most blacks needed nothing to do with Africa. In any case, he instructed them that â€Å"You cannot loathe your beginning and not wind up abhorring yourself; you cannot despise Africa and not detest yourself. We will compose a custom paper test on Survey the Impact Malcolm X Had on the Civil Rights Movement or on the other hand any comparative subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page † The reaction from this was certain and it raised African American social awareness. In spite of this, he was thrown in the negative light and was viewed as an opposer of Martin Luther King Jr. Lord and different activists wouldn't show up on a similar stage as him. The Nation of Islam just had brutal perspectives, and thus, Malcolm X dismissed the peaceful perspectives on King and pushed for a savage methodology. â€Å"I don’t even call it viciousness when it’s self protection; I call it knowledge. † says Malcolm X. The effect of this created two ways to deal with Civil Rights. One gathering following Kings sees and the other, a minority following Malcolm X’s sees. It was this gathering which upset for change through savage methods. The white network considered all to be as brutal which contrarily affected on Kings cause. This likewise isolated the dark network, at a time were solidarity was required. Further to this, Malcolm X upheld for both the foundation of a different dark network, as opposed to combination, and the utilization of viciousness for self preservation. An additional effect on this was it uplifted the contention of Malcolm X and his methodology, yet additionally hampered any endeavor of absorption. White society fought back, both in the city and the media, affecting on social orders sees on Malcolm X. At last, Malcolm X was pushing for a positive change, however it was seen by the whites, and a few blacks, as negative. Malcolm X’s social perspectives had a critical effect strategically and legitimately. Malcolm X and different activists all needed a similar final product, yet the manner in which they pushed for change, was extraordinary. Malcolm X criticized Kings â€Å"I have a dream† discourse saying, â€Å"While King was having a fantasy, all of us Negroes are having a nightmare†. There was nothing inconspicuous about Malcolm X’s message and he was not terrified of imparting his perspectives and insights to all. This methodology pushed all segments of society to address him and themselves. Lawfully, Malcolm X tested the social liberties development and uncovered unfair practices. Not exclusively did Malcolm X sway the Civil Rights Movement by assisting with actualizing laws, he likewise made America see how existing laws were routinely disregarded. Malcolm X’s political push to guarantee the instruction of dark Americans obviously affected on the two blacks and whites, rousing them to get training. Malcolm X upheld both strategically and lawfully for schools to be integrated, as he states â€Å"Education is the identification to the future, for tomorrow has a place with the individuals who get ready for it today†. Because of his effects on the lawful framework, the US Supreme Court in 1954, proclaimed integration in government funded schools unlawful. The integration of state funded schools largy affected the African American culture and through this, the commitments of Malcolm X were seen and he picked up believability. After his detachment from the Nation of Islam in 1964, he proclaimed his autonomy and built up his social and political dark patriot reasoning in a discourse named, â€Å"The Ballot or the Bullet. † His break from the NOI was a significant defining moment as he was allowed to talk autonomously and he urged blacks to practice their established option to cast a ballot. Further to this, Malcolm X framed the Organization of Afro-American Unity. The motivation behind the OAAU was to reconnect Africans Americans with their African legacy, build up financial autonomy, and advance African American self-assurance. It affected on the individuals from the OAAU as it gave them a spot to represent themselves and to battle for balance. Despite the fact that the OAAU self-destructed, it turned into the motivation for several dark force bunches that rose during the following decade. Despite the fact that Malcolm X didn't legitimately start any principal transforms, he scrutinized the law, made open discussion and conversation among the dark network and legislators, uncovered biased acts and pushed for change. He motivated American dark youth, yet in addition other hindered bunches the world over, for example, the 1965 Freedom Rides in Australia. Notwithstanding, as a result of his effect on the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm X was undermined because of his extreme thoughts and on February 21st, 1965, he was killed. His death brought forth the Black Panther Party, who took Malcolm X’s message of self preservation for blacks and made an interpretation of it without hesitation. They propelled youth and blacks universally to battle bigotry and police severity. Malcolm X has been dead for a long time, yet his impact in the African American people group is a lot more prominent today than during his lifetime. He was an internationalist and progressive, who took a gallant represent every single African American for picking up uniformity. He disturbed for change and had a critical effect in America socially, strategically and pushed for changes in the law. Malcolm X’s sway on the social liberties development can not be denied and his addresses and his message have stood the trial of time. ?

Survival Skills Free Essays

Crisis Planning Immediately after a crisis, basic administrations might be cut-off and nearby fiasco help and government responders will be unable to contact you immediately. Regardless of whether they could contact you, comprehending what to do to ensure yourself and your family unit is fundamental. Making a fiasco plan One of the most significant advances you can take in planning for crises is to build up a family unit calamity plan. We will compose a custom paper test on Basic instincts or on the other hand any comparative subject just for you Request Now 1. Find out about the catastrophic events that could happen in your locale from your neighborhood crisis the board office. Realize whether unsafe materials are delivered, put away or moved close to your zone. Find out about potential results of conscious demonstrations of dread. Approach how to plan for every potential crisis and how to react. 2. Talk with managers and school authorities about their crisis reaction plans. 3. Talk with your family unit about potential crises and how to react to each. Discussion about what you would need to do in a clearing. 4. Post crisis phone numbers by phones. Show kids how and when to call 100. Crisis anticipating individuals with extraordinary necessities If you have an inability or exceptional need, you may need to find a way to ensure yourself and your family unit in a crisis. In the event that you are aware of companions or neighbors with extraordinary requirements, help them with these additional precautionary measures. Models include:Hearing debilitated, Mobility disabled, Non-English talking individuals. 1. Make a system of neighbors, family members, companions and collaborators to help you in a crisis. Talk about your needs and ensure they realize how to work fundamental hardware. 2. On the off chance that you live in a high rise, request that the administration mark available exits plainly and to cause courses of action to assist you with evacuating the structure. 3. The individuals who are not crippled ought to realize who in their neighborhood or building is incapacitated with the goal that they may help them during crises. Calamity Supply Kits You may need to make due all alone for three days or more. This implies having your own water, food and crisis supplies. Take a stab at utilizing rucksacks or duffel sacks to keep the provisions together. A calamity gracefully unit with fundamental ood, water, and supplies for in any event three days-this pack ought to be kept in an assigned place and be prepared to â€Å"grab and go† on the off chance that you need to leave your home rapidly in light of a catastrophe. You ought to likewise have a catastrophe gracefully unit at work. This ought to be in one holder, prepared to â€Å"grab and go† in the eve nt that you need to empty the structure. Water: the outright need Stocking water stores ought to be a top need. Savoring water crisis circumstances ought not be proportioned. Store water in completely washed plastic, fiberglass or finish lined metal holders. Food: setting up a crisis flexibly. Food things that you should seriously think about remembering for your fiasco gracefully pack include: prepared to-eat meats, natural products, and vegetables; canned or boxed squeezes, milk, and soup; high-vitality nourishments like nutty spread, jam, low-sodium wafers, granola bars, and trail blend; nutrients; food sources for babies or people on extraordinary eating regimens; treats, hard sweets; moment espresso, oats, and powdered milk. You may need to make due all alone after a debacle. Neighborhood authorities and alleviation laborers will be on the scene after a fiasco, however they can't arrive at everybody right away. You could find support in hours, or it might take days. Fundamental administrations, for example, power, gas, water, sewage treatment and phones, might be cut off for a considerable length of time, even a week or more. Or on the other hand you may need to clear at a moment’s notice and take fundamentals with you. You most likely won’t have the chance to shop or quest for the provisions you’ll need. Your family unit will adapt best by getting ready for catastrophe before it strikes. Emergency treatment supplies Assemble a medical aid pack for your home and for every vehicle: It might be hard to acquire physician recommended drugs during a debacle since stores might be shut or supplies might be restricted. Get some information about putting away doctor prescribed meds. Be certain they are put away to meet guidelines on the mark and be aware of lapses dates - make certain to stay up with the latest. Garments and bedding One complete difference in apparel and footwear for every family unit part. Shoes ought to be tough work shoes or boots. It is significant for you to be prepared, any place you might be when catastrophe strikes. With the agendas above you would now be able to assemble a proper debacle gracefully packs for your family unit: A debacle gracefully pack kept in the home with provisions for at any rate three days; Although it is improbable that food supplies would be cut off for up to about fourteen days, consider putting away extra water, food, garments and bedding different supplies to grow your flexibly unit to last as long as about fourteen days. A work place catastrophe gracefully unit. It is imperative to store an individual gracefully of water and food at work; you won't have the option to depend on drinking fountains or coolers. Ladies who wear high-heels ought to make certain to have agreeable level shoes at their work environment on the off chance that a departure require strolling significant distances. A vehicle debacle flexibly unit. Keep a littler catastrophe flexibly pack in the storage compartment of you vehicle. On the off chance that you become abandoned or can't get back, having these things will assist you with being increasingly agreeable until help shows up. Include things for cut off winter climate during months when hurl day off frigid streets are conceivable salt, sand, scoops, and additional winter garments, including caps and gloves. â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- Navigation â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- Survival circumstances are in some cases settled by finding one’s approach to wellbeing, or one may need to move to locate an increasingly reasonable area to hang tight for salvage. The sources see that to do both of these securely requires some route hardware and aptitudes. Kinds of route include: â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- Celestial route, utilizing the sun and the night sky to find the cardinal bearings and to keep up course of movement â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- Using aâ map and compassâ together, especially aâ topographic mapâ orâ trail map. â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- â€Å"Navigation by observation† of territory includes on a guide or in any case known â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€â€- Using a GPS receiver, in the event that one is accessible. The most effective method to refer to Survival Skills, Papers

An English Major at the Business Career Fair, Pt. 1

An English Major at the Business Career Fair, Pt. 1 Its my last semester of college, and Im freaking out. And you, dear reader, someday youll be in my shoesâ€"especially if youre hunting for a job after graduation rather than heading off to grad school right away. Ive had a hard time this year  dealing with that little bit of jealousy I feel when people I know land a post-grad summer internship or full-time job, because that means theyre ~on the other side~ of all this. I want to be  like them! I want to be free! And by free, I mean guaranteed a salary and 401K when I leave the hallowed halls of Illinois and  free  to focus on ~the now~ of my schoolwork, internship, undergraduate thesis finally trying a matcha green tea doughnut from Pandamonium. You get the idea. My friends with their lives figured out? Tom Haverford. Me? Leslie Knope. (Gif from Giphy) And Im not trying to freak you out! Im just trying to keep it real. This is a scary/exciting time in my life, but I hope you read my posts and ultimately feel assured. Because someday! Someday soon! There will be a post telling you just how Ive figured things out. But for now, Im heading to the spring Business Career Fair in seriously like five minutes. Its my second Business Career Fair this year, so Im hoping Ill be able to impress some recruiters. Im armed with 25 copies of my resume, a lot of examples of the work Ive created while working as an editorial intern for Admissions, a fancy black pleather portfolio, a pen, some paper for note-taking, and one semi-snazzy lamented name tag (courtesy of the Economics Departmentâ€"thanks, guys!). Ill let you know how it all goes in my next post: An English Major at the Business Career Fair, Pt. 2. Stay tuned! And as always, feel free to comment with any questions! They can be about landing an internship/job as an Illinois student or whatever you like. Maggie Class of 2017 After starting my time at Illinois Undeclared in the Division of General Studies, I’m majoring in English and Economics with a minor in Informatics from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. I’m from the relatively small town of Manhattan, Illinois.

Macbeth S Crimes Essay - 669 Words

â€Å"The witches are the most powerful characters in the play and the catalyst of all Macbeth’s crimes† Do you agree? In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, we are faced with a character, Macbeth, who is known as a strong soldier in the play and from this we can infer that he is a determined character. In saying that, we witness the transition from a character that is already very ambitious, into a character that becomes fuelled with the desire for power. The fuel had begun from the prophecies and apparitions given by the witches in telling Macbeth that he will rule the kingdom of Scotland. Not only do the witches begin and spur Macbeth crimes, but also does Lady Macbeth in encouraging him and instilling the evil values that she possesses†¦show more content†¦In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth mentions in the soliloquy that Duncan had been a gracious and kind king and that there was no reason to commit the murder. Thus, questions raised on his character from Lady Macbeth deeply hurt his ego as she concluded that he was not worthy of being called a man. Lady Macbeth wanted to see her husband succeed a nd become King, and she didn’t stop at anything. She tells him ‘†¨O, never†¨Shall sun that morrow see! †¨Your face, my thane, is as a book where men†¨May read strange matters. To beguile the time,†¨Look like the time; bear welcome in your eye,†¨Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower,†¨But be the serpent undert.’. If Lady Macbeth hadn’t influenced Macbeth, then he would still be an honorable, and noble man. Lady Macbeth manipulated Macbeth, as he was by the witches also. Though Lady Macbeth and the Witches are the most powerful characters in the play and the catalysts, Macbeth is also responsible for his own actions and committing regicide as he says ‘stars, hide your fires; let Light not see my deep and black desires’. Macbeth knew that if he wanted to become King he would have to do evil. The witches and Lady Macbeth both manipulate and evoke Macbeth to act the way that he does because he is gullible to their influence. Lady Macbeth was an addition to the evil thoughts of Macbeth but without the witches providing an insightShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Macbeth And Fyodor Dostoevsky s Crime And Punishment1902 Words   |  8 Pagesis it that some people are able to overcome these outcomes from their decisions? It does not come without hardships that affect the person mentally. Two famous narratives of literature in particular are William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth and Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. Both works are allegorically similar in that the situations and struggles of the protagonists have complex ways of following a decision that has lead to distinctly different outcomes. However, both narratives areRead MoreMacbeth, By William Shakespeare1431 Words   |  6 Pages Macbeth, though originally a valiant and prudent soldier , deteriorates into an unwise king whose rash decisions conclusively end in the atrophy of his title, power, and position. Several factors contribute to the downfall of Macbeth, which produce a contagion effect and ultimately end with his demise. He receives help from his â€Å"inner ambitions and external urgings† which result in his downfall (Bernad 49). The â€Å"external urgings† consist of the weird sisters who disclose his prophecies, which enlightenRead MoreEssay on Macbeth Appearance vs Reality1260 Words   |  6 PagesAppearance versus reality is an important theme in William Shakespeare#8217;s Macbeth. The theme focuses on characters who are deceived by what appears to be real, and on the tragic consequences that follow this error in judgment. These characters include, Duncan, who trusts Macbeth too much; Lady Macbeth, who tricks by the witches and herself; Macbeth trickes by other people in the play. King Duncan trusts Macbeth too much. Macbeth appears as a super hero and faithful to King Duncan. He fights againstRead MoreAt the end of Macbeth, Malcolm refers to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth as this dead butcher...and his fiend-like queen. To what extent do you agree with this judgement?1352 Words   |  6 Pagescrowned King of Scotland describes Lady Macbeth as a fiend-like queen. To a certain extent this judgement is true, yet Lady Macbeth has to actually evoke evil spirits to help prevent her from feeling any compassion or warmth. The evil spirits unsex Lady Macbeth and remove all feminine qualities from her, trading them for evil, proving that deep down there must be some good in her if she has to call for some outside help to aid her with her deeds. Lady Macbeth likes to be seen as ruthless and cruelRead More Macbeth Appearance Vs Reality Essay example1222 Words   |  5 Pagesis an important theme in William Shakespeareamp;#8217;s Macbeth. The theme focuses on characters who are deceived by what appears to be real, and on the tragic consequences that follow this error in judgment. These characters include, Duncan, who trusts Macbeth too much; Lady Macbeth, who tricks by the witches and herself; Macbeth trickes by other people in the play. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;King Duncan trusts Macbeth too much. Macbeth appears as a super hero and faithful to King Duncan. HeRead MoreMacbeth864 Words   |  4 Pagesimagination. In any piece of literature, imagery plays a significant role in illustrating the characters. In the play, Macbeth, written by William Shakespeare, the characters of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are developed through the use of clothing, sleep, and blood imagery. Through the use of clothing imagery, Shakespeare exposes and develops the character of Macbeth. In the beginning, Macbeth is seen as loyal soldier of King Duncan. When presented with the title of Thane of Cawdor, he says Why do you dressRead MoreMacbeths Faults877 Words   |  4 PagesThe Rise and Fall of Alexander the Great Macbeth One of Shakespeare’s most hailed plays, Macbeth, is a narrative that centers on a gentleman that goes by the name of Macbeth and his story of going from a normal man to King in only a short amount of time. He achieves this through sheer self-indulgence, as he could have remained a noble, but elected to destroy everyone in his path to becoming King. Macbeth loves becoming King, but is constantly craving more and more control, with the play eventuallyRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Macbeth By William Shakespeare1023 Words   |  5 PagesTragedy of Macbeth. The Tragedy of Macbeth was a turn from glory to tragedy. A story of a true tragic hero. Macbeth is a brave soldier in a war for Scotland. A tale of a great soilder that was highly praise in his kingdom turn to a tragic murderous sinful king. Macbeth kill his friends and his king to take the throne and power to fulfill a witches prophet .The focus of Macbeth’s tragic story is self ambition,his unrelentless guilt, greedines s , and poor judgement. All serve a purpose to macbeth destructionRead MoreGerald Deocariza Iii. Mrs. Jardine. English 3, Period 4.1161 Words   |  5 Pagesprotagonists of a dramatic tragedy. A tragic hero gets For example, William Shakespeare wrote a play called The Tragedy of Macbeth to show Macbeth’s uprisings and downfalls. Macbeth’s downfall results to wrong judgements that combines fate and external forces. If his downfalls does not kill him, his downfalls can cause the tragic hero to suffer for the rest of his life. Macbeth gains the utmost respect from other people; on the other hand, he also loses everything he gained because of his mistakesRead MoreLady Macbeth940 Words   |  4 PagesLady Macbeth Shakespeare, who was a writer born in Stratford-upon-Avon created many different plays, in which he always portrayed the woman as the â€Å"bad guy.† He was born in 1564 and he was a writer, actor and a dramatist. He wrote many plays, mostly revolving around tragedy such as: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth. Shakespeare was a respected poet, and writer who received recognition after he passed away, April 23rd. 1616. One of Shakespeare’s well-known tragic plays ``Macbeth`` describes how

Successful Human Resources Management ( Hrm ) Essay

Successful Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a main role in ensuring that an business will continue to exist and flourish. As we look through the growth of the HMR we will see that it has evolved into a better place to be in today s time. The HRM is now looked at having the most successful use of people or employees to attain managerial and personal goals. HMR know utilizes each department that the HRM consists of, which include many activities which train each employee in: equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Successful human resources management plays a very important role in the success of an business and is an active member in charting the planned course of competitiveness. We can also see a equal amount of training in the employee when it comes to productiveness, and efficiency as time and training moves forward for the new employee. A successful HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules the new HRM focuses on the employee and teaching and training them to be better assets for the business. The use of rules and policies and keeping records are and important factor when policies are incorporated. The HRM focuses on the solution of employmentShow MoreRelatedConcept and Origin of Human Resource Management1869 Words   |  7 Pages HRM Practice The concept and origin of HRM Experts have acknowledged that HRM is an inherent part of management, which is connected to an organizations human resource. It aims at maintaining better human relations in the organizations development, application, and evaluation of policies. This includes procedures and programs that relate to human resource to optimize their contribution in their quest for organizational goals. Concisely, human resource management deals with achieving betterRead MoreStrategic Role Of Human Resource Management1550 Words   |  7 Pagesthe face of increasing competitive environment organisation needs to focus on the value of investing human resources as a major competitive advantage. It is important to set a HRM to meet those advantages to meet company’s objectives with the flexible environment. Schuler (1992) defines strategic human resource management as â€Å"the integration and adaption to ensure (1) human resource management is fully with the strategy and the strategic needs of the firm (2) HR polices cohere both across policyRead MoreThe Effective Management Of Human Resources1338 Words   |  6 PagesThe effective management of human resources is essential for business success. In this article, it will talk about the importance of the effective management of human resources. Human resources management is a function that using the limited employees to do the most work and make the business run, which is called HRM or simply HR. A valid work on human resources management will make business successful. The intention of this discussion is to argue about various sources, helpful purposes and functionsRead MoreManaging Human Resource Management And Its Environment1654 Words   |  7 PagesManaging Human Resources In the book Fundamentals of Human Resource Management Sixth Edition by Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright, chapter one managing human resources gives an outline of human resource management, also known as (HRM), and its environment. Chapter one talks about the understanding, company performance, responsibilities, skills, ethics, and careers of human resource management. Many may know what HRM stands for, human resource management, but do we really know the true meaningRead MoreStrategic Thinking with Hrm1401 Words   |  6 PagesDiscuss why human resource management (HRM) is essential to strategic thinking, and identify several key aspects of strategic HRM. Introduction â€Å"Corporations began viewing employees as assets rather than as cogs in machine. ‘Human resources management’, consequently, became the dominant term for the function—the ASPA even changing its name to SHRM in 1998. (SHRM)† The realisation from organisations that their most prised and valuable asset is their employees. This lead to development and integrationRead MoreDesign and Implementation of Sets of Strategic Human Resource Management Practices 1694 Words   |  7 Pagesdesign and implementation of sets of strategic human resource practices continues to lack coherence and consistency, primarily because the concept of fit is still so little understood. Strategic human resource management refers to managing people in organizations proactively, such that it helps a business gain competitive edge. It is directed by the organizational strategy, as opposed to human resource management which aims to on better management of people only. SHRM is gaining widespread popularityRead MoreExamples of Ihrm and Domestic Hrm Essay841 Words   |  4 Pagesmultinational ventures stem from a lack of understanding of the essential differences in managing human resources in foreign environments (Desatnick Bennett 1978). The world has become more globalized, competitive, dynamic and uncertain than ever before. As more and more firms operate internationally, the search for the elements of global competitive advantage is a prominent theme in the management literature (Dickman Mà ¼ller-Camen, 2006: 580). There is a clear need to develop an understandingRead MorePersonal Statement : Human Resource Management1332 Words   |  6 Pagesshould reflect the life you lead. I have chosen Human Resource Management (HRM) as my career path because of my life experiences, research, and previous collegiate courses which have all shown me the power and importance of HRM. Through these experiences I have not only gained my life goals, but some of the necessary skills for HRM. Those skills include, organization, time management, multitasking, communication, problem solving/conflict management, and discretion (Bohlander, Morris, Snell, 2016)Read MoreHuman Resource Management At Small Businesses1121 Words   |  5 Pages Pre-sessional 2016 Final Project Human Resource Management in Small Businesses Blades Qi Ni/Nicky 26036566 Human Resource Management in Small Businesses Human Resource Management (HRM) is the terminology used to illustrate formal systems devised for the management of people within an organization. It is the method of managing an organization or company that is directlyRead More Human Resource Management Essay example1709 Words   |  7 PagesThe Employment relationship is the only reason public and private limited organisations work effectively. The Employment relationship is a fragile tie between an employer â€Å"management† and employee â€Å"worker†. This relationship can be affected by 3 factors which are interests, control and motivation. Employers have to balance these factors in order to maintain a productive working relationship. Employment relationship works like any other relationship, commitment is required from both sides. In

Direct Digial Control (Building Automation) Free Essays

The Importance and Understanding of having a Building Automation System Herbert Cuthbertson UAE210 — DIRECT DIGITAL CONTROLS In the past, there was little worry about energy consumption and costs associated with keeping Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning (HVAC), lighting and mechanical machines running at all hours of the day and night possibly. But due to the energy crises of the 1970’s and the last decade of rising costs of oil, the costs of energy not has forced not only families to conserve energy but companies, schools and businesses as well. In comes Direct Digital Controls (DDC) and/or Building Automation System (BAS) Basically a BAS/DDC system is a system that uses microprocessors, digital controls, to control not only hvac, but security, lighting, paging, and telecommunications if necessary. We will write a custom essay sample on Direct Digial Control (Building Automation) or any similar topic only for you Order Now I recently spoke with a neighbor of mine who in the 1970’s worked for facilities management company representing various building in Cincinnati, Ohio. He explained to me that in the past, he and others, at the end of the day/night would have to go to every floor of these buildings and physically switch off the lights and hvac systems to try to conserve energy. With a BAS system, a lot of that time could be eliminated. A BAS system can now turn on a particular set of lights based time, occupancy indicators, or an outside light sensor. It can turn on and off a hvac system in a certain area of the building based on occupancy, provide additional heating or cooling based on a afterhours switch on a thermostat, send out alarms to a facility technician, security, police and fire personnel, and allow trained personnel to remotely access the system and change certain parameters instead of making a possible trip to the building. Preventive Maintenance (PM) on hvac equipment can also be integrated in the BAS. Instead of predicting the amount of run time hours, the BAS can show the correct amount of run time hours and notify personnel when equipment is due for its preventive maintenance. This ensures the equipment is routinely serviced according to the equipment manufacturers schedule. If a building does not have any BAS installed and management personnel is ready to invest in its installation, then this will take a well thought out plan. This plan will need to be constructed by trained personnel who will do the job correctly. This will enable both the building owners and the occupants of the building to enjoy the benefits of future financial gains and a more comfortable building. How to cite Direct Digial Control (Building Automation), Papers

Nursing Case Study Australia Sample - Click To Get Solution

Question Task 1 Client Tom is a 48 year old male, presenting with substernal crushing chest pain. He has swelling to his feet and ankles, and shortness of breath on exertion. It is likely that Toms symptoms are being caused by problems with which body system? Explain the likely pathophysiology of Toms chest pain and the swelling to his feet and ankles What diagnostic procedures could confirm his condition? What is the purpose of each of the above named diagnostic procedures? (3 marks/ 50 words) What health professionals will this client need to access for his condition (name at least 3)? What services would each provide? Task 2 Client Mary is a 56 year old woman who has recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She is morbidly obese and has a body mass index (BMI) of 35. She is visiting a community health clinic for assessment and education for her newly diagnosed condition. Explain 5 potential health issues Mary faces as a result of her obesity. Name two (2) external and (2) internal factors that could be affected Mary's health status. What health professionals and allied health staff may be involved in the care of this client? Explain the role of each. What type of health education should nurses given this client to assist her with controlling her condition? Task 3 Client A 40 year old male has presented with unstable blood glucose readings which are secondary to his type 1 diabetes. 1. Explain the long term complications that may occur if this patients disease progresses 2. Name 5 specific health care professionals that may be involved in the long term care of a client with type 1 diabetes and briefly explain the role of each. 3. Explain the services and therapies that would be provided as part of long term community care for this client. Task 4 Client A 24 year old male presents at the emergency department following a motor vehicle accident (MVA). He had an elevated blood alcohol reading and appears to be intoxicated. The client suffered a blow to the forehead in the accident. He is reported to have lost consciousness at the scene. On admission he is incoherent and aggressive. 1. What internal factors are likely to be affecting the clients physical condition? 2. What external factors have contributed to this clients condition? 3. If the clients level of consciousness declines 6 hours after admission, what may be their diagnosis? 4. When responding, consider the onset, peak and duration of alcohol in the system and factor in your knowledge of brain injuries.What specific diagnostic tests would be required for this client? 5. Name two specific health care professionals who would be involved in the care of a client with an acute head injury and briefly explain the role of each. Task 5 Client A 79 year old Chinese Buddhist woman has been admitted for palliative care in a respite facility. She has requested that no opiates be given to her as she wishes to die without pharmacological intervention. Referring to the competency standards for Enrolled Nurses, explain the ethical issues that would need to be considered when caring for this client. This client appears to be in increasing pain, and the Enrolled Nurses caring for her understand the importance of her request to have a medication free death, yet they are upset by her discomfort. What are the responsibilities of an Enrolled Nurse in this situation, and who could they seek advice from? 3. What non pharmacological treatment could be provided as pain relief? Answer Case study 1 It is likely that Toms symptoms are being caused by complications associated with the heart or in other words cardiovascular pathology. Toms condition can be assumed as congestive heart failure. The likely pathophysiology of his chest pain and swelling to his feet and ankles are correlated. The swelling is because of fluid accumulation within the system (Dean and Abraham, 2010). The fluid accumulates because of diminished flow of blood out of heart causing the blood to return to heart through veins to support. This initiates accumulation of fluid within the lower limbs.Ecocardiography, electrocardiogram is the imaging techniques available to confirm Toms condition (Borja et al., 2010). Other diagnosis could be blood test and angiography. Echocardiography also supports to decide what treatments will assist Tom, for example: medication, implantable cardioverter-defibrilator insertion or heart resynchronized therapy.The purpose of echocardiography is to apply ultrasound to find out the diastolic volume, stroke volume and ejection fraction. It also identifies valve associated heart complications and evaluates the condition of the connective tissues and sac around the heart. Electrocardiogram is used to find out arrhythmias, left and right ventricular hypertrophy and existence of abnormalities or conduction delay (Hashimoto, 2006). The health professionals include a cardiac specialist/ cardiologist, a trained nurse and a physical trainer. The cardiologist will concentrate only on Toms heart condition and recommend treatment depend upon the diagnosis report and will continue monitoring Tom. The trained nurse will look after Tom continuously, so that his requirements are met, monitor his heart condition and will administer the medications properly as recommended by the cardiologist (Brush, 2002). A physical trainer can teach him light, aerobic exercises so that the blood inside the system can circulate without any further obstruction. Case study 2 5 potential health issues Mary faces as a result of her obesity include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and gout. Extra weight can make a patient more probable to have high cholesterol and elevated amount of blood pressure that lead to heart disease (Mantzoros, 2006). Being obese places additional stress on the system in various ways that includes systems capacity to control proper blood sugar levels. Obesity can cause the system to develop insulin resistance. Obesity is common for those who are under the insulin administration to care for diabetes. This is because more insulin one use to uphold blood sugar level of the system, the more sugar is absorbed within the cells, rather getting eliminated from the system. This absorbed sugar is accumulated as fat that makes one obese. The external factors could be Marys standard of living, food habits, smoking and drinking habit and internal factors could be genetic history of Marys family and endocrinological complications. In case of Marys care a diabetologist can assist her to control her condition of type II diabetes, as she is obese Mary need to be referred to a physical trainer who can assist her with regular physical activities (Feng, Fan and Mei, 2008). Mary can be referred to a dietitian, who can structure an effective and nutritious chart for Mary that can help her to control the blood glucose level as well as can take care of her obesity. Nurses should educate Mary to assist her controlling her condition. This education may include lifestyle modification and self-care. This includes maintaining healthy weight, daily physical activity, opting for healthy foods, controlling blood pressure, cholesterol levels and avoids smoking (Clarke, 2011). The commonness of medication non-adherence is more in case of diabetic patients and is related with higher medical costs and health issues. Therefore, identifying cost associated medication non-adherence is of utmost importance for the health care personnel. Case study 3 The long term complications may include cardiac and associated blood vessel disease, for instance: chest pain or angina, stroke, heart attack, narrowing down of arteries or atheroscelrosis and high blood pressure; neuropathy or nerve damage that mean excess blood sugar can harm the blood vessel walls which nourish the nerves (McDevitt, 2005). This condition can cause numbness, tingling, pain or burning sensation which usually initiates at the finger or toe tips and slowly spreads upward. Poorly managed blood glucose level could initiate lose of senses in affected limbs. Damage to nerves which affect the gastrointestinal tract can source complications with vomiting, nausea, constipation or diarrhea. General practitioner continues to offer medical care for diabetes type I. An endocrinologist can be a central part. They frequently visit the general practitioners in between times. This is might be because of blood pressure checks and checks on HbA1c/A1c molecules, prescriptions, flu shots and controlling other concerns and diseases. A podiatrist assesses general health of foot and foot function. Podiatrist checks whether there is a presence of neuropathy or nerve damage and also checks blood circulation in the feet. As diabetic people are more prone to different type of infections, keeping feet healthy is very essential. Diabetic foot is a main threat for amputation, so consulting with a podiatrist is of utmost important. Diabetes educator gives supports, advice and counseling to the patient. Recommended care is said to be the evidence based care that is cost efficient with good health care funding and improved systems (Gottlieb, 2004). This need to be available to all the diabetic sufferers and the purpose of any health care set up should be to accomplish recommended care level. Case study 4 The internal factors which are likely to be affecting the clients physical condition may include his level of unconsciousness, post traumatic stress disorder, elevated level of alcohol in blood, confused and aggressive. A blow to the forehead can also cause tremendous pain. The external factors that have contributed to this clients condition may include rash driving, drink and driving, disobedience of traffic signal, lack of personal safety measures. If the clients level of consciousness reduces 6hours after admission, the diagnosis would be a brain injury. The responsiveness of this patient can be recorded with the help of Glasgow coma scale rating (Raghupathi, 2004). The unconsciousness stage ends with opening eyes. It is difficult to actually state the duration of being unconscious in this case. Coma commonly describes a victim whose eyes remains closed continuously and failed to arouse to a restless condition. Nevertheless, another type of reduced conscious exists like coma stage is termed as vegetative state. IN this stage victims eyes are open and can temporarily track sounds or objects but in many cases, sufferers limbs are convulsive. In this case it can be said that the patient might have attained coma stage. The diagnostic tests would include computerized tomography scan that applies a sequence of x-rays to generate a comprehensive view of the brain (Vos and Diaz-Arrastia, 2014). CT scan can rapidly visualize fractures and reveal the presence of hemorrhage, hematomas, tissue swelling and contusions. Another suggested test would be magnetic resonance imaging which helps to generate a detailed image of brain, but this test is significant after the clients condition get stabilized. Neurologists are likely to check after a head injury. The neurologist deals with nerves and brain and consults with general physician for the injured patient. Neurosurgeon performs surgery on damaged nerves and brain (Smith, 2012). A neurosurgeon is required to stop brain bleeding. This is because the process requires surgical intervention. Case study 5 The goal of such end life palliative care is to offer relief in a morally suitable way to the client, the family members and health care personnel but frequently voice focuses whether such type of treatment is significant or whether treatment associates to euthanasia or health care professional assisted suicide. Another ethical issue that would need to be considered is the religious aspect of this old lady (Mahon, 2010). As follows Buddhism, it is the health care professionals responsibilities to understand and take decision depend upon her religious belief. It can also happen that the patient had given the permission for no pharmacological intervention but her family members or other concerned doctors understands the necessity of such pharmacological interventions. The enrolled nurse could seek advice from the duty officer, so that they can go through the available guideline and rules set by the organization in terms of medication free death. The enrolled nurse should go along with the respective guidelines approved by the state government (BROECKAERT and JANSSENS, 2002). As this case includes different legal and ethical issues the enrolled nurse should seek advice from the legal advisory committee of that particular state. Non-pharmacological approaches to pain relief may include art therapy, complementary therapy, biofield therapy, massage. Biofield therapies may include healing touch, Reiki that can improve acute pain. Massages potentially have a helpful effect on various symptoms associated with pain (Svendsen and Bjrk, 2014). Spinal cord stimulation can also be helpful. In this case an electrode is placed near the spinal cord and this uses safe and mild electrical signals to reflex nerves which cause the pain. Music therapy can increase the energy level and improve the mood. It may reduce pain by triggering the system to discharge endorphins. These are sad to be the natural body chemicals which decrease pain. References Borja, M., Samaranch, N., Parise, D., Elias, E. and Martn, A. (2010). Anesthesic management and transoesophageal ecocardiography control in percutaneus extraction of pacemaker and desfibrillation leads. Our experience from 2004 to 2009.European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 27, p.17. BROECKAERT, B. and JANSSENS, R. (2002). Palliative Care and Euthanasia.Ethical Perspectives, 9(2), pp.156-175. Brush, J. (2002). An interventional cardiologist: A cardiologist who intervenes.American Heart Journal, 143(6), pp.943-944. Clarke, A. (2011). Effectiveness of a community orientated diabetes education (CODE) programme for people with type 2 diabetes.European Diabetes Nursing, 8(3), pp.94-99a. Dean, S. and Abraham, W. (2010). Venous Thromboembolic Disease in Congestive Heart Failure.Congestive Heart Failure, 16(4), pp.164-169. Feng, W., Fan, G. and Mei, L. (2008).Diabetes obesity. Beijing: People's Medical Pub. House. Gottlieb, P. (2004).Type I diabetes. Philadelphia: Saunders. Hashimoto, K. (2006). Pharmacology of Arrhythmia.Journal of Arrhythmia, 22(3), p.131. Mahon, M. (2010).Palliative care and end of life care. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier. Mantzoros, C. (2006).Obesity and diabetes. Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press. McDevitt, H. (2005). Characteristics of Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetes and Type 1.5 Overlap With Type 2 Diabetes.Diabetes, 54(Supplement 2), pp.S4-S10. Raghupathi, R. (2004). Cell Death Mechanisms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.Brain Pathology, 14(2), pp.215-222. Smith, K. (2012). Traumatic brain injury: CT scan does not predict outcome of mild traumatic brain injury.Nat Rev Neurol, 8(9), pp.474-474. Svendsen, E. and Bjrk, I. (2014). Experienced Nurses' Use of Non-Pharmacological Approaches Comprise More Than Relief From Pain.Journal of Pediatric Nursing. Vos, P. and Diaz-Arrastia, R. (2014).Traumatic Brain Injury. Hoboken: Wiley.

Polemics On Veiling Egyptian Women In The Twentieth Century Essays

Polemics On Veiling Egyptian Women In The Twentieth Century Introduction .. so much energy has been expended by Muslim men and then Muslim women to remove the veil and by others to affirm or restore it .. (Ahmed 167). This paper explores these efforts in two specific stages: the first and the last thirds of the twentieth century. Through an analysis of some of the various arguments on the veil, I will try to induce some general characteristics of the debate on the issue and on women during these two specific periods of time. The starting point will be Kasim Amin's Tahrir el Mara'a (Liberation of Woman) and the counter argument of Talat Harb's Tarbiet el Mara'a wal Hijab, (Educating Women and the Veil). The debate between those two protagonists which has become a prototype of the debate on the veil throughout the century (Ahmed P. 164). Malak Hefni Nassif's and Hoda Sha'arawi's attitudes towards the veil represent an interesting insight to two different interpretations of the hijab issue by feminist activists that prevail throughout the century. The whole synthesis of this early debate is then put in juxtaposition to the debate later in the century as represented by the avalanche of literature on the topic in the seventies, the views of some famous sheikhs like Mohammed Metwally el Shaarawi and others, and the heated debate initiated by the Minister of Education's decree of 1994 to prevent school administrations from imposing the hijab on girls as part of the uniform. The Early Debate Kasim Amin's Tahrir El-Mara'a (Published 1899) It may not be an exaggeration to say that Amin's Tahrir al-Mara'a was one of the most controversial book in Egypt's modern history. It has ignited a strong debate and prompted more than thirty reaction articles and books either to defy or assert his argument against the veil (Ahmed P. 164). The ideas of the book were not totally new, they echoed the writings of some writers like Mariam al-Nahhas (1856-1888), Zaynab Fawwaz (1860-1914), Aisha al-Taymuriah (1840-1902), and Murqus Fahmi's (a Coptic lawyer) four act play Al Mar'ah fi al-Sharq or (The Woman in the East) (Badran P. 19). Yet, Amin's book double-scored for coming from a Muslim judge and for his overt proposal to unveiling women's faces. His words were not the only challenge to the existing notions of the hijab, it was his caliber as a Moslim judge that has vocalized his call to unveil women and gave his book importance. After an introduction loaded with emotional phrases on the degradation of the Egyptian woman and an exaltation of the European woman, the book is divided into four sections: Educating women, Women's veil, The woman and the nation, and Marriage and divorce. Amin starts his argument calling for the Hijab Shara'ei stating that the Hijab in its form then (covering the face, the hair and the whole body) was not mandated by the Shari'aa. He further adds that he was not calling for the extreme of the West which makes the woman liable to seduction (Amin P. 65). The argument against the veil is in two sections: The religious section which is mainly text interpretation and some Hadith that prompt women to cover the hair and the whole body except for the hands and the face; and the social (practical / everyday life) perspective. The later section includes social ideas such as the inconvenience for women with their faces covered to dwell in business, to testify in courts or to get engaged (as the groom should see her face first). Furthermore, he argues that unveiling would make women watch their behaviors as they could be recognized and hence their reputation would be at stake if they did any wrong. Still, from the practical social point of view, the flimsy bourqo' (face cover) used was more tempting as it makes the viewer curious to see what was intended to be hidden. He further argues that, if women are imprisoned in the hareem (part of the house where women are secluded), then even if they did not commit any shameful act, it would not be due to any virtue in them, but to the fact that they did not have the freedom to do otherwise. Amin accuses the veil of being a barrier to women's development and education (P. 85), arguing that it deprived her from interacting with the society and learning how to live. He illustrates by comparing the ignorant peasant with the elite urban lady who can speak French and plays the piano, and concludes that the ignorat peasant would be

Free Essays on Unix

UNIX has served many different government and scientific entities in the past and continues to be enhanced by software designers in order to better serve customers by being responsive to today’s marketplace. It is obvious that with public demand for internet services, combined with the fact that the internet is UNIX-based, there is no immediate threat to the UNIX operating system. The unique advantage of the UNIX operating system when it was introduced was that it could (and still does) run on dissimilar machines, unheard of prior to 1969. UNIX also can run more than one program at a time, store complex graphics and databases, and link to other UNIX and mainframe computer systems, including DOS since the late 1980s. UNIX-based systems control various programs written by many companies to distribute information between multiple computers within the network. UNIX at first worked over ARPnet the ARPA network grew throughout the 1970s when computer networks from various organiz ations, both nationally and internationally, began to link to ARPAnet, mostly for transferring engineering and scientific research data. The ARPAnet eventually migrated into what we know as the World Wide Web. The Web allows users to easily browse through hypertext and multimedia located on various computers and mainframe systems around the world. Prior to the CERN project, Internet users had to know UNIX programming language and move around in a cumbersome UNIX shell environment. The Web can best be described as a â€Å"global interactive, dynamic, cross-platform, distributed, graphical hypertext information system that operates over the Internet. It operates on many protocols, including FTP, Gopher, UseNet, WAIS databases, and TELNET. Most of the text transferred over the Internet is written in hypertext markup language (HTML). Graphics are transferred via standard generalized markup language (SGML) through the UNIX operating system. No one owns the web, but a... Free Essays on UNIX Free Essays on UNIX UNIX has served many different government and scientific entities in the past and continues to be enhanced by software designers in order to better serve customers by being responsive to today’s marketplace. It is obvious that with public demand for internet services, combined with the fact that the internet is UNIX-based, there is no immediate threat to the UNIX operating system. The unique advantage of the UNIX operating system when it was introduced was that it could (and still does) run on dissimilar machines, unheard of prior to 1969. UNIX also can run more than one program at a time, store complex graphics and databases, and link to other UNIX and mainframe computer systems, including DOS since the late 1980s. UNIX-based systems control various programs written by many companies to distribute information between multiple computers within the network. UNIX at first worked over ARPnet the ARPA network grew throughout the 1970s when computer networks from various organiz ations, both nationally and internationally, began to link to ARPAnet, mostly for transferring engineering and scientific research data. The ARPAnet eventually migrated into what we know as the World Wide Web. The Web allows users to easily browse through hypertext and multimedia located on various computers and mainframe systems around the world. Prior to the CERN project, Internet users had to know UNIX programming language and move around in a cumbersome UNIX shell environment. The Web can best be described as a â€Å"global interactive, dynamic, cross-platform, distributed, graphical hypertext information system that operates over the Internet. It operates on many protocols, including FTP, Gopher, UseNet, WAIS databases, and TELNET. Most of the text transferred over the Internet is written in hypertext markup language (HTML). Graphics are transferred via standard generalized markup language (SGML) through the UNIX operating system. No one owns the web, but a... Free Essays on Unix Following is all the information that you need to understand the workings of the UNIX operating system (Berkley 4.2). Patched together by The War On the security side of UNIX: - On the Security of UNIX Dennis M. Ritchie Recently there has been much interest in the security aspects of operating systems and software. At issue is the ability to prevent undesired disclosure of information, destruction of information, and harm to the functioning of the system. This paper discusses the degree of security which can be provided under the system and offers a number of hints on how to improve security. The first fact to face is that was not developed with security, in any realistic sense, in mind; this fact alone guarantees a vast number of holes. (Actually the same statement can be made with respect to most systems.) The area of security in which is theoretically weakest is in protecting against crashing or at least crippling the operation of the system. The problem here is not mainly in uncritical acceptance of bad parameters to system calls there may be bugs in this area, but none are known- but rather in lack of checks for excessive consumption of resources. Most notably, there is no limit on the amount of disk storage used, either in total space allocated or in the number of files or directories. Here is a particularly ghastly shell sequence guaranteed to stop the system: while :; do mkdir x cd x done Ether a panic will occur because all the i-nodes on the device are used up, or all the disk blocks will be consumed, thus preventing anyone from writing files on the device. In this version of the system, users are prevented from creating more than a set number of processes simultaneously, so unless users are in collusion it is unlikely that any one can stop the system altogether. However, creation of 20 or so CPU or disk-bound jobs l...

The Aesthetic Principle and a Factor in Art Essay

The Aesthetic Principle and a Factor in Art - Essay Example According to Bullough, distance plays an essential part in generating an authentic aesthetic response. Bullough supposes that there has to be a quantity of distance gained between an object or work of art and a viewer. This will make the observer understand the object or work of art. On the other hand, Bell’s views are drawn from Kant. Both Kant and Bell agree that an object or work of art can neither be intrinsically moral nor cognitive. In addition, they both agree that the value of an object or work of art is found in its form alone. Bell’s notion of significant form is representative in its clarity. Bell perceives the aesthetic response on the basis of a global standard and the source of the aesthetic emotion in the work of art or object (Arnold and Iverson 73). It may be valuable to approach an art object or work with physical distance and focus on its significant form because of several reasons. First, when the appropriate distance is observed, splendor can be observed and realized in an object or work of art. This does not mean that an artist or observer should be impersonal with regard to art, but instead, the viewer should separate himself emotionally and physically enough, so as to attain an accurate aesthetic response to an object or work of art. It is also essential to focus on a significant form of an object or work of art (Arnold and Iverson 76). Moreover, focusing on its significant form will assist an individual to focus at a work of art without preconceptions and predispositions and without being preoccupied by extraneous connections with the work or object of art. Second, according to Bullough, if a viewer does not position himself at an appropriate distance away from the object or work of art, he will become excessively enclosed in his own life. For example, in Othello, the jealous spouse looking at the play cannot realize it because he is so much entangled by how the play is personally affecting his life.

Discuss the Ethnicity, Race in new cinema and how these elements Essay

Discuss the Ethnicity, Race in new cinema and how these elements represent the culture identity in new cinema - Essay Example Countless movies have been made that placed the white race concept atop the pedestal. This is apparent in many genre, setting and context. Films strengthen the existing prevailing social concepts (Kellner, 1995, as cited in Brayton, n.d.) that refer to a middle class white heterosexual male as the normative figure (Brayton, n.d.). The concept of race is a social construction and originally defined by western people. The general notion brought by this concept is that the white people are superior over those with colored skin. This prevailed during the colonization period where the colonizers were white people. Whiteness reached its peak after the colonial era though (Lopez, 2005). Thus, having colonized lands with black people, the latter were treated as inferior and were made slaves. The same treatment is accorded to people with brown skin. The concept of whiteness was perpetuated even after colonialism as desirable and utilized to repress and marginalize the others (Lopez, 2005). Th e concept of â€Å"personal whiteness† referred to by W.E.B. Du Bois has been readily and systematically accepted by groups which were â€Å"racialized, enslaved, conquered and colonized,† but who regard â€Å"white power and white pretense† as critical concerns (Towards a Bibliography 2006, p. 5). Although numerous groups are working to counter this unequal social construct, there are still segments in society as well as individuals who retained such white supremacy notion. Even those not belonging to organized groups, their individual attitude towards colored people show antagonism or disgust. Individuals who do not belong to the whiteness group are categorized as belonging to the â€Å"other† (Performing Whiteness n.d.). The concept of race can be found in many cultural materials such as stories, narratives, habits, etc. and perpetuated in cinema (Critical Race Theory 2011). Although socially constructed, race has been institutionalized in the US throu gh systematic and deliberate actions, thus creating social structures and consequences (Lipsitz, 1995). In cinema, race is constructed continually as a performance and â€Å"understood as a set of cultural tastes,† but not in relation to biological or cultural existence (Brayton, n.d., p. 63). The lifestyle of the rich upper class whiteness is portrayed as the proper norm (Johnson and Roediger, 1997, as cited in Brayton, n.d.). It is played around the concept of consumer choice (Brayton, n.d.). Academic debates on race focus on cultural identity, the roots of the group, and how members see themselves as a cultural group (Bernardi, n.d.). Identity does not remain the same. It undergoes continuous change and transformation (Hall, 1989, as cited in Bernardi, n.d.). White dominance as a performance is aptly described by Orwell (1936 as cited in Lopez, 2005) in saying that by wearing a mask, the face grows to fit with it. Shifting Focus of Whiteness Racial formation, according to Omi and Howard (1994, as cited in Bernardi, n.d.), is a divide grounded on cultural and physiognomic parameters that tells who should have access to institutions. Racial formation changes like identity (Bernardi, n.d.). During the early developments in cinema, the concept of race was dominated by social Darwinism and eugenics wherein humanity is placed in a â€Å"hierarchy of human cultures and histories† with the Anglo-Saxons at the top, followed by the other Caucasians, the

Environment Of The Events And Exhibitions Industry

Environment Of The Events And Exhibitions Industry This report will focus on the environment in which GL events is currently operating. GL events started as a small company based in Lyon in 1978 providing furniture and stands for exhibitors. Through mergers and acquisitions, they have progressively evolved to become an important player in todays exhibiting and event world with 34 venues around the world, an event and exhibition full-organising service and a portfolio of 250 trade-shows in various industries (food beverage, sport leisure, health, etc.). Influencing all trends and being influenced by all trends, the exhibition and events industry is in the centre of it all. No company can succeed without being aware of the environment it is evolving in. In the exhibition and events industry, companies need to pay particular attention to details impacting not only its industry directly but also every other sector of activity as it would soon have repercussions on future events, exhibitions, product launches, etc. For this reason, a good PESTEL analysis for the industry needs to cover a broad range of issues and analyse many trends which may not influence events yet but could soon be a threat if companies do not react and stay in the times. This report will focus on a PESTEL analysis (Political, Economic, Social, Technology, Environment, Legal) of the exhibition and events industry conclude by establishing which factors GL events should most take into account going forward as they could be potential threats or areas of opportunities in the years to come. Political: There are two main political factors influencing the industry today. One is the increasing political pressures to make regulations and policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We will see in the environmental section that this trend started with consumer awareness but it is no longer just something the clients want to know more about, it has become an obligation. This has greatly impacted the transport industry, in particular airlines which found their image hit as people all around the world pointed to airplanes being a major source of pollution. This impacts the event and exhibition industry, especially at a time when various green technologies are evolving to permit meetings, conferences and even exhibitions to take place online (Long, 2009). This will be developed further in Environmental and Technology sections. The second is the increased globalisation and liberalisation of trade and deregulation (Dwyer, L and Edwards, D 2009). This is very important in terms of number of potential competitors and number of potential clients. Companies need to learn to evolve in a globalised economy, taking advantage of it by going to find new markets, possibly entering into partnerships with similar companies to widen market share and visibility. With this liberalisation of trade comes political pressure to have global higher standards of living. If you do not see your neighbours yard, you do not know that it is greener, when you break the fence, you find that it is. It is this situation that developing countries are finding themselves in today. Citizens all around the world can use internet to gain knowledge about how others are living and become envious. Because of this, countries want to attract foreign investment to boost local economies and gain wealth and higher standards of living. This creates oppo rtunities for countries not only to establish new and cheaper production lines but also to display their products in emerging markets. Last week for example, Apple launched the Iphone4 in China (AFP, 2010). Economy This last point brings us to analysing the economic trends and pressures impacting on the exhibition and events industry. Although the UNWTO 2002 forecasted world tourism to grow at a rate of 4.1% annually until 2020 (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009) due to rising wealth internationally, the exhibition and event industry has seen a slow in growth since 2005 but a rise in exhibition and event attendance (Biba E, 2008). This puts the industry in a rather awkward position. There are people coming to exhibitions but exhibitors have switched their approach towards events and exhibition. Indeed, especially with the recent crisis, the first expenses cut by organisations worldwide were advertising and travel. Exhibitions and events being in the centre of this, the industry was hit and forced to react. The expectations from exhibitors will be looked into more fully when we look at the social aspects of the trend but the main ideas are that companies are looking to maximise their ROI (return on investment) (Kovaleski D, 2009) and minimise the perception of frivolous spending (trips, events, etc.) (Events Managers, 2010). In order to do this, companies are squeezing suppliers to get more value for money and investigating the return on investment of their events much more closely and looking at alternatives more then they did before. Companies are not so much cutting their exhibition and event spending so much as allocating it more carefully and with conditions of an assured return (Biba E, 2007). This has changed to job of the event organiser who needs to think of more in novative ways that the company can use to introduce their product. A leaflet handout at the exhibition is no longer sufficient, people want to be amused, entertained, really involved in the product (Furness V., 2007). Because of this, the industry is moving away from major events in favour of smaller, more intimate events where companies can really interact with potential clients (Biba E, 2007). Another aspect companies are putting under the microscope is how to measure ROI generated from social networking and e-marketing. Indeed, if an event is posted on Facebook, LinkedIn, various industry blogs and online magazines this all takes resources in terms of man-hours put into promoting the event on these new channels but how can a company measure that this was efficient? How can the event planner know that the Facebook invitation attracted the client and not some Email they receive every year which pushed them to look for a Facebook event? (Terrero R, 2009). Today, there is little way of knowing exactly what path a client took and what really convinced them to attend your particular event. Social Indeed, the main goals of events and exhibitions are brand awareness, brand preference and networking. Although brand awareness can be achieved through various communication mediums (advertising online, billboards, TV, etc.), it is not the way to create brand preference. Brand preference is achieved through interaction, experience of the brand with the client (Kovaleski D, 2009) and leads to better ROI for the company. This means that exhibition halls and event organisers are not expected to provide a massive attendance so much as a good promotional space and real, targeted potential buyers (Biba E, 2007). From the buyers perspective, they want to experience and know the brand as a whole. With globalisation came increased competition and consumers now have the possibility to buy from anyone anywhere around the world. The quality and price are no longer the only issues, people and therefore companies look at the triple bottom line. Its no longer just about economics but also the socia l and environmental benefits of a product or company. Clients dont want a coupon or a price comparison when they come to a product launch, they want to feel and experience the product for themselves (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009 and Furness V., 2007). There needs to be a real interaction between companies and clients. Companies want to build a rapport with their clients, want to become part of their lives. This has forced exhibition halls and event managers to re-think space use and create sections that are dedicated to sitting down in a relaxing atmosphere with a drink to discuss business more casually. The bottom line is still to get the client but the approach is much friendlier then boxed up in a meeting room (Kovaleski D, 2009). This also has an impact on stand design. Exhibitors are encouraged to pay more attention to details such as carpet colour as it has been shown that if the carpet colour of the stand is different from that of the exhibition hall, it may create a barrier and deter clients from approaching (Kovaleski D, 2009). Technology With the development of various technologies, companies have the opportunity to have a virtual event run along-side of the live event. This allows them more time to prepare the client for the interaction and pursue the relationship after the event (Furness V., 2007 and Kovaleski D, 2009). This phenomenon of virtual event is not only to accompany live events, there are now events using only virtual platforms, simulating a physical event on the online world. Platforms such as Second Life are being used by companies to reach potential clients without having to create an event in one physical place. This has the advantage, if not necessarily of price reduction, but to be able to reach clients who may not be prepared to travel to meet you. You can meet them where they are all at once (Biba E, 2008). Using 3D technologies, your virtual exhibition can be as simple as visitors being able to look around at the different stands and as complex as re-creating the event in a completely online wor ld (web chatter, 2010). This is not to say that virtual events will completely replace live events because, as we have seen, people still want to interact and know who they are dealing with but it certainly does replace certain live events already (Biba E, 2007). Another important aspect of the new technologies that the exhibition and event industry should be aware of is the democratization of the internet. This means two things. First, even small firms can bring competition to the large, well-established event organizers if they have good SEO (search engine optimization) and general web-marketing skills as they have equal visibility (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009). Second, through UGC (user generated content) anyone can post their feedback about their experience with a certain organizer and make it available to the world (Papathanassis A, Buhalis D, 2007). This is good news for companies who have good relations with their clients and suppliers but will be difficult for companies who were focusing on one-shot clients and therefore not paying much attention to details. The final aspect of technology refers to the traditional definition of technology, ie: the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry (Oxford Compact dictionary). Here we are referring to how to build ecologically friendly stands? What technologies can we use to handle the new products that now need to be used in order to create a green stand? Environmental We are now obviously diverging to the environmental issues around the exhibition and event industry. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to be perceived as environmentally aware (Biba E, 2008). This presents a good opportunity in term of cost reductions as decisions such as travelling less can be explained as an environmentally gesture rather then cost-cutting in a bad economy (Events Managers, 2010). However, it presents a challenge for events and exhibition companies who now need to develop green stands made with ecologically friendly materials and production techniques and purchased from local suppliers to avoid pollution from transport (Biba E, 2008). Another aspect the exhibition and event industry will need to look at closely is the impact that global warming will have on their choice of venue and the viability of these choices with respect to client attendance and attractiveness (Dwyer L, Edwards D., 2009). Indeed, sunny destinations which are very pleasant to hold events at may be changed for the worse in the next 30-50 years while new destinations will establish themselves as more favourable climate-wise. Legal The final point we will view is the legal aspects that the industry needs to pay attention to. The policies regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the liberalisation of trade have lead way to many legal documents and laws by countries around the world which need to be followed by event and exhibition organisers and by venues to make sure they are acting within the limits and scope of the law. However, an important legal issue is the terms and conditions put forward by events and exhibition planners and venues. First, with regards to particular cancellation fees, they need to protect themselves without being outrageously unfair to the potential client which is looking at cancellation fees and possibilities more closely since the crisis. Second, with respect to the inflexibility of minimum numbers, if venues hope to attract client, they need to consider the advantage of having one definite client with a contract who may not bring exactly 1000 participants versus one potential client who is still shopping around and may never sign (Event Manager, 2010). From this PESTEL analysis, we can draw several conclusions for GL events next step. First, it is clear that the new technologies, though they will not fully replace live events, are certainly complementing them and they are here to stay. GL events could take advantage of this by creating a network with all its venues. When one event is organised in Nice for example, they could offer the possibility of extending it via 3D conferencing tools to other of their venues around the world. This would increase the potential number of attendees who would not have to sit in front of a computer to enjoy the virtual event but would benefit also from meeting with others who are also in their geographical areas and enjoying the event virtually. People in China could enjoy the conference of the event taking place in Nice and have the opportunity to network with other people afterwards via video-conferencing and face-to-face with people who were also unable to attend the meeting. A second opportunity GL events could take advantage of is the growing importance of the perception of being environmentally friendly which pushes companies to invest in Green stands. Through their event organising service, GL events should try to develop the competencies to offer this possibility to their clients, if possible at a similar cost, to make sure they are in keeping (and even a little ahead) of their times. In these fast changing times, the opportunities are still up for grabs but will soon become threats if venues and organisers do not react quickly.

Cultural Comparison

I have chosen three stories of women growing up in relationship to thtime period in which they lived, their ethnicity,the customs of their countries and how they attempted to handle their life situations. Child f the Americas by Aurora Morales, gives us a view of a woman who is happy with herself and adjusts well to her life. The second is What It’s Like to be a Black Girl by Patricia Smith, a story of transition from childhood to adulthood for a young black girl having problems with both growing up and her place as a black woman in society. The third Country Lovers by Nadine Gordimer is the story of growing up in South Africa as a repressed young black woman. Child of the Americas by Aurora Morales, is tribute to her multiple identity. The word diasposa is the perfect description of her heritage. It means the scattering of a people from their ancestral home . She is a descendent of Latin American, Jewish, Aftican and North American heritage and she describes herself as saying she is none of these things outwardly, they are within her (Clugston).. This collage of nationalities forms the theme of this poem. The tone of She clearly knows who she is and is proud of the fact that she is confident. The tone of this poem is upbeat and is developed in this upbeat manner. She is different and likes being different. She realizes her inherited background has a dark side, ghettoes I have never seen citation . Even her use of symbolism,† I speak English with passion: it's the tongue of my consciousness, a flashing knife blade of cristal, my tool, my craft. Shows pride in who she is. The setting of this story is important. She is a U. S. American who could have been born in any of the other countries of their heritage. This is a story of self discovery and it is obvious she likes what she sees. †¢What it is like to be a black girl in in fact the opposite of Child of the Americas. She is a young black girl, who discovers she is growing up. She talks about being nine and feeling like she al right and too add to this she had the problem of a racially prejudice society. She hopes for something better to come in her life She wishes to be whilte, putting food coloring in her eyes to try to change them and a white mophead on her head over her hair. She wanted to grow into a more accepted form. She used other ways to tell how she wanted to grow into something different, She was having trouble grownng up with issusess that did not include the racial issue.. It is an insiers view into a young black girl’s transition into black woman-hood at a time where both being a black girl and a black woman was not as welcomed It discusses the conflict she has between being a little girl â€Å"jumping double Dutch until your legs pop† and â€Å"growing tall it talks about when she marries and becomes submissive to a ma as women did in her era. In comparison to Child of the Americas, the feeling or tone of the story is in complete opposition to the bouncy, girl, proud of her heritage l I have n ow covered two different heritages, one who is proud of her heritage and it is apparent that she looks forward to her future. The second is of the transition of a woman who is not sure of her future in relationship to her heritage. The third story begins as a mellow story of two young people who grow up together discover each other, but apparently the girl has no future, other than the one in which she is destined to live the rest of her life. The tone of this story becomes dark and hard as the young woman realizes she has no future and no control of her future. The characters and their background are important in each of these three stories. In all three stories, the character and their reaction to their ethnicity in relationship to how they feel about themselves is the key point of each story. Their reactions range from feeling good about themselves, vibrant and alive to feeling that they had a set pattern in life and had to learn to grow up and live it, to feeling as if they are of no importance to anyone at all. The theme of these three stories appears to be intertwined. The reasoning for these themes are not the same, but they are related. They all include learning to live with yourself and your conditions in relationship to your cultural background, your area in which you live , your own internal feelings and the feelings of others toward you. In each story, the situations were handled differently The character in Child of the Americas is adjusted to the fact that she is unique and is proud of herself. The character in Country Lovers has made mistakes in her life, adjusted to limitations in life and is simply trying to live life in the only way she knows how to survive. The theme is What its like to grow up black, has a less apparent theme than the other two. It appears to consider how hard it is to grow up at all, much less during the time period a transition in the place of the people of her heritage in the world. The main theme of these three stories is that we need to be honest with ourselves and live life in the best way we can The tone of each story differs but each added to the individual reading of these tories. The Child of the Americas was an upbeat reading to begin with and was reflected in the tone. It made me think of my own heritage and how it contributed to the person I am today. The tone of What is like to grow up black had a tone that suggested a little sadness and confusion. The tone made me reflect onmy own childhood. I could empathize with the confusion of chil dhood. I was growing up in the 1960’s and though my ethnic backround is different, each of us in that era we were both women and had decisions to make about our future. Our character seemed to think her future was marriage. The third character was growing up in South /Africa during a time of race oppression compared to the United States slavery times, so the theme appeared to be quite different from the theme of the first two stories. It used childhood innocence and exploration and added the forbidden dimension of separation of races to form her childhood and rise into adulthood, In conclusion, the tone of each story differed but all three ended with the characters knowing where they belonged in the world. The historical aspect of each story played an important part of each story. Looking at each author’s background their other writings helps us to understand the reasoning behind each story. Our textbook tells us that Nadine Gordimer was born and raised in South Africa and has lived there all her life except for a year spent at college. Her writing reflects her strong opposition to apartheid which oppressed the black population of South Africa for almost fifty years,, ending in 1994, Apartheid was a socioeconomic system that managed to oppress the black population though they were in the majority of South African people. Many of her works talked about patricia smith is a modern poet known for slam poetry. It is said she speaks for the foices of thoe who have not been heard. Her poetry includes stories of mothers of murdered black youths, the undertakers who try to patch up the bodies, the skinheads whose hate twists America in a knotl Born raised and beginning work as a columinist for Chicago Tribune, she transplanted to New England where she became a columnist for the Boston Globe. She told the same stories using the same techniques and gave birth to slam poetry, using real issues and slamming the point home. In this capacity she lost her credibility when it was discovered that many of her stories written in newspapers as facts, were in fact not true stories. It cost her her career, her marriage and the Pulitzer prize. She has recovered from these downfalls and continues to write and perform slam poetry. http://www. english. illinois. edu/maps/poets/s_z/p_smith/p_smith. htm Aurora Morales, author of Child of the Americas was born in Puerto Rico, the child of a Puerto Rican mother and Jewish father. She moved to the United States in 1967 and has proven herself to be a social activist, concerened with issues of third world people, especially women. She uses her Puerto Rican heritage to identify on a global perspective. Her work discusses sesual abuse racial discrimination and such far ranging topicsa as ecology and social justice. She along with many other women of color who are writers in the U. S, stry to stress the importance of female ethnic heritage in relationship to the development of a feminine voice. She authored her first book, her most important and acclaimed one with her mother. It was a common project in which both of them fouond peace and refuge against discrimination and oppression in writing about themes using their Puerto Rican identity, expressing opinions of third world feminism, , womens relationships and self discovery through a past heritage. It was through this writing that Child of the Americas was born. She and her mother feel that diversity is a source of pawe and home is everywhere. At present she and her mother are attempting to tell the history of peurto Rio through womens ancestor’s who have been silenced. It is unusual work, mixing history of oppressed women with medicinal herb remedies. The two women feel tht reliving and opening up old painful wounds of wimen’s mistreatment is a way of cleansing and healing the past. http://www. uhu. es/antonia. dominguez/pricans/aurora_levins_morales. htm The varied backgrounds of these three women come together to make them writers who write about oppressed and downtrodden peoples. Each in their real lives has worked to correct these problems/ The time line of the history of these three authors has also influenced the historical aspecof each piece of work. They were acve in the 1960’s in which lay the most influencial racial issues of modern day. Apathaid oin south Africa was inforced and Apartheid was begun as a result of greed for the diamonds of South Africa. To insure that the smallest amount of people would have the rights, certain laws were enabled. In 1948 laws that were enacted that pertained to every aspect of social life. From the ability for interracial marriage to the instillation of white only jobs. This discrimination included naming people by their color, their parents color. The black, white, or other nationality were the only ones accepted. If one was considered black. He had to carry a pass at all times, that even included his fingerprints. These were the conditions that were in affect during the writing of Country Lovers. http://www. hoover. org/publications/hoover-digest/by-topic/1076 The civil rights movement occurred between 1955 and 1968, /the movement mainly wanted to abolish discrimination toward African Americans. It began in the south where whites were segregated from blacks. These people were treated ruely because of their color and everything from transportation to the use of public drinking fountains was affected. Now famous black Americans such as rosa parks and martin luthor king took up the causedelivering speeches, making people aware of the unjustice There were deaths including Martin Luthor King but eventually the Civil Rights Act was signed by President Johnson in 1964. All of these discrimination acts occurred during the time all three authors were writing, so it is quite logical that their work would be filled with reference to the unjustice off treatment of the black race in their writings. I feel the similarities of these three stories comes within the plot. I feel these stories were written to make people aware of the pastplight of black women and as Aurora Morales has done publicly, keep a record of their heritage of this injustice. The p lot is as simple as helping a woman rise above injustice. To bring these three stories together. Their similarities far outweigh their difference. They were historically written in a time of injustice for the black race. The tone of each story reflects the attitude of each woman in relationship to her race.References Anonymous (2011) http://www.hoover.org/publications/hoover-digest/by-topic/1076 morales (2010) http://www.uhu.es/antonia.dominguez/pricans/aurora_levins_morales.htm Smith P. (2007)http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/s_z/p_smith/p_smith.htm Anonymous (2009) http://learningzoneclass.com/aoat11/cayco/history.html Anonymous (2001) http://scholar.library.miami.edu/sixties/urbanRiots.php

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 23. MONSTER

WHEN I WOKE UP IN THE MORNING, IT WAS VERY bright – even inside the tent, the sunlight hurt my eyes. And I was sweating, as Jacob had predicted. Jacob was snoring lightly in my ear, his arms still wrapped around me. I pulled my head away from his feverishly warm chest and felt the sting of the cold morning on my clammy cheek. Jacob sighed in his sleep; his arms tightened unconsciously. I squirmed, unable to loosen his hold, struggling to lift my head enough to see. . . . Edward met my gaze evenly. His expression was calm, but the pain in his eyes was unconcealed. â€Å"Is it any warmer out there?† I whispered. â€Å"Yes. I don't think the space heater will be necessary today.† I tried to get to the zipper, but I couldn't free my arms. I strained, fighting against Jacob's inert strength. Jacob muttered, still fast asleep, his arms constricting again. â€Å"Some help?† I asked quietly. Edward smiled. â€Å"Did you want me to take his arms all the way off?† â€Å"No, thank you. Just get me free. I'm going to get heat stroke.† Edward unzipped the sleeping bag in a swift, abrupt movement. Jacob fell out, his bare back hitting the icy floor of the tent. â€Å"Hey!† he complained, his eyes flying open. Instinctively, he flinched away from the cold, rolling onto me. I gasped as his weight knocked the breath out of me. And then his weight was gone. I felt the impact as Jacob flew into one of the tent poles and the tent shuddered. The growling erupted from all around. Edward was crouching in front of me, and I couldn't see his face, but the snarls were ripping angrily out of his chest. Jacob was half-crouched, too, his whole body quivering, while growls rumbled through his clenched teeth. Outside the tent, Seth Clearwater's vicious snarls echoed off the rocks. â€Å"Stop it, stop it!† I yelled, scrambling awkwardly to put myself between them. The space was so small that I didn't have to stretch far to put one hand on each of their chests. Edward wrapped his hand around my waist, ready to yank me out of the way. â€Å"Stop it, now,† I warned him. Under my touch, Jacob began to calm himself. The shaking slowed, but his teeth were still bared, his eyes furiously focused on Edward. Seth continued to growl, a long unbroken sound, a violent background to the sudden silence in the tent. â€Å"Jacob?† I asked, waiting until he finally dropped his glare to look at me. â€Å"Are you hurt?† â€Å"Of course not!† he hissed. I turned to Edward. He was looking at me, his expression hard and angry. â€Å"That wasn't nice. You should say sorry.† His eyes widened in disgust. â€Å"You must be joking – he was crushing you!† â€Å"Because you dumped him on the floor! He didn't do it on purpose, and he didn't hurt me.† Edward groaned, revolted. Slowly, he looked up to glare at Jacob with hostile eyes. â€Å"My apologies, dog.† â€Å"No harm done,† Jacob said, a taunting edge to his voice. It was still cold, though not as cold as it had been. I curled my arms around my chest. â€Å"Here,† Edward said, calm again. He took the parka off the floor and wrapped it over the top of my coat. â€Å"That's Jacob's,† I objected. â€Å"Jacob has a fur coat,† Edward hinted. â€Å"I'll just use the sleeping bag again, if you don't mind.† Jacob ignored him, climbing around us and sliding into the down bag. â€Å"I wasn't quite ready to wake up. That wasn't the best night's sleep I ever had.† â€Å"It was your idea,† Edward said impassively. Jacob was curled up, his eyes already closed. He yawned. â€Å"I didn't say it wasn't the best night I've ever spent. Just that I didn't get a lot of sleep. I thought Bella was never going to shut up.† I winced, wondering what might have come out of my mouth in my sleep. The possibilities were horrifying. â€Å"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself,† Edward murmured. Jacob's dark eyes fluttered open. â€Å"Didn't you have a nice night, then?† he asked, smug. â€Å"It wasn't the worst night of my life.† â€Å"Did it make the top ten?† Jacob asked with perverse enjoyment. â€Å"Possibly.† Jacob smiled and closed his eyes. â€Å"But,† Edward went on, â€Å"if I had been able to take your place last night, it would not have made the top ten of the best nights of my life. Dream about that.† Jacob's eyes opened into a glare. He sat up stiffly, his shoulders tense. â€Å"You know what? I think it's too crowded in here.† â€Å"I couldn't agree more.† I elbowed Edward in the ribs – probably giving myself a bruise. â€Å"Guess I'll catch up on my sleep later, then.† Jacob made a face. â€Å"I need to talk to Sam anyway.† He rolled to his knees and grabbed the door's zipper. Pain crackled down my spine and lodged in my stomach as I abruptly realized that this could be the last time I would see him. He was going back to Sam, back to fight the horde of bloodthirsty newborn vampires. â€Å"Jake, wait -† I reached after him, my hand sliding down his arm. He jerked his arm away before my fingers could find purchase. â€Å"Please, Jake? Won't you stay?† â€Å"No.† The word was hard and cold. I knew my face gave away my pain, because he exhaled and half a smile softened his expression. â€Å"Don't worry about me, Bells. I'll be fine, just like I always am.† He forced a laugh. â€Å"‘Sides, you think I'm going to let Seth go in my place – have all the fun and steal all the glory? Right.† He snorted. â€Å"Be careful -â€Å" He shoved out of the tent before I could finish. â€Å"Give it a rest, Bella,† I heard him mutter as he re-zipped the door. I listened for the sound of his retreating footsteps, but it was perfectly still. No more wind. I could hear morning birdsong far away on the mountain, and nothing else. Jacob moved in silence now. I huddled in my coats, and leaned against Edward's shoulder. We were quiet for a long time. â€Å"How much longer?† I asked. â€Å"Alice told Sam it should be an hour or so,† Edward said, soft and bleak. â€Å"We stay together. No matter what.† â€Å"No matter what,† he agreed, his eyes tight. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"I'm terrified for them, too.† â€Å"They know how to handle themselves,† Edward assured me, purposely making his voice light. â€Å"I just hate missing the fun.† Again with the fun. My nostrils flared. He put his arm around my shoulder. â€Å"Don't worry,† he urged, and then he kissed my forehead. As if there was any way to avoid that. â€Å"Sure, sure.† â€Å"Do you want me to distract you?† He breathed, running his cold fingers along my cheekbone. I shivered involuntarily; the morning was still frosty. â€Å"Maybe not right now,† he answered himself, pulling his hand away. â€Å"There are other ways to distract me.† â€Å"What would you like?† â€Å"You could tell me about your ten best nights,† I suggested. â€Å"I'm curious.† He laughed. â€Å"Try to guess.† I shook my head. â€Å"There're too many nights I don't know about. A century of them.† â€Å"I'll narrow it down for you. All of my best nights have happened since I met you.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Yes, really – and by quite a wide margin, too.† I thought for a minute. â€Å"I can only think of mine,† I admitted. â€Å"They might be the same,† he encouraged. â€Å"Well, there was the first night. The night you stayed.† â€Å"Yes, that's one of mine, too. Of course, you were unconscious for my favorite part.† â€Å"That's right,† I remembered. â€Å"I was talking that night, too.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. My face got hot as I wondered again what I might have said while sleeping in Jacob's arms. I couldn't remember what I'd dreamed about, or if I'd dreamed at all, so that was no help. â€Å"What did I say last night?† I whispered more quietly than before. He shrugged instead of answering, and I winced. â€Å"That bad?† â€Å"Nothing too horrible,† he sighed. â€Å"Please tell me.† â€Å"Mostly you said my name, the same as usual.† â€Å"That's not bad,† I agreed cautiously. â€Å"Near the end, though, you started mumbling some nonsense about ‘Jacob, my Jacob.'† I could hear the pain, even in the whisper. â€Å"Your Jacob enjoyed that quite a lot.† I stretched my neck up, straining to reach my lips to the edge of his jaw. I couldn't see into his eyes. He was staring up at the ceiling of the tent. â€Å"Sorry,† I murmured. â€Å"That's just the way I differentiate.† â€Å"Differentiate?† â€Å"Between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Between the Jacob I like and the one who annoys the hell out of me,† I explained. â€Å"That makes sense.† He sounded slightly mollified. â€Å"Tell me another favorite night.† â€Å"Flying home from Italy.† He frowned. â€Å"Is that not one of yours?† I wondered. â€Å"No, it is one of mine, actually, but I'm surprised it's on your list. Weren't you under the ludicrous impression I was just acting from a guilty conscience, and I was going to bolt as soon as the plane doors opened?† â€Å"Yes.† I smiled. â€Å"But, still, you were there.† He kissed my hair. â€Å"You love me more than I deserve.† I laughed at the impossibility of that idea. â€Å"Next would be the night after Italy,† I continued. â€Å"Yes, that's on the list. You were so funny.† â€Å"Funny?† I objected. â€Å"I had no idea your dreams were so vivid. It took me forever to convince you that you were awake.† â€Å"I'm still not sure,† I muttered. â€Å"You've always seemed more like a dream than reality. Tell me one of yours, now. Did I guess your first place?† â€Å"No – that would be two nights ago, when you finally agreed to marry me.† I made a face. â€Å"That doesn't make your list?† I thought about the way he'd kissed me, the concession I'd gained, and changed my mind. â€Å"Yes . . . it does. But with reservations. I don't understand why it's so important to you. You already had me forever.† â€Å"A hundred years from now, when you've gained enough perspective to really appreciate the answer, I will explain it to you.† â€Å"I'll remind you to explain – in a hundred years.† â€Å"Are you warm enough?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured him. â€Å"Why?† Before he could answer, the silence outside the tent was ripped apart by an earsplitting howl of pain. The sound ricocheted off the bare rock face of the mountain and filled the air so that it seared from every direction. The howl tore through my mind like a tornado, both strange and familiar. Strange because I'd never heard such a tortured cry before. Familiar because I knew the voice at once – I recognized the sound and understood the meaning as perfectly as if I'd uttered it myself. It made no difference that Jacob was not human when he cried out. I needed no translation. Jacob was close. Jacob had heard every word we'd said. Jacob was in agony. The howl choked off into a peculiar gurgled sob, and then it was quiet again. I did not hear his silent escape, but I could feel it – I could feel the absence I had wrongly assumed before, the empty space he left behind. â€Å"Because your space heater has reached his limit,† Edward answered quietly. â€Å"Truce over,† he added, so low I couldn't be sure that was really what he'd said. â€Å"Jacob was listening,† I whispered. It wasn't a question. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"You knew.† â€Å"Yes.† I stared at nothing, seeing nothing. â€Å"I never promised to fight fair,† he reminded me quietly. â€Å"And he deserves to know.† My head fell into my hands. â€Å"Are you angry with me?† he asked. â€Å"Not you,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm horrified at me.† â€Å"Don't torment yourself,† he pleaded. â€Å"Yes,† I agreed bitterly. â€Å"I should save my energy to torment Jacob some more. I wouldn't want to leave any part of him unharmed.† â€Å"He knew what he was doing.† â€Å"Do you think that matters?† I was blinking back tears, and this was easy to hear in my voice. â€Å"Do you think I care whether it's fair or whether he was adequately warned? I'm hurting him. Every time I turn around, I'm hurting him again.† My voice was getting louder, more hysterical. â€Å"I'm a hideous person.† He wrapped his arms tightly around me. â€Å"No, you're not.† â€Å"I am! What's wrong with me?† I struggled against his arms, and he let them drop. â€Å"I have to go find him.† â€Å"Bella, he's already miles away, and it's cold.† â€Å"I don't care. I can't just sit here.† I shrugged off Jacob's parka, shoved my feet into my boots, and crawled stiffly to the door; my legs felt numb. â€Å"I have to – I have to . . .† I didn't know how to finishthe sentence, didn't know what there was to do, but I unzipped the door anyway, and climbed out into the bright, icy morning. There was less snow than I would have thought after the fury of last night's storm. Probably it had blown away rather than melted in the sun that now shone low in the southeast, glancing off the snow that lingered and stabbing at my unadjusted eyes. The air still had a bite to it, but it was dead calm and slowly becoming more seasonable as the sun rose higher. Seth Clearwater was curled up on a patch of dry pine needles in the shadow of a thick spruce, his head on his paws. His sand-colored fur was almost invisible against the dead needles, but I could see the bright snow reflect off his open eyes. He was staring at me with what I imagined was an accusation. I knew Edward was following me as I stumbled toward the trees. I couldn't hear him, but the sun reflected off his skin in glittering rainbows that danced ahead of me. He didn't reach out to stop me until I was several paces into the forest shadows. His hand caught my left wrist. He ignored it when I tried to yank myself free. â€Å"You can't go after him. Not today. It's almost time. And getting yourself lost wouldn't help anyone, regardless.† I twisted my wrist, pulling uselessly. â€Å"I'm sorry, Bella,† he whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I did that.† â€Å"You didn't do anything. It's my fault. I did this. I did everything wrong. I could have . . . When he . . . I shouldn't have . . . I . . . I . . .† I was sobbing. â€Å"Bella, Bella.† His arms folded around me, and my tears soaked into his shirt. â€Å"I should have – told him – I should – have said -† What? What could have made this right? â€Å"He shouldn't have – found out like this.† â€Å"Do you want me to see if I can bring him back, so that you can talk to him? There's still a little time,† Edward murmured, hushed agony in his voice. I nodded into his chest, afraid to see his face. â€Å"Stay by the tent. I'll be back soon.† His arms disappeared. He left so quickly that, in the second it took me to look up, he was already gone. I was alone. A new sob broke from my chest. I was hurting everyone today. Was there anything I touched that didn't get spoiled? I didn't know why it was hitting me so hard now. It wasn't like I hadn't known this was coming all along. But Jacob had never reacted so strongly – lost his bold overconfidence and shown the intensity of his pain. The sound of his agony still cut at me, somewhere deep in my chest. Right beside it was the other pain. Pain for feeling pain over Jacob. Pain for hurting Edward, too. For not being able to watch Jacob go with composure, knowing that it was the right thing, the only way. I was selfish, I was hurtful. I tortured the ones I loved. I was like Cathy, like Wuthering Heights, only my options were so much better than hers, neither one evil, neither one weak. And here I sat, crying about it, not doing anything productive to make it right. Just like Cathy. I couldn't allow what hurt me to influence my decisions anymore. It was too little, much too late, but I had to do what was right now. Maybe it was already done for me. Maybe Edward would not be able to bring him back. And then I would accept that and get on with my life. Edward would never see me shed another tear for Jacob Black. There would be no more tears. I wiped the last of them away with cold fingers now. But if Edward did return with Jacob, that was it. I had to tell him to go away and never come back. Why was that so hard? So very much more difficult than saying goodbye to my other friends, to Angela, to Mike? Why did that hurt? It wasn't right. That shouldn't be able to hurt me. I had what I wanted. I couldn't have them both, because Jacob could not be just my friend. It was time to give up wishing for that. How ridiculously greedy could any one person be? I had to get over this irrational feeling that Jacob belonged in my life. He couldn't belong with me, could not be my Jacob, when I belonged to someone else. I walked slowly back to the little clearing, my feet dragging. When I broke into the open space, blinking against the sharp light, I threw one quick glance toward Seth – he hadn't moved from his bed of pine needles – and then looked away, avoiding his eyes. I could feel that my hair was wild, twisted into clumps like Medusa's snakes. I yanked through it with my fingers, and then gave up quickly. Who cared what I looked like, anyway? I grabbed the canteen hanging beside the tent door and shook it. It sloshed wetly, so I unscrewed the lid and took a swig to rinse my mouth with the ice water. There was food somewhere nearby, but I didn't feel hungry enough to look for it. I started pacing across the bright little space, feeling Seth's eyes on me the whole time. Because I wouldn't look at him, in my head he became the boy again, rather than the gigantic wolf. So much like a younger Jacob. I wanted to ask Seth to bark or give some other sign if Jacob was coming back, but I stopped myself. It didn't matter if Jacob came back. It might be easier if he didn't. I wished I had some way to call Edward. Seth whined at that moment, and got to his feet. â€Å"What is it?† I asked him stupidly. He ignored me, trotting to the edge of the trees, and pointing his nose toward the west. He began whimpering. â€Å"Is it the others, Seth?† I demanded. â€Å"In the clearing?† He looked at me and yelped softly once, and then turned his nose alertly back to the west. His ears laid back and he whined again. Why was I such a fool? What was I thinking, sending Edward away? How was I supposed to know what was going on? I didn't speak wolf. A cold trickle of fear began to ooze down my spine. What if the time had run out? What if Jacob and Edward got too close? What if Edward decided to join in the fight? The icy fear pooled inmy stomach. What if Seth's distress had nothing to do with the clearing, and his yelp had been a denial? What if Jacob and Edward were fighting with each other, far away somewhere in the forest? They wouldn't do that, would they? With sudden, chilling certainty I realized that they would – if the wrong words were said. I thought of the tense standoff in the tent this morning, and I wondered if I'd underestimated how close it had come to a fight. It would be no more than I deserved if I somehow lost them both. The ice locked around my heart. Before I could collapse with fear, Seth grumbled slightly, deep in his chest, and then turned away from his watch and sauntered back toward his resting place. It calmed me, but irritated me. Couldn't he scratch a message in the dirt or something? The pacing was starting to make me sweat under all my layers. I threw my jacket into the tent, and then I went back to wearing a path across the center of the tiny break in the trees. Seth jumped to his feet again suddenly, the hackles on the back of his neck standing up stiffly. I looked around, but saw nothing. If Seth didn't cut it out, I was going to throw a pinecone at him. He growled, a low warning sound, slinking back toward the western rim, and I rethought my impatience. â€Å"It's just us, Seth,† Jacob called from a distance. I tried to explain to myself why my heart kicked into fourth gear when I heard him. It was just fear of what I was going to have to do now, that was all. I could not allow myself to be relieved that he'd come back. That would be the opposite of helpful. Edward walked into view first, his face blank and smooth. When he stepped out from the shadows, the sun shimmered on his skin like it did on the snow. Seth went to greet him, looking intently into his eyes. Edward nodded slowly, and worry creased his forehead. â€Å"Yes, that's all we need,† he muttered to himself before addressing the big wolf. â€Å"I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. But the timing is going to be very close. Please have Sam ask Alice to try to nail the schedule down better.† Seth dipped his head once, and I wished I was able to growl. Sure, he could nod now. I turned my head, annoyed, and realized that Jacob was there. He had his back to me, facing the way he'd come. I waited warily for him to turn around. â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured, suddenly right beside me. He stared down at me with nothing but concern showing in his eyes. There was no end to his generosity. I deserved him now less than I ever had. â€Å"There's a bit of a complication,† he told me, his voice carefully unworried. â€Å"I'm going to take Seth a little ways away and try to straighten it out. I won't go far, but I won't listen, either. I know you don't want an audience, no matter which way you decide to go.† Only at the very end did the pain break into his voice. I had to never hurt him again. That would be my mission in life. Never again would I be the reason for this look to come into his eyes. I was too upset to even ask him what the new problem was. I didn't need anything else right now. â€Å"Hurry back,† I whispered. He kissed me lightly on the lips, and then disappeared into the forest with Seth at his side. Jacob was still in the shadow of the trees; I couldn't see his expression clearly. â€Å"I'm in a hurry, Bella,† he said in a dull voice. â€Å"Why don't you get it over with?† I swallowed, my throat suddenly so dry I wasn't sure if I could make sound come out. â€Å"Just say the words, and be done with it.† I took a deep breath. â€Å"I'm sorry I'm such a rotten person,† I whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry I've been so selfish. I wish I'd never met you, so I couldn't hurt you the way I have. I won't do it anymore, I promise. I'll stay far away from you. I'll move out of the state. You won't have to look at me ever again.† â€Å"That's not much of an apology,† he said bitterly. I couldn't make my voice louder than a whisper. â€Å"Tell me how to do it right.† â€Å"What if I don't want you to go away? What if I'd rather you stayed, selfish or not? Don't I get any say, if you're trying to make things up to me?† â€Å"That won't help anything, Jake. It was wrong to stay with you when we wanted such different things. It's not going to get better. I'll just keep hurting you. I don't want to hurt you anymore. I hate it.† My voice broke. He sighed. â€Å"Stop. You don't have to say anything else. I understand.† I wanted to tell him how much I would miss him, but I bit my tongue. That would not help anything, either. He stood quietly for a moment, staring at the ground, and I fought against the urge to go and put my arms around him. To comfort him. And then his head snapped up. â€Å"Well, you're not the only one capable of self-sacrifice,† he said, his voice stronger. â€Å"Two can play at that game.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I've behaved pretty badly myself. I've made this much harder for you than I needed to. I could have given up with good grace in the beginning. But I hurt you, too.† â€Å"This is my fault.† â€Å"I won't let you claim all the blame here, Bella. Or all the glory either. I know how to redeem myself.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. The sudden, frenzied light in his eyes frightened me. He glanced up at the sun and then smiled at me. â€Å"There's a pretty serious fight brewing down there. I don't think it will be that difficult to take myself out of the picture.† His words sank into my brain, slowly, one by one, and I couldn't breathe. Despite all my intentions to cut Jacob out of mylife completely, I didn't realize until that precise second exactly how deep the knife would have to go to do it. â€Å"Oh, no, Jake! No, no no no,† I choked out in horror. â€Å"No, Jake, no. Please, no.† My knees began to tremble. â€Å"What's the difference, Bella? This will only make it more convenient for everyone. You won't even have to move.† â€Å"No!† My voice got louder. â€Å"No, Jacob! I won't let you!† â€Å"How will you stop me?† he taunted lightly, smiling to take the sting out of his tone. â€Å"Jacob, I'm begging you. Stay with me.† I would have fallen to my knees, if I could have moved at all. â€Å"For fifteen minutes while I miss a good brawl? So that you can run away from me as soon as you think I'm safe again? You've got to be kidding.† â€Å"I won't run away. I've changed my mind. We'll work something out, Jacob. There's always a compromise. Don't go!† â€Å"You're lying.† â€Å"I'm not. You know what a terrible liar I am. Look in my eyes. I'll stay if you do.† His face hardened. â€Å"And I can be your best man at the wedding?† It was a moment before I could speak, and still the only answer I could give him was, â€Å"Please.† â€Å"That's what I thought,† he said, his face going calm again, but for the turbulent light in his eyes. â€Å"I love you, Bella,† he murmured. â€Å"I love you, Jacob,† I whispered brokenly. He smiled. â€Å"I know that better than you do.† He turned to walk away. â€Å"Anything,† I called after him in a strangled voice. â€Å"Anything you want, Jacob. Just don't do this!† He paused, turning slowly. â€Å"I don't really think you mean that.† â€Å"Stay,† I begged. He shook his head. â€Å"No, I'm going.† He paused, as if deciding something. â€Å"But I could leave it to fate.† â€Å"What do you mean?† I choked out. â€Å"I don't have to do anything deliberate – I could just do my best for my pack and let what happens happen.† He shrugged. â€Å"If you could convince me you really did want me to come back – more than you wanted to do the selfless thing.† â€Å"How?† I asked. â€Å"You could ask me,† he suggested. â€Å"Come back,† I whispered. How could he doubt that I meant it? He shook his head, smiling again. â€Å"That's not what I'm talking about.† It took me a second to grasp what he was saying, and all the while he was looking at me with this superior expression – so sure of my reaction. As soon as the realization hit, though, I blurted out the words without stopping to count the cost. â€Å"Will you kiss me, Jacob?† His eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed suspiciously. â€Å"You're bluffing.† â€Å"Kiss me, Jacob. Kiss me, and then come back.† He hesitated in the shadow, warring with himself. He half-turned again to the west, his torso twisting away from me while his feet stayed planted where they were. Still looking away, he took one uncertain step in my direction, and then another. He swung his face around to look at me, his eyes doubtful. I stared back. I had no idea what expression was on my face. Jacob rocked back on his heels, and then lurched forward, closing the distance between us in three long strides. I knew he would take advantage of the situation. I expected it. I held very still – my eyes closed, my fingers curled into fists at my sides – as his hands caught my face and his lips found mine with an eagerness that was not far from violence. I could feel his anger as his mouth discovered my passive resistance. One hand moved to the nape of my neck, twisting into a fist around the roots of my hair. The other hand grabbed roughly at my shoulder, shaking me, then dragging me to him. His hand continued down my arm, finding my wrist and pulling my arm up around his neck. I left it there, my hand still tightly balled up, unsure how far I could go in my desperation to keep him alive. All the while his lips, disconcertingly soft and warm, tried to force a response out of mine. As soon as he was sure I wouldn't drop my arm, he freed my wrist, his hand feeling its way down to my waist. His burning hand found the skin at the small of my back, and he yanked me forward, bowing my body against his. His lips gave up on mine for a moment, but I knew he was nowhere close to finished. His mouth followed the line of my jaw, and then explored the length of my neck. He freed my hair, reaching for my other arm to draw it around his neck like the first. Then both of his arms were constricted around my waist, and his lips found my ear. â€Å"You can do better than this, Bella,† he whispered huskily. â€Å"You're overthinking it.† I shivered as I felt his teeth graze my earlobe. â€Å"That's right,† he murmured. â€Å"For once, just let yourself feel what you feel.† I shook my head mechanically until one of his hands wound back into my hair and stopped me. His voice turned acidic. â€Å"Are you sure you want me to come back? Or did you really want me to die?† Anger rocked through me like the whiplash after a heavy punch. That was too much – he wasn't fighting fair. My arms were already around his neck, so I grabbed two fistfuls of his hair – ignoring the stabbing pain in my right hand – and fought back, struggling to pull my face away from his. And Jacob misunderstood. He was too strong to recognize that my hands, trying to yank his hair out by the roots, meant to cause him pain. Instead of anger, he imagined passion. He thought I was finally responding to him. With a wild gasp, he brought his mouth back to mine, his fingers clutching frantically against the skin at my waist. The jolt of anger unbalanced my tenuous hold on self-control; his unexpected, ecstatic response overthrew it entirely. If there had been only triumph, I might have been able to resist him. But the utter defenselessness of his sudden joy cracked my determination, disabled it. My brain disconnected from my body, and I was kissing him back. Against all reason, my lips were movingwith his in strange, confusing ways they'd never moved before – because I didn't have to be careful with Jacob, and he certainly wasn't being careful with me. My fingers tightened in his hair, but I was pulling him closer now. He was everywhere. The piercing sunlight turned my eyelids red, and the color fit, matched the heat. The heat was everywhere. I couldn't see or hear or feel anything that wasn't Jacob. The tiny piece of my brain that retained sanity screamed questions at me. Why wasn't I stopping this? Worse than that, why couldn't I find inmyself even the desire to want to stop? What did it mean that I didn't want him to stop? That my hands clung to his shoulders, and liked that they were wide and strong? That his hands pulled me too tight against his body, and yet it was not tight enough for me? The questions were stupid, because I knew the answer: I'd been lying to myself. Jacob was right. He'd been right all along. He was more than just my friend. That's why it was so impossible to tell him goodbye – because I was in love with him. Too. I loved him, much more than I should, and yet, still nowhere near enough. I was in love with him, but it was not enough to change anything; it was only enough to hurt us both more. To hurt him worse than I ever had. I didn't care about more than that – than his pain. I more than deserved whatever pain this caused me. I hoped it was bad. I hoped I would really suffer. In this moment, it felt as though we were the same person. His pain had always been and would always be my pain – now his joy was my joy. I felt joy, too, and yet his happiness was somehow also pain. Almost tangible – it burned against my skin like acid, a slow torture. For one brief, never-ending second, an entirely different path expanded behind the lids of my tear-wet eyes. As if I were looking through the filter of Jacob's thoughts, I could see exactly what I was going to give up, exactly what this new self-knowledge would not save me from losing. I could see Charlie and Rene mixed into a strange collage with Billy and Sam and La Push. I could see years passing, and meaning something as they passed, changing me. I could see the enormous red-brown wolf that I loved, always standing as protector if I needed him. For the tiniest fragment of that second, I saw the bobbing heads of two small, black-haired children, running away from me into the familiar forest. When they disappeared, they took the rest of the vision with them. And then, quite distinctly, I felt the splintering along the fissure line in my heart as the smaller part wrenched itself away from the whole. Jacob's lips were still before mine were. I opened my eyes and he was staring at me with wonder and elation. â€Å"I have to leave,† he whispered. â€Å"No.† He smiled, pleased by my response. â€Å"I won't be long,† he promised. â€Å"But one thing first . . .† He bent to kiss me again, and there was no reason to resist. What would be the point? This time was different. His hands were soft on my face and his warm lips were gentle, unexpectedly hesitant. It was brief, and very, very sweet. His arms curled around me, and he hugged me securely while he whispered in my ear. â€Å"That should have been our first kiss. Better late than never.† Against his chest, where he couldn't see, the tears welled up and spilled over.