Global Diversity Challenges at Lenovo - 881 Words

Lenovo Global Diversity The process of globalization has determined many companies to build a strategy intended to address the international business environment. This is because the potential of different counties as markets is very appealing. Therefore, they have to incorporate internationalization in their strategies. This also refers to global diversity. Multinational companies are interested in developing a global business environment that can help them reach their objectives. It is important to understand the effects that this strategy can have on company performance. Becoming a multinational company is a strategy that requires significant changes within these companies. Their managers must determine whether it is more profitable to become multinationals or to maintain their current status. Lenovo is one of the companies that have decided to become multinationals. This decision was determined by the companys interest in intensifying the efforts in the attempt to address international markets. The transition to a multinational company can become rather difficult for Lenovo. Therefore, it is important to understand the implications of this process, in order to be able to address its challenges, and to increase its benefits. Global Diversity Challenges Global diversity requires that companies that become multinational develop a workplace environment that can embrace this diversity. If there is little interest in addressing this issue, it is likely that globalShow MoreRelatedChallenges Faced By Lenovo And Merger1001 Words   |  5 PagesLenovo and IBM formed a joint venture by acquisition to form the third largest PC maker in the global world. Lenovo faced various problems after the merger and acquisition such as integration of human resource, cultural difference, financial distress and supply chain issues (Ng et al., 2012). 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Violence Is Defined As The Abusive Use Of Force - 1471 Words

Violence is defined as the abusive use of â€Å"force†. One type or another violence has greatly affected one of us, someone we know, and society as a whole. Every day, tons of children under the age of twenty are killed and many of these victims have died by gun wounds. By the age of 18, young people will have viewed an estimated two hundred thousand acts of violence on television. Many people wonder why we live in such a violent society, well because we are surrounded by violence every day, and it may occur in our daily lives through domestic violence, school violence, and through the mass media. With that being said, the news coverage has been bringing to our attention the crisis of violence afflicting the young generations all over the†¦show more content†¦There are many different versions of what happened on that day, which is why there have been so much argument from a lot of different people on whether this was another racial issue, or was it really self- defe nse. A couple hours before the shooting occurred, police officers got a phone call about a convenient store being robbed. Michael Brown was identified as the suspect in the â€Å"strong arm robbery† meaning there was no weapons, but the perpetrator used physical force. When the employee tried to prevent the man from leaving, the man grabbed his shirt, and pushed him into a display rack. A police report stated that based on the surveillance camera, they could tell that that perpetrator was in fact Michael Brown. Brown stole a box of cigars before he was shot to death. Officials say that the police officer who shot him, did not know Brown was a suspect of an armed robbery. According to police officer Daren Wilson, he had just received a phone call about a sick baby, when he came across brown and his friends walking in the street. Wilson pulled up and told the boys â€Å"get the fuck on the sidewalk,† to which Brown refused, letting the officer know that his Grandmaâ€⠄¢s house was a few feet away. Wilson claims that he stepped out of the car, to which Brown became scared, and grabbed for Wilson’s gun. Wilson and Brown tussled for a few seconds, before Wilson finally got away from Brown, and shot him in self-defense. Witnesses,

The Concept of the Corporate Governance Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1.Why is good Corporate Governance Essential for a MNE? 2.What lessons regarding Proper Corporate Governance Practices, Especially when doing Business Globally, can be learnt from the Events referred earlier? 3.How does Financial Market Development Influence or relate to good Corporate Governance Practices? Explain. Answers: Introduction Corporate Governance is the process of implementation of various rules, processes and practices that governs the various operations of the business organizations. The main aim of corporate governance is to direct and control all the operations of the businesses (Brealey et al., 2012). Corporate governance has a significant role to play in the financial activities of the business firms. There are instances of different kinds of financial scandals and fraud all over the world. The main reason behind this is the improper implementation of corporate governance. The main aim of the report is to anlyyze and evaluates various aspects of corporate governance regarding to financial aspects of the organizations. 1.The concept of the Corporate Governance has been gaining an increase from the past ten years or more and a wide range of continents and countries has achieved the interests in the structure of the Corporate Governance. The structure is just not applied to the larger corporations of the public but also includes the wide range of the other forms of the businesses that include the enterprises that are owned by states, also the firms owned by the families and also the nonprofit organizations. The Governance is related to the performances and thus, the deliverance of the good results must be provided to the shareholders and the same must include the society, stakeholders, community and the financial and economical aspects as a whole. The better structure of a corporate governance leads to a contribution towards the facilitation of the competitiveness access towards the capital markets. It thus, helps in the development and the growth of the financial markets along with the upsurge of the economical development. The enhancement and the development of the practices in the corporate governance can help in the improvement of the decision making process that is a part of both the internal and between the governing bodies of the company. It thus results in the enhancement of the efficient procedures of the operations related to the business and finance of a company (Simionato, 2014). The best practices of a corporate governance results in the improvement of the system of accountability and thus leads to the risk and fraud minimization. It should have an assurance of the compliances with the laws and regulations applicable for the conduct of an effective system of governance (Lojpur Draskovic, 2013). The strong and effective governance gives access towards the capital and the growth in the economic conditions. Good and strong corporate governance provides an assurance that the environment of the business is just and reasonably transparent in form. In strong governance, the businesses can be held liable and responsible for their dealings and procedures. On the other hand, if the corporate governance is weak then it can lead to misuse, negligence, and dishonesty. It must also be noted and remembered that even though, the practice of the corporate governance has come out as a way of managing the modern corporations, the same has an equal importance in the enterprises owned by states, family owned businesses and other cooperatives (Jeston Nelis, 2014). Only a good governance structure has an ability of delivering the best performances of a good and sustainable business, regardless of any kind and nature of an undertaking. 2.Three of the major corporate governance scandals are the recent filing for bankruptcy by Hanjin Shipping; the Toshiba accounting fraud scandal and the Volkswagen emission scandal. The common theme behind these three scandals is the fault in corporate governance. However, these three scandals have taught many important corporate governance lessons to the world. These major lessons are discussed under: The recent filing for bankruptcy by Hanjin Shipping: One of the major lessons of this case is that the business organizations need to be ready to face major disruptions in the process of business. The business organizations need to have precautionary methods to face these disturbances (Kim, 2016). The second lesson is that the business organizations must have control over the supply chain of the organization. The total production and distribution processes largely depend on the supply chain of the organization, Hence, the businesses must have proper grip over the supply chain of the organization. The business organizations need to take effective steps to maximize the production capacity of each business locations. This process will increase the revenue and profitability of the organizations. One of the major lessons is that the organizations must effectively outline the risk mitigation strategies (Sun, Zi-Yi Yoshida, 2013). This is the major lesson that one can get from the Hanjin S hipping case. The Toshiba accounting fraud scandal: One of the major lessons that one can get from the Toshiba accounting scandal is the fair and truthful representation of the financial information. There must not be any kind of unethical practices in the financial statements of the business organizations (FRAUDS, 2015). This lesson is applicable irrespective of the size and type of industry. Another lesson is that there must not be any kind of irregularity in the accounting process of the business organizations. Another important lesson is the proper conduct of audit operation in the business organizations (Jennings, 2015). It can be seen that there is a deep connection between the accounting process and the audit operation as both depend on each other. Hence, to avoid accounting scandal in the organization, the proper conduct of audit operation is needed. The Volkswagen emission scandal: There are three major lessons that one can obtain from the scandal of Volkswagen. As per the first lesson, the business organizations must create diversity of thoughts and expertise in the governing bodies of the organization. For the proper running of the business organizations, the governing body plays a significant role. It is desired that the governing body is innovative (Blackwelder et al., 2016). These innovation leads to the development of diversified thoughts and ideas. The second lesson is to increase transparency in the organization by eliminating conflicts of interest. Different kinds of conflicts of interest can be seen in the organizations. in order to make the business operations transparent, the governing body must eliminate the conflicts of interest from the organizations. The third lesson is to ensure corporate social responsibility in the business organizations (Crte, 2016). The strategies of corporate social responsibilities help th e organizations to earn goodwill. These are the major lessons that one can get from the three corporate scandal cases. 3.It can be seen that there is a significant relationship between the development of financial market and the process of corporate governance. It is evident that corporate governance is a major positive factor in the financial growth of the market and business organizations. There are some major advantages of corporate governance in the development of financial market. First, Corporate governance helps the business organizations to increase their access to the external financing (ifc.org, 2017). This process has many advantages like it leads to large investments for the business organizations; it contributes to the higher growth of the financial markets; it helps the financial markets to create great employment opportunities and many others. After that, effective corporate governance leads to the lowering of cost of capital of the business firms. The lowering of cost of capital increases the valuation of the business organizations and the investment opportunities of the business firm s becomes more attractive to the investors. Effective implementation of corporate governance leads to better operational performance of the financial markets and this process contributes to the effective allocation of financial resources in the financial markets. As a result, all the business organizations can take advantage of this situation. In addition, this process creates the financial organizations wealthier. One of the major relations between the financial markets and corporate governance is that effective corporate governance helps to reduce the risks of the financial markets and business organizations. The reduction of risks is a major booster for the business organizations as due to the reduction of risk factors, they can operate freely. Apart from this, the reduction of risk factors from the financial markets helps to reduce the economic as well as the social costs. The proper implementation of corporate governance helps to establish better relationship between the business organizations and their various stakeholde rs. On the other hand, good corporate governance assists to improve social and labor relationship (Tricker Tricker, 2015). These are the main relationships between the development of financial market and corporate governance. Conclusion As per the above discussion, it can be clearly understood that corporate governance is a major aspect in the financial operations of the business organizations. The main aim of corporate governance is to govern and direct the financial activities of the business firm. Ineffective controlling of corporate governance can lead to serious accounting and financial frauds and scandals. There major cases of accounting scandals are the recent filing for bankruptcy by Hanjin Shipping, the Toshiba accounting fraud scandal and the Volkswagen emission scandal. From the analysis of the second part of the report, it is clearly understandable that the common theme behind all these three scandals is the ineffective of corporate governance in the organization. The proper implementation of corporate governance leads to the development of financial markets and business organizations. References Blackwelder, B., Coleman, K., Colunga-Santoyo, S., Harrison, J. S., Wozniak, D. (2016). The Volkswagen Scandal. Brealey, R. A., Myers, S. C., Allen, F., Mohanty, P. (2012).Principles of corporate finance. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Corporate Governance and Development An Update. (2017).Ifc.org. Retrieved 18 April 2017, from https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/518e9e804a70d9ed942ad6e6e3180238/Focus10_CG%26Development.pdf?MOD=AJPERES Crte, R. (2016). The Volkswagen Scandal from the Viewpoint of Corporate Governance.Eur. J. Risk Reg.,7, 25. FRAUDS, C. (2015). TOSHIBAS TOXIC CULTURE.Strategic Finance. Jennings, M. M. (2015). TOSHIBA LESSONS: ON NOT BEING SO JUDGMENTAL OF THE COMPANY OR JAPAN.Corporate Finance Review,20(2), 36. Jeston, J., Nelis, J. (2014).Business process management. Routledge. Kim, M. (2016). A Cape Town Protocol for Marine Assets: What Can We Agree on Right Now?.The Journal of Equipment Lease Financing (Online),34(3), 1. Lojpur, A., Draskovic, V. (2013). The institutional context of corporate governance and Corporate Social Responsibility.Montenegrin Journal of Economics,9(1), 27. Simionato, E. (2014).Sustainability Reporting and its Impact on Corporate Financial Performance(Bachelor's thesis, Universit Ca'Foscari Venezia). Sun, Y., Zi-Yi, G., Yoshida, S. (2013). Diversification strategy of japanese shipping industry.Journal of Maritime Researches Vol,3(1), 38-50. Tricker, R. B., Tricker, R. I. (2015).Corporate governance: Principles, policies, and practices. Oxford University Press, USA.

The Construction of the Postmodern Subject in Professional Writing

Entering the era of postmodernism, all spheres of social and political life have been affected by this movement, including music, art, literature, and education (Woods 9). Due to the appearance of the Internet, the process of writing has also undergone significant changes. It has become dependent from the computer screen being an alternative, postmodern method of knowledge acquisition and professional writing. In this respect, the problem of subjectivity has considerably contributed to the construction of the postmodern subject.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Construction of the Postmodern Subject in Professional Writing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, the postmodern movement has also affected the style and character of the writing genre, making it more controversial and objective. The postmodern subject, thus, is now more focused on the connection between subjectivity and textual practice. The appearance of the so-called buzzwords as the result of cyberspace proliferation has altered the functions of texts that considerably affected the construction of the postmodern subject. In particular, the electronic text has become the ideological underpinning of the virtual world where people act as fictional characters (Lee n. p.) By changing the nature and the character of writing and text presentation, the matter of postmodern subject has undergone considerable changes as well. To be more precise, the ideology of cyberspace provided new approaches and methods for discussing different aspect of political and social life (Turkel 155). Besides, the revolution of computer technology has also influenced the nature and the character of the subject formation (Bolter 16).Therefore, while constructing the postmodern subject, the attention is riveted on disclosing the connection of the real world and the virtual world. Considering the issues of identity in postmodern era, the subject con struction is largely predetermined by the distorted identities created in cyberspace. In this respect, cyberspace identity as the basis of constructing a postmodern subject distorts the existing reality. Due to the fact that language in cyberspace also serves to mask the reality, the changes occurred to it also produce a considerable shift and constructing a meaning and subject of professional writing (Warschauer n.p). The rise of postmodern era has influenced the language and introduced new topical areas for discussion. The construction of postmodern subject is, therefore, closely connected with destruction of veritable meanings (Lyotard 154.). Although the purposes and conventions of meaning construction are still associated with disclosing the topic, the introduction of postmodern impact has changed the semantic grounds of topical writing (Dowson and Earnshaw 3). In particular, the main theme of postmodernism is narrowed to correlating between subjectivity and textual practice.Ad vertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This controversies lead to the creation of postmodern subject that contradict the actual facts by producing the ideas that object to the obvious (Lyotard 129). It should also be noted that the postmodern writing and postmodern text in particular has now acquired the new meaning and functions. With regard to this, the postmodern subject is nothing more but linguistic trick enumerating different components that do not suit each other and, therefore, cannot be put together into a coherent whole (Dowson and Earnshaw 60). In conclusion, the problem of subject construction in postmodern era is primarily predetermined by the introduction of cyberspace communication. In particular, the approach to professional writing is often guided by the alterations introduced by online communication and the internet. The problem is that the postmodern subject is concerned with disclosing the ideas that often objects to reality, which is often explained by excessive usage of the Internet. In addition, considerable shift in meaning radically influences the professional writing and construction of postmodern subject construction. It has become focused on the connection between the subjectivity formation and textual practice. Works Cited Bolter, Tay David. The Computer as a New Writing Space. Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing. Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1991, pp. 15-31. Dowson, Jane, and Earnshaw, Steven. Postmodern subjects, postmodern texts. Rodopi, 1995. Lee, Erik Chia-yi. Thinking Cyber-Subjectivity: Ideology and the Subject. Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Web. https://web.archive.org/web/20160103053908/http://www.isoc.org/inet96/proceedings/e3/e3_4.htm Lyotard, Jean-Francois. The Postmodern explained: correspondence, 1982-1985. US: University of Minnesota Press, 1993.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Construction of the Postmodern Subject in Professional Writing specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Turkle, Sherry. Life on the Screen: Identity in the age of the Internet. NJ: Simon Schuster, 1995. Warschauer, Mark. Language, Identity, and the Internet. Race in Cyberspace. US: University of California, 2000. Woods, Tim. Beginning Postmodernism. US: Manchester University Press, 1999. This essay on The Construction of the Postmodern Subject in Professional Writing was written and submitted by user Yasmin Mendoza to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on French And Indian War

The Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763, also known as the French and Indian War in North America, was a greedy fight for land ownership, fur rights and valuable trading territory. All together it consisted of three wars in one. There was fighting going on in America between the French and British which in turn caused the dispute to carry over into their European homelands and then also into Asia where it was called the Third Carnatic War. This was considered the first world war because it consisted of battles being fought all across the globe in North America, Europe, and Asia. Around 1750 British Land Companies started securing large grants of land in the Ohio Valley which upset the French because they had already claimed that the land was theirs. To try to control or stop the British expansion into their territory, the French established a shield of forts up and down their â€Å"claimed† boarder or land rights from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River all the way to the Great Lakes region and south to New Orleans. This also caused tension with the British because the French had then set up forts in Virginia territory claimed in the early 1600’s. These disputes inevitably caused the war to break out. The first attacks where by Indians on a young George Washington, who was sent along with 150 men to warn the French that they were trespassing on British grounds. Washington and his men never made it to their destination because of the Indian attacks but managed to build Fort Necessity, which wasn’t anything more then a barricade of logs and lost the battle. The French then took the junction of the rivers and built Fort Duquesne. The English continued to sustain loses in America, do to the help of the Indians to the French, and also in Europe. The British was on the worse end of this war until 1757 when William Pitt came into power. Pitt was the force that the British needed to bring them hope. He started many new very well coordin... Free Essays on French And Indian War Free Essays on French And Indian War The Seven Years’ War from 1756 to 1763, also known as the French and Indian War in North America, was a greedy fight for land ownership, fur rights and valuable trading territory. All together it consisted of three wars in one. There was fighting going on in America between the French and British which in turn caused the dispute to carry over into their European homelands and then also into Asia where it was called the Third Carnatic War. This was considered the first world war because it consisted of battles being fought all across the globe in North America, Europe, and Asia. Around 1750 British Land Companies started securing large grants of land in the Ohio Valley which upset the French because they had already claimed that the land was theirs. To try to control or stop the British expansion into their territory, the French established a shield of forts up and down their â€Å"claimed† boarder or land rights from the mouth of the St. Lawrence River all the way to the Great Lakes region and south to New Orleans. This also caused tension with the British because the French had then set up forts in Virginia territory claimed in the early 1600’s. These disputes inevitably caused the war to break out. The first attacks where by Indians on a young George Washington, who was sent along with 150 men to warn the French that they were trespassing on British grounds. Washington and his men never made it to their destination because of the Indian attacks but managed to build Fort Necessity, which wasn’t anything more then a barricade of logs and lost the battle. The French then took the junction of the rivers and built Fort Duquesne. The English continued to sustain loses in America, do to the help of the Indians to the French, and also in Europe. The British was on the worse end of this war until 1757 when William Pitt came into power. Pitt was the force that the British needed to bring them hope. He started many new very well coordin...

Presidents Commission on the Status of Women 1961-1963

President's Commission on the Status of Women 1961-1963 December 14, 1961 - October, 1963 While similar institutions with the name Presidents Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) have been formed by various universities and other institutions, the key organization by that name was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to explore issues relating to women and to make proposals in such areas as employment policy, education, and federal Social Security and tax laws where these discriminated against women or otherwise addressed womens rights. Protecting Women's Rights Interest in womens rights and how to most effectively protect such rights was a matter of growing national interest. There were more than 400 pieces of legislation in Congress which addressed womens status and issues of discrimination and expanding rights. Court decisions at the time addressed reproductive liberty (the use of contraceptives, for instance) and citizenship (whether women served on juries, for example). Those who supported protective legislation for women workers believed that it made it more feasible for women to work. Women, even if they worked a full-time job, were the primary childrearing and housekeeping parent after a day at work. The supporters of protective legislation also believed that it was in societys interest to protect womens health including womens reproductive health by restricting hours and some conditions of work, requiring additional bathroom facilities, etc. Those who supported the Equal Rights Amendment (first introduced in Congress soon after women won the right to vote in 1920) believed with the restrictions and special privileges of women workers under protective legislation, employers were motivated to higher fewer women or even avoid hiring women altogether. Kennedy established the Commission on the Status of Women in order to navigate between these two positions, trying to find compromises that advanced the equality of womens workplace opportunity without losing the support of organized labor and those feminists who supported protecting women workers from exploitation and protecting womens ability to serve in traditional roles in the home and family. Kennedy also saw a need to open the workplace to more women, in order to have the United States become more competitive with Russia, in the space race, in the arms race - in general, to serve the interests of the Free World in the Cold War. The Commission's Charge and Membership Executive Order 10980 by which President Kennedy created the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women spoke for womens basic rights, opportunity for women, the national interest in security and defense of a more efficient and effective utilization of the skills of all persons, and the value of home life and family. It charged the commission with the responsibility for developing recommendations for overcoming discriminations in government and private employment on the basis of sex and for developing recommendations for services which will enable women to continue their role as wives and mothers while making a maximum contribution to the world around them. Kennedy appointed Eleanor Roosevelt, former US delegate to the United Nations and widow of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to chair the commission. She had played a key role in establishing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and shed defended both womens economic opportunity and womens traditional role in the family, so she could be expected to have the respect of those on both sides of the protective legislation issue. Eleanor Roosevelt chaired the commission from its beginning through her death in 1962. The twenty members of the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women included both male and female Congressional representatives and Senators (Senator Maurine B. Neuberger of Oregon and Representative Jessica M. Weis of New York), several cabinet-level officers (including the Attorney General, the Presidents brother Robert F. Kennedy), and other women and men who were respected civic, labor, educational, and religious leaders. There was some ethnic diversity; among the members were Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women and the Young Womens Christian Association, Viola H. Hymes of the National Council of Jewish Women. The Legacy of the Commission: Findings, Successors The final report of the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) was published in October 1963. It proposed a number of legislative initiatives but did not even mention the Equal Rights Amendment. This report, called the Peterson Report, documented workplace discrimination, and recommended affordable child care, equal employment opportunity for women, and paid maternity leave. The public notice given to the report led to considerably more national attention to issues of womens equality, especially in the workplace. Esther Peterson, who headed the Department of Labors Womens Bureau, spoke about the findings in public forums including The Today Show. Many newspapers ran a series of four articles from the Associated Press about the commissions findings of discrimination and its recommendations. As a result, many states and localities also established Commissions on the Status of Women to propose legislative changes, and many universities and other organizations also created such commissions. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 grew out of the recommendations of the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission dissolved after creating its report, but the Citizens Advisory Council on the Status of Women was created to succeed the Commission. This brought together many with a continuing interest in various aspects of womens rights. Women from both sides of the protective legislation issue looked for ways in which both sides concerns could be addressed legislatively. More women within the labor movement began to look at how protective legislation might work to discriminate against women, and more feminists outside the movement began to take more seriously the concerns of organized labor in protecting womens and mens family participation. Frustration with progress towards the goals and recommendations of the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women helped fuel the development of the womens movement in the 1960s. When the National Organization for Women was founded, key founders had been involved with the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women or its successor, the Citizens Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

The personal and professional characteristics of a successful global Research Paper

The personal and professional characteristics of a successful global leader - Research Paper Example er and professional skills are necessary to become a successful global leader, why one person can easily become a leader while another faces a lot of difficulties. This paper examines the researches of many scientists and professors who made a great contribution in the world leadership. Numerous studies have been conducted on various facets of global leadership, focusing on different knowledge and skills. Nowadays, many people dream about successful leadership and being at the top. Some of them are convinced that an authoritative leader has to be only smart; others disagree, considering leader as a person who is not only knowledgeable, but also has various skills and ample experience. In modern life, the concepts of leader and success have become synonyms. Every person who made a decision to begin the path to success has to turn into the leader himself or herself at the beginning of this way and realize who exactly is a leader. Without this, any undertaking will come to an end with failure. However, global leader is a person who can take a reasonable view of the international situations and successfully provide the management of people who are dissimilar to the leader and from one another and have different cultural backgrounds, with diverse legislative structure a nd economic systems. Caligiuri, Welch, Achua, Spreitzer, McCall, Mahone, Lussier give a clear stand what is the leadership and who is a leader. To understand how to become a leader and what to do for that it is necessary to learn all their opinions and suggestions. It is a big responsibility to assume the leadership and guide people in fact rather than in word. A successful global leader has many targets. Global leaders are defined as executives who are in jobs with some international scope. Global leaders expand business into foreign markets, conceive strategies on global basis, manage and motivate. (Spreitzer, McCall, & Mahoney, 1997). A global leader works with people all around the world. First of

Proven research based teaching methods to meet the needs of students Essay

Proven research based teaching methods to meet the needs of students with Learning Disabilities in the middle grades - Essay Example on project in Syracuse, New York, directed by William Cruickshank and his colleagues, 1961), they reflected the traditional service-delivery model of the times - the self-contained special education classroom. Until the passage in 1975 of P.L. 94-142, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA), few states recognized learning disabilities as a handicapping condition that required the provision of special education services (Baker et al., 1995). But EHA changed all that. With a mandate to serve and with federal guidelines for diagnosis, publicly funded special education programs for students with learning disabilities became commonplace; the number of students classified as learning disabled (LD) and provided with special education services in public schools rose from 797,212 in 1976-77 to 2,214,326 in 1991-92 U.S. (Department of Education, Tenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988) On the other hand, in an ideal world, teaching and development would be inextricably linked. As teachers observed childrens intellectual, social, and academic growth, they also would seek to foster such progress. Routine observations with respect to childrens abilities would be complemented with consideration of how instruction or the classroom environment supports learning. This activity, the close observation of learning in response to instruction, is an exercise in problem solving and constitutes an essential element of diagnostic assessment. Whether in the classroom or the clinic, the interest is not simply to categorize a child under a particular label or diagnostic scheme but also to uncover the kind of instruction and educational setting that will lead to continued development. More specifically, the teacher must construct (a) an understanding of the childs current abilities, (b) a description of the kind of instruction the child should receive to make

Develop MPI Essay Example for Free

Develop MPI Essay First, in today’s global economy, many companies are vying for a presence in the global markets. There are several ways to gain entry into a foreign market but many questions must be answered first to make sure there is a return on investment or an exit strategy. In the Foley Company case, Joanne has to determine what are her Company strategies advantages and disadvantages of entering Brazilian market for soybeans harvesters: First, she has to determine whether the Company is considering a standalone entry or entry through alliances. This could be a pivotal point in their decision because on one hand the lack of experience with foreign manufacturing operations could prove to be costly in a standalone entry for example. But as Mr. Osborne point it out this is also a â€Å"too good to lose† market, so an equity-base method of entry through alliances seemed to be a none-starter for Foley Company. But eventually, Ms. Poe has other options to consider for entry strategies: Contract Manufacturing, Licensing, Franchising or Exporting. Contract Manufacturing Contract manufacturing has a flexibility element to it as an entry method as it can be used as an added value to other method of entry. This is a major advantage. Ms. Poe could recommend this option in conjunction with franchising for example. Contract Manufacturing would also give the Foley Company a new look at the market in Brazil because the company has not seen this aspect of business in Brazil. Here, the company could focus on RD and other improvement to its machinery to gain competitive advantage. The advantages of this method of entry could be: low capital required, low risk, manageable exit strategy, easy to structure and direct the process. The disadvantages of this method could be: the Company could lose some control due to lack of international experience, difficult to account for the cultural and differences in quality of work and standards, locally accepted practices can be hard to gauge when selecting vendors of supplies of parts etc. can be a problem for a new entrant in the market especially when there is potential for major capital investment. Licensing Licensing method of entry for companies could be reinsuring for the Foley Company because the Company would be able to legally protect its assets  while in the process conducting market establishing its name in Brazil. But this is more to prepare the â€Å"field† by licensing its rights and expertize to local companies conduct to business on its behalf. The important elements here are protection by the local regulations. The advantages here could be: Less hurdles to enter in case of import complexities in Brazil, fast entry into the market, no capital upfront required to establish a presence. But the disadvantages could be: Decrease in sales (not fully engage yet), culture differences and interpretations, and more importantly, the licensee could collaborate with competitors or become competitors themselves which would complicate future deals in Brazil. Franchising By recommending franchising a method of entry, Ms. Poe could emphasize the fact in this case rapid expansion, where a franchise would maintain a business relationship with Foley Company which would grant it the right to distribute its soybeans harvesters using Foley’s brand in exchange for a fee. The creation of a network of owner operated dealers would increase its market share and expanded territories. Less advertising programs and costs, market penetration at high rate, brand equity. The disadvantage of this method of entry could be the cost of engaging locals by Foley Company and potential lack of connection between the company goals in US and it Brazilian counterpart might cause frictions because the local might not be fully vested into the â€Å"bigger picture†. My recommendation would be: Wholly Owned Subsidiaries: Like many Companies, The Foley Company could establish itself fully in Brazil. This would give the company ownership through wholly owned subsidiaries. This method would allow Foley Company to gain control over manufacturing operations and any profits centers completely without sharing with any potential partners. The drawback to this method of entry would be the high initial investment. There can’t be guarantees here because of other intangible like politics, social, economical facts can complicate matters sometimes. But in the long-run, this method of entry which can be done through Acquisition or Greenfield investment (building entirely new facility), would yield many advantages for the company, for example brand equity, increase its competitiveness in the market. With the right  synergies, the economic benefits, in my opinion would outweigh the costs while expanding the market. References http://www.coursesmart.com/SR/7071808/0077496191/331?__hdv=6.8 https://blackboard.neu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2239043_1%26url%3D Buckley, P.J., and Casson, M.C. 1998. Analyzing Foreign Market Entry Strategies: Extending the Internationalization Approach. Journal of International Business Studies: 539-561.

Time :: essays research papers

Time? Time travel is no longer regarded as strictly science fiction. For years the concept of time travel has been the topic of science fiction novels and movies, and has been pondered by great scientists throughout history. Einstein’s theories of general and special relativity can be used to actually prove that time travel is possible. Government research experiments have yielded experimental data that conclusively illustrate that fast moving aircraft have traveled into the future. This phenomenon is due to the principal of time dilation, which states that bodies moving at high velocities experience a time that ticks slower than the time measured at zero velocity. Not as much time elapses for a moving body as does for everything else. Phenomena known as wormholes and closed time like curves are possible means of time travel into the future and the past. Traveling into the past is a task which is much more difficult than traveling into the future. This feat has not yet been accompli shed -to our knowledge- and its theory involves complicated scenarios of tears in four dimensional space-time, and traveling near the speed of light. Obstacles which prevent our hubris attempts to cheat time include our inability to move even close to the speed of light, and finding a source of energy as powerful as an exploding star. Simply because the proposal of time travel is backed by scientific theory, is no reason to expect that it is easily achievable. Numerous arguments are proposed that that prevent time travel into the past. Both common sense and scientific fact can be used to paint scenarios that become serious obstacles. Not to fear, we have all the time in the world to overcome these minor limitations. Imagine if you will, that you are one of the people sill alive today that was born prior to 1903, when the first airplane took flight. When you were young the idea of flying would probably have been quite exciting. Some scientists believe that we may presently be living through an identical scenario. The thing that would be so exciting however, would not be flight, but time travel. Leading scientists believe that our children will live to once again see the impossible become routine. Professor Michio Kaku of the University of New York believes that space flight may one day unlock the secret of time itself. This will require the development of spacecraft that can travel at speeds on the order of two hundred million meters per second, that’s about four hundred and fifty million miles per hour.

Ebenezer Howard

It is said that there were two major inventions in the beginning of the twentieth century; the invention of the airplane, and Ebenezer Howards’ creation of the Garden City. In the 19th century, as a response to extremes of the capitalist order and an alternative to the industrial city, communitarian activity started to search new forms of community. Ebenezer Howard cropped up a new type of human settlement which is more rational for an industrial age, The Garden City. It was a new form of social and economic collaboration with a control and order.Howard aimed to reverse the congestion and spread of the large city through new form of planned community. To build a garden city, Howard needed money to buy land. He decided to get funding from â€Å"gentlemen of responsible position and undoubted probity and honor†. He founded the Garden City Association in 1899, although it took forty years to win a serious consideration from the government. By 1945, government noticed the p roblems of some form of planning and it was the Howard’s contribution to modify a nonconformist vision of community developed in nineteenth century reform circles.The most significant thing is that Howard’s utopian thinking was the transitional figure which connected 19th century reformers to 20th century professional planners. Ebenezer Howard had a better vision for town community life to end the congestion in English cities to build self sufficient colonies in agricultural land. He knew that larger cities didn't create large communities but created alienated lonely separate people whom lacked the sense of a community. According to Howard’s aspect Garden City was the key to bring man to a natural order that would further the social associations necessary for individual fulfillment.In the late 1880’s it all started with the Howard’s â€Å"alluring dream of co-operative commonwealth that would end social discord†. With the inspiration he gain ed from the Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward, he started working on technocratic-socialist utopia. By the early 1890’s Howard started to contact with two groups who were interested in starting colonies. This idea of colonies was first mentioned in Alfred Marshall’s article. He urged that in order to relieve the unemployment and congestion of London’s slums, colonies of factory workers should be placed on agricultural land out of the core.For Howard, the crowded city was the reason that communities can’t survive and the reason for that is the size. So he proposed a communal settlement with a population 32. 000 of to maintain the idea of a community. In his books’s first chapter he formuliazed the ideal city. 6000 acres of cheap rural land are to be purchased, 1000 of which are reserved for the city. A 32,000 person population cap is set, after which a new city will have to be colonized. As far as the design goes, Howard wants to make it as l ittle like the overcrowded London of his day as possible, so public parks and private lawns are everywhere.The roads are incredibly wide, ranging from 120 to 420 feet for the Grand Avenue, and they are radial rather than linear. Commercial, industrial, residential, and public uses are clearly differentiated from each other spatially. With the foundation of The Land Nationalization Society, by Alfred Wallace, the idea of creating labor colonies outside cities to reduce redundancy of joblessness in the urban centers occurred. At one of the meetings of this Society, Howard proposed the formation of a â€Å"Co-operative Commonwealth†, which was described as the subject of a good deal of discussion in recent months in advanced circles.This scheme was supposed to eliminate the landlord and there would be experiments of capitalism. According to Howard’s beliefs Garden City, including the colony systems, was the practical answers to planning problems and should have attracted the majority of the public to start the community. Despite his thoughts, many writers found his ideas ridiculous with the belief of â€Å"towns are not created; they grow† In spite of all the negative feedbacks, The Land Nationalization Society remained important in Howard’s efforts to create a Garden City Association in 1899.For the first years of Associations, it was all about propaganda rather than action. With the lectures, interviews, and tracts Howard’s ideology became widespread and started to be considered as practical and successful. Within few months many council members, engineers, businessmen, architects had joined the Association. Between 1900 and 1901, membership number rose to 500. However, there was no donation enough to buy an estate and place factories. By the end of the 1901, Ralph Neville, Liberal politician and King’s Counsel attended the Association.With his support, events speeded up, in the mean time Howard slipped into a secondary position in the Association. With this changes, also the original scheme changed significantly into a more controlled company. The real idea of the association became a chance and chaos in urban growth. Howard’s garden city became confused in the public minds with a type of low-density suburban development. After Thomas Adam and Ewart Culpin took over the control of the Association, they started the umbrella organization for all housing and planning activity. The whole idea of Howard’s got lost.After eight years of Howard’s death Osborn became active in the Association and tried to resume Howard’s ideology. After World War I, Association played an important role in British town planning. We certainly believe the fact with the concept that Ebenezer Howard’s concept was an make an effort to remove capitalists ‘so as it was accomplished’ despite its some time to what could be done. It was very obvious that his concepts opended up many in dividuals' horizans according to providing a new concept of resident Ebenezer Howard was a great men for urban planning who provided the vision and details of a community for both town and country life.He believed that these two life should be married together in small Garden Cities, each with its own greenbelt. He promoted well-planned towns with careful land zoning and a quality of life. A Garden City would have well designed houses with gardens set in tree lined avenues, clean and healthy work places and a pleasant and healthy environment in which to live, work and follow leisure pursuits. His purpose is to sustain a healthy, natural, and economic combination of town and country life through a balance of work and leisure.In this goal, Howard reflects the ideal and harmonious relationship between the  industry and garden. Industry and agriculture coexist in his ideal community, as do city and countryside, utopia and arcadia. Howard's sense of balance, in this case, the concentri c circles of the Garden City intersected by broad boulevards, assumes that ideal forms will shape and perfect human functions. The overall goal for Howard is to combine the traditional countryside with the traditional town.For too long residents have had to make the unfulfilling choice between living in a culturally isolated rural area or giving up nature to live in a city, but â€Å"human society and the beauty of nature are meant to be enjoyed together. † As he sees it, in a rather Hegelian fashion, in our opinion the two â€Å"magnets† of Town and Country that have in the past pulled people in either direction will, in the future, be synthesized into one â€Å"Town-Country magnet. †Ã‚   Green Belt hich was a part of Howard’s aim was developed for places which did not develop more, it was more like a limitation for cities . However, although that was not a certain remedy, places keep growing. As far as we learn in city planning, cities are living format ions which reshape in years over and over again. At the same time, even though this idea was developed as a feature of non-urban and town which keep growing and its inhabitants increase, this suggestions stayed poor.In conclusion, in spite of this information , the solution for a citites future life depent on the decision of the right problem. Maybe the restriction of population and ground may not be work in today’s societies, but Howard’s proposal could be modified and then, be used. We could modernize it easily in more ecological manner. We could locate it on a brownfield, for example, and follow a more urban, transect based planning scheme. In doing so, according to us, we can keep the heart of Howard’s vision while reforming the logistics per our more advanced knowledge.

Stem Cell Research- Reaction Paper

Stem Cell Research- Reaction Paper Reaction Paper: Stem Cell Research Heather A. Lail Liberty University Stem cell research has bought about heated debate since the time it was reviled. Many different debates have been raised to justify and unjustified the use of stem cells for research throughout the years. The two most enduring debates that have stood the test of time have been the legal and ethical issues. The has been documented in countless research studies the advantages of the use of stem cells for research regarding the two issues stated above.There are also countless articles documenting the disadvantages regarding the stated issues. I will discuss what a stem cell is, the different types of stem cells, and the advantages and disadvantages of both types. I will also discuss the two majorly debated issues, legal and ethical, as states above. A stem cell is fundamentally a blank cell that is capable of becoming another more differentiated cell type in the body and can be used to replace or even heal damaged tissues and cells in the body. Embryonic stem cells come from living, human embryos and can be harvested from two sources, embryos and fetuses.Embryonic stem cells are obtained by harvesting living embryos which are generally 5-7 days old. The removal of embryonic stem cells invariably results in the destruction of the embryo. Fetuses are another type of stem cell called an embryonic germ cell can be obtained from either miscarriages or aborted fetuses. Advantages of embryonic stem cells are that they appear to have the potential to make any cell, one embryonic cell line can potentially provide an endless supply of cells with define characteristics, and they are readily available due to in vitro fertilization clinics.Some disadvantages of embryonic stem cells is that they are difficult to differentiate uniformly and homogeneously into target tissue, embryonic stem cells from random donors are likely to be rejected by recipients, they are capable of fo rming or promoting tumor formation, and it is the destruction of a human life. Adult stem cells exist in humans and are used to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Adult stem cells come from umbilical cords, placentas, amniotic fluid, existing adult issues and cadavers.The advantages of adult stem cells include adult stem cells from bone marrow and from umbilical cord appear to be as flexible as embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells are already specialized to some extent, recipients receiving the cells are receiving their own cells which significantly reduces rejection of tissue, they are relatively easy to harvest, they do not tend to form tumors, and there is no harm to the donor. (National Institute of Health) The most prevalent legal concerns in terms of stem cell research are laws related to federal funding of the research.In August, 2001 President Bush announced that federal funds would be available to support limited human embryonic stem cell research. Th e fact White House fact sheet setting forth Bush’s policy states â€Å"federal funding will only be used for research on existing stem cell lines that were derived with the informed consent of the donors, from excess embryos created solely for reproductive purposes, and without any financial inducements to the donors†( Shimabukuro).With these limitations no federal funding is to be used for the derivation of stem cell lines derived from newly destroyed embryos, the creation of any human embryos for research purposes, or cloning of human embryos for any purposes. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005 â€Å"provides for the collection and maintenance of human cord blood stem cells for the treatment of patients and for research† (Shimabukuro).The Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006 â€Å"amends the Public Health Service Act to make it unlawful for any person or entity involved or engages in interstate commerce to either solicit or knowingly acquire, receive, or accept a donation of human fetal tissues knowing that a pregnancy was deliberately initiated to provide such tissue, or knowingly acquire, receive, or accept tissue or cells obtained from a human embryo or fetus was gestated in the uterus of a nonhuman animal† (Shimabukuro).The above federal laws have been put in place in an attempt to alleviate some of the legal issues involved in the use of stem cells for the use of research purposes. The ethical issues debated by the masses regarding stem cell research include evaluating the benefits and harms of embryonic research and the value of the embryo. The benefits of stem cell research are the advances made in medicine in the aspects of somatic gene therapy for genetic disorders and the generation of replacement organs and tissues for transplant.The benefits of stem cell research are vast in the potential of curing certain ailments, disorders, and disease afflicting people. On the other hand of the ethical issue is the value of the embryo. Heated debate on this issue alone has been the mainstream since the first stem cell study was preformed. At one end of the spectrum is the belief that the embryo from the moment of conception is a person in its own right with the same moral status as an adult.On the other end of the spectrum there is an alternative stance that the embryo acquires full personhood and the moral rights by gradual stages during the process of development between conception and birth. (Rickard; Corrigan, Liddell, McMillan, Stewart, and Wallace) I personal hold to the belief that using embryos created and destroyed for the sake of research is wrong in every aspect due to my personal Christian beliefs. Jeremiah 1:4-5, â€Å"The word of the LORD came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations† (NIV).Psalm 127:3, â€Å"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from himâ⠂¬  (NIV). I also feel that even though there are potential benefits of stem cell research, the benefits are just that potential. I personal do not feel the means outweigh the risk.

The Europeans essays

The Europeans essays Culture Shock: Eloquent European Luxury to Simple New England life Throughout Henry James The Europeans, the interaction of individuals who possess vast cultural and social differences creates powerful themes of social order, conformity, tolerance, and love. The admiration of a foreign nobility, by a group of aristocratic American families demonstrates the abundance of social structure in the nineteenth century setting. Unexposed to the romantic culture of Europe, the Wentworths hold great respect for their guests solely because of their position. In reference to Gertrude Wentworth the author states, She had never in her life spoken to a foreigner, and she had often thought it would be delightful to do so (p. 53). The previous quote displays the pure idea of speaking with a foreigner would intrigue the common individuals living in America. The manner in which the Wentworths European cousins hold themselves in, created awe and bewilderment in their common counterparts; as evident in this statement. The cheerful off-hand tone in which her visitor related this darkly romantic tale seemed to Gertrude very strange; but it seemed also to convey a certain flattery to herself, a recognition of her wisdom and dignity. She felt a dozen impressions stirring within her (p. 57). Even after becoming fully acquainted with the familys lost cousins, it became clear that no less respect or subservience would be held for them. As witnessed in this quote, We have a Baroness among us. That's what we must keep hold of! (p. 141). Due to the lack of experience of foreign culture, a simple family remains in a state of awe when they take in a pair of eminent guests. Despite their differences, the characters in this book find ways to conform and tolerate each others life style, without giving up their own dignity and principles. A less endearing and accepting character, Mr. Wentworth ...

How to Create and Use DLLs in Delphi

How to Create and Use DLLs in Delphi A Dynamic Link Library (DLL) is a collection of routines (small programs) that that can be called by applications and other DLLs. Like units, they contain code or resources that can be shared between multiple applications. The concept of DLLs is the core of the Windows architectural design, and for the most part, Windows is simply a collection of DLLs. With Delphi, you can write and use your own DLLs and even call functions regardless of whether or not they were developed with other systems or developers, like Visual Basic, or C/C. Creating a Dynamic Link Library The following few lines will demonstrate how to create a simple DLL using Delphi. For the beginning start Delphi and navigate to File New DLL to build a new DLL template. Select the default text and replace it with this: library TestLibrary;uses SysUtils, Classes, Dialogs;procedure DllMessage; export;begin ShowMessage(Hello world from a Delphi DLL) ; end;exports DllMessage;beginend. If you look at the project file of any Delphi application, you’ll see that it starts with the reserved word program. By contrast, DLLs always start with library and then a uses clause for any units. In this example, the DllMessage procedure follows, which doesnt do anything but show a simple message. At the end of the source code is an exports statement which lists the routines that are actually exported from the DLL in a way that they can be called by another application. What this means is that you can have, say, five procedures in a DLL and only two of them (listed in the exports section) can be called from an external program (the remaining three are sub procedures). In order to use this DLL, we have to compile it by pressing CtrlF9. This should create a DLL called SimpleMessageDLL.DLL in your projects folder. Finally, lets take a look at how to call the DllMessage procedure from a statically loaded DLL. To import a procedure contained in a DLL, you can use the keyword external in the procedure declaration. For example, given the DllMessage procedure shown above, the declaration in the calling application would look like this: procedure DllMessage; external SimpleMessageDLL.dll The actual call to a procedure is nothing more than: DllMessage; The entire code for a Delphi form (name: Form1), with a TButton (named Button1) that calls the DLLMessage function, looks something like this: unit Unit1;interface uses Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls; type TForm1 class(TForm) Button1: TButton; procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject) ;private{ Private declarations }public{ Public declarations }end;var Form1: TForm1; procedure DllMessage; external SimpleMessageDLL.dllimplementation {$R *.dfm} procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject) ;begin DllMessage; end;end.

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Proposal - Essay Example This study therefore intends to study the factors that serve as barriers to communication between the universities in the developing countries, which ultimately adversely affects knowledge and information publications from such institutions. The study will rely on qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the factors in order to establish the level to which the specific factors serve as hindrances to effective communication between the universities in the developing countries. Besides studying the particular factors that negatively affect the communication processes between the universities in third world countries, this study focuses at proposing possible recommendations that would be effective in addressing the challenges and the accompanying effects. Background literature Inaccessibility or difficulties in sharing and accessing research information in developing countries have had great attention in the past and it is widely accepted that universities in such countries have poor frameworks to enhance the sharing of information, which is a critical factor to consider in education development (Torero and Braun, 1-4). Burnett argues that despite the many problems that developing countries such as many of African countries face are continued problems in sanitation, poverty, high illiteracy levels as well as limited opportunities of education among others. However, through a qualitative study, he reasons that the most efficient way to address such problems as they face the countries is not through donor aid but rather through educational empowerment of such countries. He points out that the long-term effect of enabling easy flow of information as well as knowledge in the institutions of learning is creation of empowered workforce through education and skills, which would be useful in shaping the course of the nations. The sharing of knowledge and information between the developing countries enable them to find appropriate solutions to their own problems. This is therefore the importance of enhancing information sharing especially within the research institutions such as the universities. The study affirms that many of the third world countries are gradually acknowledging the importance of development of formal cannels for sharing information especially concerning higher education information (Burnett, 1-10). A report by Hennessy and team presents the comprehensive findings from literature review by Aga Khan University and other institutions in East Africa confirms the importance of ICT in the entire system of education with special attention to higher education. Among other findings from the literature reviewed was that incorporation of ICT in education institutions would facilitate aids I establishing e-learning resources, which in actual sense would ease the mechanism of sharing of information from one institution to another. ICT is a critical instrument that has been exploited by developed countries to enhance sharing of information as well as the e-learning resources and as such has been proven effective concerning the exchange of information

Art history from 1580-1980 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Art history from 1580-1980 - Essay Example This was 1793 painting of nude man with an appearance a real classical young man. Other paintings before 1800 that show naturalism are Francisco Goya’s paintings named â€Å"And so Was His Grandfather† and â€Å"You who cannot†. Artists highly engaged with the nature from 1580-1980. They did this by spending their time to study nature. They started shifting from religious and supernatural paintings to nature paintings. They engaged with nature in their art by portraying objects in their arts as they appear exactly in reality. This was done based on the artists’ scientific knowledge. There was a strong connection between science and art. Examples of paintings that depict nature include John constable’s â€Å"The Hay Wain† and Joseph Mallord’s â€Å"Snowstorm: Hannibal and Army† (Rothko & Rothko 65). Other nature paintings include Theodore Gericault’s â€Å"The Raft of Medusa† and William Blake’s â€Å"Dante Running from The Three Beasts†. All these were painted after 1800. Nature was depicted in the renaissance arts in various forms. For instance, it was presented in paintings, sculptures and music during that period. Naturalism was significant to many artists and movements. For instance, it was significant to humanisms movement. During the renaissance period the society had started to focus more on human values than religious values. As such, artists painted humans in the natural world to show their position on earth. Nature was also significant to naturalism movement where artists were recognized based on how well their represented nature in their paintings. Nature became a source idea for many artists. They got their ideas by simply studying or observing it (Rothko & Rothko

The Namesake of New Types of Power Structures Essay

The Namesake of New Types of Power Structures - Essay Example Misuse of power is also evident in Adolf Hitler mode of leadership (Helgesen, 2008). Like how Machiavelli used to use force to rule and deal with the enemies, the same things was repeated by Adolf Hitler. The Austrian -born German dictator, is name sake for Machiavelli based on the dictatorship he depicted during his rule (Gallagher, 1991). The command and misuse of power that Adolf Hitler used can be compared with that of dictator Machiavellian (Callanan, 2004). The reason why I have made the selection is based on the fact that even though the subjects that Adolf Hitler dealt with were innocent, he went ahead and exposed them to harmful and risky situation that left them devastated. The dictator Machiavellian was known for brutality and deceit which he portrayed at innocent Italians just like how Hitler did to the Germans and other people. It is true that power is misused by individuals, it results into undermining of others who are not powerful. Cheating and corrupt activities take place when an individual with power start blackmailing others. Power should be used appropriately considering those who do not have power to excise over others. Callanan, A. (2004). What would Machiavelli think? An overview of the leadership challenges in team based structures. Team Performance Management, 10(3/4), 77 8 3. Retrieved from the ProQuest Central

Competitive strategies: UK supermarkets

Competitive strategies: UK supermarkets Research background UK retail supermarkets employ some competitive approaches in their business, this study emphases mostly on these marketing techniques. This study describes future of business strategies used by chief retail supermarkets in the United Kingdom. Retail strategy can be explained as the general proposal which is taken in action by retailers for gaining achievements in the competition of supermarkets. (Barmen, B. Evans, J. 2006). Recently extraordinary competition originated in the environment of retail supermarkets. Huge investment in infrastructure done by major supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco, Morrison and Sainsbury increased their product quality. Advancement in technology, increase in the range of products, quality and pace resulted vast advancement in supermarket industry of the United Kingdom. (Harvey, 2000). According to the market shares owned by major supermarkets in the United Kingdom according to the statistics of 2006 March 9th, first four supermarkets in the United Kingdom own 74.4% of the overall market. Among the four Tesco is at the first position with a marketing share of 30.4% in the United Kingdom. Main competitors of Tesco in the United Kingdom market are Morrison, Sainsbury and Asda. Asda has a marketing share of 16.6% while Sainsbury Morrison hold marketing shares of 16.2 % and 11.2% correspondingly. In UK competition among retail supermarkets are tougher but Tesco is most successful among all supermarket chains in United Kingdom. (Source: BBC news, 9 March 2006). The above mentioned four supermarket giants dominate UKs retailing markets. Currently Tesco, Sinsburrys, Asda are the top retail supermarkets rules grocery retailing in the UK. The industry construction is characterized by many attributes such as greater store size, lowering prices of goods and adopting different formats to satisfy the consumers expectation. (Andrew Holingworth, 2004). Research question The first and foremost question focused on this research is: How effective is the competitive strategy employed by giant supermarket in UK? With these competitive strategy how these giant supermarket each other withstand in this current competitive market? How the competitive strategy helps in maintaining customer relationship management and the sales of the supermarket? Also,To identify the overall performance of these supermarkets. Literature review Review of literature is a body of content that aims to reconsider the vital points of existing knowledge on a specific topic. This literature review is done to recognize the existing knowledge in the section of competitive strategy employed by giant supermarkets.. According to Porter ME, 1980 competitive strategy can be defined as the â€Å"plan for how a firm will compete, formulated after evaluating how its strengths and weaknesses compare to those of its competitors. For example, a small meatpacking firm may decide to concentrate on a special niche product offered in limited areas after determining it cannot compete on price with major competitors.† Competitive strategy consists of the actions which are taken to attract customers, to withstand the competitive pressures of the market and also to help and strengthen the firms market position. The main objective of the competitive strategy is to earn a competitive benefit or advantage and to cultivate a clientele of loyal customers and knock the sock off the rivals ethically and honorably.(Philip Kotler, 2001) Tesco holds the largest market share which is of 31.6% for which the Tesco is controlling the large sector of the current retail market and also they have 50% of grocery market where as Sainsburys has about 22% of the current market share. Tesco sells a very huge variety of product range and also they do buy the products in a massive volume and sell those goods cheap, as considered to Sainsburys they only purchase goods of popular brand name and sell their own brand products in the super market. The Tesco has the super power to have their super market which is at the main location, it has the largest acquisition which enable Tesco to acquire nearly about 1/3rd of the retail market but concerned as Sainsbury they do not have the power to acquire land.(Julian finch, the Guardian) To sell every product, every where and everyone target which includes in the national and overseas, success level has been achieved by Tesco. With introduction of this strategy Sainsburys should have to work hard, and will have a hard time keeping up the Sainsburys giant retail market. The giant supermarket Tesco put effort to attract the people from all level of peoples or customers where as Sainsburys tries to attract customers with the middle , average class people by their middle class value or price. Tesco put more efforts to reduce the price and attract the customers where as Sainsbury keeps concentration in particularly in food, i.e. the quality of food they provide to the customers. After several years of decline in market, Sainsburys have emerged with independent ideas in stabilizing the current competitive environment. In the year of 2004 chief executive of Sainsburys Mr. Justin King introduced new recovery programs to attract the customers and to retain them using competitive strategy method and this had increased their market shares from 15.8%.customer relationship management is introduced as a new discipline which can create and nourish the sales and profitability(Julia Finch, The Guardian). During the period 1999 asda was owned by the US corporation company Wal-mart, it is the only one supermarket in United Kingdom which has the potential to be a thorn for the Tesco   as currently Asda in the world is eight times biggest company in the world , compared to annual sales against Tescos. Despite of the very tough trading competition environment Asda has grew up its total sales in a ‘high single digits which is excluding the petrol for a period upto September 30th. A figure which was published by the TNS shows that Asda is growing in UK market twice in speed. Even at the time when customer are price conscious supermarket Asda still continues with quality goods in cheap price agenda At a time when customers are increasingly price conscious, ASDA continues to drive its low cost agenda enabling it to fund lower prices for customers. As a result it has further strengthened its price advantage over its competitors. ASDAs profit grew ahead of target with good cost control despite rising energy costs. The delivery of ASDAs sustainability programme has contributed to lowering operating costs as well as reducing its carbon footprint. Methodology The technique for examination taken for this research proposal is qualitative research to obtain descriptive and qualitative understanding about the competitive strategy followed in giant supermarket. Errors occurred can be found in eloquent way with quantitative examination of information. Qualitative analysis/examination is defined as â€Å"the data collected in relates to the demographic or the behavioral of the respondent under the study† by Kothari (1990). This study is conducted to acquire qualitative as well as expressive understanding of causes and means which are connected to the completive approach with Tesco, Sainsburys and Tesco. Competitive strategy includes many processes like technology, innovation, process and combining people. Supermarket giants use this technique; in this method consultation has been conducted to disclose outlooks, philosophies, primary inspiration and emotional state on competitive approach engaged in major hypermarkets on client correlation. Data collection The data collected for analysis is from both primary and secondary data. Primary data is the data directly collected by the researcher himself. Primary data is original in nature and is directly from the first hand experience. Secondary data is collected from some other sources which were collected for some other purpose. Secondary data collection is cost effective and time effective. In-depth interview and direct observation would be done. They are cost effective and take less time. Face to face interview will be conducted with the staffs and employees of Tesco, Asda and Sainsburys and also a keen direct observation will be made to know the satisfaction of the customers and sales effectiveness, also the strategy method used in customer relationship management strategy and the other strategy followed is observed to know what attract the customers and retain customers. Datas are also collected from secondary sources like books, journals, newspaper archives, internet etc. The data collected for the research is through non probability convenience sampling method. Convenience sampling as word suggests is the sample selected by the investigator by his personal and convenient interest. It helps in focusing into new insights and ideas into the research problem. Convenience sampling method takes less time and is cost effective Data analysis Data analysis is the most important section of the research. Data analysis enables to understand and obtain the exact result of the research. Here data is analyzed through SWOT and PESTEL analysis. The data that is collected from direct observation, interviews ,questionnaires and other sources is evaluated and examined to understand the strength, weakness, opportunity and external threats and also evaluates macro factors like political, economical, social, technological, ecologicaland legal. Enhancement in research techniques Research impact Time scale Activities Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 W1 W2 W3 W 4 W 1 W 2 W 3 W 4 W 1 W2 W3 W4 W1 Topic selection x Read journals and magazines x x Analysis on the topic x x Data collection x x X Preparation of proposal x x Proposal submission x Feedback x Preparation for data collection x x x Data Analysis X x Further literature review x Submission of draft x Draft revising x Print x Submission X

Code Of Hummurabi :: Hummurabi Code of Law

History is the past, which for the most part can not be scientificately proven. The real; goal of History is to rediscover past. A dramatic error happens when past is rediscovered from our own bias that is from the way we see it. Even certain artifacts and works pf literature that we have left from earlier civilizations can be interpreted in several different ways, or misinterpreted to a certain extend or entirely. Usually interpretation or even misinterpretation is affected bu the concept of ethnocentrism, where different communities have an already set up establishment of certain norms based on their own believes, traditions, social, legislative, and personal values and ethics from which they judge other foreign communities. When considering other societies, it is usually a difficult task to view â€Å"other world† without any observer prejudices. Each world, our and their can evoke its own realities that are more or less comparable from one period to another, or from one cu lture to another. One of the obvious misinterpretations, discussed in this paper, took place considering historical document written by king of Mesopotamia. Our textbook, Arts and Culture,(p 98) presents Hammurabi’s Code as a â€Å"Law Code† of king Hammurabi. It was, in turn something quite different from a Code of Laws existing in our judicial and legislative structure of government and society. Hammurabi’s Code- â€Å"A law Code† or a set of royal decisions As written in Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings, (p26), the code consists if 282 laws that are branched at the beginning and end by a prologue and epilogue. The â€Å"Code† touches almost every aspect of everyday life in Babylonya. As the prologue states, the laws were supposedly written â€Å"to promote the welfare of the people,†¦to cause just to prevail in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil, that the strong might not oppress the weak† ( The Human Record, p 12). Furthermor e, just like a real Law Code, each â€Å"law† is written in the form of conditional sentence: in which the phrase is introduced by a certain condition, â€Å"if† and the consequence follows â€Å"then†. Another fact makes Hammurabi’s â€Å"Code† so similar to the U.S. Constitutional Law Code is that it follows specific order, consisting of separate â€Å"chapters† associated with similar issues. For instance;† The Administration of Justice† â€Å"chapter† is followed by â€Å"Felons and Victums†, which is in turn followed by â€Å"chapter† that talks about â€Å"Property† issues.

Certificate in Financial Maths & Modelling Syllabus

Certificate in Financial Maths & Modelling Syllabus Overview The Certificate in Financial Maths & Modelling provides a rigorous and integrated set of quantitative tools to understand and ex plain financial instruments, financial risk and corporate value and the fundamentally important relationship between them. The emphasis throughout is on t he practical modelling of real life problems and opportunities. Techniques such as no-arbitrage pricing, duration, convexity and portfolio analysis – including the trade-off between risk and return – are explained and applied. The course analyses the use of options for financial risk management, and the valuation of different types of option using binomial pricing models, the Black Scholes model and other techniques. It also int roduces and applies Value at Risk measures, their potential us es and their limitations. Study Unit 1 – Fundamental concepts in financial maths and modelling Study Unit 1 introduces the fundamental concepts of financial maths and modelling in the five areas of: interest rat e mathematics; modelling the values of a series of fixed or growing future cashflows; modelling the term structure of int erest rates using no arbitrage relationships; selected issues in probability and statistical models; and modelling the maths of Value at Risk. Study Unit 2 – Modelling the maths of debt Study Unit 2 looks at modelling the maths of debt in the main areas of: present values, fut ure cash flows, timing and risk; and interest rat e sensitivity and duration models, in particular value relationships with respect to yield, maturity, coupon rate and coupon frequency. Study Unit 3 – Modelling the maths of foreign exchange Study Unit 3 introduces the c oncepts of modelling t he maths of foreign exchange in the four areas of: quoting conventions; hedging using forward foreign exchange cont racts; the relationships bet ween foreign exchange rates, interest rates and inflation rates and applying VaR to foreign exchange risk management. Study Unit 4 – Modelling the maths of derivatives Study Unit 4 covers the maths and modelling of derivatives in t he two areas of: int roduction to derivatives mathematics; and modelling capital market swap mathematics. Study Unit 5 – Modelling the maths of options Study Unit 5 covers the maths and modelling of options in the four areas of: option payoff mathematics; option payoff maths in the context of hedging; option valuation modelling; and options arbitrage and the put-call parity relationship. Study Unit 6 – Modelling the maths of portfolios and corporate finance Study Unit 6 introduces the fundamental concepts of modelling the maths of port folios and corporate finance in the t wo areas of: modelling port folios – analysis of risk and return, and modelling for corporate finance – corporate valuation and the impact of changing capit al structure. Association of Corporate Treasurers (01. 04. 11, subject to change) Study Unit 1 – Fundamental concepts in financial maths and modelling Unit introduction 1. 0. 1 Notation and rules of algebra 1. 0. 2 Financial modelling Section 1 – Interest rate mathematics 1. 1. 1 Interest calculations and quoting convention s 1. 1. 2 The time-value relationship Section 2 – Modelling values of a series of future cashflows 1. 2. 1 Infinite series cashflows (perpetuities) and their valuation 1. 2. Finite series cashflows (annuities) and their valuation Section 3 – Modelling the term structure of interest rate s: no arbitrage relationships 1. 3. 1 Zero coupon, forward and par structures of interest rates: different forms of yield curves 1. 3. 2 No arbitrage relationships between zero coupon, forward and par rates Section 4 – Probability and stati sti cal models: selected issue s 1. 4. 1 Measures of central location (or central tendency), dispersion and correlation 1. 4. 2 Frequency distributions in theory and in practice Section 5 – Modelling the maths of Value at Risk 1. . 1 Modelling the maths of Value at Risk for single risks 1. 5. 2 Extending the modelling of Value at Risk Study Unit 2 – Modelling the maths of debt Section 1 – Short term debt 2. 1. 1 Short term debt issuers, market participants and market conventions 2. 1. 2 Calculation of interest and valuation of short term debt instruments Section 2 – Longer term debt 2. 2. 1 Analysis and valuation of bonds 2. 2. 2 Real interest rates and inflation indexing Section 3 – Interest rate sensitivity and duration models 2. 3. Duration and int erest rat e price sensitivity, relative and absolute measures 2. 3. 2 Interest rate immunisation, convexity and modified convexity Study Unit 3 – Modelling the maths of foreign exchange Section 1 – Foreign exchange mathematics 3. 1. 1 Converting between currencies: using spot foreign exchange rates 3. 1. 2 Converting between currencies: determining and using forward foreign exchange rat es 3. 1. 3 The maths of foreign exchange risk management 3. 1. 4 Applying Value at Risk to foreign exchange risk management Study Unit 4 – Modelling the maths of derivatives Section 1 – Introduction to derivative s mathematics 4. 1. 1 Payoffs for fixing derivatives and options 4. 1. 2 The maths of FRAs: cashflows, hedging, valuation and basis risk 4. 1. 3 Futures contracts: cashflows, hedging and valuation Section 2 – Modelling swap mathematics 4. 2. 1 The maths of capital market swaps including interest rate swaps 4. 2. 2 The maths of cross-currency interest rate swaps  © Association of Corporate Treasurers (01. 04. 11, subject to change) Study Unit 5 – Modelling the maths of options Section 1 – Option payoff mathematics 5. 1. 1 Payoffs from trading strategies with single options 5. 1. 2 Payoffs from trading strategies involving more than one option Section 2 – Option payoff maths: hedging and hedged results achieved 5. 2. 1 Hedging a portfolio: options plus underlying asset/(liability) 5. 2. 2 Hedging corporate exposures with options Section 3 – Option valuation modelling 5. 3. 1 Binomial option valuation models 5. 3. 2 Black Scholes option pricing model 5. 3. 3 Arbitrage and the put-call parity relationship Study Unit 6 – Modelling the maths of portfolios and corporate finance Section 1 – Modelling portfolios: analysi s of ri sk and return 6. 1. 1 Modelling simple port folios: analysis of risk and return 6. 1. 2 Modelling multi-asset port folios & portfolios including liabilities Section 2 – Modelling for corporate finance 6. 2. 1 Modelling the cost of corporate capital 6. 2. 2 Modelling the relationship between corporate value and capital structure 6. 2. 3 Modelling corporate valuation  © Association of Corporate Treasurers (01. 04. 11, subject to change)

Twilight 24. AN IMPASSE

24. AN IMPASSE My eyes opened to a bright, white light. I was in an unfamiliar room, a white room. The wall beside me was covered in long vertical blinds; over my head, the glaring lights blinded me. I was propped up on a hard, uneven bed – a bed with rails. The pillows were flat and lumpy. There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. I hoped that meant I was still alive. Death shouldn't be this uncomfortable. My hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something was taped across my face, under my nose. I lifted my hand to rip it off. â€Å"No, you don't.† And cool fingers caught my hand. â€Å"Edward?† I turned my head slightly, and his exquisite face was just inches from mine, his chin resting on the edge of my pillow. I realized again that I was alive, this time with gratitude and elation. â€Å"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!† â€Å"Shhhh,† he shushed me. â€Å"Everything's all right now.† â€Å"What happened?† I couldn't remember clearly, and my mind rebelled against me as I tried to recall. â€Å"I was almost too late. I could have been too late,† he whispered, his voice tormented. â€Å"I was so stupid, Edward. I thought he had my mom.† â€Å"He tricked us all.† â€Å"I need to call Charlie and my mom,† I realized through the haze. â€Å"Alice called them. Ren? ¦e is here – well, here in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now.† â€Å"She's here?† I tried to sit up, but the spinning in my head accelerated, and his hand pushed me gently down onto the pillows. â€Å"She'll be back soon,† he promised. â€Å"And you need to stay still.† â€Å"But what did you tell her?† I panicked. I had no interest in being soothed. My mom was here and I was recovering from a vampire attack. â€Å"Why did you tell her I'm here?† â€Å"You fell down two flights of stairs and through a window.† He paused. â€Å"You have to admit, it could happen.† I sighed, and it hurt. I stared down at my body under the sheet, the huge lump that was my leg. â€Å"How bad am I?† I asked. â€Å"You have a broken leg, four broken ribs, some cracks in your skull, bruises covering every inch of your skin, and you've lost a lot of blood. They gave you a few transfusions. I didn't like it – it made you smell all wrong for a while.† â€Å"That must have been a nice change for you.† â€Å"No, I like how you smell.† â€Å"How did you do it?† I asked quietly. He knew what I meant at once. â€Å"I'm not sure.† He looked away from my wondering eyes, lifting my gauze-wrapped hand from the bed and holding it gently in his, careful not to disrupt the wire connecting me to one of the monitors. I waited patiently for the rest. He sighed without returning my gaze. â€Å"It was impossible†¦ to stop,† he whispered. â€Å"Impossible. But I did.† He looked up finally, with half a smile. â€Å"I must love you.† â€Å"Don't I taste as good as I smell?† I smiled in response. That hurt my face. â€Å"Even better – better than I'd imagined.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I apologized. He raised his eyes to the ceiling. â€Å"Of all the things to apologize for.† â€Å"What should I apologize for?† â€Å"For very nearly taking yourself away from me forever.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I apologized again. â€Å"I know why you did it.† His voice was comforting. â€Å"It was still irrational, of course. You should have waited for me, you should have told me.† â€Å"You wouldn't have let me go.† â€Å"No,† he agreed in a grim tone, â€Å"I wouldn't.† Some very unpleasant memories were beginning to come back to me. I shuddered, and then winced. He was instantly anxious. â€Å"Bella, what's wrong?† â€Å"What happened to James?† â€Å"After I pulled him off you, Emmett and Jasper took care of him.† There was a fierce note of regret in his voice. This confused me. â€Å"I didn't see Emmett and Jasper there.† â€Å"They had to leave the room†¦ there was a lot of blood.† â€Å"But you stayed.† â€Å"Yes, I stayed.† â€Å"And Alice, and Carlisle†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said in wonder. â€Å"They love you, too, you know.† A flash of painful images from the last time I'd seen Alice reminded me of something. â€Å"Did Alice see the tape?† I asked anxiously. â€Å"Yes.† A new sound darkened his voice, a tone of sheer hatred. â€Å"She was always in the dark, that's why she didn't remember.† â€Å"I know. She understands now.† His voice was even, but his face was black with fury. I tried to reach his face with my free hand, but something stopped me. I glanced down to see the IV pulling at my hand. â€Å"Ugh.† I winced. â€Å"What is it?† he asked anxiously – distracted, but not enough. The bleakness did not entirely leave his eyes. â€Å"Needles,† I explained, looking away from the one in my hand. I concentrated on a warped ceiling tile and tried to breathe deeply despite the ache in my ribs. â€Å"Afraid of a needle,† he muttered to himself under his breath, shaking his head. â€Å"Oh, a sadistic vampire, intent on torturing her to death, sure, no problem, she runs off to meet him. An IV, on the other hand†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I rolled my eyes. I was pleased to discover that this reaction, at least, was pain-free. I decided to change the subject. â€Å"Why are you here?† I asked. He stared at me, first confusion and then hurt touching his eyes. His brows pulled together as he frowned. â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"No!† I protested, horrified by the thought. â€Å"No, I meant, why does my mother think you're here? I need to have my story straight before she gets back.† â€Å"Oh,† he said, and his forehead smoothed back into marble. â€Å"I came to Phoenix to talk some sense into you, to convince you to come back to Forks.† His wide eyes were so earnest and sincere, I almost believed him myself. â€Å"You agreed to see me, and you drove out to the hotel where I was staying with Carlisle and Alice – of course I was here with parental supervision,† he inserted virtuously, â€Å"but you tripped on the stairs on the way to my room and†¦ well, you know the rest. You don't need to remember any details, though; you have a good excuse to be a little muddled about the finer points.† I thought about it for a moment. â€Å"There are a few flaws with that story. Like no broken windows.† â€Å"Not really,† he said. â€Å"Alice had a little bit too much fun fabricating evidence. It's all been taken care of very convincingly – you could probably sue the hotel if you wanted to. You have nothing to worry about,† he promised, stroking my cheek with the lightest of touches. â€Å"Your only job now is to heal.† I wasn't so lost to the soreness or the fog of medication that I didn't respond to his touch. The beeping of the monitor jumped around erratically – now he wasn't the only one who could hear my heart misbehave. â€Å"That's going to be embarrassing,† I muttered to myself. He chuckled, and a speculative look came into his eye. â€Å"Hmm, I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He leaned in slowly; the beeping noise accelerated wildly before his lips even touched me. But when they did, though with the most gentle of pressure, the beeping stopped altogether. He pulled back abruptly, his anxious expression turning to relief as the monitor reported the restarting of my heart. â€Å"It seems that I'm going to have to be even more careful with you than usual.† He frowned. â€Å"I was not finished kissing you,† I complained. â€Å"Don't make me come over there.† He grinned, and bent to press his lips lightly to mine. The monitor went wild. But then his lips were taut. He pulled away. â€Å"I think I hear your mother,† he said, grinning again. â€Å"Don't leave me,† I cried, an irrational surge of panic flooding through me. I couldn't let him go – he might disappear from me again. He read the terror in my eyes for a short second. â€Å"I won't,† he promised solemnly, and then he smiled. â€Å"I'll take a nap.† He moved from the hard plastic chair by my side to the turquoise faux-leather recliner at the foot of my bed, leaning it all the way back, and closing his eyes. He was perfectly still. â€Å"Don't forget to breathe,† I whispered sarcastically. He took a deep breath, his eyes still closed. I could hear my mother now. She was talking to someone, maybe a nurse, and she sounded tired and upset. I wanted to jump out of the bed and run to her, to calm her, promise that everything was fine. But I wasn't in any sort of shape for jumping, so I waited impatiently. The door opened a crack, and she peeked through. â€Å"Mom!† I whispered, my voice full of love and relief. She took in Edward's still form on the recliner, and tiptoed to my bedside. â€Å"He never leaves, does he?† she mumbled to herself. â€Å"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!† She bent down to hug me gently, and I felt warm tears falling on my cheeks. â€Å"Bella, I was so upset!† â€Å"I'm sorry, Mom. But everything's fine now, it's okay,† I comforted her. â€Å"I'm just glad to finally see your eyes open.† She sat on the edge of my bed. I suddenly realized I didn't have any idea when it was. â€Å"How long have they been closed?† â€Å"It's Friday, hon, you've been out for a while.† â€Å"Friday?† I was shocked. I tried to remember what day it had been when†¦ but I didn't want to think about that. â€Å"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey – you've got a lot of injuries.† â€Å"I know.† I could feel them. â€Å"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there. He's such a nice man†¦ very young, though. And he looks more like a model than a doctor†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You met Carlisle?† â€Å"And Edward's sister Alice. She's a lovely girl.† â€Å"She is,† I agreed wholeheartedly. She glanced over her shoulder at Edward, lying with his eyes closed in the chair. â€Å"You didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks.† I cringed, and then moaned. â€Å"What hurts?† she demanded anxiously, turning back to me. Edward's eyes flashed to my face. â€Å"It's fine,† I assured them. â€Å"I just have to remember not to move.† He lapsed back into his phony slumber. I took advantage of my mother's momentary distraction to keep the subject from returning to my less-than-candid behavior. â€Å"Where's Phil?† I asked quickly. â€Å"Florida – oh, Bella! You'll never guess! Just when we were about to leave, the best news!† â€Å"Phil got signed?† I guessed. â€Å"Yes! How did you guess! The Suns, can you believe it?† â€Å"That's great, Mom,† I said as enthusiastically as I could manage, though I had little idea what that meant. â€Å"And you'll like Jacksonville so much,† she gushed while I stared at her vacantly. â€Å"I was a little bit worried when Phil started talking about Akron, what with the snow and everything, because you know how I hate the cold, but now Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the humidity really isn't that bad. We found the cutest house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom -â€Å" â€Å"Wait, Mom!† I interrupted. Edward still had his eyes closed, but he looked too tense to pass as asleep. â€Å"What are you talking about? I'm not going to Florida. I live in Forks.† â€Å"But you don't have to anymore, silly,† she laughed. â€Å"Phil will be able to be around so much more now†¦ we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him.† â€Å"Mom.† I hesitated, wondering how best to be diplomatic about this. â€Å"I want to live in Forks. I'm already settled in at school, and I have a couple of girlfriends† – she glanced toward Edward again when I reminded her of friends, so I tried another direction – â€Å"and Charlie needs me. He's just all alone up there, and he can't cook at all.† â€Å"You want to stay in Forks?† she asked, bewildered. The idea was inconceivable to her. And then her eyes flickered back toward Edward. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I told you – school, Charlie – ouch!† I'd shrugged. Not a good idea. Her hands fluttered helplessly over me, trying to find a safe place to pat. She made do with my forehead; it was unbandaged. â€Å"Bella, honey, you hate Forks,† she reminded me. â€Å"It's not so bad.† She frowned and looked back and forth between Edward and me, this time very deliberately. â€Å"Is it this boy?† she whispered. I opened my mouth to lie, but her eyes were scrutinizing my face, and I knew she would see through that. â€Å"He's part of it,† I admitted. No need to confess how big a part. â€Å"So, have you had a chance to talk with Edward?† I asked. â€Å"Yes.† She hesitated, looking at his perfectly still form. â€Å"And I want to talk to you about that.† Uh-oh. â€Å"What about?† I asked. â€Å"I think that boy is in love with you,† she accused, keeping her voice low. â€Å"I think so, too,† I confided. â€Å"And how do you feel about him?† She only poorly concealed the raging curiosity in her voice. I sighed, looking away. As much as I loved my mom, this was not a conversation I wanted to have with her. â€Å"I'm pretty crazy about him.† There – that sounded like something a teenager with her first boyfriend might say. â€Å"Well, he seems very nice, and, my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking, but you're so young, Bella†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice was unsure; as far as I could remember, this was the first time since I was eight that she'd come close to trying to sound like a parental authority. I recognized the reasonable-but-firm tone of voice from talks I'd had with her about men. â€Å"I know that, Mom. Don't worry about it. It's just a crush,† I soothed her. â€Å"That's right,† she agreed, easily pleased. Then she sighed and glanced guiltily over her shoulder at the big, round clock on the wall. â€Å"Do you need to go?† She bit her lip. â€Å"Phil's supposed to call in a little while†¦ I didn't know you were going to wake up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No problem, Mom.† I tried to tone down the relief so she wouldn't get her feelings hurt. â€Å"I won't be alone.† â€Å"I'll be back soon. I've been sleeping here, you know,† she announced, proud of herself. â€Å"Oh, Mom, you don't have to do that! You can sleep at home – I'll never notice.† The swirl of painkillers in my brain was making it hard to concentrate even now, though, apparently, I'd been sleeping for days. â€Å"I was too nervous,† she admitted sheepishly. â€Å"There's been some crime in the neighborhood, and I don't like being there alone.† â€Å"Crime?† I asked in alarm. â€Å"Someone broke into that dance studio around the corner from the house and burned it to the ground – there's nothing left at all! And they left a stolen car right out front. Do you remember when you used to dance there, honey?† â€Å"I remember.† I shivered, and winced. â€Å"I can stay, baby, if you need me.† â€Å"No, Mom, I'll be fine. Edward will be with me.† She looked like that might be why she wanted to stay. â€Å"I'll be back tonight.† It sounded as much like a warning as it sounded like a promise, and she glanced at Edward again as she said it. â€Å"I love you, Mom.† â€Å"I love you, too, Bella. Try to be more careful when you walk, honey, I don't want to lose you.† Edward's eyes stayed closed, but a wide grin flashed across his face. A nurse came bustling in then to check all my tubes and wires. My mother kissed my forehead, patted my gauze-wrapped hand, and left. The nurse was checking the paper readout on my heart monitor. â€Å"Are you feeling anxious, honey? Your heart rate got a little high there.† â€Å"I'm fine,† I assured her. â€Å"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute.† As soon as she closed the door, Edward was at my side. â€Å"You stole a car?† I raised my eyebrows. He smiled, unrepentant. â€Å"It was a good car, very fast.† â€Å"How was your nap?† I asked. â€Å"Interesting.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"What?† He looked down while he answered. â€Å"I'm surprised. I thought Florida†¦ and your mother†¦ well, I thought that's what you would want.† I stared at him uncomprehendingly. â€Å"But you'd be stuck inside all day in Florida. You'd only be able to come out at night, just like a real vampire.† He almost smiled, but not quite. And then his face was grave. â€Å"I would stay in Forks, Bella. Or somewhere like it,† he explained. â€Å"Someplace where I couldn't hurt you anymore.† It didn't sink in at first. I continued to stare at him blankly as the words one by one clicked into place in my head like a ghastly puzzle. I was barely conscious of the sound of my heart accelerating, though, as my breathing became hyperventilation, I was aware of the sharp aching in my protesting ribs. He didn't say anything; he watched my face warily as the pain that had nothing to do with broken bones, pain that was infinitely worse, threatened to crush me. And then another nurse walked purposefully into the room. Edward sat still as stone as she took in my expression with a practiced eye before turning to the monitors. â€Å"Time for more pain meds, sweetheart?† she asked kindly, tapping the IV feed. â€Å"No, no,† I mumbled, trying to keep the agony out of my voice. â€Å"I don't need anything.† I couldn't afford to close my eyes now. â€Å"No need to be brave, honey. It's better if you don't get too stressed out; you need to rest.† She waited, but I just shook my head. â€Å"Okay,† she sighed. â€Å"Hit the call button when you're ready.† She gave Edward a stern look, and threw one more anxious glance at the machinery, before leaving. His cool hands were on my face; I stared at him with wild eyes. â€Å"Shhh, Bella, calm down.† â€Å"Don't leave me,† I begged in a broken voice. â€Å"I won't,† he promised. â€Å"Now relax before I call the nurse back to sedate you.† But my heart couldn't slow. â€Å"Bella.† He stroked my face anxiously. â€Å"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here as long as you need me.† â€Å"Do you swear you won't leave me?† I whispered. I tried to control the gasping, at least. My ribs were throbbing. He put his hands on either side of my face and brought his face close to mine. His eyes were wide and serious. â€Å"I swear.† The smell of his breath was soothing. It seemed to ease the ache of my breathing. He continued to hold my gaze while my body slowly relaxed and the beeping returned to a normal pace. His eyes were dark, closer to black than gold today. â€Å"Better?† he asked. â€Å"Yes,† I said cautiously. He shook his head and muttered something unintelligible. I thought I picked out the word â€Å"overreaction.† â€Å"Why did you say that?† I whispered, trying to keep my voice from shaking. â€Å"Are you tired of having to save me all the time? Do you want me to go away?† â€Å"No, I don't want to be without you, Bella, of course not. Be rational. And I have no problem with saving you, either – if it weren't for the fact that I was the one putting you in danger†¦ that I'm the reason that you're here.† â€Å"Yes, you are the reason.† I frowned. â€Å"The reason I'm here – alive.† â€Å"Barely.† His voice was just a whisper. â€Å"Covered in gauze and plaster and hardly able to move.† â€Å"I wasn't referring to my most recent near-death experience,† I said, growing irritated. â€Å"I was thinking of the others – you can take your pick. If it weren't for you, I would be rotting away in the Forks cemetery.† He winced at my words, but the haunted look didn't leave his eyes. â€Å"That's not the worst part, though,† he continued to whisper. He acted as if I hadn't spoken. â€Å"Not seeing you there on the floor†¦ crumpled and broken.† His voice was choked. â€Å"Not thinking I was too late. Not even hearing you scream in pain – all those unbearable memories that I'll carry with me for the rest of eternity. No, the very worst was feeling†¦ knowing that I couldn't stop. Believing that I was going to kill you myself.† â€Å"But you didn't.† â€Å"I could have. So easily.† I knew I needed to stay calm†¦ but he was trying to talk himself into leaving me, and the panic fluttered in my lungs, trying to get out. â€Å"Promise me,† I whispered. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You know what.† I was starting to get angry now. He was so stubbornly determined to dwell on the negative. He heard the change in my tone. His eyes tightened. â€Å"I don't seem to be strong enough to stay away from you, so I suppose that you'll get your way†¦ whether it kills you or not,† he added roughly. â€Å"Good.† He hadn't promised, though – a fact that I had not missed. The panic was only barely contained; I had no strength left to control the anger. â€Å"You told me how you stopped†¦ now I want to know why,† I demanded. â€Å"Why?† he repeated warily. â€Å"Why you did it. Why didn't you just let the venom spread? By now I would be just like you.† Edward's eyes seemed to turn flat black, and I remembered that this was something he'd never intended me to know. Alice must have been preoccupied by the things she'd learned about herself†¦ or she'd been very careful with her thoughts around him – clearly, he'd had no idea that she'd filled me in on the mechanics of vampire conversions. He was surprised, and infuriated. His nostrils flared, his mouth looked as if it was chiseled from stone. He wasn't going to answer, that much was clear. â€Å"I'll be the first to admit that I have no experience with relationships,† I said. â€Å"But it just seems logical†¦ a man and woman have to be somewhat equal†¦ as in, one of them can't always be swooping in and saving the other one. They have to save each other equally.† He folded his arms on the side of my bed and rested his chin on his arms. His expression was smooth, the anger reined in. Evidently he'd decided he wasn't angry with me. I hoped I'd get a chance to warn Alice before he caught up with her. â€Å"You have saved me,† he said quietly. â€Å"I can't always be Lois Lane,† I insisted. â€Å"I want to be Superman, too.† â€Å"You don't know what you're asking.† His voice was soft; he stared intently at the edge of the pillowcase. â€Å"I think I do.† â€Å"Bella, you don't know. I've had almost ninety years to think about this, and I'm still not sure.† â€Å"Do you wish that Carlisle hadn't saved you?† â€Å"No, I don't wish that.† He paused before continuing. â€Å"But my life was over. I wasn't giving anything up.† â€Å"You are my life. You're the only thing it would hurt me to lose.† I was getting better at this. It was easy to admit how much I needed him. He was very calm, though. Decided. â€Å"I can't do it, Bella. I won't do that to you.† â€Å"Why not?† My throat rasped and the words weren't as loud as I'd meant them to be. â€Å"Don't tell me it's too hard! After today, or I guess it was a few days ago†¦ anyway, after that, it should be nothing.† He glared at me. â€Å"And the pain?† he asked. I blanched. I couldn't help it. But I tried to keep my expression from showing how clearly I remembered the feeling†¦ the fire in my veins. â€Å"That's my problem,† I said. â€Å"I can handle it.† â€Å"It's possible to take bravery to the point where it becomes insanity.† â€Å"It's not an issue. Three days. Big deal.† Edward grimaced again as my words reminded him that I was more informed than he had ever intended me to be. I watched him repress the anger, watched as his eyes grew speculative. â€Å"Charlie?† he asked curtly. â€Å"Ren? ¦e?† Minutes passed in silence as I struggled to answer his question. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I closed it again. He waited, and his expression became triumphant because he knew I had no true answer. â€Å"Look, that's not an issue either,† I finally muttered; my voice was as unconvincing as it always was when I lied. â€Å"Ren? ¦e has always made the choices that work for her – she'd want me to do the same. And Charlie's resilient, he's used to being on his own. I can't take care of them forever. I have my own life to live.† â€Å"Exactly,† he snapped. â€Å"And I won't end it for you.† â€Å"If you're waiting for me to be on my deathbed, I've got news for you! I was just there!† â€Å"You're going to recover,† he reminded me. I took a deep breath to calm myself, ignoring the spasm of pain it triggered. I stared at him, and he stared back. There was no compromise in his face. â€Å"No,† I said slowly. â€Å"I'm not.† His forehead creased. â€Å"Of course you are. You may have a scar or two†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're wrong,† I insisted. â€Å"I'm going to die.† â€Å"Really, Bella.† He was anxious now. â€Å"You'll be out of here in a few days. Two week at most.† I glared at him. â€Å"I may not die now†¦ but I'm going to die sometime. Every minute of the day, I get closer. And I'm going to get old.† He frowned as what I was saying sunk in, pressing his long fingers to his temples and closing his eyes. â€Å"That's how it's supposed to happen. How it should happen. How it would have happened if I didn't exist – and I shouldn't exist.† I snorted. He opened his eyes in surprise. â€Å"That's stupid. That's like going to someone who's just won the lottery, taking their money, and saying, ‘Look, let's just go back to how things should be. It's better that way.' And I'm not buying it.† â€Å"I'm hardly a lottery prize,† he growled. â€Å"That's right. You're much better.† He rolled his eyes and set his lips. â€Å"Bella, we're not having this discussion anymore. I refuse to damn you to an eternity of night and that's the end of it.† â€Å"If you think that's the end, then you don't know me very well,† I warned him. â€Å"You're not the only vampire I know.† His eyes went black again. â€Å"Alice wouldn't dare.† And for a moment he looked so frightening that I couldn't help but believe it – I couldn't imagine someone brave enough to cross him. â€Å"Alice already saw it, didn't she?† I guessed. â€Å"That's why the things she says upset you. She knows I'm going to be like you†¦ someday.† â€Å"She's wrong. She also saw you dead, but that didn't happen, either.† â€Å"You'll never catch me betting against Alice.† We stared at each other for a very long time. It was quiet except for the whirring of the machines, the beeping, the dripping, the ticking of the big clock on the wall. Finally, his expression softened. â€Å"So where does that leave us?† I wondered. He chuckled humorlessly. â€Å"I believe it's called an impasse.† I sighed. â€Å"Ouch,† I muttered. â€Å"How are you feeling?† he asked, eyeing the button for the nurse. â€Å"I'm fine,† I lied. â€Å"I don't believe you,† he said gently. â€Å"I'm not going back to sleep.† â€Å"You need rest. All this arguing isn't good for you.† â€Å"So give in,† I hinted. â€Å"Nice try.† He reached for the button. â€Å"No!† He ignored me. â€Å"Yes?† the speaker on the wall squawked. â€Å"I think we're ready for more pain medication,† he said calmly, ignoring my furious expression. â€Å"I'll send in the nurse.† The voice sounded very bored. â€Å"I won't take it,† I promised. He looked toward the sack of fluids hanging beside my bed. â€Å"I don't think they're going to ask you to swallow anything.† My heart rate started to climb. He read the fear in my eyes, and sighed in frustration. â€Å"Bella, you're in pain. You need to relax so you can heal. Why are you being so difficult? They're not going to put any more needles in you now.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of the needles,† I mumbled. â€Å"I'm afraid to close my eyes.† Then he smiled his crooked smile, and took my face between his hands. â€Å"I told you I'm not going anywhere. Don't be afraid. As long as it makes you happy, I'll be here.† I smiled back, ignoring the ache in my cheeks. â€Å"You're talking about forever, you know.† â€Å"Oh, you'll get over it – it's just a crush.† I shook my head in disbelief- it made me dizzy. â€Å"I was shocked when Ren? ¦e swallowed that one. I know you know better.† â€Å"That's the beautiful thing about being human,† he told me. â€Å"Things change.† My eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't hold your breath.† He was laughing when the nurse came in, brandishing a syringe. â€Å"Excuse me,† she said brusquely to Edward. He got up and crossed to the end of the small room, leaning against the wall. He folded his arms and waited. I kept my eyes on him, still apprehensive. He met my gaze calmly. â€Å"Here you go, honey.† The nurse smiled as she injected the medicine into my tube. â€Å"You'll feel better now.† â€Å"Thanks,† I mumbled, unenthusiastic. It didn't take long. I could feel the drowsiness trickling through my bloodstream almost immediately. â€Å"That ought to do it,† she muttered as my eyelids drooped. She must have left the room, because something cold and smooth touched my face. â€Å"Stay.† The word was slurred. â€Å"I will,† he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. â€Å"Like I said, as long as it makes you happy†¦ as long as it's what's best for you.† I tried to shake my head, but it was too heavy. â€Å"‘S not the same thing,† I mumbled. He laughed. â€Å"Don't worry about that now, Bella. You can argue with me when you wake up.† I think I smiled. ‘†Kay.† I could feel his lips at my ear. â€Å"I love you,† he whispered. â€Å"Me, too.† â€Å"I know,† he laughed quietly. I turned my head slightly†¦ searching. He knew what I was after. His lips touched mine gently. â€Å"Thanks,† I sighed. â€Å"Anytime.† I wasn't really there at all anymore. But I fought against the stupor weakly. There was just one more thing I wanted to tell him. â€Å"Edward?† I struggled to pronounce his name clearly. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I'm betting on Alice,† I mumbled. And then the night closed over me. EPILOGUE:AN OCCASION Edward helped me into his car, being very careful of the wisps of silk and chiffon, the flowers he'd just pinned into my elaborately styled curls, and my bulky walking cast. He ignored the angry set of my mouth. When he had me settled, he got in the driver's seat and headed back out the long, narrow drive. â€Å"At what point exactly are you going to tell me what's going on?† I asked grumpily. I really hated surprises. And he knew that. â€Å"I'm shocked that you haven't figured it out yet.† He threw a mocking smile in my direction, and my breath caught in my throat. Would I ever get used to his perfection? â€Å"I did mention that you looked very nice, didn't I?† I verified. â€Å"Yes.† He grinned again. I'd never seen him dress in black before, and, with the contrast against his pale skin, his beauty was absolutely surreal. That much I couldn't deny, even if the fact that he was wearing a tuxedo made me very nervous. Not quite as nervous as the dress. Or the shoe. Only one shoe, as my other foot was still securely encased in plaster. But the stiletto heel, held on only by satin ribbons, certainly wasn't going to help me as I tried to hobble around. â€Å"I'm not coming over anymore if Alice is going to treat me like Guinea Pig Barbie when I do,† I griped. I'd spent the better part of the day in Alice's staggeringly vast bathroom, a helpless victim as she played hairdresser and cosmetician. Whenever I fidgeted or complained, she reminded me that she didn't have any memories of being human, and asked me not to ruin her vicarious fun. Then she'd dressed me in the most ridiculous dress – deep blue, frilly and off the shoulders, with French tags I couldn't read – a dress more suitable for a runway than Forks. Nothing good could come of our formal attire, of that I was sure. Unless†¦ but I was afraid to put my suspicions into words, even in my own head. I was distracted then by the sound of a phone ringing. Edward pulled his cell phone from a pocket inside his jacket, looking briefly at the caller ID before answering. â€Å"Hello, Charlie,† he said warily. â€Å"Charlie?† I frowned. Charlie had been†¦ difficult since my return to Forks. He had compartmentalized my bad experience into two defined reactions. Toward Carlisle he was almost worshipfully grateful. On the other hand, he was stubbornly convinced that Edward was at fault – because, if not for him, I wouldn't have left home in the first place. And Edward was far from disagreeing with him. These days I had rules that hadn't existed before: curfews†¦ visiting hours. Something Charlie was saying made Edward's eyes widen in disbelief, and then a grin spread across his face. â€Å"You're kidding!† He laughed. â€Å"What is it?† I demanded. He ignored me. â€Å"Why don't you let me talk to him?† Edward suggested with evident pleasure. He waited for a few seconds. â€Å"Hello, Tyler, this is Edward Cullen.† His voice was very friendly, on the surface. I knew it well enough to catch the soft edge of menace. What was Tyler doing at my house? The awful truth began to dawn on me. I looked again at the inappropriate dress Alice had forced me into. â€Å"I'm sorry if there's been some kind of miscommunication, but Bella is unavailable tonight.† Edward's tone changed, and the threat in his voice was suddenly much more evident as he continued. â€Å"To be perfectly honest, she'll be unavailable every night, as far as anyone besides myself is concerned. No offense. And I'm sorry about your evening.† He didn't sound sorry at all. And then he snapped the phone shut, a huge smirk on his face. My face and neck flushed crimson with anger. I could feel the rage-induced tears starting to fill my eyes. He looked at me in surprise. â€Å"Was that last part a bit too much? I didn't mean to offend you.† I ignored that. â€Å"You're taking me to the prom!† I yelled. It was embarrassingly obvious now. If I'd been paying any attention at all, I'm sure I would have noticed the date on the posters that decorated the school buildings. But I'd never dreamed he was thinking of subjecting me to this. Didn't he know me at all? He wasn't expecting the force of my reaction, that was clear. He pressed his lips together and his eyes narrowed. â€Å"Don't be difficult, Bella.† My eyes flashed to the window; we were halfway to the school already. â€Å"Why are you doing this to me?† I demanded in horror. He gestured to his tuxedo. â€Å"Honestly, Bella, what did you think we were doing?† I was mortified. First, because I'd missed the obvious. And also because the vague suspicions – expectations, really – that I'd been forming all day, as Alice tried to transform me into a beauty queen, were so far wide of the mark. My half-fearful hopes seemed very silly now. I'd guessed there was some kind of occasion brewing. But prom! That was the furthest thing from my mind. The angry tears rolled over my cheeks. I remembered with dismay that I was very uncharacteristically wearing mascara. I wiped quickly under my eyes to prevent any smudges. My hand was unblackened when I pulled it away; maybe Alice had known I would need waterproof makeup. â€Å"This is completely ridiculous. Why are you crying?† he demanded in frustration. â€Å"Because I'm mad!† â€Å"Bella.† He turned the full force of his scorching golden eyes on me. â€Å"What?† I muttered, distracted. â€Å"Humor me,† he insisted. His eyes were melting all my fury. It was impossible to fight with him when he cheated like that. I gave in with poor grace. â€Å"Fine,† I pouted, unable to glare as effectively as I would have liked. â€Å"I'll go quietly. But you'll see. I'm way overdue for more bad luck. I'll probably break my other leg. Look at this shoe! It's a death trap!† I held out my good leg as evidence. â€Å"Hmmm.† He stared at my leg longer than was necessary. â€Å"Remind me to thank Alice for that tonight.† â€Å"Alice is going to be there?† That comforted me slightly. â€Å"With Jasper, and Emmett†¦ and Rosalie,† he admitted. The feeling of comfort disappeared. There had been no progress with Rosalie, though I was on quite good terms with her sometimes-husband. Emmett enjoyed having me around – he thought my bizarre human reactions were hilarious†¦ or maybe it was just the fact that I fell down a lot that he found so funny. Rosalie acted as if I didn't exist. While I shook my head to dispel the direction my thoughts had taken, I thought of something else. â€Å"Is Charlie in on this?† I asked, suddenly suspicious. â€Å"Of course.† He grinned, and then chuckled. â€Å"Apparently Tyler wasn't, though.† I gritted my teeth. How Tyler could be so delusional, I couldn't imagine. At school, where Charlie couldn't interfere, Edward and I were inseparable – except for those rare sunny days. We were at the school now; Rosalie's red convertible was conspicuous in the parking lot. The clouds were thin today, a few streaks of sunlight escaping through far away in the west. He got out and walked around the car to open my door. He held out his hand. I sat stubbornly in my seat, arms folded, feeling a secret twinge of smugness. The lot was crowded with people in formal dress: witnesses. He couldn't remove me forcibly from the car as he might have if we'd been alone. He sighed. â€Å"When someone wants to kill you, you're brave as a lion – and then when someone mentions dancing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head. I gulped. Dancing. â€Å"Bella, I won't let anything hurt you – not even yourself. I won't let go of you once, I promise.† I thought about that and suddenly felt much better. He could see that in my face. â€Å"There, now,† he said gently, â€Å"it won't be so bad.† He leaned down and wrapped one arm around my waist. I took his other hand and let him lift me from the car. He kept his arm tightly around me, supporting me as I limped toward the school. In Phoenix, they held proms in hotel ballrooms. This dance was in the gym, of course. It was probably the only room in town big enough for a dance. When we got inside, I giggled. There were actual balloon arches and twisted garlands of pastel crepe paper festooning the walls. â€Å"This looks like a horror movie waiting to happen,† I snickered. â€Å"Well,† he muttered as we slowly approached the ticket table – he was carrying most of my weight, but I still had to shuffle and wobble my feet forward – â€Å"there are more than enough vampires present.† I looked at the dance floor; a wide gap had formed in the center of the floor, where two couples whirled gracefully. The other dancers pressed to the sides of the room to give them space – no one wanted to stand in contrast with such radiance. Emmett and Jasper were intimidating and flawless in classic tuxedos. Alice was striking in a black satin dress with geometric cutouts that bared large triangles of her snowy white skin. And Rosalie was†¦ well, Rosalie. She was beyond belief. Her vivid scarlet dress was backless, tight to her calves where it flared into a wide ruffled train, with a neckline that plunged to her waist. I pitied every girl in the room, myself included. â€Å"Do you want me to bolt the doors so you can massacre the unsuspecting townsfolk?† I whispered conspiratorially. â€Å"And where do you fit into that scheme?† He glared. â€Å"Oh, I'm with the vampires, of course.† He smiled reluctantly. â€Å"Anything to get out of dancing.† â€Å"Anything.† He bought our tickets, then turned me toward the dance floor. I cringed against his arm and dragged my feet. â€Å"I've got all night,† he warned. Eventually he towed me out to where his family was twirling elegantly – if in a style totally unsuitable to the present time and music. I watched in horror. â€Å"Edward.† My throat was so dry I could only manage a whisper. â€Å"I honestly can't dance!† I could feel the panic bubbling up inside my chest. â€Å"Don't worry, silly,† he whispered back. â€Å"I can.† He put my arms around his neck and lifted me to slide his feet under mine. And then we were whirling, too. â€Å"I feel like I'm five years old,† I laughed after a few minutes of effortless waltzing. â€Å"You don't look five,† he murmured, pulling me closer for a second, so that my feet were briefly a foot from the ground. Alice caught my eye on a turn and smiled in encouragement – I smiled back. I was surprised to realize that I was actually enjoying myself†¦ a little. â€Å"Okay, this isn't half bad,† I admitted. But Edward was staring toward the doors, and his face was angry. â€Å"What is it?† I wondered aloud. I followed his gaze, disoriented by the spinning, but finally I could see what was bothering him. Jacob Black, not in a tux, but in a long-sleeved white shirt and tie, his hair smoothed back into his usual ponytail, was crossing the floor toward us. After the first shock of recognition, I couldn't help but feel bad for Jacob. He was clearly uncomfortable – excruciatingly so. His face was apologetic as his eyes met mine. Edward snarled very quietly. â€Å"Behave!† I hissed. Edward's voice was scathing. â€Å"He wants to chat with you.† Jacob reached us then, the embarrassment and apology even more evident on his face. â€Å"Hey, Bella, I was hoping you would be here.† Jacob sounded like he'd been hoping the exact opposite. But his smile was just as warm as ever. â€Å"Hi, Jacob.† I smiled back. â€Å"What's up?† â€Å"Can I cut in?† he asked tentatively, glancing at Edward for the first time. I was shocked to notice that Jacob didn't have to look up. He must have grown half a foot since the first time I'd seen him. Edward's face was composed, his expression blank. His only answer was to set me carefully on my feet, and take a step back. â€Å"Thanks,† Jacob said amiably. Edward just nodded, looking at me intently before he turned to walk away. Jacob put his hands on my waist, and I reached up to put my hands on his shoulders. â€Å"Wow, Jake, how tall are you now?† He was smug. â€Å"Six-two.† We weren't really dancing – my leg made that impossible. Instead we swayed awkwardly from side to side without moving our feet. It was just as well; the recent growth spurt had left him looking gangly and uncoordinated, he was probably no better a dancer than I was. â€Å"So, how did you end up here tonight?† I asked without true curiosity. Considering Edward's reaction, I could guess. â€Å"Can you believe my dad paid me twenty bucks to come to your prom?† he admitted, slightly ashamed. â€Å"Yes, I can,† I muttered. â€Å"Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, at least. Seen anything you like?† I teased, nodding toward a group of girls lined up against the wall like pastel confections. â€Å"Yeah,† he sighed. â€Å"But she's taken.† He glanced down to meet my curious gaze for just a second – then we both looked away, embarrassed. â€Å"You look really pretty, by the way,† he added shyly. â€Å"Um, thanks. So why did Billy pay you to come here?† I asked quickly, though I knew the answer. Jacob didn't seem grateful for the subject change; he looked away, uncomfortable again. â€Å"He said it was a ‘safe' place to talk to you. I swear the old man is losing his mind.† I joined in his laughter weakly. â€Å"Anyway, he said that if I told you something, he would get me that master cylinder I need,† he confessed with a sheepish grin. â€Å"Tell me, then. I want you to get your car finished.† I grinned back. At least Jacob didn't believe any of this. It made the situation a bit easier. Against the wall, Edward was watching my face, his own face expressionless. I saw a sophomore in a pink dress eyeing him with timid speculation, but he didn't seem to be aware of her. Jacob looked away again, ashamed. â€Å"Don't get mad, okay?† â€Å"There's no way I'll be mad at you, Jacob,† I assured him. â€Å"I won't even be mad at Billy. Just say what you have to.† â€Å"Well – this is so stupid, I'm sorry, Bella – he wants you to break up with your boyfriend. He asked me to tell you ‘please.'† He shook his head in disgust. â€Å"He's still superstitious, eh?† â€Å"Yeah. He was†¦ kind of over the top when you got hurt down in Phoenix. He didn't believe†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Jacob trailed off self-consciously. My eyes narrowed. â€Å"I fell.† â€Å"I know that,† Jacob said quickly. â€Å"He thinks Edward had something to do with me getting hurt.† It wasn't a question, and despite my promise, I was angry. Jacob wouldn't meet my eyes. We weren't even bothering to sway to the music, though his hands were still on my waist, and mine around his neck. â€Å"Look, Jacob, I know Billy probably won't believe this, but just so you know† – he looked at me now, responding to the new earnestness in my voice – â€Å"Edward really did save my life. If it weren't for Edward and his father, I'd be dead.† â€Å"I know,† he claimed, but he sounded like my sincere words had affected him some. Maybe he'd be able to convince Billy of this much, at least. â€Å"Hey, I'm sorry you had to come do this, Jacob,† I apologized. â€Å"At any rate, you get your parts, right?† â€Å"Yeah,† he muttered. He was still looking awkward†¦ upset. â€Å"There's more?† I asked in disbelief. â€Å"Forget it,† he mumbled, â€Å"I'll get a job and save the money myself.† I glared at him until he met my gaze. â€Å"Just spit it out, Jacob.† â€Å"It's so bad.† â€Å"I don't care. Tell me,† I insisted. â€Å"Okay†¦ but, geez, this sounds bad.† He shook his head. â€Å"He said to tell you, no, to warn you, that – and this is his plural, not mine† – he lifted one hand from my waist and made little quotations marks in the air – ‘†We'll be watching.'† He watched warily for my reaction. It sounded like something from a mafia movie. I laughed out loud. â€Å"Sorry you had to do this, Jake,† I snickered. â€Å"I don't mind that much.† He grinned in relief. His eyes were appraising as they raked quickly over my dress. â€Å"So, should I tell him you said to butt the hell out?† he asked hopefully. â€Å"No,† I sighed. â€Å"Tell him I said thanks. I know he means well.† The song ended, and I dropped my arms. His hands hesitated at my waist, and he glanced at my bum leg. â€Å"Do you want to dance again? Or can I help you get somewhere?† Edward answered for me. â€Å"That's all right, Jacob. I'll take it from here.† Jacob flinched, and stared wide-eyed at Edward, who stood just beside us. â€Å"Hey, I didn't see you there,† he mumbled. â€Å"I guess I'll see you around, Bella.† He stepped back, waving halfheartedly. I smiled. â€Å"Yeah, I'll see you later.† â€Å"Sorry,† he said again before he turned for the door. Edward's arms wound around me as the next song started. It was a little up-tempo for slow dancing, but that didn't seem to concern him. I leaned my head against his chest, content. â€Å"Feeling better?† I teased. â€Å"Not really,† he said tersely. â€Å"Don't be mad at Billy,† I sighed. â€Å"He just worries about me for Charlie's sake. It's nothing personal.† â€Å"I'm not mad at Billy,† he corrected in a clipped voice. â€Å"But his son is irritating me.† I pulled back to look at him. His face was very serious. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"First of all, he made me break my promise.† I stared at him in confusion. He half-smiled. â€Å"I promised I wouldn't let go of you tonight,† he explained. â€Å"Oh. Well, I forgive you.† â€Å"Thanks. But there's something else.† Edward frowned. I waited patiently. â€Å"He called you pretty,† he finally continued, his frown deepening. â€Å"That's practically an insult, the way you look right now. You're much more than beautiful.† I laughed. â€Å"You might be a little biased.† â€Å"I don't think that's it. Besides, I have excellent eyesight.† We were twirling again, my feet on his as he held me close. â€Å"So are you going to explain the reason for all of this?† I wondered. He looked down at me, confused, and I glared meaningfully at the crepe paper. He considered for a moment, and then changed direction, spinning me through the crowd to the back door of the gym. I caught a glimpse of Jessica and Mike dancing, staring at me curiously. Jessica waved, and I smiled back quickly. Angela was there, too, looking blissfully happy in the arms of little Ben Cheney; she didn't look up from his eyes, a head lower than hers. Lee and Samantha, Lauren, glaring toward us, with Conner; I could name every face that spiraled past me. And then we were outdoors, in the cool, dim light of a fading sunset. As soon as we were alone, he swung me up into his arms, and carried me across the dark grounds till he reached the bench beneath the shadow of the madrone trees. He sat there, keeping me cradled against his chest. The moon was already up, visible through the gauzy clouds, and his face glowed pale in the white light. His mouth was hard, his eyes troubled. â€Å"The point?† I prompted softly. He ignored me, staring up at the moon. â€Å"Twilight, again,† he murmured. â€Å"Another ending. No matter how perfect the day is, it always has to end.† â€Å"Some things don't have to end,† I muttered through my teeth, instantly tense. He sighed. â€Å"I brought you to the prom,† he said slowly, finally answering my question, â€Å"because I don't want you to miss anything. I don't want my presence to take anything away from you, if I can help it. I want you to be human. I want your life to continue as it would have if I'd died in nineteen-eighteen like I should have.† I shuddered at his words, and then shook my head angrily. â€Å"In what strange parallel dimension would I ever have gone to prom of my own free will? If you weren't a thousand times stronger than me, I would never have let you get away with this.† He smiled briefly, but it didn't touch his eyes. â€Å"It wasn't so bad, you said so yourself.† â€Å"That's because I was with you.† We were quiet for a minute; he stared at the moon and I stared at him. I wished there was some way to explain how very uninterested I was in a normal human life. â€Å"Will you tell me something?† he asked, glancing down at me with a slight smile. â€Å"Don't I always?† â€Å"Just promise you'll tell me,† he insisted, grinning. I knew I was going to regret this almost instantly. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"You seemed honestly surprised when you figured out that I was taking you here,† he began. â€Å"I was,† I interjected. â€Å"Exactly,† he agreed. â€Å"But you must have had some other theory†¦ I'm curious – what did you think I was dressing you up for?† Yes, instant regret. I pursed my lips, hesitating. â€Å"I don't want to tell you.† â€Å"You promised,† he objected. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"What's the problem?† I knew he thought it was mere embarrassment holding me back. â€Å"I think it will make you mad – or sad.† His brows pulled together over his eyes as he thought that through. â€Å"I still want to know. Please?† I sighed. He waited. â€Å"Well†¦ I assumed it was some kind of†¦ occasion. But I didn't think it would be some trite human thing†¦ prom!† I scoffed. â€Å"Human?† he asked flatly. He'd picked up on the key word. I looked down at my dress, fidgeting with a stray piece of chiffon. He waited in silence. â€Å"Okay,† I confessed in a rush. â€Å"So I was hoping that you might have changed your mind†¦ that you were going to change me, after all.† A dozen emotions played across his face. Some I recognized: anger†¦ pain†¦ and then he seemed to collect himself and his expression became amused. â€Å"You thought that would be a black tie occasion, did you?† he teased, touching the lapel of his tuxedo jacket. I scowled to hide my embarrassment. â€Å"I don't know how these things work. To me, at least, it seems more rational than prom does.† He was still grinning. â€Å"It's not funny,† I said. â€Å"No, you're right, it's not,† he agreed, his smile fading. â€Å"I'd rather treat it like a joke, though, than believe you're serious.† â€Å"But I am serious.† He sighed deeply. â€Å"I know. And you're really that willing?† The pain was back in his eyes. I bit my lip and nodded. â€Å"So ready for this to be the end,† he murmured, almost to himself, â€Å"for this to be the twilight of your life, though your life has barely started. You're ready to give up everything.† â€Å"It's not the end, it's the beginning,† I disagreed under my breath. â€Å"I'm not worth it,† he said sadly. â€Å"Do you remember when you told me that I didn't see myself very clearly?† I asked, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"You obviously have the same blindness.† â€Å"I know what I am.† I sighed. But his mercurial mood shifted on me. He pursed his lips, and his eyes were probing. He examined my face for a long moment. â€Å"You're ready now, then?† he asked. â€Å"Um.† I gulped. â€Å"Yes?† He smiled, and inclined his head slowly until his cold lips brushed against the skin just under the corner of my jaw. â€Å"Right now?† he whispered, his breath blowing cool on my neck. I shivered involuntarily. â€Å"Yes,† I whispered, so my voice wouldn't have a chance to break. If he thought I was bluffing, he was going to be disappointed. I'd already made this decision, and I was sure. It didn't matter that my body was rigid as a plank, my hands balled into fists, my breathing erratic†¦ He chuckled darkly, and leaned away. His face did look disappointed. â€Å"You can't really believe that I would give in so easily,† he said with a sour edge to his mocking tone. â€Å"A girl can dream.† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"Is that what you dream about? Being a monster?† â€Å"Not exactly,† I said, frowning at his word choice. Monster, indeed. â€Å"Mostly I dream about being with you forever.† His expression changed, softened and saddened by the subtle ache in my voice. â€Å"Bella.† His fingers lightly traced the shape of my lips. â€Å"I will stay with you – isn't that enough?† I smiled under his fingertips. â€Å"Enough for now.† He frowned at my tenacity. No one was going to surrender tonight. He exhaled, and the sound was practically a growl. I touched his face. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I love you more than everything else in the world combined. Isn't that enough?† â€Å"Yes, it is enough,† he answered, smiling. â€Å"Enough for forever.† And he leaned down to press his cold lips once more to my throat.