Corrido and Conjunto

Relate each of the three music genres that developed on the Texas-Mexican border to its cultural background and the group associated with its widespread acceptance and dissemination. How did it change over time? Corrido The corrido has roots back to Spanish descendents in the 12th century. By the 15th century, the style was more developed; but the corrido really emerged after the Mexican-American War in 1846. This style became very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Mexico, and eventually Texas.The corrido showcased the change in the role of Mexicans in relation to Americans. Songs often spoke of events, tragedies, or conflicts. The songs were very racially focused and would often act as protest to the social prejudices that they faced. After World War II, the theme changed to cover the necessary changes in social structure. The reading â€Å"The New Chicano Heroic Corrido† by Jose Villarino discusses studies by Vicente Mendoza, the leading scholar in studies of the corrido. Mendoza finds that the subject of the corrido has constantly changed over time.He lists many topics that have been the focus of corrido music over the years: historical, revolutionaries, bravery, killings, political, robbers, jailing, rapes, persecutions, murders, evil, tragedies, horses, and a number of other categories. The reading also states, â€Å"Another category of corridos is that of focusingon women heroines instead of the traditional male heroes. One singer who made corridos popular was Lydia Mendoza. She is given credit for over 200 songs. She sang and accompanied herself by playing a 12-string guitar. Corrido used to just be sung a cappella, but she helped change this part of the culture of the corrido. Basis was founded by Spanish descendents in 1100-1200 AD * Well developed by 15th century * Emerged after Mex-Am War (1846-1848) * Became very popular in late 19th, early 20th century in Mexico * Documented change in role of Mexicans in relation to Ameri cans * Very racially focused (social protest agains prejudice) * After WWII, new theme, changes in social structure Conjunto The conjunto style of music began in the late 19th century along the Mexican-American border. It was a style of music for the working class that was made up of the accordion and the bajo sexto.The bajo sexto was originally used as a bass, but then became more commonly used as a regular guitar. In the 1930s, it spread through the southwestern United States with the help of the father of conjunto music, Narciso Martinez. He focused his music around a fast-paced accordion. Valerio Longoria added onto what Martinez began. Often referred to as the genius of conjunto, he tweaked his accordion to make it sound a bit different, and people have been trying to replicate it ever since. He also added drums and vocals to the music, which it didn’t have when the genre began.His music thrived after the Second World War. He helped raise the music to a higher level, but not to the upper class. The reading â€Å"Musica Fronteriza/Border Music† by Manuel Pena hinted at the causes of conjunto music. It states, â€Å"It is critical to an understanding of the conjunto’s significance that its complex social context be taken into account. Its emergence was a response to interethnic conflict of course, but it was, above all, a response to intra-ethnic class friction. † This was why it did not want to be seen as a song for those of the upper class.The working class took pride in their conjunto. Eventually, a man named Flacco Jimenez, advanced the genre more, by combining tejano music with country/western music from American popularity. * Emerged in the late 19th century along the border * Bajo Sexto, first used as bass, then as guitar * Humble, rural origins * Working class dance music * In 1930s, spread through Southwest US (Arizona, Cali, etc) * Narciso Martinez, father of conjunto music, focused on fast-paced accordion * Valerio Lon goria, tweaked his accordion, people have been trying to replicate it ever since.Added drums. * Genius of conjunto music, added vocals, thrived in post WWII. Raised to a higher value, but not upper class. Orquesta Speaking of upper class, this was where the orquesta thrived. It was developed in the 1930s, to give the upper class Mexicans a version of American ballroom dances, such as the swing and waltz. Many orquesta bands played the popular American songs, but new songs were also made, and were a good bit more popular. Noted by Pena in an interview with a member of an orquesta band, â€Å"The first hour we play nothing but American music and nobody’s dancing.Then we take off with Los Laureles, El Abandonado Ranchera, everybody starts dancing. † These songs are examples of orquesta dances such as Danzon, Bolero, Rumba, and Guaracha. In the 60s and 70s, orquesta is said to have fused with American jazz and rock. Pena again notes, â€Å"The old fashioned orquestas disa ppeared soon after the advent of the Mexican-American Generation. They were replaced by the surging, modern-style orquestas, which were capable not only of keeping alive the Mexican-Americans’ musical roots, but also of catering to the new generation’s more modern and Americanized outlook. In the 1940s and 50s, a man named Beto Villa (the father of the Mexican-American orquesta) mixed the Tex-Mex Polka style with American swing and foxtrot, creating a very new version of orquesta music. In the 60s and 70s, Little Joe Hernandez and his family became a very popular orquesta band. Compare and contrast the three styles in terms of form, lyrics, instrumentation and performance practice. Corrido (Ballad) The term Corrido described a type of song that was often very racially focused, telling a story about the prejudice that the Mexican-Americans were facing (this was especially true after World War II).The song El Corrido de Joaquin Murrieta told a story about a thief that th ey often referred to as the â€Å"Mexican Robin Hood. † Another song, El Corrido de Kiansis detailed a cattle drive by Americans that was going very poorly. Thirty American cattle drivers were failing to control the 500 cattle, but then five Mexicans showed up and had the cattle rounded up in 15 minutes. There were also Jarchas that told a story about the composer’s feelings or thoughts. They were often written in Strophic form based on copla, which had 4 lines, 8 syllables per line, and rhymed every 2nd and 4th line.They used to be sung a cappella, but are now often accompanied by a guitar. One artist that made this very popular was Lydia Mendoza who sang and played a 12-string guitar. She had over 200 songs to her name. Corridos were usually sung in any manner that befit the passing of a story, like while traveling, around a campfire, or just at home. Lyrics were passed orally and this often lead to words being changed over the years. * Very racially focused (social protest agains prejudice) * Strophic Form * Jarchas (songs about the composer’s feeling, thoughts, and ideas) * Told a story Based on copla (4 lines, 8 syllables, 2&4 rhyme) * Sung A Capella, now some include guitar * El Corrido de Kiansis (Cattle Drivers failed, mexicans succeed) * El Corrido de Joaquin Murrieta (Mexican Robin Hood) * Lydia Mendoza, singer and 12 string guitar (200+ songs) * Performance Practice: Passed orally, often changing words, sang while traveling, at home, etc. Telling story. Conjunto The conjunto was considered the soul of tejano music. It was a type of dance music meant for the cantina, bar, or party (eventually, it would make its way to concerts).These songs originated without lyrics, as words would cause it to become more upper-class. However, eventually the songs would develop lyrics about common life, working, and women, which kept it from becoming upper-class. The reading â€Å"Musica Fronteriza/Border Music† by Manuel Pena hinted at the causes of conjunto music. It states, â€Å"It is critical to an understanding of the conjunto’s significance that its complex social context be taken into account. Its emergence was a response to interethnic conflict of course, but it was, above all, a response to intra-ethnic class friction. They were written in strophic form. Instruments for the conjunto included the accordion and bajo sexto (which was originally used as a bass, but was eventually used as a guitar). A famous accordion was that of Valerio Longoria, the genius of conjunto music. He tweaked his accordion to sound different, and people have been trying to replicate it ever since. He also added drums to the conjunto scene. Flacco Jimenez was also very important to the advancement of conjunto music, as he combined it with Country Western music from America (most notably Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire). The soul of Tejano music * Dance music * Cantina music * Songs about women and life * For the working class * Valerio Longoria, tweaked his accordion, people have been trying to replicate it ever since. Added drums. * Genius of conjunto music, added vocals, thrived in post WWII. * Flacco Jimenez (Ring of Fire), combined tejano with country music, big time performer * Little Joe Hernandez, kinda orquesta, but also referenced in conjunto * Strophic form * Didn’t have lyrics at first, thought lyrics were for the wealthy * Added lyrics about life, women, troubles, etc. Used to be bajo sexto and accordion, then added drums and guitar and many other simple intruments * Shows, cantinas, parties, bars * Orquesta The orquesta walks the thin line between Mexican and American culture. It combines the tejano music with the style of American ballroom varieties. The orquesta was centered around the upper-class Mexicans as their version of an American ballroom dance. It began with violin, but eventually added brass, percussion, and other big band instruments. It incorporated the likes of waltz a nd swing music.When learning about the orquesta in class, Leah had said that there was no form. Orquesta music was used in upper-class parties or balls. Unlike other tejano music, it was not passed down by ear. Since this was the upper class, sheet music was used to pass down the songs. * Upper class dance music * Started with violin * Added brass, percussion, big band instruments * Incorporated waltz, swing, etc * Leah said there was no â€Å"form Compare and contrast the religious traditions of Afro Cuban Santaria and African American Christian slaves on southern plantationsThe Santaria is the largest Afro-Cuban religion, and is the Cuban mix of Yoruba spirituality with Roman Catholicism. The first thing I noticed was different between the Afro Cuban Santaria and African American slaves was the role of race. This undoubtably played a big role in their religion as well. In Cuba, it is said that race was not an issue as it was in America. Since religion was so often used by slaves as a way to stay optimistic about their situation, this was a clear difference. Another difference was the worship of Orishas, which the Cubans believed to be a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God.In a way, this can be compared to a Saint in the Catholic Church. The Godess of Love and Fertility in Afro-Cuban worship was called Oshun. It was said that this was one of the first Orishas that an outsider would discover. As African American slaves were not allowed to use drums with their songs, the Afro-Cubans would use Bata drums that are said to hold an indwelling deity named Ana. These were drums sacred to their religion, and used for funerals, initiations, and other important ceremonies.Contrasting from regular sacraments of the Christian faith, the Afro-Cubans had an event called the Toque de Santo. It is an anniversary of initiation to honor the spirits. There is singing and dancing accompanied by the Bata drums. This ceremony would create an altered stat e of consciousness that they believed to be involved with spirit possession. This altered state of spirit possession was also present with African American Christian slaves. Trace the evolution and development of the Steel Band. Trace the evolution and development of the Calypso.

Salem Witch Trials and Real Hero

The real hero is always a hero by mistake, in my understanding this quote means, true acts of courage and bravery are always performed by people who do not intentionally set out to become heroes. I agree with this quote because a person can become a hero without realizing the impact they cause to the people around them, like they didn’t know they were going to do it, they just did it. And I’ll use the play The Crucible to justify my position.In the play The crucible, John Proctor one of the main characters displayed remarkable courage and heroism, John realizes that he must confess his sin of adultery to the courts, only to stop the fury in Salem. After he confesses, he encourages his wife to do the same, â€Å"Elizabeth, tell the truth! Elizabeth, I have confessed it!† He confesses his sin, and speaks those words, only because he is looking out for the good of the community, and others around him. He hates that his name is damaged, but feels that God will forgiv e him for it.Proctor accepted the truth for what it was, not because he had to, but because speaking words of truth are actions of an honest and prideful man, that’s why I consider him as a hero. In addition there is another character in this play that I consider as a hero too, his name is Giles Corey, in the play he is killed for two different things. One thing was that he would not give Danforth the name of the person who told him that Thomas Putnam was trying to get rid of the people in the town so that he could buy their land when they were gone. This is what originally got him arrested. Later they charged him as a witch and he would not answer his indictment.Because he didn’t answer his indictment they could not charge him with being a witch. Therefore, he saved his name and his pride. You can kill him and his wife but you are not taking his property. ‘’more wait’’ were his lasts two words. Betrayal and intolerance are some of the themes we can find in this book. The crucible is a story of betrayal, the betrayal between a husband and a wife within the sanctity of a conventional marriage. However, John Proctor who is guilty of infidelity is not alone. Many of the characters are guilty of betrayal.Abigail betrays her whole community in order to seduce John. Those who falsely confess to witchcraft betray their relationship with God and their church. Intolerance, The accusations throughout the witch trials are an expression of intolerance. In conclusion the people turned to the girls to rely on who was a witch. The  girls were led by Abigail she stunned everyone with her attitude and her ability to see the Devil. It also shows that you cannot always believe what you hear because it may not be true. It also tells us that man is not perfect, and that we can make mistakes. However, even with these mistakes, we can cleanse ourselves and purify ourselves by making what is wrong right.

Program of Study Essay

I have one main goal and that is to become a Family Nurse Practitioner. Receiving my FNPI will allow me to be able to work in a variety of areas. There are several areas that I have a passion for and I still remain undecided in which path to take. Several of my interests are Telemedicine, Diabetes and Rural Health Nursing. Professional and Academic Background I began as a License Practical Nurse in 2004 at Ozark Technical School; I received my Registered Nurse in 2011 at the University of Fort Smith, Arkansas. I was not satisfied with my ADN, so I decided to advance and acquire my Bachelor ´s in Nursing via Oklahoma Wesleyan University. While attaining my BSN, I decided to go further and obtain my Family Nurse Practioner. Professional Goals I chose the Family Nurse Practitioner route due to my interest in working with families and my interest in Diabetes. Obtaining my FNP will hopefully allow me to work near my home, increase my yearly salary to send my two children to college. The decision to become a FNP was not hard due to my ability to assist the physician in ordering labs, assist in minor procedures and the ability to quickly assess a situation and react appropriately. Course Outcomes Obtaining my Family Nurse Practioner through the Master ´s program at Walden University will enable me to work, spend time with my family, and acquire the skills and knowledge to either work in a rural clinic, work with telemedicine or work mainly in Endocrinology. Practicum My goals are to use preventive and educative methods in controlling the epidemic of Diabetes. I would like to see rural and urban clinics using telemedicine to correspond with individuals with diabetes to assist them in lowering their A1C levels, eating healthy and leading healthier lives. The project I propose is whether or not using Telemedicine in the patient ´s home to interact with individual ´s with diabetes daily will lower A1C level ´s, assist them in eating healthy and leading healthier lives. Conclusion I am at the time in my life that I am able to pursue my FNP. My children are in their teenage years, and I am financially stable to pursue my dream of a Family Nurse PR actioner. References Catalog Search. (2014). Retrieved from Walden University Student Publications: http://catalog.waldenu.edu/search_advanced.php?cur_cat_oid=89&search_database=Search&search_db=Search&cpage=1&ecpage=1&ppage=1&spage=1&tpage=1&location=33&filter%5Bkeyword%5D=The+Essentials+of+Evidence-Based+Practice+ Transforming Nursing Practice through Technology and Innovation. (2011). Retrieved from www.himss.org: http://blog.himss.org/2011/07/08/transforming-nursing-practice-through-technology-and-innovation/ Program of Study Form Master of Science in Nursing, BSN Track Based on the information that you provided, the following credits may be transferred into your program at Walden University. This information is unofficial until all official transcript(s), international evaluation, and course description or syllabus is received. Academic changes in the program you are considering may also influence the final review. For the most updated information once you start your program, please refer to your degree audit located on your student portal. Name: Angelisa Lambert

Write a letter to Obama on the national defense authorization act and Research Paper

Write a letter to Obama on the national defense authorization act and how it is not constitutional - Research Paper Example Section 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act allow and grant authority to the counter-terrorism unit and the Armed forces to detain any individual (more so a United States citizen) who is suspected of being involved in terrorism. This section is against the first ten amendments of the US constitution which are in accordance with the Bill of Rights. The rights of the detained person are infringed upon and especially the rights to movement and liberty (www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html). The above information is also supported by the American Civil liberties Union (ACLU) whose main aim and objective is protection of individual’s human rights and liberties according to the US constitution. This human rights group has been in the forefront to support in supporting the constitution and where the constitution is breached it has also to complain and demand for an amendment (www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html). According to the courthouse news service which reports on all court activities (http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/16/46550.htm), on the 16th of May 2012, a US District court Judge Katherine Forrest passed a ruling blocking the implementation of this statute. According to her ruling, the Act was contrary to the first and the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution and therefore did not protect the citizens of US against unlawful detention by the military on suspicion of being involved in terroristic acts. Judge has taken an oath to rule governed by the constitution and hence anything that is against the constitution should not be put to action. The constitution is a powerful tool and protector of the citizens of US and therefore any Act or declaration going against it is deemed as unfriendly and threatening the security offered by the constitution.

THE LEGAL ISSUE IN NETWORK SECURITY USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

THE LEGAL ISSUE IN NETWORK SECURITY USA - Essay Example Network security looks after the Local Area Network (LAN) from the external world. For the computer based crimes, it is hard to enforce any law on legal basis as the computer or the network cannot be restricted by boundaries of a country around it. There are many issues that US legal system face when dealing with the computer based crimes as they are bound in one or the other ways. This has made the criminals get a chance to misuse the available resource and be safe from legal issues. Following are some of the federal computer crime laws and status aid the US department: FERPA, TEACH and GLBA Act: ECPA and CFAA Act and Economic Espionage Act (EEA). Though there are many laws, it is important for a common man to know them so that they can use the right one at a given time. The legal system is found to be a part of the society and it cannot do anything in case the owner of a site won’t take the advantage of it. Hence, the major incidents related to network security, the progress ion of laws for safeguarding network security and the future of network security from a legal standpoint is detailed in the paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 2. Computer and Networks 5 3. Legal issues in Network Security 6 4. Preliminary Boards and Projects for Network Security 7 5. Idea of Separate Jurisdiction 8 6. Law for e-Commerce to Avoid Identification Theft 9 7. The Cyber Crime Agreement 9 8. Approval for Electronic Signature 10 9. Laws for Federal Computer Crimes 10 9.1 The FERPA, TEACH and GLBA Act: 11 9.2 The ECPA and CFAA Act: 11 9.3 Other Laws Used to act against Computer Crimes: 12 10. Controversy 12 11. Goal of Network Security 15 12. Conclusion 15 13. References 19 1. Introduction Today’s world rises with the use of the computer for almost everything. With the introduction of internet, the world is able to keep in touch with one another. Either a common man or a company can do this without moving even an inch but share all the information with the hel p of the strong network. When the network gains importance, the issue with it will also be very important. Having a personal computer is not the only need but one should know how to protect the information that they have in it. Network security can include elements such as intrusion detection systems traffic shaping and firewalls (The Gordon Schools, 2011).

Consonants of the english language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Consonants of the english language - Essay Example hangeable, more stable, the law of their mutations is more con ­stant, or at least better ascertained, and they frequently re ­main fixed in the written language, after they have been lost or changed in sound. Hence, in researches into the history of language they are of cardinal importance, and consequently have almost exclusively en ­gaged the attention of etymologists, while, on the other hand, their supposed permanence, immutability and distinctness of character have led them to be much neglected. But in fact, consonants are very far from being so well discriminated. It is true that their differences are generally more easily appreciated by the ear, though less easily imitated by the tongue, than those between vowels. The indistinct articulation of consonants in Danish, the con ­founding of the hard and soft sounds of g in some dialects of Arabic, and of I and r in the Polynesian islands, the sep ­aration in Italian and Spanish of consonants are united in English consonants. As a result the words often lose all resemblance from which they originated, and it is the suppression or change of consonants that disguises them. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 123) Chasm and other words of similar ending are popularly pronounced as dissyllables, and in blossom, be-torn, bosom, and chrisom introduced a written vowel. The consonant m does not readily unite even with a preced ­ing liquid, and hence the vulgar pronunciation ellutn, helium, for rim, helm, and the word alarum for alarm. It is perhaps in this reluctance of m to be linked with a preceding liquid, and the explanation of the suppression of the I balm, calm, and other words of similar ending are found. (Ladefoged Peter, 1988 p. 142) If we talk about the formation of consonants we should point out that sounds are made by modifying an airstream. There are many points at which that stream of air can be modified. Producing a consonant sound depends on the position of vocal folds, they are either opened or closed. If

The Emergence of Modernism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Emergence of Modernism - Essay Example All in all, everyone involved needed commitment and dedication towards literary and artistic styles. Latin American artists and writers were encouraged and motivated in the emergence of new literary and artistic styles in the end of the 19th century. Nevertheless, this could not be realized without proper utilization and accommodation to the available factors at that period of time. Industrialization is one of the major contributors towards modernism. The urge by various emerging nations to become industrialized, felt that traditional forms of literature, arts, social organizations, religious activities and their daily lives were becoming outdated (Malcolm and McFarlane 102). Thus, the need for new and modern social, economic, political and environmental conditions was required so as to cater for the emerging markets and increased demands. However, various movement approaches from different artists and writers emerged during this period to make possible towards meeting the rising needs and wants by the industrial world players. Industrialization created room for improvements, devel opment and reshaping of existing forms of literature and arts to the people. On the other end, technology goes hand in hand with modernism. Therefore, technological advancements led to enhanced modernization through democratic revolutions. Technology acted and still acts as a motivating factor in the emergence of new artistic and literally styles. It is through it that we have seen more and increased production of arts and literature. The rate to access raw materials as well as getting them was made easier and comfortable, thus, allowing both artists and writers produce good and quality products. As a result, new methods towards producing new results were realized by the use of different technologies and advancements (Frascina and Charles 142). According to Frascina and Charles (90),

Motivation of firms for foreign direct investments - a critical review Dissertation

Motivation of firms for foreign direct investments - a critical review - Dissertation Example The 1990s had witnessed a dramatic growth in the foreign direct investments to the developing countries. In the late 1980s, the net direct investment flows to the countries amounted from the 0.5 percent of their overall GDP to more than 2.5 percent in the year 2000-2001. The dramatic growth in FDI was particularly experienced in Latin America (Calderon, Loayza & Serven, â€Å"Introduction†). After 1994, with the steep decline in other private external flows, the significance of foreign direct investment has increased as the significant source of external financing to the developing world. Over the last few decades, the outsourcing from the foreign countries has become a significant strategic issue. This has been in the wake of increasing recognition of the benefits, provided by the effective outsourcing and international product strategies. In the quest for greater efficiency and cost savings, a number of companies have decided to source parts and components at a reduced cost from the suppliers across the globe. Hence, the importance of FDI has increased with the passing days. This report is an effort to look into the foreign direct investment from both the perspectives of domestic and foreign countries. There can be several benefits which can lead a host country to welcome the foreign direct investments while there are number motivations behind such decisions of the investing firms. All these have been discussed to have a more detailed look at the foreign direct investments taking reference from several articles and books, as well as the online resources. At the end, a conclusion has been inferred from the discussion carried out in different segments. Foreign Direct Investment Foreign Direct Investment is a form of investment which earns interest in the enterprises, functioning outside of the domestic territory of the investors. The foreign direct investment requires a business relationship between the parent company and its subsidiaries (EconomyWatch, â€Å"Types of Foreign Direct Investment: An Overview†). The term ‘Foreign Direct Investment’ can be defined in several ways. â€Å"Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is the process whereby residents of one country (the source country) acquire ownership of assets for the purpose of controlling the production, distribution and other activities of a firm in another country (the host country)† (Moosa, p.1). According to International Monetary Fund’s Balance of Payments Manual, foreign direct investment is made to acquire an interest in any organisation, operating in a foreign economy; in this case, the investor aims to have to an effective voice in the organisation management. Back in the year 1999, the United Nations World Investment Report has defined FDI as an investment which involves a long term relationship and reflects a long-term interest and control of an entity in an organisation, in any foreign country. While compared to various forms of intern ational investment, the distinctive feature of FDI is that it enables the investor to have control over management policy and decisions of the organisation in the foreign country. A number of researchers have argued that the element of control has provided

Summary of Benjamin R. Bates. Audiences, Metaphors, and the Persian Essay

Summary of Benjamin R. Bates. Audiences, Metaphors, and the Persian Gulf War - Essay Example The American public was crucial to the Persian Gulf War. A number of communication scholars viewed Bush's actions as critical to acquiring and retaining this domestic public endorsement. However, some appeals that might work wonders with a domestic audience are not likely to be convincing to an international audience. For instance, appeals to American nationalism, American civil religion, or American exceptionalism may work well for an American audience, but are not likely to influence Omani, or Senegalese audiences. Other appeals, though, may persuade both domestic and international constituencies. Appeals that cross audiences are especially important in war rhetoric. Instead of being the persuasion of the whole cosmopolis, international persuasion can be considered the persuasion of opinion leaders that hold power in other states. In constructing persuasive appeals to international opinion leaders, Bush cannot simply speak however one wishes. According to Bates research Bush did four things successfully to persuade international opinion leaders. First, Bush identified appropriate international opinion leaders for persuasion. The Persian Gulf War was framed as a military issue. Therefore, Bush sought to convince the heads of other states to join the American military coalition. Bush also created the manifestation of consultation and dialogue through telephone diplomacy and personal consultations. Con

Organization and Behavior Essay Example for Free

Organization and Behavior Essay 1. Understand the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Structure 1.1. Compare and contrast three different organizational structures and cultures. The long term success and failure of every company depends on its structure – no matter how vague it may sound, structure of a company decides where the company will be in the near future. The three types of structures are: Functional structure – under this kind of structure, the company is divided into different groups, who are then assigned different tasks – like the accounts, the sales and admin, and the marketing departments. Divisional structure – this kind of structure is followed by companies with huge geographical area coverage. Each part of the area has a smaller division within the same umbrella group. Matrix structure – this is a combination of both the divisional and functional structures, and operates upon theories imported from these two structures. But, this structure is associated with ego clashes among the top positions, and power clashes. The different kinds of organizational cultures are as follows: Power culture: organizations following this kind of culture may be able to respond to crisis very quickly, but the problem is that the system is very centralized. This kind of culture relies heavily upon people rather than committees (Harris, 1994). Role culture – position is main criteria in the role culture. The organization is controlled by senior management at the top of the pyramid, and the system is also highly formalized. Task culture – this type of culture is practiced more often by organizations with a matrix structure. Main emphasis in this structure is given to completion of tasks. It strongly believes in the unified power of a team (Harris, 1994). 1.2. The relationship between an organization’s structure and culture There is a very strong relation between organizational structure and its culture, as only the perfect match of the two factors will lead to a good working environment in office. At TESCOS, as a store manger, it is  definitely a priority to look at the kind of attitude and behavior the employees are having, and how clean and suitable the culture is. If the structure of a company id hierarchical, with all the decisions being made at the top, the employees will have no or less freedom, and there will lack of autonomy at the lower level of the pyramid. On the other hand, if the power is divided between all the sections, the company culture will be lot more friendly, with the employees at all levels enjoying equal freedom (Parker, 2000). 1.3. Overview of four factors that can influence individual behavior at the Irish TESCOS Environment – more emphasis put on building a friendly and mutual environment in the workspace will ensure that team work and productivity of the company increases. Technology – the better the prevailing technology at the core of the company, the lesser the employees will have to work, and hence, better streamlined workflow and productivity can be ensured. Locus of control – employees who have an external locus of control will constantly criticize people, find faults, and also depend on others for their success. On the other hand, people with internal locus of control think that their own destiny is in their own hands. Customer Demand – though and external factor, but it is to be noted, that the more the demand, the more the sales, and greater the growth of the company (Parker, 2000). Task-2 2. Understand the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Structure 2.1. Compare three different leadership styles for three different business  organizations Leaders are different, and so are their leadership styles. Leaders are meant to motivate their team, and hence, leadership styles sculpt the outlook of the staffs. Here are the various leadership styles: Laissez Faire – in this kid of leadership style, the leaders allow a certain level of freedom is given to the staff, and trained directors are appointed to coordinate efficiently between the high level managers and the working staff (Antonakis et al, 2004). Autocratic style – under this style of leadership, the leaders keep an eye on the employees at all time, and face time is increased. There are a lot of arguments over this style of leadership, as there exists no or little freedom for the employees, and they sometimes find it extremely uncomfortable to work under these situations. But when practiced in a controlled manner, this style can be effective, especially under tight deadlines (Antonakis et al, 2004). Participative – This is a good balanced style, and a mix of both the autocratic and Laissez Faire styles. This gives a little bit of freedom to the employees, while the managers are still around supervising at all times. 2.2. How organizational theory underpins the practice of management for the Irish TESCOS In the Irish TESCOS scenario, organizational theory has a vital role to play. The authenticity and practicality of organizational theory has been questioned by many modern scholars, but the fact remains that these theories underpin and supports the stability of an organization. These theories, apart from helping the managers to find out the prevailing problems in the company, also help them to find the right method to deal with the problem, and ultimately solve it. There are a lot of these theories – they have been created in different  periods, with different economic and socio economic conditions – and the real art for managers’ lies in finding the best method out of these, and applying them in the present context. Some of these theories may seem to be obsolete these days in the age of ever changing technology, but it is to be understood that they form the base and foundation of companies across the world. 2.3. Evaluate four different approaches to management used by different organizations. The four different managerial approaches are as follows: Participative- Under this approach, the managers discusses and collaborates with his team managers about the decision making process. [pic] Bureaucratic- Bureaucratic is opposite to participative process, where the manager forces the team members to follow strict rules, and to obey a chain of commands (Tittemore, 2003). Autocratic – An autocratic manager is almost a ‘dictator’ who supervises his people at all steps and ensures job is done at the right time. Hands off approach- This is the friendliest approach of all, where the manager gives complete freedom to his men in all respects (Sapru, 2008). Task-3 3. Understand ways of using motivational theories in organizations 3.1. How different leadership styles impact employee motivation in periods of change Periods of change are often the periods when crisis happens. Hence, good leadership techniques are to be adopted by the leaders to protect the company from sudden jerks. Here are the most commonly practiced leadership  styles: Autocratic – managers following this style will never allow the team members to contribute towards the decision making process, and will try to establish huge confidence towards their own decisions. Democratic – totally opposite to autocratic style of leadership, when special attention is paid to what the team members think. The point of views of the employees is hence at least heard before making the final decision. Quiet – in this process of decision making highly trained employees are recruited by the manger, and then leaves day to day decision making to them, as he remains ‘quiet’. Transformational – as the name suggests, the manager practicing this method tries to encourage and motivate his team about the bright future of the company, and hence tries to extract more productive work from them (Robbins and Judge, 2008). 3.2. Identify the application of three different motivational theories within the workplace. Listed below are three different motivational theories: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs – Maslow states that human needs can be graphically represented as a pyramid, and they move from the bottom to the top; as the needs at the bottom are satisfied, man focuses on the next need at the top. These needs range from love needs, social needs, to self actualization (Maccoby, 1998). Carrot Stick – this theory was coined by Bentham, and explains that human is motivated by either of the two forces – fear or incentives. Either he will work to fulfill his money, security and other material needs, or he will work due to pressure and fear. The motivation – hygiene theory – this theory was introduced by Herzberg in 1959, and stresses on the fact that employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction is caused by some ‘hygiene factors’ (Maccoby, 1998). 3.3. The usefulness of a motivation theory for managers at the TESCOS in Ireland. Companies like the TESCOS do rely on their employees for not only production, but also for proper distribution and even product quality control. But to get exceptional performances from them it is required for the managers to provide proper motivational incentives. Motivational theories can help the TESCOS managers to properly motivate their employees and provide them proper job roles for increased productivity. Organizational Management – organizations use motivational theories to promote favorable working conditions at the organizational and departmental levels. Rewards – The reward system takes a lot from the expectancy theory, and helps motivating the employees to work even harder, as they see their work being appreciated. Perception of the employees in the equity theory, it ca be learnt that employees perceive the rewards given to them in exchange of the work that they need to do. When the perception and actual incentive matches, the employee gets motivated to perform better in the future (Robbins and Judge, 2008). Productivity – a lot of company incorporate goal setting as a fine tool to increase the productivity level of the employees. Task-4 4. Understand mechanisms for developing effective teamwork in organizations 4.1. Explain the nature of groups and group behavior within organizations. A group may be defined as a collection of individuals who have similar aims and are set to achieve the same goal. Groups are mainly of two types: Formal Groups – these groups are designed by companies, and each group is assigned different and specific tasks. Informal groups – these are groups formed by individuals themselves. Hence, they are not properly arranged, and not at all structured (Butler 1986). Groups are formed over a series of steps. They are: Forming – the initial stage of group formation. In this stage, the resources and other details required to form the group are procured. Storming – much like ‘brain storming’, in this stage, the individuals in each group challenge and try to find answers. Conflicts are common in this stage. Norming – in this stage, all conflicts are resolved, as the answers to the questions asked by the members are found. Performing – in this stage, coordination, and team work starts taking place between the different team members, and they start becoming a single unit. 4.2. Factors that may promote the development of effective teamwork in organizations The factors that can improve teamwork are: Good leadership – A good leader ca motivate his men in performing better and reaching greater heights. Hence, leadership is a factor that should never be underestimated. Leaders are adept in different theories and motivational methods, and the best leaders are those who can take spontaneous decisions (Parker, 2000).. Diversity – good teamwork develops as and when the members embrace diversity in terms of age, sex, religion and culture. Communication – if communication is strong among all the team members, everyone will be on the same page, and will also be equally informed. Great communication is the key to effective team building. Team Building Exercises – proper training is to provided for effective team building; and the training is to provided with the help of professionals who can indulge the team in proper drills and exercises. 4.3. Impact of technology on team functioning within TESCOS in Ireland. In the modern era, no organization can work without upgrading to the latest technological trends. Technology not only makes sure that the employees have to work less, but also ensures that the results are always accurate, and there is no repetition of jobs. While emails can help the employees to communicate with themselves and the third parties, devises like the Blackberry and Smart phones enable them to properly communicate. Teleconferencing allows the team to communicate over distances effectively without being physically present there. And of course, computers are, the more advanced, the better. Not only TISCOS, but every company these days understand of the important role that technology plays, and hence have started to upgrade to the latest technological updates. References Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. T. and Sternberg, R. J., 2004. The Nature of Leadership. New York: Sage Publications, Inc. Butler Jr., J.K., 1986. A global view of informal organization. Academy of Management Journal, 51, 3, 39-43. Harris, S. G., 1994. Organizational Culture and Individual Sensemaking: A Schema-Based Perspective. Organization Science, Vol. 5,(3): pp. 309–321. Maccoby, M., 1998. Why Work: Motivating and Leading the New Generation. New York: Simon Schuster. Parker, M., 2000. Organizational Culture and Identity. London: Sage. Robbins, S. and Judge, T., 2008. Essentials of Organizational Behavior. 9thEd, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sapru, R.K., 2008. Administrative Theories and Management Thought. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited, p 276 Tittemore, J. A., 2003. Leadership at all Levels. Canada: Boskwa Publishing.

Economic Analysis of Linda’s Bakery Limited

Economic Analysis of Linda’s Bakery Limited Introduction Lindas was established in 1959 by Mr. Lionel Chin Fatt who saw the need for quality baked goods at an affordable price. They currently have 12 locations in Trinidad with plans to add 10 more by 2017. Their product line today includes bakery items such as bread, savoury pastries, sweet treats, cakes and their Lindas Fresh line consisting of salads, sandwiches, wraps, subs, bagels and coconut bakes. Macroeconomic Analysis GDP The Trinidad Tobago (TT) economy is predicted to continue sustainable growth (1.8-2.1%) over the short to medium term (see Figure 1.1), but less than in 2014 (2.3%). This will be driven by robust growth in the non-energy sector (2.0-2.5%) (IMF 2014). The main risk to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in the energy sector – which contributes 40% of national GDP – will be a sustained decline in energy prices. At the current price of $45 for West Texas Intermediate crude oil (WTI), we anticipate a further downward revision of 2015 projected growth in the sector. We are of the opinion that both Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and WTI will remain at or around current prices, at least for 2015. This is in line with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast for LNG but not for WTI (see Figure 1.2); however we agree that crude oil prices will not go into further decline given current circumstances. Interest Rates The Repo Rate was increased to 3.25% for three main reasons, to keep in line with expected increases in U.S. interest rates, the headline inflation rate – driven mainly by double digit food inflation, and continued steady performance in non-energy output (Kissoon 2014). We expect as the U.S. rates increase, so will the Repo Rate. The Federal Reserve is basing changes in its rate on economic performance however current indicators show mixed results. We expect that the rate of increase for both rates will be slower than originally anticipated. Unemployment Rate With an unemployment rate of 3.5%, there is extremely limited excess capacity in the labour market. Lindas has a staff turnover of 8% monthly in stores. This may be attributed to government make work programmes. Reforms that will help diversify the economic base and reduce the fiscal deficit will be difficult to implement, especially in an election year. As such we do not anticipate significant changes to the makeup of the labour force in the short to medium term. Wheat The major ingredient in Lindas products is flour. Although the flour is produced locally, wheat is imported mainly from the USA; the worlds largest wheat exporter. Wheat exports from the USA are at its lowest over the past three years and are expected to decrease because of reduced demand and a surging dollar. In the short term prices are predicted to move lower then recover in 2016, depending on demand for wheat as feed and a recovery in corn prices (Wilson and Mulvany 2015). When coupled with increased production worldwide, we anticipate continuing fluctuations in the price of wheat in the short term but not to the extent of 2010-2011 which triggered the last local price increase. Consumer Confidence In Quarter 3 of 2014 Central Bank conducted its first Consumer Confidence survey measuring at -4. This can be an indicator that consumers will spend less and save more as they are mildly pessimistic about the economy. If consumers spend less, suppliers may decrease their production output which can affect national productivity and wages. (News.gov.tt, 2015) Porters Five Forces Supplier Power Flour Lindas purchases its flour exclusively from the National Flour Mills (NFM); a state controlled Public Limited Company, and is their second largest customer. NFM recently adopted a more proactive relationship with its major stakeholders, including Lindas and the Seamen Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU), such as including them in its strategic planning. This bore positive results like a collective bargaining agreement for wages in place for 2013 to 2016 (Trinidad Express 2015). We would expect this proactive mindset to continue with the importation of wheat, if US wheat becomes too expensive. NFM can easily import wheat from Canada and Uruguay, two politically stable countries that NFM previously or currently imports other grains from. We don’t expect the fluctuations in the world wheat price to affect the price of NFM flour locally, as it is set by the government – NFM’s majority shareholder. Historically government is averse to increasing the price of flour, regardless of who is in power. This can be seen in flour – and bread – maintaining Value Added Tax (VAT) exempt status, the discounts offered on flour by the current administration, and other price fluctuations being absorbed except in 2011. Buyer Power Linda’s recently increased the prices on some products and, according to their CEO, this has had no effect on their sales. Lindas believes that once they have a quality product, their customers will pay the price for it. As such we are of the opinion that buyer power is not a major factor at this point in time. Competitive Rivalry Lindas is second in the bread market to Kiss Company Limited and they state that they are number one in the pastry business in the country. Whilst Kiss sells the same product bread we are of the opinion that they have different target markets. Kiss is available from groceries to sidewalk shops throughout the country, whereas Lindas products are only available in their stores. Lindas products have little or no preservatives and they believe that this is to their advantage since some customers will choose their products over for this reason. Threat of Substitution Gluten Free â€Å"The number of consumers who think gluten-free is generally healthier fell from 46% in 2010 to 35% in 2012, and the number who thinks it is effective in managing weight fell from 30% to 27%.† (IFT 2014) Based on the premium in product costs, we do not foresee gluten-free entering the mainstream in TT. Threat of New Entry There are some significant barriers to entry for this type of business. Capital Requirements: The CEO of Lindas stated that the minimum investment required to enter this business is approximately $50 to $70 million. Two of their major investors are Prestige Holdings and Trent Restaurant Group. Economies of Scale: In order to produce bread and pastries for multiple geographic locations, capacity must be significant and utilization maximized. Lindas expanded its factory in El Socorro, where they prepare all the products to be distributed to all locations. Product Differentiation: Lindas has recently rolled out their Fresh line which is an attempt at differentiating their product line from other bakeries. Sector of the Economy Lindas is catergorised under the food and beverage manufacturing sector of the local economy. According to the Food and Beverage Industry Development Company, with the continued expansion of the local economy, the domestic food and beverage sector is expected to continue along its progressive track. In addition, expansion of the regional economy, renewed efforts for research and further product development, and strategic niche marketing will also support sustained growth over the longer term. (FoodAndBeverageTT.com 2015) Competition Trinidad and Tobago has a free market economy with Lindas Bakery operating in as an oligopoly. The bread market is dominated by the leader Kiss Baking Company followed by Lindas Bakery. There are other competitors but they are small in comparison. In order to compete at the same level as Lindas you would need to have at least $50-$70 million TTD in startup costs. Their products however are differentiated. They are price makers utilizing product differentiation by offering a wider range of high quality products some of which may not found in other bakeries. They have also added a new line called Lindas Fresh to accommodate changing customer demands and to stay one step away from the competitor. Customer Analysis Analysis of Demand and Supply There is limited statistical data on demand and supply within the industry. Therefore we made assumptions using the theoretical concepts and behavioural changes in wheat imports and consumer purchasing. Wheat imports steadily declined from 2011 to 2014 from 140 to 135. It is projected at 135,000 MT in 2014/2015MY in the Trade report and current USDA World Markets (USDA 2015). The wheat import forecast fell by -2 (1.45%) thd. mt in the 2014/2015 in comparison to 2013/2014 season. The opening stock for 2014/2015 was 5 thd. mt (indexmundi.com 2015). Using this trend we can assume that the consumption of flour based products (such as bread) has decreased over the years. We can assume that this may be due to lifestyle changes considering â€Å"There is an explosion of diabetes in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean and it is now the second leading cause of death in TT.† (Baboolal 2015) With a prevalence rate of 14.2% and an undiagnosed rate of 37.6%, it is possible that 1 out of 2 adults (20-79) in TT are diabetic (IDF 2015). We anticipate a surge of diabetic related issues over the medium to long term. According to the World Health Organization the life expectancy for Trinbagonians has increased from an average of 70.85 to 72.5 years. This can lead to suppliers producing less. Price Elasticity Lindas Bakery product is price inelastic. Their bread prices are lower when compared to Kiss Bakery; however Kiss is the market leader. Bread is considered to be a necessary commodity used in everyday life and is highly consumed in Trinidad. If there is an increase in price, then ceteris parabus, the quantity demanded will not decrease. The percentage of income spent is relatively low; there is a wide availability of substitutes, a high degree of necessity and no switching costs. Complementary and Substitute Products On a very basic level Lindas complemented their goods with drinks for sale, a common practice for most food outlets. For example the sale of a sandwich or Lindas fresh might increase the demand for drinks. However with a substitute the buyer might buy something other than the intended good in store but if the substitute is outside the business then the company will not maximise profit. Externalities (Positive and Negative) Positive externality in consumption is Lindas Bakery training their staff resulting in an increase of human capital. They are therefore able to educate other people who benefit from them. Positive externality in production is the tax break in manufacturing that will encourage entrepreneurship to lead to diversification, employment and economic growth. Free markets allow the negative externality in consumption is the increase rate of diabetes and obesity in Trinidad and Tobago. Conclusion There are major opportunities and challenges for Lindas within the current economic environment. Lindas Bakery has plans for expansion nationally and potentially regionally. Based on the expense to expand production capacity, Linda’s must continue on its current expansion path to effectively utilize this increase in production capacity. They can accomplish this expansion by utilizing their current resources and revenue to accomplish the task. As such they currently do not need to go for financing and are not affected by the increase in interest rate. This is another reason why we recommend Linda’s continue on its current expansion path. They can gain a competitive advantage through the application of technology. For example the introduction of an app can boost the companys visibility and brand awareness, generate sales and capture customer data to make projections. However, a major challenge for the company is the limited supply of labour in the country. Even though persons can seek employment at Lindas with limited experience, there exist easier options through government programmes. The application of technology above may also mitigate some of the burdens of in store staff by shifting the effort needed to the customer. Appendix Figure 1.1 Figure 1.2 Works cited Baboolal, Yvonne. 2015. Diabetes In TT Ranked No 2 Killer. Trinidad Tobago Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2012-03-12/diabetes-tt-ranked-no-2-killer. FoodAndBeverageTT.com,. 2015. Industry Profile | Food And Beverage Industry Development Committee |. http://www.foodandbeveragett.com/industry-profile/. Government of Trinidad Tobago. 2014. Budget Presentation 2015. Port of Spain. IDF, International Diabetes Federation. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago. http://www.idf.org/membership/nac/trinidad-and-tobago. IMF, International Monetary Fund,. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago And The IMF. http://www.imf.org/external/country/tto/. Indexmundi.com,. 2015. Trinidad And Tobago Wheat Imports By Year (1000 MT). http://www.indexmundi.com/agriculture/?country=ttcommodity=wheatgraph=imports. Kissoon, Carolyn. 2014. Repo Rate Increases To 3.25 Per Cent. Trinidad Express. http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Repo-rate-increases-to-325-per-cent-284545331.html. News.gov.tt,. 2015. Central Bank: Local Consumers â€Å"Pessimistic†. http://www.news.gov.tt/content/central-bank-local-consumers-pessimistic#.VRYEofnF_xV. Sloan, Elizabeth. 2014. The Top Ten Functional Food Trends.Food Technology.http://www.ift.org/food-technology/past-issues/2014/april/features/toptentrends.aspx. USDA, United States Department of Agriculture. 2015. ‘Data Analysis’. http://www.fas.usda.gov/data Wilson, Jeff, and Lydia Mulvany. 2015. Russians, Argentines, Cows Are Squeezing U.S. Wheat Price. Bloomberg.Com. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-01-29/russians-europeans-cows-are-squeezing-u-s-wheat-price.

Critical Analysis The Sun Also Rises English Literature Essay

Critical Analysis The Sun Also Rises English Literature Essay In the book The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway, we explore the lifestyles and complications of a group of American emigrants living in Paris, France. The story takes places after World War I. The novel concerns a group of psychologically bruised, disillusioned expatriates living in postwar Paris, who take psychic refuge in such immediate physical activities as eating, drinking, traveling, brawling, and lovemaking. Hemingway presents a strong accurate background to the setting and time period primarily because the story is based around his personal experiences as an American emigrant living in Paris. The characters are selfish in a sense that they act without thinking of the possible consequences for their actions and they feel free of any obligations to loyalty or honor to themselves or others. Though Hemingway was a renowned writer at the time of the novels conception, he opened the publics eyes to several taboo topics. At the period of time this book was written, which was in 1926, this book it was considered highly obscene and offensive. Hemingways knowledge of the feeling you get in Paris was evident given the vivid and detailed imagery of the citys streets, locations of business and buildings, and the entire panorama. The references to certain the cafes, buildings, restaurants, and historic locations defiantly provided that Euro-Parisian feeling. The genuine descriptions of Paris, included in the accurate naming of particular restaurants, streets, and neighborhoods gives a odd pull to the reader and somehow draws you inward: The driver started up the street. I settled back. Brett moved close to me. We sat close against each other. I put my arm around her and she rested against me comfortably. It was very hot and bright, and the houses looked sharply white. We turned out onto the Gran Via. Oh, Jake, Brett said, we could have had such a damned good time together. Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. Yes, I said. Isnt it pretty to think so? The amazingly colorful dialogue throughout the story makes you feel as though you are actually there eating at the cafà © and watching the drama unravel. Another significant location in this novel is Spain. In Spain, the characters journey to Burguete to fish and Pamplona to witness the Spanish bullfights, which is where Jake is introduced to Pedro Romero (Bloom 113). Romero is a nineteen year old young man, an authentic matador. Jake describes him as the best-looking boy he has ever seen, this is also where we get to see a little bit of Jakes homosexual tendencies. In this book sexuality is flaunted and brought up often. Lady Brett Ashley is probably the biggest source of promiscuity in the novel. She is separated from her husband awaiting a divorce because of her trouble with promiscuity. In addition, several of Bretts lovers are mention throughout the novel. Her lovers, to name a few, are Pedro Romero, Count Mippipopolous, and Mike Campbell. Hemingway was first made aware of bullfights in Spain by a fellow emigrant and was immediately captivated. He soon developed a passion for bullfights which certainly influenced his invention of Pedro Romeo as a character. Hemingways individual experiences are riddled throughout the story and play an important role in the invention and growth of specific characters. Jake Barnes is the narrator and key character in the novel. Jake is a grief stricken, American journalist living in Paris in the 1920s. While Jake does have homosexual tendencies he is in love with Lady Brett Ashley but the relationship is never pursued due to Jakes impotency. By description Jakes appearance is strikingly close to Hemingways actual looks, as well as his personality resembles Hemingway in several ways. After World War I, Hemingway felt strongly inept and detached from society; he often referred to himself as lyrically impotent and physically diminished (Bloom 95-100). Both Hemingway and Barnes were war woun ded, journalists working in Paris emigrant society. Hemingway was not rendered sexually impotent however; he actually suffered wounds to his legs when a mortar exploded in the trench that he was occupying to assist in the health related evacuation of another soldier. Encyclopedia texts cite Hemingways wounds to be awful, he had twenty-eight pieces of shrapnel removed from his legs, leaving behind over two hundred other pieces that were too deep to be removed (Bloom 80-89). Jakes war injury was an unfathomable wound to his genital area that left him impotent and in turn prevented him from having sexual relations with Lady Ashley or any other woman for that matter. Hemingway does not describe Jakes wound, the novel merely states: Undressing, I looked at myself in the mirror of the big armoire beside the bed. That was a typically French way to furnish a room. Practical too, I suppose. Of all the ways to be wounded. I suppose it was funny. I put on my pajamas and got into bed (Hemingway 38). After that excerpt there was no more mention of Jakes wound to the reader, it is left to the individuals imagination. Jakes best friend from the U.S. is Bill Gorton. Bill shares Jakes love of fishing and outdoorsy activities. Their relationship is one of respect and deep companionship. Bill is the animated, funny character in the novel. He brings humor to a very sad situation for Jake. His witty cynicism and comical perception bring light to the novel. In an excerpt from the book Hemingway tells us of situation in which Bill and Jake are venturing to Spain on the train and due to the large amount of Catholic Americans migrating to Spain the two were unable to get tickets for a lunch they had planned to attend. After much time had passed Bill became annoyed: Finally at a quarter past four we had lunch. Bill had been rather difficult to the last. He buttonholed a priest who was coming back with one of the returning streams of pilgrims. When do us Protestants get a chance to eat, father? I dont know anything about it. Havent you got tickets? Its enough to make a man join the Klan, Bill said. The priest looked back at him (Hemingway 93). Michael Campbell, another character in the novel, is a Scottish veteran who is independently wealthy and jobless. Campbell is Lady Ashleys pronounced fiancà © and is horribly jealous of her sexual promiscuity. He does consider himself lucky, however, to be her fiancà © and is willing to overlook her affairs no matter how much they hurt him internally. Robert Cohn, another emigrant character, gives rise to a conflict with his love affliction with Lady Ashley. Robert is also a writer in the click of friends in this novel; Hemingway furthermore establishes a likeness of his own personal experiences in this character and the group of friends he spent time with. Hemingways social circle at this time was his wife, Hadley, his friend Bill Smith, Don Stewart, Harold Loeb, Duff Twysden, and Pat Gutherie (Bloom 25). Hemingway was said to have somewhat of lust affliction toward Twysden but it was unknown if they actually had an affair (Bloom 28). This affection he had toward Duff however did create problems for him. Hemingway later admitted to his publisher that the book was about his own personal experiences. It is a great mistake to put real people in a book and one Ill never make, I hope, again (Baker 215). Lady Brett Ashley, as said before, is a promiscuous woman with an appetite for drunken folly. Her promiscuity and alcoholism creates a conflict in two separate occasions in the novel, of course one between herself and Michael Campbell regarding her liaison with Robert Cohn. The other conflict arises because of Bretts aversion to having an affair with Jake Barnes due to his impotency. The novel is highly centered on drunken follies and Bretts weakness for alcohol and socialization. In each scene of the novel the group is drinking, either social or heavily, or trying to recover from a hangover by drinking more alcohol. The group lives without commitments or boundaries and do whatever comes to mind with no remorse or thought of obligations of loyalty to one another or anyone else. During the 1920s Paris was a focal point for young authors and artists of all sorts, among this congregation of emigrant youth was a spirited American woman named Gertrude Stein. Stein established a famous meeting location where painters and writers such as Picasso, Miro, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway would gather. Hemingway and Fitzgerald met at Steins cafà © to exchange ideas and enjoy the company of one another. Gertrude told Hemingway that he was part of a lost generation, a casual remark, yet one which became world-famous after Hemingway used it as an epigraph to The Sun Also Rises. This term was coined to describe Americans who served in World War I and felt estranged and social inept in their own nation. All of you young people who served in the war are a lost generationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦You have no respect for anything. You drink yourselves to death (Oliver 25). Needless to say the novels risquà © nature had a propensity of being offensive. After all for the 1920s the words bitch and damn were highly unmentioned. When Max Perkins, Hemingways editor, received the manuscript he was hesitant to print the offensive material but Scribner, Hemingways publisher, insisted it was to remain the way Ernest had intended it. The unbridled rendering of drunkenness, mention of human and animal gentiles, and the profanity alone was enough to have gotten the novel thrown in the trash by any other publisher. Hemingway responded to Perkins by saying, I think that wordsand I will cut anything I canthat are used in conversation in The Sun etc. are justified by tragedy of the story (Baker 211). In a message dated around a month later, Perkins had persuaded Hemingway to refrain from using such atrocious language (Baker 213). When the novel was finally published, the profane nature of the book alone, without the obscene language, was enough for critics to up heave. Critics labeled it as a profanity and the Watch and Ward Society of Boston added the novel to their list of obscene books and requested sellers not to sell the book at all (Baker 215). Hemingways mother, Grace, was among the most offended by the book and wrote her son a letter stating so. Ernest wrote his mother a modest and polite response stating that he didnt wish any pain upon her for reading it and he was not ashamed that he had written it. This novel is intentionally designed for the reader to question Hemingways purpose and intentions. Was the novel truly written to merely express an emigrants perspective in Paris? Or was the novel actually an outright slap in the face toward the American government by depicting drunkenness during the prohibition? At any rate it is a deliberate use of profane language and portrayal of explicit and obscene events for that time period. Hemingway was in no way a conformist even at an early age. In Hemingways new art there was no human experience that was untouchable, no subject matter that was forbidden (Reynolds 210). His mother, Grace Hemingway, stated that Ernest was often times a wayward boy and somewhat of an outcast (Baker 243). Even though the novel received ample negative reviews, The Sun Also Rises went down in history as one of Hemingways best works, a master piece. In 1954, Ernest Hemingway was award the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his acceptance speech he stated a writer should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed (Hulse par. 8). This novel was definitely the first of its kind, a ground breaker of epic proportions. Like the Americans who migrated to france, the The Sun Also Rises was a pioneer, a leader into the literary unknown. Hemingway is now and forever will be the cherished writer who led the American public into the next wave of unexplored topics. His life was a story in itself that lead to several great novels. In his fiction, the conflicting elements of his personality, the emotional situations which obsess him, are externalized and objectified; and the result is an art which is severe, intense, and deeply serious (Bloom 7). Hemingways career included four marriages (and three divorces); service as an ambulance driver for the Italians in World War I (with an honorable wound); activity as a war correspondent in the Greek-Turkish war (1922), the Spanish Civil War (1937-39), the Chinese-Japanese War (1941) and the War against Hitler in Europe (1944-45). Add big-game hunting and fishing, safaris, expatriation in France and Cuba, bullfighting, the Nobel prize, and the ultimate suicide in Idaho, and you have an absurdly implausible life, apparently lived in imitation of Hemingways own fiction (Baker 5). He is an elegant poet who mourns the self, who celebrates the self (rather less effectively) and who suffers divisions in the self. In the broadest tradition of American literature, he stems ultimately from the Emersonian reliance on the god within, which is the line of Whitman, Thoreau, and Dickenson (Baker 2). In short, Hemingway led a full and beautiful life that will be forever mourned. He is one of the greatest writers in American history acclaimed by many. His life and times will live on forever in his works.

The Demons Within Essay -- Demons Possession Skinner Frazier Essays

The Demons Within There are many interesting, well developed, entertaining, colorful, exciting, and provocative characters in Mario Vargas LlosaÕs novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Pedro Camacho is quite a character, as well as Aunt Julia herself. I was even greatly intrigued by such small characters as Cousin Nancy and, believe it or not, the cabdriver who helped find a mayor to marry Aunt Julia and Marito. however, nobody in the whole book interested me more than Marito Varguitas himself. He is just such a well developed character, and really seems like a person who would be fun to know. In fact, nothing about Marito interested me more than the demons that he possesses, or should I say seem to posses him and manifest themselves in his life as well as his stories. One of the many demons Marito possesses is his writing itself. he seems to constantly be in the middle of writing another short story to send to some newspaper or magazine. The thing is, none of these stories actually ever seem to be very good or successful. Throughout the novel, not one of them is ever actually publisher. Not even MaritoÕs friends really like his writing. In Chapter thirteen he reads the one about Aunt Eliana to Javier, Aunt Julia, and even to Pascual and Big Pablito. After they hear it, not one of them really has anything nice to say about it at all. So, although writing is one of MaritoÕs passions, it is also one of his demons. It is basically his job and how he makes a living at the radio station ÒRadio Panamericana,Ó but it controls the rest of his live away from work as well. Another demon possessed by or possessing Marito is that of age. Age obviously plays a huge role in this novel. Marito is barely eighteen years old, not even a legal adult in his own country, and yet he is in love with Aunt Julia, how is not only divorced, but also many years older than her lover at thirty something years old. His age seems to cause many conflicts for Marito throughout the book. The funny thing is that when it was preventing him from marrying Aunt Julia, all that was done was simply to change one number, a six to a three, to solve the problem. In the end, it really didnÕt seem as if age was really the issue that was the problem for Marito and Aunt JuliaÕs family. Another huge demon in the story is ... ...story as a current guide." He offers a lot of pertinent criticism of history and it's relevance, including the unreliability of its information, its skewed perspectives, etc. But, even with all of History's drawbacks, eliminating history as a study would cause an even greater distortion of our understanding. Why study history? Er ... it exists, doesn't it? We have a past. Would he let young people grow up in Walden Two thinking it had always existed, thinking, perhaps, that it had sprung up full-blown from the brow of Zeus? It strikes me as dangerous to accept such massive ignorance. To remain ignorant, is to believe a lie. Skinner's Frazier has boundless faith in his ideas. He no longer needs to know history. He is assured that his planners and managers will never become corrupted. (If they did, it would be difficult to know it without a knowledge of what Walden Two had been like before the corruption started.) His rigorous program turns out to be curiously lacking in substance. Skinner's ideas are provocative and thought provoking. But the problems are far too serious to allow the quick dismissal Frazier would give them. In short, I am not ready to sign on the dotted line. The Demons Within Essay -- Demons Possession Skinner Frazier Essays The Demons Within There are many interesting, well developed, entertaining, colorful, exciting, and provocative characters in Mario Vargas LlosaÕs novel Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter. Pedro Camacho is quite a character, as well as Aunt Julia herself. I was even greatly intrigued by such small characters as Cousin Nancy and, believe it or not, the cabdriver who helped find a mayor to marry Aunt Julia and Marito. however, nobody in the whole book interested me more than Marito Varguitas himself. He is just such a well developed character, and really seems like a person who would be fun to know. In fact, nothing about Marito interested me more than the demons that he possesses, or should I say seem to posses him and manifest themselves in his life as well as his stories. One of the many demons Marito possesses is his writing itself. he seems to constantly be in the middle of writing another short story to send to some newspaper or magazine. The thing is, none of these stories actually ever seem to be very good or successful. Throughout the novel, not one of them is ever actually publisher. Not even MaritoÕs friends really like his writing. In Chapter thirteen he reads the one about Aunt Eliana to Javier, Aunt Julia, and even to Pascual and Big Pablito. After they hear it, not one of them really has anything nice to say about it at all. So, although writing is one of MaritoÕs passions, it is also one of his demons. It is basically his job and how he makes a living at the radio station ÒRadio Panamericana,Ó but it controls the rest of his live away from work as well. Another demon possessed by or possessing Marito is that of age. Age obviously plays a huge role in this novel. Marito is barely eighteen years old, not even a legal adult in his own country, and yet he is in love with Aunt Julia, how is not only divorced, but also many years older than her lover at thirty something years old. His age seems to cause many conflicts for Marito throughout the book. The funny thing is that when it was preventing him from marrying Aunt Julia, all that was done was simply to change one number, a six to a three, to solve the problem. In the end, it really didnÕt seem as if age was really the issue that was the problem for Marito and Aunt JuliaÕs family. Another huge demon in the story is ... ...story as a current guide." He offers a lot of pertinent criticism of history and it's relevance, including the unreliability of its information, its skewed perspectives, etc. But, even with all of History's drawbacks, eliminating history as a study would cause an even greater distortion of our understanding. Why study history? Er ... it exists, doesn't it? We have a past. Would he let young people grow up in Walden Two thinking it had always existed, thinking, perhaps, that it had sprung up full-blown from the brow of Zeus? It strikes me as dangerous to accept such massive ignorance. To remain ignorant, is to believe a lie. Skinner's Frazier has boundless faith in his ideas. He no longer needs to know history. He is assured that his planners and managers will never become corrupted. (If they did, it would be difficult to know it without a knowledge of what Walden Two had been like before the corruption started.) His rigorous program turns out to be curiously lacking in substance. Skinner's ideas are provocative and thought provoking. But the problems are far too serious to allow the quick dismissal Frazier would give them. In short, I am not ready to sign on the dotted line.

A Foolish American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death of a Salesman

A Foolish American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy Loman is responsible for his own downfall.   Willy finds his own hero and tries to become the hero in his own existence.   Willy tries to become a very successful businessman, at the start of his career he thinks that no one can tell him what to.   Willy is not good with people, he is good with his hands, he is not a good salesman and he chooses the wrong career.   Willy often makes up stories or changes the stories he knows because he cannot face the truth of his life that he has not accomplished as much as he has planned.   Willy's downfall is his own doing which is brought about by his unrealistic dreams, his pride, his career choice and his failure to manage life's problems.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy, at a young age, noticed an old salesman who worked at an age of 80 and made a lot of money. The old salesman took orders from no one, he made his own orders and everyone did as the old man said.   When the old salesman, Dave Singleman dies, all the buyers came to his funeral. All the people Dave ever knew came.   There were thousands mourning his death.   From that point, Willy Loman found an awesome dream which he followed the rest of his life.   Willy became a salesman.   Willy is the most unqualified salesman ever!   He never sold a thing.   Willy stops seeing the truth at one point of his life and he relies on his own lies to numb his pain. The pain of knowing he cannot and wont be able to become Dave Singleman.   He is Willy Loman, who is good at fixing the house.   He is not cut out for travelling from city to city and selling goods to people he has never met before.   Willy dramatically dies living out his dream, the dream that never suited Willy Loman.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Willy does not allow people to tell him what to do.   He believes that he cannot be bossed around and that he is too important to fall under anyone's authority but his own.   Willy teaches Biff and Happy not to take orders from anyone.   He thinks this will make Biff, Happy and himself

Internet Regulation in Australia Essay

The Australian Communication and Media Authority – a media content regulating body has come out strongly to bar some oversea internet sites from being accessed albeit criticisms from not only oversea internet website owners but also some of her citizens. The reasons as advanced by this body are that, internet use is non-discriminatory. This means that, the age of the users does not matter to the internet content developers. The aim, according to this body, is not to deter consumers from accessing the sites they want to but instead, to protect consumers who may suffer negative consequences because of exposure to explicit media content. These consumers mostly include the children who are not adequately protected by the Child Online Protection Act. Importance of regulation Mitigation of insecurity deems of importance to the government as it comes to online information access. Cyber crime which include spam, hacking, online fraud, malware dissemination as well cyber bullying and grooming have detrimental effects on unsuspecting or naive users such as elderly people (Newton, 2008). Stalkers are also posing danger to individual’s security. Through censorship, the government endeavors to alleviate all these. Concisely, the government aims to regulate the online content, boost online security as well as uphold moral standards as required by the society. The government also aims at creating a more responsible population in economy building within the country through helping them learn how to protect their information, be it business of personal during use (Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). Channels of internet abuse The use of social media sites is on the increase. People who use these sites are on an upward trend, and proliferation of commission of crime are continues to increase. This is what the government is working hard to avoid by censoring access to some online sites at certain points within the internet transmission channels. The fact that internet service providers cannot hinder one to access whichever site he/she wants to puts the users of their service security at stake (Talbot, 2009). Inappropriate materials like pornography or even media violence cannot be controlled by these service providers because everybody asserts that they have freedom to information access and information dissemination. Online sex is on the increase and rendered incapable of determining who should participate in such or who should not, service providers can only play it safe when they block everybody. The government though does not intend to hinder everything but to create an environment of online responsibility by abating interactions online and having the appropriate content online only accessed. In his view, Gaylord (1999) argues that, internet service providers need to create a culture of responsibility by the users through establishing and overseeing the implementation of code of conduct whilst using internet. Parents play a great role in this censorship as they should control what their children do online. This is only possible by the use digital technology in order to block the inappropriate site. Criticism of regulation Many critics of this kind of control argue that their freedom to information is being curtailed. In the academic field, the move seems detrimental as viable information which is of academic value may be filtered at some points in the control system, as it may be grouped inappropriate (McCarthy, 2005). The question to most critics is that, ‘why deter freedom to access information? Some information might seem inconsequential to the government, but of great use to online writers and researchers. Blocking of some sites will lead curtailing of freedom of expression and part of leisure. Critics argue that the process of censoring has hitches and therefore need not to be implemented. In other countries like the US it has not worked and has proved otherwise counterproductive as those blocked from accessing some of these sites and images are students who really need that information for their study (Thierer, 2003). This led to massive protests creating a row between students and the administration. The same might happen in Australia. The advancement of technology might overthrow the control mechanism the government is advocating. This is because, the use of circumvention program will make all the efforts null and void as this endeavors to surpass censorship in all perspectives. According to Johnson, (2010), each time a national censor blocks news sites and You Tube, or an ISP or website loses or sells or gives away user data, people will seek solutions. In an article published by Electronic frontiers (2006), critics of this move argue that censoring will be a total waste of tax payer’s money. This is because most of the explicit materials that lead to exposure to sexually explicit material are distributed manually rather than through the internet. Therefore, censoring may not hamper children from accessing such content or participating in immoral activities as they will continue accessing these obscene materials. According to critics, regulating internet content is curtailing freedom. This is because one will not have the freedom to expression, through publishing something via the internet. A true free country like Australia should not do such a thing as it will not only portray it in the negative but it will also have a negative impact on the people who visit from other liberal countries (Dobija, 2007). Australia having a certain level of influence over other Western democracies, it might influence them to undertake the measures it is advocating to take, thus creating a kind of communist empire. Communism is oppressive, meaning that people in the countries affiliated to Australia will no longer be free in information sharing as they are. This is because, of the censored materials, most are unclassified and the scope of this information is very wide. Conclusion Though this censorship is a contentious issue, it should be put in mind that for as long as human beings yearn for freedom, unregulated freedom might be disastrous. On the other hand, high handedness might not solve the looming stalemate. Therefore the government and the die hard critics of this regulation should work together to reach to an amicable solution. This should however be done without having to suppress many individuals who use internet content. The government should let the individuals to regulate for themselves whatever they need to use, of course with education and awareness on the need to protect the vulnerable groups like the children (Corsa, 2008). This is because such regulation would put many internet users at ransom and freedom of expression would be a thing of the past. For example, regulation in China has made many not to be able to express themselves freely or even access information that deem of importance. The same applies to Zimbabwe where many journalists are hindered to post online content depicting violence or scenes of suppression and oppression as a way of government protectionism.

Gourmet Coffee Research Essay

Using the books and internet, a research regarding buying behavior for gourmet coffee is conducted for the country of France. Certain keywords are used in order to limit the search for the internet. The keywords used include gourmet coffee, France, brewing equipment, buying behavior, and consumption. Using a search engine, there are results that came back and the relevance of each are taken into account. This is because, while there may be several results found, the credibility and relevance are to be inspected when using the internet for research (Levitt & Rosch, 2006). There are also books consulted but relatively few information from both means resulted to an exact data needed to determine the buying behavior in the said country. A summary of the results are shown below. Coffee is, interestingly, served together with breakfast in bowls and is mixed with an aroma of chicory (Eccellente Gourmet Coffee, 2005). Likewise, the quantity consumed for coffee is associated with certain factors, which are identified by Debry (1994) as â€Å"need for a stimulant, preference for strong coffee, coffee connoisseurship, and choice of coffee-roasting shop† (p. 65). In terms of world consumption, France has shown a trend of decline from the years 2000 to 2004 with the only exception for the year 2001 to 2002 (International Coffee Organization, 2005). Relative to the numbers of other European countries, it is among the top consumers. Likewise, there is a growing chain of coffee shops owned by Columbus Cafes and this is a potential market for the equipment to be sold (Bell, 2001). The data gathered from both library and internet research does not produce the ample data required for the purpose of identifying the feasibility of an investment into this market. As of the moment, the only option left is to collaborate with associations or organization of coffee growers or producers in order to obtain the data for financial support for their programs, which is much lower than paying the firms. References Bell, J. (2001). For coffee in Paris, the future is now. Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http://www. allbusiness. com/manufacturing/food-manufacturing-food-coffee-tea/788729-1. html. Debry, G. (1994). Coffee and health. London, England: John Libbey & Company, Ltd. Eccellente Gourmet Coffee. (2005). Did you know? Retrieved January 21, 2009, from http://www. eccellentegourmetcoffee. com/didYouKnow. htm. International Coffee Organization. (2005). World coffee consumption by importing country. Retrieved January 21, 2008, from http://www. fas. usda. gov/htp/tropical/2005/12-05/cofconim. pdf. Levitt, C. & Rosch, M. (2006). The lawyer’s guide to fact finding on the internet. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 4

It was the little changes that surprised Elena the most. She had expected the Guardians to bring Fel ‘s Church back. And they had. The last time she'd seen the town, probably a quarter of the houses had been rubble. They'd been burned or bombed, some ful y destroyed, some only half-gone, with police tape dangling dismal y across what was left of their entrances. Around and above the ruined houses, trees and bushes had grown and stretched strangely, vines draping over the debris, giving the streets of the smal town the look of an ancient jungle. Now Fel ‘s Church was – mostly – the way Elena remembered it. A picture postcard – perfect smal Southern town of deep-porched houses surrounded by careful y tended flower gardens and big old trees. The sun was shining and the air was warm with the promise of a hot and humid Virginia summer day. From a few blocks away came the muted roar of a lawn mower, and the smel of cut grass fil ed the air. The Kinkade kids in the house on the corner had dragged out their badminton set and were batting the birdie back and forth; the youngest girl waved to Elena and Stefan as they passed. Everything took Elena back to the long July days she'd known al the previous summers of her life. Elena hadn't asked for her old life back, though. Her exact words had been: I want a new life, with my real old life behind me. She'd wanted Fel ‘s Church to be the way it would have been now, months later, if evil had never come to town back at the beginning of her senior year. But she hadn't realized how jarring al the little changes would be. The smal colonial-style house in the middle of the next block had been painted a surprising shade of pink, and the old oak tree in its front lawn had been cut down and replaced with a flowering shrub. â€Å"Huh.† Elena turned to Stefan as they passed the house. â€Å"Mrs. McCloskey must have died, or moved to a nursing home.† Stefan looked at her blankly. â€Å"She never would have let them paint her house that color. There must be new people living there,† she explained, shivering slightly. â€Å"What is it?† Stefan asked instantly, as attuned to her moods as ever. â€Å"Nothing, it's just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena tried to smile as she tucked a silky lock of hair behind her ear. â€Å"She used to feed me cookies when I was a kid. It's strange to realize she might have died of natural causes while we've been gone.† Stefan nodded, and the two walked silently to Fel ‘s Church's smal downtown. Elena was about to point out that her favorite coffee shop had been replaced by a drugstore, when she grabbed Stefan's arm. â€Å"Stefan. Look.† Coming toward them were Isobel Saitou and Jim Bryce. â€Å"Isobel! Jim!† Elena shouted joyful y, and ran toward them. But Isobel was stiff in her arms, and Jim was looking at her curiously. â€Å"Uh, hi?† Isobel said hesitantly. Elena instantly stepped back. Oops. In this life, did she even know Isobel? They'd been in school together, of course. Jim had gone out with Meredith a couple of times before he and Isobel started dating, although Elena hadn't known him wel . But it was possible she had never even spoken to quiet, studious Isobel Saitou before the kitsune came to town. Elena's mind worked busily, trying to figure out how to get out of this without seeming crazy. But a warm buzz of happiness kept rising up in her chest, keeping her from taking the problem too seriously. Isobel was okay. She'd suffered so much at the hands of the kitsune: She'd pierced herself in horrible ways and slit her own tongue so severely that even after she'd recovered from the kitsune's thral , she'd spoken in a soft slur. Worse, the kitsune goddess had been in Isobel's house the whole time, pretending to be Isobel's grandmother. And poor Jim†¦ Infected through Isobel, Jim had torn himself apart, eating at his own flesh. Yet here he was, as handsome and carefree – albeit mildly confused – as ever. Stefan smiled broadly, and Elena couldn't stop giggling. â€Å"Sorry, guys, I'm just†¦ so happy to see familiar faces from school. I must miss good old Robert E. Lee High School, you know? Who would have thought?† It was a pretty weak excuse, but Isobel and Jim smiled and nodded. Jim cleared his throat awkwardly and said, â€Å"Yeah, it was a good year, wasn't it?† Elena laughed again. She couldn't help herself. A good year. They chatted for a few minutes before Elena casual y asked, â€Å"How's your grandmother, Isobel?† Isobel looked at her blankly. â€Å"My grandmother?† she said. â€Å"You must be confusing me with someone else. Both my grandmothers have been dead for years.† â€Å"Oh, my mistake.† Elena said good-bye and managed to contain herself until Isobel and Jim were out of earshot. Then she took Stefan by the arms, pul ed him toward her, and gave him a resounding kiss, feeling delight and triumph passing back and forth between them. â€Å"We did it,† she said when the kiss had ended. â€Å"They're fine! And not just them.† More solemn now, she gazed up into his green eyes, so serious and kind. â€Å"We did something real y important and wonderful, didn't we?† â€Å"We did,† Stefan agreed, but she couldn't help but notice something hard in his voice as he said it. They walked hand in hand, and without discussing it, they headed for the edge of town, crossing Wickery Bridge and climbing the hil . They turned into the cemetery, past the ruined church where Katherine had hidden, and down into the little val ey below that held the newer part of the graveyard. Elena and Stefan sat down on the neatly trimmed grass by the big marble headstone with â€Å"Gilbert† carved into the front. â€Å"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad,† Elena whispered. â€Å"I'm sorry it's been so long.† Back in her old life, she had visited her parents' graves often, just to talk to them. She'd felt like they were able to hear her somehow, that they were wishing her wel from whatever higher plane they'd ended up on. It had always made her feel better to tel them her troubles, and before her life had gotten so complicated, she had told them everything. She put out one hand and gently touched the names and dates carved on the tombstone. Elena bent her head. â€Å"It's my fault they're dead,† she said. Stefan made a soft noise of disagreement, and she turned to look at him. â€Å"It is,† she said, her eyes burning. â€Å"The Guardians told me so.† Stefan sighed and kissed her forehead. â€Å"The Guardians wanted to kil you,† he said. â€Å"To make you one of them. And they accidental y kil ed your parents instead. It's no more your fault than if they had shot at you and missed.† â€Å"But I distracted my father at the critical moment and made him crash,† Elena said, hunching her shoulders. â€Å"So the Guardians say,† Stefan replied. â€Å"But they wouldn't want it to sound like their fault. They don't like to admit they make mistakes. The fact remains that the accident that kil ed your parents wouldn't have happened if the Guardians hadn't been there.† Elena lowered her eyes to hide the tears swimming in them. What Stefan said was true, she thought, but she couldn't stop the chorus of myfaultmyfaultmyfault in her head. A few wild violets were growing on her left, and she picked them, along with a patch of buttercups. Stefan joined her, handing her a sprig of columbine with yel ow bel -shaped blossoms to add to her tiny wildflower bouquet. â€Å"Damon never trusted the Guardians,† he said quietly. â€Å"Wel , he wouldn't – they don't think much of vampires. But beyond that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He reached for a tal stalk of Queen Anne's lace growing beside a nearby headstone. â€Å"Damon had a pretty finely tuned sense for detecting lies – the lies people told themselves and the ones they told other people. When we were young we had a tutor – a priest, no less – who I liked and my father trusted, and Damon despised. When the man ran off with my father's gold and a young lady from the neighborhood, Damon was the only one who wasn't surprised.† Stefan smiled at Elena. â€Å"He said that the priest's eyes were wrong. And that he spoke too smoothly.† Stefan shrugged. â€Å"My father and I never noticed. But Damon did.† Elena smiled tremulously. â€Å"He always knew when I wasn't being total y honest with him.† She had a sudden flash of memory: of Damon's deep black eyes holding hers, his pupils dilated like a cat's, his head tilting as their lips met. She looked away from Stefan's warm green eyes, so different from Damon's dark ones, and twisted the thick stalk of the Queen Anne's lace around the other flowers. When the bouquet was tied together, she placed it on her parents' grave. â€Å"I miss him,† Stefan said softly. â€Å"There was a time when I would have thought†¦ when his death might have been a relief. But I'm so glad we came together – that we were brothers again – before he died.† He put a gentle hand beneath Elena's chin and tilted her head up so that her eyes met his again. â€Å"I know you loved him, Elena. It's okay. You don't have to pretend.† Elena gave a little gasp of pain. It was like there was a dark hole inside her. She could laugh and smile and marvel at the restored town; she could love her family; but al the time there was this dul ache, this terrible sense of loss. Letting her tears loose at last, Elena fel into Stefan's arms. â€Å"Oh, my love,† he said, his voice catching, and they wept together, taking comfort in each other's warmth. Fine ash had fal en for a long time. Now it settled at last and the smal moon of the Nether World was covered with thick, sticky piles of dust. Here and there, opalescent fluid pooled against the charred blackness, coloring it with the rainbow of an oil slick. Nothing moved. Now that the Great Tree had disintegrated, nothing lived in this place. Deep below the surface of the ruined moon was a body. His poisoned blood had stopped flowing and he lay unmoving, unfeeling, unseeing. But the drops of fluid saturating his skin nourished him, and a slow thrum of magical life beat steadily on. Every now and then a flicker of consciousness rose within him. He had forgotten who he was and how he had died. But there was a voice somewhere deep inside him, a light, sweet voice he knew wel , that told him, Close your eyes now. Let go. Let go. Go. It was comforting, and his last spark of consciousness was holding on for a moment longer, just to hear it. He couldn't remember whose voice it was, although something in it reminded him of sunlight, of gold and lapis lazuli. Let go. He was slipping away, the last spark dimming, but it was al right. It was warm and comfortable, and he was ready to let go now. The voice would take him al the way to†¦ to wherever it was he would go. As the flicker of consciousness was about to go out for the last time, another voice – a sharper, more commanding voice, the voice of someone used to having his orders obeyed – spoke within him. She needs you. She's in danger. He couldn't let go. Not yet. That voice pul ed painful y at him, holding him to life. With a sharp shock, everything shifted. As if he'd been ripped out of that gentle, cozy place, he was suddenly freezing cold. Everything hurt. Deep within the ash, his fingers twitched.