Social Ills of a Society

Societal values of every society is sustained by the organs of the society. interestinly,the most important organ is the goverment. so goverment is the most important organ reponsible in maintaining societal values. We are all living in a democratic world today and like democracy is clearly define as â€Å"the goverment of the people by the people and for the people†,this means the goverment is the peolple that make up the society. Now,a society that has failed in all sense of the word,is not without the fault of the ones that inhabitates the environs. hen crime and iimmoral decadence become the order of the day,and is seen as the norm in a society,then we have an issue in our hand. I mean a society where boys of 18 years are drug barons and heads of gangs responsible for murder,robbery,and distribution of illicit drugs in the society. but inspite of all these,they are celebrated and worshipped by the society which they have destroyed. Education is one area that has recieved s et back greatly in this whole drama,as many young ones growing up don't see models in the light of education around them,yo follow. ut they see a lot of gangsters that are making money even from a very young age. so this becomes the benchmark for measuring success in this society.Those that even went to school,immediatly they got a job that could give them some money,they left the society and went some place else to build a life of thier own,as they really could'nt fit in to that world back home. This is the case with many african societies,and this has brought about alot of death,rape,unwanted pregnancies,child abuse and drug abuse. etc. but the society still feell trapped in this quagmire irrespective of the huge prices that is been paid for all of this. his is where agencies both govermental and non-govermental,should become more strategic in saving lives and the society. they should come up with orientation programes on the effect of drugs,alcohol, and crime. the goverment shoul d embark on compulsory secondary school education for all youth within the age of education. they should arrest and remand all crime defaulters so as to serve as deterrent for the others. they should build more schools in such societies and increase the activities of the law enforcement and drug enforcement agents in these kind of environs. All of these will help curb the menace of crime and drug in the socities.

Does Technology Always Improve Quality of Life Essay

In today’s globalised and modernised world, advancement in old technology resulted in modern technology and many discoveries have been made and quality of life of the people have improved as a result of availability of modern technology. Undoubtedly, modern technology has became a crucial and prominent aspects of our life. Although it has led to complications, it is actually reasonable to say that modern technology has very much improved the quality of life of people. Thus, I opine that modern technology does sometimes improve quality of life. Firstly, modern technology has improve quality of life through the improvement of healthcare services. Researches and development in the healthcare sector of society are conducted to find ways to make further improve quality of life. With the help of modern technology, for example, many different types of drugs and vaccines have been created and developed for disease prevention. The American medical announced that it is possible to vaccinate against brain cancer and perhaps more cancers can be vaccinated in a similar way. The chances of people contracting various illnesses are slim and thus, they live a healthier life. Some surgical procedures that were deemed extreme and dangerous in the past were made easier with modern surgical technology and the chances of succeeding was almost for sure, and one example is heart transplant. Hence, modern technology has lower the chances of us falling sick and increased the chances of recovering. Considering how modern technology has raise and increase life expectancy, allowing people to live healthier lives than before, it has proven to improve quality of life adversely for many people. Secondly, modern technology has improved transport and communication. In many countries, international trade is very important, as no one country can be self-sufficient in providing goods and services. This is especially so for a country like Singapore whereby we do not have a lot of natural resources and thus, our dependence on trade is large. Trade is heavily linked with transport and communication technology as they are vital for trade operations. For example, as a trading hub, Singapore has utilised modern technology to built cargo transportation cranes and in addition, communications between cargo ships and PSA improved and also position locating have became more accurate with the availability of modern technology. Hence more goods and services can be obtained and the people have more choices to consumed from, and they will be able to choice whatever is best for themselves, improving the quality of life. Thirdly, modern technology has increase productivity and made life easier for people as modern tools of production and industrialisation created by modern technology have enabled many countries to enjoy economical growth and create more wealth for the people and consequently creating better live for the citizens. For example, robots are used by many firms in Japan’s packing industries instead of human labour, and this robots such as the RF87 tokyo, are able to produce more output in a shorter period of time compared to human labour. This bring about increase productivity and consequently allowing success for the firms, and economic growth for the nation. Modern technology has also increase our access to information. Now, information technology is so advanced that we are able to find almost any kinds of information on the Internet just by typing certain key words in the search engines. With the increased efficiency and access to knowledge, society is able to identify opportunities for economic growth and with economic growth, quality of people’s lives can be improved. Furthermore, improving communication improves quality of life as information can be disseminated to everyone easily. Natural disasters in a certain country can be made known to the world almost immediately, thus allowing help to be provided quickly. For example, the earthquake that struck Haiti few years back was immediately reported to the rest of the world and countries like singapore were able to provide aid swiftly, so as to improve the quality of life of the victims. The needs of the people are catered to with the availability of modern technology, and has improve quality of life. Lastly, modern technology relieves global hunger. In the world, there are many people living in countries where they are faced with problems of lack of food, which may lead to starvation. This is especially so in developing countries where they are economically not stable and are not able to provide sufficiently for the people. Hence, with modern technology, for example, genetically modified food was developed whereby seeds of crops are injected with certain substances so as to develop traits that are favourable for a specific climate so as for the crop to grow well. Bacillus Thuringiensis(BT) bacteria is injected into corns to increase its resistivity to pests, and allowing them to grow in warmer environment. This allows more crops to be harvested. This is especially useful in third world countries such as Ethiopia whereby they live in regions that experience unpredictable climate, increasing food supply for the people, allowing them to stay nourished. Being more nourished, people will be less prone to falling sick as their daily nutritional requirements are met. Thus, they would live more healthy lives, improving their quality of life. Some people may argue that some of the certain substance used in the foods may cause allergic reactions to occur as some people maybe allergic to the substances. This may in turn lead to health problems, lowering quality of life. However, the efforts of developing GM food has largely improved the problem of hunger around the world, and as for the problem of allergies, this only affects very little amount of people, which can be solved for further advancement with technology. Hence, modern technology has improved quality of life’s. Modern technology does not always improve people’s quality of life, however, the benefits that modern technology has brought upon us greatly outweighs the limitations it carries. In our quest for development, we have no choice but to depend on and embrace modern technology, as the solutions for many problems in the world is dependant on modern technology. Modern technology has radically change the way we live and modern life will be greatly disrupted with technology.

Drect effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Drect effect - Essay Example The Court of Appeal referred two question to the ECJ and this are whether a different retirement age for men and women in breach of Directive 76/207 and if so whether Directive 76/207 to be relied on by Mrs. Marshall in the circumstances of the case. The Equal Treatment Directive 76/207, which is based not on Article 141 of the EC treaty but on the institutions general powers under Article 308 (ex 235), lays down the principle of equal treatment for men and women in Article 1(1). 1 (iii) The logic of this reasoning is that a Directive can only be invoked vertically, by an individual against the state, and not horizontally, by one individual against another, because individuals are not to blame for the non-implementation of the Directive. This view was EC law and national law confirmed in this case. In Marshall the issue of the horizontal effect of directives was, it seemed, finally laid to rest. In favour of horizontal effects is the fact that directives have always in fact been published, that Treaty provisions addressed to and imposing obligations on, MS have been held to be horizontally effective that it would be anomalous, and offend against the principle of equality. If an individual’s rights to invoke a directive were depend on the status, public or private, of the party against whom he wished to invoke it, that the useful effect of Community law would be weakened if individuals were not free to invoke the protection of Community law against all parties. Although ECJ imposed limitation on the HDE of directives, it also creates other strategies or ways to advance the domestic enforcement of these meaner which broadening the concept of state, indirect effect, incidental horizontal effect and state liability. However, the ECJ is expanding the concept of public sector in the case law and thus including more individual capable of protection of community law [Johnson v RUC2 and Foster v British Gas3] Part b) (i) The

Statutory Regulations on Consumer rights Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Statutory Regulations on Consumer rights - Essay Example The various legislations related to the consumer law protect the rights of a person as a consumer, whether it is of dispute regarding the sale and purchase of the goods/services, or it is of dispute regarding the quality of the goods. As a consumer, a person's rights are expressed as a series of "guarantees" that a seller automatically makes to you when you buy any good or service ordinarily purchased for personal use. These dictums manifest there always exist an agreement in between the seller and buyer/consumer while entering in a transaction. The parties to commercial contracts were considered to be themselves the best judges of what obligations should be imposed. For the most part the legislation was drafted from the buyer's perspective, and the legislation seems generally to prefer the interests of buyers. But some provision of the sale of goods legislations(1) does not impinge greatly on party autonomy like the Sale of Goods Act 1893 (UK). Even though the buyer enjoys such privileges, the law always ponders to lay down some provisions to regulate the consumer civil rights, amidst of numerous issues regarding the magnitude of the enhancement of such provisions. The provisions regarding the consumer's rights against the seller under sales law are to be found in the Sale of Goods A... The provisions regarding the consumer's rights against the seller under sales law are to be found in the Sale of Goods Act 1979, which is the derived version of Sale of goods Act 1863, as amended by the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994. Sections 12-15 of the Act lays down some implied terms into contracts for the sale of goods relating to title, conformity with description and sample, quality and fitness. The consumer's basic remedies are rejection of the goods and/or damages. The Supply of Goods (Implied Terms) Act 1973 and the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 implemented recommendations for the control of clauses purporting to restrict or exclude liability under the implied terms as to title, correspondence with description, fitness etc. The Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994 implemented recommendations relating to the reformulation of the implied term as to merchantable quality , making it clear that it applies to minor defects and covers durability of goods.(2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Carter, J. W. (1993) Party Autonomy and Statutory Regulation: Sale of Goods Commentary on rights of Termination, Journal of Contract Law and rejection: Impact of the CISG on Australian, English and Canadian law, 93-122 3. Select Committee on European Communities, (1997) Tenth Report, www.parliment.uk 3 The recent statutes extend the protection not only to individual consumers but to business entities also. Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1994(4) provides that they apply to any term in a contract concluded between sellers or supplier and a consumer where the said term has not been individually

Explain how westward expansion impacted American history Essay

Explain how westward expansion impacted American history - Essay Example However, the process turned to be violent due to the outbreak of the Mexican war. The Western expansion of America has some social, political and economic impact in the history of the country. Politically, the expansion to the west helped in spreading the American ideologies with major support of the Democratic Party. People moved to the western states of Kentucky and Tennessee where they survived under the ideologies of the Democratic Party that subjected great support to expansion (Billington and Martin 9). The early penetration of the Democratic Party in the areas towards the west of America confirms dominance of the party in the regions. The expansion also opened access of USA to the Atlantic and Pacific seas that linked America to other western countries like Mexico and Russia. Socially, the western expansion caused both positive and negative experiences. Positively, the passage of the Homestead Act of 1862 that encouraged people apply free 160-acre plots in the western regions of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Hawaii among others, would see many Blacks from the South migrate to own lands alongside the white slave masters. Social justice and fairness began to appear as a reality to the Black community (Billington and Martin 18). Negatively, the western expansion broke and ruined social life of Native American tribes who constituted the great population in the western sides. The communities struggled to resist the expansion and triggering war that saw displacement and killing of many Indians. Economically, western ward expansion supported expeditious completion of the Transcontinental Railway system that would facilitate trade across America, running from east to west. According to Carlisle, the access to ports along Atlantic and Pacific oceans surrounding some of the regions bought and annexed as part of expansion boosted trade power of America (20). It was easy to access

Global Trade Distribution Processes Dissertation

Global Trade Distribution Processes - Dissertation Example The company continues to enter new geographical markets is expanding its presence in already existing markets. The company use a distinct strategy concerning entry into a market for every new market and aims to promote the sale of its jewelry products and establish itself in a very short time with efficient brand positioning in the market. In markets that are well developed, PANDORA develops its market presence by using the current retail outlets that are available to it. However, in emerging markets, the company uses branded points of sale of the company, which are directly operated, and franchise in nature. For example, in 2009, PANDORA was able to gain access to a variety of markets and also prepared an entry into other markets. The markets included-Croatia, Indonesia, China, UAE, Turkey, Taiwan, Serbia, South Korea, Ukraine, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Italy, and Russia. A number of the markets were recorded to have high market potentials. In each of the potential markets in the different countries, PANDORA adopted different strategies to enter the market. In Russia for instance, PANDORA gained entry into the market by entering into a Master Distribution and Franchise Agreement with the country. It was programmed in such a way that the expansion of the retail market was based on a cluster strategy linked to geographical locations with an aim of optimizing the exposure of the brand. The focus was initially placed on St. Petersburg and Moscow and in 2010, 6 other concept stores were unveiled. PANDORA gained entry into the Italian market in July 2010.This was a big step because by doing so, it had gained entry into a market that is termed as Europe’s biggest market for fine jewelry. The company was based in Milan, their strategy involved visual merchandise and a team of sales representatives with an aim of covering the market through the use of points of sale that are a multi-brand. PANDORA was planning to sell products through 362 white stores, 70 silver stones, 7 gold stores, 1 concept store, and 12 shop-in-shops.

Business strategies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business strategies - Assignment Example Kohl’s Corporation is regarded to be a rapidly growing department store chain in the United States which offers apparel, valuable accessories for women, men and children, footwear and home furnishing products to its customers. It has been apparent that the corporation generated an amount of revenue in excess of US$13 billion in the year 2006. It performs its business and operational functions in several states of the US. The objective of the corporation is to achieve leadership position in the business market in the US (The New York Times Company). Thesis Statement This paper intends to identify the external trends in order to deal with the changing lifestyle and shopping experience of the consumers. Moreover, the kinds of external information which is required for the corporation to make effective decisions will be taken into consideration. Finally, the significant opportunities as well as the threats of Kohl which can be drawn from the case will also be addressed in the disc ussion. Discussion Question 1 According to the case, it has been viewed that Kohl adopted significant business strategies due to changing lifestyle, fashion and shopping experience of the customers. ... case, the strategic manager of Kohl has to deal with the changing lifestyle and the shopping experience of the customers with the motive of improving its profitability along with accomplishing superior competitive position over its chief business market competitors. In this context, the strategic managers of the corporation would have to identify the target market in order to deal with the aforementioned aspects. It can be pointed out that the primary target market of the corporation were mostly the women aged in between 25 years to 54 years. The other external trends which are important for the strategic managers of Kohl to consider include the price as well as the quality of the products and convenient location of the stores (Coulter 103-104). To keep track of the changing lifestyle and shopping experience of the customers, the business managers of Kohl may visit the location of its different retail outlets that are situated in different states of the US. This particular activity w ould support the corporation to analyze the business trends and preferences of the consumers. Moreover, it is necessary for the strategic managers of Kohl to conduct marketing research within its business market segment in order to maintain the track of the changes. By conducting the market research, the strategic managers of Kohl would be able to obtain frequent feedback from regular customers about their overall shopping experience. By conducting such research, the corporation would be able to analyze the purchasing behavior along with the shopping experiences of the customers at large (Kohl's Illinois, Inc). Discussion Question 2 There are several types of valuable external information which can assist a strategic business manager of an organisation to make significant business

The Art of Mimes and French Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Art of Mimes and French - Research Paper Example e_map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/France/Map&usg=__AyHrNyof1csp7K_Auvx6wDXt0Dg=&h=511&w=475&sz=51&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=wXeKpCxy6vCMUM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfrance%2Bmap%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D963%26bih%3D519%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=235&vpy=81&dur=1562&hovh=233&hovw=216&tx=124&ty=104&ei=8MTzTOKVMIqkuAOG_eiVCg&oei=8MTzTOKVMIqkuAOG_eiVCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0 Coastal plains are situated in the north and west of France. Alps mountain ranges cover the country from the south-east. Pyrenees ranges cover from the south-west Massif central from the south-central. French people show pride for their unique and individual national heritage. Their food and dining habits make them unique. French have invented cheese of 400 kinds. They consider wine to be their identity and an essential part of their diet. They are of good health and that is why, they always enjoy their work. They never prioritize the work above everything but just do it for enjoying life. French are found very much interested in discussing current affairs and political issues. They feel proud to be French and this is very obvious in their discussions. They proud of their long history and culture. They enjoy life. Even they work for pleasure and enjoyment. They seem to be relatively distant personalities and difficult to meet. However, they are generally polite but they do not free themselves with other people soon. It take time to build relations with French. They sometimes also seem to be rude. Specially, when discussing an issue, they want to reach to a conclusion. Their attitude at debate; making arguments and counter-arguments, may seem aggressive and ridiculous. But it is not so actually. They just want is to find the truth. One of the negative traits of French culture is criticizing. They are rarely pleased with what they have. Their criticism and dissatisfaction often lead to strikes,

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay Example for Free

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay Teachers hold the power and responsibility for building the foundations of intellectually and morally great minds. Since people spend a large chunk of their class and their entire formative years in school, their position and contact with young children and adolescents allows they shape and mold what these young people’s potentials and capabilities. Teachers have the opportunity to influence and inspire the future generations. As such, it is imperative that teachers become rightful role models of ethics for their students. Karl Menninger believed that â€Å"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches† (cited in Hunter, 2006). Menninger’s statement stress that teachers should always be a good ethical example for their students to look up to and learn from. A teacher must show tact, tolerance and morally-charge decision-making; he or she has to refrain from preferring one student over the other and from demonstrating disrespect or irritation for any of his or her students (Hunter, 2006). In a nutshell, for a teacher to be an ethical one, he or she has to always depict professionalism. Teacher professionalism manifests as both an internal, personal practice and an explicit expression. Professionalism starts from the inside. A teacher needs to make a fundamental commitment to teaching and to all the people that his or her teaching will touch (Phelps, 2003). This commitment is actualized by a teacher’s shown competency in his or her field and his or her capacity for following the teachers’ manual or code of ethics. It is essential that teachers recognize that their accountability should lie first, foremost and only with the students they teach. Therefore, a teacher shows his or her professionalism in how he or she prepares and plans how he or she could impart knowledge to the students in best way possible. Apart from making sure students understand what he or she is teaching to them now will have a high, enduring quality and will have more than just academic significance to students’ lives. To motivate and help them give their best effort every single day and to every single student, Phelps (2003) believes that teachers ought to accept and embrace all the challenges and hardships the journey of educating and aiding the youth’s learning may possess. In doing so, teaching is elevated to more than just a job for teachers but a calling. Professionalism requires teachers to invest themselves physically, mentally and emotionally in the process of the student’s education. This act allows teachers to make personal connections with students. Personal connections, relationships and bonds with one’s students are generally positive and helpful qualities. However, heavy emotional investments can also pave the way for the loss of professionalism, for which personal sentiments were invested in the first place. Emotional investments and personal connections can destroy professionalism and lead to a bending of the credibility of teacher-student ethics when they become the main object of teacher-student relationships instead of one of its reinforcements. When a teacher forms personal opinions or connections with one or a few particular students, it leads to a closeness or familiarity that can affect a teacher’s ethical conduct and professionalism. Examples would be developing a romantic relationship with a student or creating a hierarchy of student’s value based on a personal favoritism. Apart from creating partialities in favor of a student, personal opinions could further cloud a teacher’s judgment and create bias against a student or certain students. In both aspects, the founding of personal opinion can seriously hamper a teacher’s potential to be at his or her most professional best. Teachers are therefore reminded to abide by the code of ethics and ensure the protection of the rights of students, each and every single student (University of Iowa [UI], 2008). Teachers are encouraged to build rapport and make students comfortable in their presence enough for the students to liberally and honestly participate and contribute to class discussions. However, teachers are responsible for ensuring that there is still a professional boundary between them and student to prevent their relationship from getting too casual (UI, 2008). Teachers should instill and model fairness for all students of all racial, ethnical and economic background. Overall, ethics between teachers and students depend on the level of professionalism the teacher has. Teachers’ positions or social roles emphasize respect for one’s profession and the people they encounter. Teachers should direct all of their efforts and prioritize above all how they have contributed to students’ learning and development. References Hunter, D. (2006, Oct. 18). Teacher’s ethics. Articles Base. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. articlesbase. com/article-marketing-articles/teachers-ethics-64131. html Phelps, P. (2003). Teacher Professionalism. In Find Articles. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4009/is_200310/ai_n9335958 University of Iowa. (2008). The importance of teacher ethics. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. education. uiowa. edu/resources/tep/eportfolio/07e170folder/Ethics. htm

Three Gorges Dam Essay Example for Free

Three Gorges Dam Essay Do you consider the Three Gorges Dam to have been a good thing or a bad thing is it a success or a failure? In my opinion i believe the Three Gorges Dam is a success, simply because of the millions of lives it will save, by ? ood control. Having said that, the Three Gorges Dam does have many negative aspects. The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze river in Sandouping, Hubei province, China. It is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. Construction began in December 1994 and the dam was fully operational by the late 2011, its a costly situation as it cost $26 billion. The dam was built for three main reasons; to produce clean electricity, to control ? ooding and to improve shipping along the Yangtze. Resettlement is one of the greatest negative effects of the dam, around 1. 4 million people have had to move because their villages and towns have been lost beneath the rising waters. However, one of the most worrying consequences of the project has been the sharp increase in landslides around the dam. These landslides are being caused by the huge weight of water behind the dm and ? uctuations in the water level. The reservoir has already collapsed in 91 places and a total of 36km have caved in. The Three Gorges Dam also has a devastating impact on the environment; of the 3,000 to 4,000 remaining Siberian Crane, a large number currently spend the winter in wetlands that have been destroyed by the dam. The Dam also contributed to the extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin. In addition, populations of the Yangtze sturgeon are guaranteed to be negatively affected by the dam. Many people will bene? t from the Three Gorges Dam. Massive economic growth will be allowed by the new navigable waterways along the Yangtze which will provide mass transit of raw materials to the area. This combined with the signi? antly reduced transportations costs provides an attractive location for industry seeking a cheap labour force. In addition, and most importantly ? ood control; it will have a ? ood capacity of 22. 15 billion m , which will be suf? cient to control the greatest ? ood experienced in the past 100 years. It will protect 1,500,000 hectares of farmland and the lives and property of 15 million people. Another incredible factor of this dam, is power generation; the amount of energy produced by the hydroelectric turbines is 84. 6 billion kilowatt hours which is equivalent of 18 nuclear power stations. Tourism also developed greatly, the China Three Gorges Dam Project Corporation built the Tanziling to enable visitors to see the panorama of Three Gorges from the highest point. More than 800,000 tourists visited the Three Gorges Dam area in 2007, with tourism revenue of $15. 6 million. On the one hand, the Three Gorges Dam is a very costly situation and has many negative aspects especially on the environment but on the other hand the Three Gorges Dam has the potential to save the lives and property of 15 million people, therefore i strongly believe that the dam is a success.

Benchmarking With Costa Coffee And Caffe Nero Marketing Essay

Benchmarking With Costa Coffee And Caffe Nero Marketing Essay The organisation chosen for the report is Starbucks Corp. and the report would compare it with two similar companies, one being Costa Coffee and the other being Caffà © Nero. The report would highlight the frameworks underpinning the competitive position of Starbucks and also would identify and asses the economic and the competitive position of the firm. A financial model using appropriate ratio analysis would also be presented in a spreadsheet format identifying the industry trends and their impact on the performance of Starbucks vis-à  -vis Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero. Both quantitative and qualitative data would be made available so as to provide an insight into Starbucks sustainable performance and prospects. Analysis of Starbucks operational, financial, organisational and marketing capabilities would be made available through application of PESTEL analysis, Porters 5 forces model, the Ansoff Matrix and the BCG Matrix. The report would also discuss the issues, the problems, the opportunities and the options available to Starbucks for future business growth, followed by conclusions to draw together all the variables identified. Recommendations would be provided for the company highlighting the direction it needs to take to ensure business profitability with comments on the suitability, acceptability and the feasibility of the options made available. INTRODUCTION The Starbucks Company was founded in Seattle in 1971 by Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin and Zev Seigel with a vision to educate American consumers about the fine coffee drinking experience. In 1987 Howard Schultz took over the Starbucks Group. Starbucks is the number one in the industry, with more than 12,000 shops in more than 35 countries. Just within a couple of years they grew from a small coffee business house to a multi-million dollar player in the coffee industry by buying the best coffee available and providing the people with an unmatched store experience. Freshly brewed coffee is the main product offered by Starbucks along with other drinks which include cold and hot teas, cakes and pastries. The Starbucks coffee comes in a many varieties each possessing a different taste, aroma and flavour. INDUSTRY TRENDS AND MARKET ANALYSIS The market right now for gourmet coffee business is hot. All the multi-national fast food chains and street-corner shops want in on the boom. Many big companies are focused on the supply of specialty branded coffees and the economic stage is heating up. Specialty coffee industry is one of the fastest growing financial services globally. Growth in the coffee industry is continuously peaking, with many new overseas companies entering the market using policies offering exclusive perks and special discounts, despite the questionable quality of the coffee being used to increase the market share. A notable trend seen is that often a significant increase in sales occurs every time a cafà © starts to use branded consumables. The consensus is that these coffee drinks would be a long-term trend, with focus on elevating the customers taste for a product that they are familiar with and then leading them to the coffee stores to buy it. Many companies are also tinkering with expanding the food menus as well including an in-store display of sandwiches, fresh baked goods and many confectionary items. The newest trend is the drive-thru coffee stores. Starbucks has many such stores, all of which are seeing continual growth and long lines. Another trend includes customer requests for organic coffees, which has encouraged retailers to move towards the beans growing environment. The array of products offered has never been as wide, as retailers are adding more flavours to whole beans and creating variations to the basics of espresso and steamed milk. The clever retailers have added iced tea concoctions and coffee shakes to their menus to outdo competitors. Most specialty retailers now also retail whole beans and many such stores have added coffee grinders, espresso machines and other brewing supplies for add on sales. STARBUCKS ANALYSIS This part of the report would analyse the working of the business by application of PESTEL analysis, Porter 5 forces and the BCG Matrix. PESTEL Analysis POLITICAL Taxation policy High taxes levied on farmers in the bean producing countries, would consequently increase the rate at which Starbuck would buy the coffee beans and any such fluctuations in the taxation policy would certainly be passed on to the consumer, who now would have to purchase the end item at a higher price. International trade regulations and tariffs Trade issues would affect Starbucks directly when exporting and importing goods. When the government of the trading country imposes a tariff it would not only result in an efficiency loss for Starbucks but also such large income transfers can become inconsistent with equity. This extra charge would have to be borne by the consumers. Government stability A change in government policies has a direct impact on the taxation and legislation framework. Also the countries in political turmoil or civil war should be considered with great caution when considering probable market ventures. Employment law Reduction in the licensing and permit costs in coffee bean producing countries would consequently lower production costs for the farmers and any such saving would subsequently pass on to Starbucks when purchasing the raw materials and finally to the customers. ECONOMIC Interest rates High interest rates would mean putting off the investment and expansion plans of Starbucks, which would result in fewer earnings for the firm. Low interest rates should have the opposite effect. Economic Growth In periods of negative growth, the consumer incomes would fall leaving less disposable income thus impacting sales for Starbucks. Inflation rates Business costs will rise in times of inflation which would ultimately have to be borne by the consumer. Competitors pricing Competitive pricing from competitors would impact Starbucks pricing that would drive down the profit margin as they try to maintain their market share. Exchange rates If the currency value falls in a bean supplying country, Starbucks would get more for the same price, when importing the goods. This saving would be passed to the end consumer. SOCIAL Population demographics Identification of the target population at which Starbuck needs to aim their products is a significant factor in the business operations. The marketing campaign undertaken would focus accordingly. Coffee is a luxury product in some ways, so the people with the most amount of disposable income should be targeted. Working Population A large number of workers in big cities now go out for lunch and meals. Starbucks can cash this to their advantage by promoting the shop as a place where people can eat and meet, boosting the sales. TECHNOLOGICAL IT development Starbucks launched its first-generation e-commerce website in 1998. As a result, scalability and performance have improved, and the company now has the tools it needs to profile and target customers, analyse site data, and deliver new features to the market in the shortest time possible. New materials and processes Technology developments in coffee making machines and the computer systems that Starbucks use to operate their cash registers would enable the staff to work swiftly and efficiently. This results in customers being served quickly thus creating potential for serving more people in the day. Rate of technological change Technology is advancing at an astounding rate. Starbucks will need to invest majorly just to stand their ground in the always expanding and developing market, and also to try to stay ahead of competitors. ENVIRONMENTAL Pollution problems Starbucks customers create a lot of waste by disposing off the cup and the contents incorrectly. The material for the cup should be carefully selected to make it as biologically degradable as possible. Planning permissions Planning permission may not be granted to Starbucks if the construction would harm the environment. The land may be protected. Environmental pressure groups Starbucks should be aware of the influential and physical power of groups such as Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Any violation of animal or environmental rights by a company is usually followed by a swift and attention-drawing protest from one of the groups. Brand image and customer bases are often irreconcilably tarnished due to the actions of these groups. LEGAL Trade and product restrictions Starbucks need to follow the trade laws of the countries where they have established businesses. They must ensure that they are not in violation of any local laws. Some countries impose a tariff that has to be paid accordingly when importing or exporting goods and this must be taken into account as well. Employment laws Each country has different employment laws, like limiting the number of hours a person can work per week, varying levels of minimum wage etc. Starbucks should be aware of such factors when considering business expansion. Health and Safety regulations By not maintaining high standards they would be liable for damages if found in violation as it is a legal requirement for them to enable that their staff and customers are safe when they are in their stores. PORTER 5 FORCES ANALYSIS New Entrants MID Buyer Power MID Supplier Power LOW Competitive Rivalry LOW Substitution Threat LOW 1. COMPETITIVE RIVALRY (Low) Starbucks is the leader in retailing and roasting of specialty coffee in the world. Major competitors include Costa coffee, Caffà © Nero, Seattles Best Coffee and secondary coffee providers such as McDonalds, Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. The competition is nowhere near to Starbucks volume of operations and sales. Consumption of coffee is not dependent on the price of the product but also on the differentiation between each product and several value adding variables such as the quality of customer services, brand, brand recognition and image of the company. Hence, Starbucks is not majorly sensitive to movements of other firms in this segment. 2. THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS (Mid) Starbuck is the world leader in its industry and has controlled access to distribution channels. Starbucks have extreme control over such distribution channels because of setting strict guidelines for the suppliers to follow. Starbucks is also constantly innovating and showing strong product differentiation to hamper the possibility of new entrants. However, the entry barrier for the industry is relatively low and any big firm where funding is not a problem, can be a potential entrant. Some of the more current and on-going threats of new entrants are Burger King, McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts which can become a major problem in the near future. 3. BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS (Mid) A big threat to Starbucks is the absence of switching costs in the speciality coffee industry, customers face no switching costs in switching from Starbucks to Costa Coffee or Caffà © Nero for a cup of coffee. Also a threat to Starbucks is the ability of customers to brew their own coffee. Starbucks tries to counter this threat by offering the Preferred Office Coffee Providers and also provides directions for making a perfect cup of Starbucks coffee at home, that perfect cup of course includes all ingredients which have to be purchased from Starbucks Also with new entrants and competitors such as McDonalds who claim to offer premium roast coffee of reasonable quality for lower price, thus giving the customers some bargaining power. 4. BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS (Low) Central and South America produce coffee which is the second largest traded commodity in the world and Starbucks depends upon outside brokers and a mutually direct contact with exporters for supply of premium coffee beans. The quality of coffee beans sought by Starbucks is very high, proving to be a potential threat to the company. Only suppliers which meet Starbucks coffee standards are able to supply to the giant company. The supplying industry only has few firms which can deliver the quality giving them considerable bargaining powers. However, Starbucks counters this due to its massive size and being the primary buyer and also because of the importance of Starbucks business to any individual supplier as it would account for a large percentage of the total suppliers sales, thus reducing the bargaining power of suppliers. 5. THE THREAT OF SUBSTITUTION (Low) Substitute products are the products that can pose as a trade-off for the product being offered by a company. In the specialty coffee industry, substitute products can be soft drinks, tea, energy drinks, fruit juices and other caffeinated drinks. Here innovation would play a huge role. To counter this Starbucks have given their menus a complete revamp and have differentiated so many of their products which are now part of the main product line. The menu includes various teas, hot and cold coffee, baked goods and various confectionary items. The only true direct substitute for specialty coffee would be the basic coffee, which is of lower quality than specialty and as such does not present any threat. BCG MATRIX RELATIVE MARKET SHARE HIGH INDUSTRY SALES GROWTH RATE HIGH STARS ( Growth Strategy ) Global stores Market Penetration and Development Backward, Forward or Horizontal Integration LOW CASH COWS ( Stability Strategy ) Product Development and Differentiation Diversification U.S Stores ANSOFF MATRIX Present Product New Product Present Market Market Penetration: Hotels, Schools, Airlines, Grocery Stores, Businesses, and Industries Cafeteria Product Development: New Bold Fresh Lunch Programmes and Salads e.g. fiesta chicken salad, fruit and cheese platter New Market Market Development: Opening of stores all over the world. Expansion strategies into Brazil, Russia, Romania and India. Diversification: Music CDs, Clothing, Coffee Mugs and other accessories. STARBUCKS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS This part of the report would highlight the financial position of Starbucks using the annual reports and comprehensive ratio analysis for the financial years 2008, 2009 and 2010 which are enclosed in the appendix. 2008 In fiscal 2008, Starbucks experienced declining store sales in its stores, primarily due to lower customer traffic. The weaker traffic was caused due to number of on-going factors in the global economy such as the higher costs of gas, food, personal debt and rising levels of unemployment along with reduced access to consumer credit. In fiscal year 2008, store sales declined a margin of 8%. Consolidated operating income was $503.9 million in fiscal 2008, and operating margin for the year was 4.9% compared with 11.2% in the prior year. The 260 basis points of the decrease in operating margin were due to the restructuring charges, primarily related to the significant US store closures. EPS for fiscal 2008 was $0.43, compared to EPS of $0.86 per share earned in the previous year year. Restructuring charges and costs associated with the execution of the transformation agenda impacted EPS by approximately $0.28 per share in fiscal 2008. 2009 Financial year 2009 was a tough year for Starbucks. The recessionary economic environment stressed the consumer spending in the US and internationally, which impacted store sales, operating income, company revenues, and the operating margins negatively. Starbucks countered the affects and created a business model less dependent on high revenue growth to drive profitability margins. The strategy was to rationalize the global company operated store portfolio to reduce the cost structure and renewing the focus on customer service excellence. Starbucks had to close down about1000 stores. Steps that targeted reductions in the cost structure in FY 2009 proceeded according to plan, with full year costs of $581 million removed from the cost portfolio. The company created a strong financial foundation, with no short term debt outstanding at the end of FY 2009, with cash and liquid investments totalling more than $640 million. The strong financial position and the continuing strong cash flow generation allowed Starbucks the financial flexibility to implement the restructuring efforts. 2010 In fiscal 2010, revenues increased to a record $10.7 billion. Operating income increased by $857 million from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009 to $1.4 billion. The full-year operating margin of 13.3 % represented the highest full-year consolidated operating margin in Starbucks history. Fiscal 2010 ended with the highest full-year comparable store sales growth that Starbucks have seen in the recent past, while the earnings per share also grew more than double from  ¬Ã‚ scal 2009. BENCHMARKING WITH COSTA COFFEE AND CAFFÉ NERO Starbucks is a US chain whereas both Costa Coffee and Caffà © Nero were established in the UK. Costa Coffee was setup in London in 1971 by Bruno and Sergio Costa and acquired by Whitbread PLC in 1995. Caffà © Nero was established by Gerry Ford in 1997 in the UK. The comparison would be carried out using the financial information of the three firms which is available in the appendix. The comparison would majorly be based on the UK market. There are 1,175 Costa Coffee shops in Britain as compared to 731 of Starbucks and 440 of Caffà © Nero. A comprehensive business analysis of Starbucks has already been supplied in the above report; this part would focus on the business analysis of Caffà © Nero and Costa Coffee individually followed by a coherent conclusion of the findings. Costa Coffee According to the financial data available operating profit grew by 59.5% to  £36.2  million; 312 new stores were acquired or opened and like for like sales increased by 5.6%. Costa operates in 24 countries and is the number two international coffee shop operator with more than 1,600 stores. Sales performance improved strongly across the year, confirming the brands resilience, even in a recessionary environment. Caffà © Nero The groups 60% equity is held by the Ford family, the rest 30% by a private equity firm Paladin and 10% with the management. Caffà ¨ Nero has recently completed a  £140m refinancing to fund the businesss future growth goals. The business more than 500 outlets in the UK and internationally and has registered 54 consecutive quarters of positive like-for-like stores growth, it is forecast to generate  £32m in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for the 12 months to May 2011. Revenue for the same period is forecast to reach  £170m, an increase of 12% on the previous year. The new financial structure would provide the Group with a financial platform to support its growth ambitions and expansion plans both in the UK and internationally. Nero has a lot of ups including strong brand positioning, intensive marketing campaigns and a clear differentiation point. However, there are some weaknesses, one of them being lack of experience in going international, thus some problems could arise while penetrating foreign markets. Though both the companies Costa and Nero are well established in the UK market, Starbucks is the industry leader in the world and is a major competition to them in the UK. Financial turnover of the Starbucks Group is so massive that it provides them with all the capital requirements to innovate and differentiate their product from the 2 competitors; it already has established a sizeable market share in the UK, but still needs to take over Costa Coffee which it should be able to do in the near future, looking at the financial figures provided and the international global strategy adopted by the group which seems very promising. ISSUES FACING STARBUCKS A major challenge that Starbucks is dealing with is the current financial crunch in the world economy forcing them to call closures of many stores around the world. Also another challenge that Starbucks is facing is with is competitors. There are many coffee shops all over the world and to be able to stand out and to generate loyal customers is very important. Their main competitors are McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and Nestle in the US and brands like Costa Coffee and Caffà ¨ Nero in the UK, the two major markets for Starbucks. It is critical for Starbucks are aware of their competitors and know what they are currently doing. Also Starbuck coffees are priced higher than other market competitors because of Starbucks only purchasing the highest quality coffee beans for their product, thus increasing the price of the drink. As Starbucks have many competitors, this can be a potential advantage to for such competitors. Also Starbucks inadequate marketing strategy on advertising is a hindrance in the business growth opportunities. They prefer to build the brand by promoting the drinks cup-by-cup with customers. The advertisement ends until they drink the coffee, reducing the chances to attract valuable customers. Starbucks also does not emphasize on distributing their products to supermarket because of being concerned with the quality of the coffee; if the coffees were packaged into plastic bags. Also the rigorous expansion strategy followed by Starbucks can take a toll on the firms brand image. As a company grows there would be a tendency to focus heavily on increasing the output and store locations, thus focussing less on the quality and brand image. Starbucks needs to stay with its values and ideals that have made it successful. Also Starbucks policy of not franchising can be a cause of concern for the firm. Franchising would allow the company to open many new stores with less risk, and make considerable profits in doing so. Because of this the firms research and development costs would fall making use of the franchisee knowledge of the local market in terms of geographic, psychographics, demographics, and the local country regulations. CONCLUSION AND RECCOMENDATIONS Starbucks has to effectively pursue a Focus-Based Strategy in conjunction with differentiation and cost leadership based strategy. Being a lower cost store will increase the difference between Starbucks and provide it with a competitive edge. At present, Starbucks competitors are attempting to specialize in the coffee business, therefore Starbucks must pursue focus strategy to increase its strength. Starbucks must reduce their product price by producing a new product of coffee using cheaper beans or can come out with special discounts and promotions to reduce cost, thus increasing sales enabling Starbucks to enter new low cost markets and increase profitability. Also needs to focus on building alliances in new markets/countries to reduce management focus and benefit from the local and experience curves. Should focus on advertising the brand through internet services for users to access, do road shows, hand out brochures etc. so that consumers become more aware of the brands strong international presence and brand name. Market penetration and market development will help increase the sales. Access unexplored distribution channels like making available packaged Starbucks coffee for consumers by displaying it nationwide in various convenience and shopping stores and not only Starbucks stores. Starbucks must adopt twin policies of Product Development and Product-Market Diversification to counter the stiff competition in international markets. There needs to be concentration of efforts in the product development so as to focus majorly on making the existing products better. Product and market diversification can be modelled through research and development coupled with creativity and innovation. Product differentiation would be an excellent defence against the threat of the bargaining power of buyers. Developing new products lines may offset such potential risks. A strategy should be formulated to tackle the competition by entering into long-term contracts and agreements with the food service companies which could be the potential competitors. This way their coffee would be sold at these competitors outlets providing access to more markets and increase sales while decreasing the competition. Starbucks must be a first mover into markets with their new products and ideas. Being a first mover into developing international markets would be the appropriate way for Starbucks to build their customer loyalty and upholding its image as the innovative company that it is. Starbucks should also locate the store operations in possible high traffic and visibility areas. The company should take adequate care in picking such locations. It is of prime importance that Starbucks international stores reflect their trademark uniqueness in their location and layout. Having locations in a variety of areas will ensure large market exposure. REFRENCES Johnson, Scholes (2008) Exploring Corporate Strategy, 8th edition, FT Pitman Whittington Vaitilingam, R.(2005) Financial Times Guide to Using the Financial Pages, FT Prentice Hall Holmes, Sugden Gee (2008) Interpreting Company Reports Accounts 10thed, FT Prentice Hall Brealey, Myers Allen (2003) Principles of Corporate Finance 9thed McGraw Hill Miller, A (1998) Strategic Management, 3rd edition, McGraw Hill Grundy, T et al (1998) Exploring Strategic Financial Management Prentice Hall Buckley, A et al (1998) Corporate Finance Europe McGraw Hill Barker, R (2001)Determining Value valuation models and financial statements, FT Pitman Fraser L Ormiston A (2001) Understanding Financial Statements, Prentice Hall Shapiro A Balbirer S (2000) Modern Corporate Finance Prentice Hall Chorafas D (1995) Financial Models Simulation St Martins /Macmillan Watson D Head A (2001) Corporate Finance Principles Practice FT Prentice Hall Starbucks (2010) Company Profile [Online] Available from: http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/company-profile-feb10.pdf [Accessed 11th May 2011] Starbucks (2010) Recognition [Online] Available from http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/starbucks-recognition-jan2010.pdf [Accessed 2nd May 2011] Iwata (2006) Owner of small coffee shop takes on java titan Starbucks [Online] Availablefrom:http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2006-12-20-starbucks-usat_x.htm[Accessed 1st May 2011] Jagger (2008) Starbucks profits dive by 97% [Online] Available from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5127267.ece[Accessed 2nd May 2011] Linn (2008) Starbucks to close 600 stores in the U.S[Online].Available from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25482250/ns/business retail/[Accessed 2nd May 2011] Thompson (2008) Starbucks blames UK for weak performance[Online].Available from:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/starbucks-blames-uk-for-weak-performance-1012568.html [Accessed 3rd May 2011] Bowers (2010) Starbucks losses in UK rise to  £10m [Online].Available from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jul/09/starbucks-losses-rise-recession[Accessed 6th May 2011] Guardian.co.uk (2010) Starbucks triples profits to $240m [Online].Available from:http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/jan/21/starbucks-triples-profits-coffee[Accessed 14h May 2011] BBC.co.uk (2010) Starbucks profits jump as sales climb[Online].Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11699561 [Accessed 19th May 2010] Weber (2011) Preserving the Starbucks Counter Culture [Online]. Available from:http://www.workforce.com/section/recruiting-staffing/feature/preserving-starbucks-counter-culture/[Accessed 16th May 2010] Starbucks (2011) Investor Relations [Online] Available from http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99518p=irol-irhome[Accessed 3rd May 2011] Dobson (2011) www.statistics.gov.uk (2011) Employment [Online] .Available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=12 [Accessed 10th May 2011] Hoovers.com (2011) Starbucks Corporation [Online].Available from http://www.hoovers.com/company/Starbucks_Corporation/rhkchi-1.html [Accessed13th May 2011]

The Personality of Macbeth :: Macbeth essays

The Personality of Macbeth Macbeth is first presented as a mature man of definitely established character, successful in certain fields of activity, and enjoying an enviable reputation. One must not conclude that all Macbeth's actions are predictable. Macbeth's character is made out of potentialities and the environment, and no one, not even Macbeth, can know all of his inordinate self-love. Macbeth is determined by a desire for temporal and mutable good. Macbeth is driven in his conduct by an inordinate desire for worldly honors; his self emulation lies in buying golden opinions from all sorts of people. One must not deny Macbeth a human complexity of motives. For example, his fighting in Duncan's service is magnificent and courageous. Macbeth also rejoices in the success that crown his efforts in battle. Macbeth's services are also for his own glory. Macbeth says, "The service and the loyalty I owe, In doing it, pays itself." While Macbeth destroys Duncan's enemies, such motive work but are obscured in his consciousness by more vigorous urges. Macbeth by nature violently demands rewards. Macbeth fights courageously so he may be reported as a "valor's minion" and "Bellona's bridegroom." Macbeth values success because it brings fame, new titles, and royal favor. As long as these mutable goods fulfill his desires, which is the case until he covets the kingship, Macbeth is an honorable gentleman. Once Macbeth's self-love demands a satis faction that cannot be honorably obtained, he employs dishonorable tactics to gain his selfish desires. As Macbeth returns victoriously from battle, his self-love demands recognition of his greatness. The demonic forces of evil that drive Macbeth, symbolized by the witches, suggest to him to obtain the greatest mutable good he has ever desired, the kingdom. The witches observe Macbeth's expressions to understand the passions that are driving his dark desires he is so valiantly attempting to suppress. The witches predict Macbeth will be king. The witches can not compel Macbeth to do evil deeds, but they can use Macbeth's desire to become king to pervert his judgment of reason to corral him to choose temporal good. Macbeth's imagination and passions are so vivid under these evil impulses that "nothing is but what is not." Macbeth's reason becomes so impede that he judges, "These soliciting cannot be evil, cannot be good." Still Macbeth is provided with so much natural good that he is able to control his imagination and decide not to attempt any act that involves criminal actions.

Mirrorings by Lucy Grealy Essay -- Identity Self Worth Self Esteem ess

Mirrorings by Lucy Grealy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sure, some of us have this great confidence within ourselves about looking great, but that does not hold true for everyone. I understand the pain or disgust, or even disappointment one feels when they look in the mirror and say, â€Å"I wish I could change this or that about myself†. Although this piece is written about the author’s life, it holds meaning and connects with for many people; one only has to dig deep enough to find one. For me, it was to realize what is important in life can change, adapt and that we must explore our inner selves and find our own path in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this piece, Grealy describes the influence of her experiences of cancer, its treatments, and the resulting deformity of her face on her development as a person. She explores how physical appearance influences one's sexual identity and over all self worth. She also explores how one's own interpretation of one's appearance can be self fulfilling. Only after a year of not looking at herself in the mirror, ironically at a time when she appears more "normal" than ever before, does Grealy learn to embrace her inner self and to see herself as more than one’s looks or physical appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that the summary is out there for all who did not get to read the story let’s make some connections to everyday life. In the story is it said by the author that, â€Å"All the while I hated myself for having wept before the needle went in, convinced that the nurse and my mother we...

Format for the Celebration Speech

Format for the Celebration Speech Introduction: I. Attention GetterAn attention grabbing statement to get the audience interested in learning about your process II. Connection to the AudienceTell them why they should listen to you (i. e. how does learning this process benefit them personally) III. Central Idea/ Thesis StatementA one sentence summary and preview of the entire speech, i. e. What are you teaching them? Body: * Transition Statement * I. Body Area Main IdeaA one sentence summary of the first body areaA. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrates, explains, etc. the main idea for the body area B. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrates, explains, etc. the main idea for the body area * Transition Statement* II. Body Area Main IdeaA one sentence summary of the second body area A. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrates, explains, etc. the main idea for the body area B. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrate s, explains, etc. he main idea for the body area * Transition Statement* III. Body Area Main IdeaA one sentence summary of the third body area A. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrates, explains, etc. the main idea for the body area B. Supporting MaterialInformation that confirms, illustrates, explains, etc. the main idea for the body area * Transition Statement* Conclusion: I. Central IdeaRestate the central idea to review the main point of the speech II. Reconnect the Attention GetterReiterate your attention getter. This makes your speech feel â€Å"complete†) Note: You have some leeway with how to format the body areas for this speech. A Celebration speech or an Informative speech is organized depending upon the information you are sharing about your topic. You should focus on interesting facts, uses, etc. about your topic and should NOT do a recounting of the chronological information about the topic. Audiences quickly become bored with this approach.

Reading and Writing Development

Reading and Writing Development Tyesha Woods March 10, 2013 ADE/202 Susan Clark The two age groups that I have chosen are early childhood and middle childhood. Early childhood ranges from two to six years of age and middle childhood ranges from six to ten years of age. In the beginning stages of early childhood the child would not be reading or writing just yet. But they would be starting to learn how to read and to write. They should be learning how to recognize letters and how to put them together to form words.At the end of this stage the child should be able to read and write, or they should be at the beginning stages of reading and writing. The beginning stages of middle childhood the child should be at the beginning stages of reading and writing. By the end of the middle childhood the child’s reading and writing skills should be more advance. They should be able to read at a higher level. They should be able to take spelling words and look them up in the dictionary, writ e out the words, and make the words into sentences. For the children in early child the material that I would use would be handouts.The handouts will have the letters for the kids to trace. Then they would a beginners reading book. They would have to read the book and they would have to write about what they read. Another thing that I would do, is give the children an assignment where they had to match up the word with the picture. For example if the handout had pictures of a dog, cat, kite and cow the child would have to match the word with the picture. That should help with the reading aspect. For the writing I would have the child write the words out two times each. The material that I would use for the children in middle childhood is vocabulary and reading.I would give spelling words and assign to read a book. As far as the spelling words the first thing that I would do is have the students write out the words five times each so that they can get know the words. The second thing that I would do is, have the children look up the words in the dictionary. Another thing that I would do is having the students make sentences out of the words that I have given them. The finale thing that I would do is to give the students a spelling test. Now for the reading I would assign the children a book to read and the students, would have to read a few pages at a time.By the end of the week the student should finished the book, and as a weekend assignment they would have to write a small book report. The book report would have to tell what they read. I would also ask the children to write down the words that they did not understand. So, that I could take the words and turn them into spelling words. I would do this so that children would have a better understanding of the words that the children did not understand. I feel that these methods will help the children to improve their reading and writing skills. For both groups I would ask the parents to get involved with the ch ildren’s schoolwork.I would ask the parents to make sure that the kids do the work when the children are home. I will give the children work packets to take home so that they can keep practicing their work. The work that I would give would be done when the kids have spring break or on the weekend. I would do this so that the kids will not forget what they have learned in school. I would not give so much work that it would take away from the kids time off, but just enough to keep them sharp when it comes to their school work. I would recommend that the parents do the work with the children for two hours out of the day.The parents and the teachers need to work together. That is why I keep saying that the parents can help the child; the teachers can help the child while they are at school. The parents help at home by making sure that the child does the schoolwork and the teacher will check to make sure that the child did the work. If the parents and the teachers work together th ey can both help the child to strengthen their reading and writing skills. References Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod. (2004). Child Development: Educating and Working with Children and Adolescents. Retrieved from Teresa M. McDevitt and Jeanne Ellis Ormrod, ADE202 website.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 5. IMPRINT

â€Å"ARE YOU OKAY, JAKE? CHARLIE SAID YOU WERE HAVING a hard time. . . . Isn't it getting any better?† His warm hand curled around mine. â€Å"‘S not so bad,† he said, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. He walked slowly back to the driftwood bench, staring at the rainbow-colored pebbles, and pulling me along at his side. I sat back down on our tree, but he sat on the wet, rocky ground rather than next to me. I wondered if it was so that he could hide his face more easily. He kept my hand. I started babbling to fillthe silence. â€Å"It's been so long since I was here. I've probably missed a ton of things. How are Sam and Emily? And Embry? Did Quil -?† I broke off mid-sentence, remembering that Jacob's friend Quil had been a sensitive subject. â€Å"Ah, Quil,† Jacob sighed. So then it must have happened – Quil must have joined the pack. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I mumbled. To my surprise, Jacob snorted. â€Å"Don't say that to him.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Quil's not looking for pity. Just the opposite – he's jazzed. Totally thrilled.† This made no sense to me. All the other wolves had been so depressed at the idea of their friend sharing their fate. â€Å"Huh?† Jacob tilted his head back to look at me. He smiled and rolled his eyes. â€Å"Quil thinks it's the coolest thing that's ever happened to him. Part of it is finally knowing what's going on. And he's excited to have his friends back – to be part of the ‘in crowd.'† Jacob snorted again. â€Å"Shouldn't be surprised, I guess. It's so Quil.† â€Å"He likes it?† â€Å"Honestly . . . most of them do,† Jacob admitted slowly. â€Å"There are definitely good sides to this – the speed, the freedom, the strength . . . the sense of – of family. . . . Sam and I are the only ones who ever felt really bitter. And Sam got past that a long time ago. So I'm the crybaby now.† Jacob laughed at himself. There were so many things I wanted to know. â€Å"Why are you and Sam different? What happened to Sam anyway? What's his problem?† The questions tumbled out without room to answer them, and Jacob laughed again. â€Å"That's a long story.† â€Å"I told you a long story. Besides, I'm not in any hurry to get back,† I said, and then I grimaced as I thought of the trouble I would be in. He looked up at me swiftly, hearing the double edge in my words. â€Å"Will he be mad at you?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"He really hates it when I do things he considers . . . risky.† â€Å"Like hanging out with werewolves.† â€Å"Yeah.† Jacob shrugged. â€Å"So don't go back. I'll sleep on the couch.† â€Å"That's a great idea,† I grumbled. â€Å"Because then he would come looking for me.† Jacob stiffened, and then smiled bleakly. â€Å"Would he?† â€Å"If he was afraid I was hurt or something – probably.† â€Å"My idea's sounding better all the time.† â€Å"Please, Jake. That really bugs me.† â€Å"What does?† â€Å"That you two are so ready to kill each other!† I complained. â€Å"It makes me crazy. Why can't you both just be civilized?† â€Å"Is he ready to kill me?† Jacob asked with a grim smile, unconcerned by my anger. â€Å"Not like you seem to be!† I realized I was yelling. â€Å"At least he can be a grown-up about this. He knows that hurting you would hurt me – and so he never would. You don't seem to care about that at all!† â€Å"Yeah, right,† Jacob muttered. â€Å"I'm sure he's quite the pacifist.† â€Å"Ugh!† I ripped my hand out of his and shoved his head away. Then I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms tightly around them. I glared out toward the horizon, fuming. Jacob was quiet for a few minutes. Finally, he got up off the ground and sat beside me, putting his arm around my shoulders. I shook it off. â€Å"Sorry,† he said quietly. â€Å"I'll try to behave myself.† I didn't answer. â€Å"Do you still want to hear about Sam?† he offered. I shrugged. â€Å"Like I said, it's a long story. And very . . . strange. There're so many strange things about this new life. I haven't had time to tell you the half of it. And this thing with Sam – well, I don't know if I'll even be able to explain it right.† His words pricked my curiosity in spite of my irritation. â€Å"I'm listening,† I said stiffly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the side of his face pull up in a smile. â€Å"Sam had it so much harder than the rest of us. Because he was the first, and he was alone, and he didn't have anyone to tell him what was happening. Sam's grandfather died before he was born, and his father has never been around. There was no one there to recognize the signs. The first time it happened – the first time he phased – he thought he'd gone insane. It took him two weeks to calm down enough to change back. â€Å"This was before you came to Forks, so you wouldn't remember. Sam's mother and Leah Clearwater had the forest rangers searching for him, the police. People thought there had been an accident or something. . . .† â€Å"Leah?† I asked, surprised. Leah was Harry's daughter. Hearing her name sent an automatic surge of pity through me. Harry Clearwater, Charlie's life-long friend, had died of a heart attack this past spring. His voice changed, became heavier. â€Å"Yeah. Leah and Sam were high school sweethearts. They started dating when she was just a freshman. She was frantic when he disappeared.† â€Å"But he and Emily -â€Å" â€Å"I'll get to that – it's part of the story,† he said. He inhaled slowly, and then exhaled in a gust. I supposed it was silly for me to imagine that Sam had never loved anyone before Emily. Most people fall in and out of love many times in their lives. It was just that I'd seen Sam with Emily, and I couldn't imagine him with someone else. The way he looked at her . . . well, it reminded me of a look I'd seen sometimes in Edward's eyes – when he was looking at me. â€Å"Sam came back,† Jacob said, â€Å"but he wouldn't talk to anyone about where he'd been. Rumors flew – that he was up to no good, mostly. And then Sam happened to run in to Quil's grandfather one afternoon when Old Quil Ateara came to visit Mrs. Uley. Sam shook his hand. Old Quil just about had a stroke.† Jacob paused to laugh. â€Å"Why?† Jacob put his hand on my cheek and pulled my face around to look at him – he was leaning toward me, his face was just a few inches away. His palm burned my skin, like he had a fever. â€Å"Oh, right,† I said. It was uncomfortable, having my face so close to his with his hand hot against my skin. â€Å"Sam was running a temperature.† Jacob laughed again. â€Å"Sam's hand felt like he'd left it sitting on a hot stovetop.† He was so close, I could feel his warm breath. I reached up casually, to take his hand away and free my face, but wound my fingers through his so that I wouldn't hurt his feelings. He smiled and leaned back, undeceived by my attempt at nonchalance. â€Å"So Mr. Ateara went straight to the other elders,† Jacob went on. â€Å"They were the only ones left who still knew, who remembered. Mr. Ateara, Billy, and Harry had actually seen their grandfathers make the change. When Old Quil told them, they met with Sam secretly and explained. â€Å"It was easier when he understood – when he wasn't alone anymore. They knew he wouldn't be the only one affected by the Cullens' return† – he pronounced the name with unconscious bitterness – â€Å"but no one else was old enough. So Sam waited for the rest of us to join him. . . .† â€Å"The Cullens had no idea,† I said in a whisper. â€Å"They didn't think that werewolves still existed here. They didn't know that coming here would change you.† â€Å"It doesn't change the fact that it did.† â€Å"Remind me not to get on your bad side.† â€Å"You think I should be as forgiving as you are? We can't all be saints and martyrs.† â€Å"Grow up, Jacob.† â€Å"I wish I could,† he murmured quietly. I stared at him, trying to make sense of his response. â€Å"What?† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"One of those many strange things I mentioned.† â€Å"You . . . can't . . . grow up?† I said blankly. â€Å"You're what? Not . . . aging? Is that a joke?† â€Å"Nope.† He popped his lips on the P. I felt blood flood my face. Tears – tears of rage – filled my eyes. My teeth mashed together with an audible grinding sound. â€Å"Bella? What did I say?† I was on my feet again, my hands balled up into fists, my whole frame shaking. â€Å"You. Are. Not. Aging,† I growled through my teeth. Jacob tugged my arm gently, trying to make me sit. â€Å"None of us are. What's wrong with you?† â€Å"Am I the only one who has to get old? I get older every stinking day!† I nearly shrieked, throwing my hands in the air. Some little part of me recognized that I was throwing a Charlie-esque fit, but that rational part was greatly overshadowed by the irrational part. â€Å"Damn it! What kind of world is this? Where's the justice?† â€Å"Take it easy, Bella.† â€Å"Shut up, Jacob. Just shut up! This is so unfair!† â€Å"Did you seriously just stamp your foot? I thought girls only did that on TV.† I growled unimpressively. â€Å"It's not as bad as you seem to think it is. Sit down and I'll explain.† â€Å"I'll stand.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"Okay. Whatever you want. But listen, I will get older . . . someday.† â€Å"Explain.† He patted the tree. I glowered for a second, but then sat; my temper had burned out as suddenly as it had flared and I'd calmed down enough to realize that I was making a fool of myself. â€Å"When we get enough control to quit . . . ,† Jacob said. â€Å"When we stop phasing for a solid length of time, we age again. It's not easy.† He shook his head, abruptly doubtful. â€Å"It's gonna take a really long time to learn that kind of restraint, I think. Even Sam's not there yet. ‘Course it doesn't help that there's a huge coven of vampires right down the road. We can't even think about quitting when the tribe needs protectors. But you shouldn't get all bent out of shape about it, anyway, because I'm already older than you, physically at least.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"Look at me, Bells. Do I look sixteen?† I glanced up and down his mammoth frame, trying to be unbiased. â€Å"Not exactly, I guess.† â€Å"Not at all. Because we reach full growth inside of a few months when the werewolf gene gets triggered. It's one hell of a growth spurt.† He made a face. â€Å"Physically, I'm probably twenty-five or something. So there's no need for you to freak out about being too old for me for at least another seven years.† Twenty-five or something. The idea messed with my head. But I remembered that growth spurt – I remembered watching him shoot up and fill out right before my eyes. I remembered how he would look different from one day to the next. . . . I shook my head, feeling dizzy. â€Å"So, did you want to hear about Sam, or did you want to scream at me some more for things that are out of my control?† I took a deep breath. â€Å"Sorry. Age is a touchy subject for me. That hit a nerve.† Jacob's eyes tightened, and he looked as if he were trying to decide how to word something. Since I didn't want to talk about the truly touchy stuff – my plans for the future, or treaties that might be broken by said plans, I prompted him. â€Å"So once Sam understood what was going on, once he had Billy and Harry and Mr. Ateara, you said it wasn't so hard anymore. And, like you also said, there are the cool parts. . . .† I hesitated briefly. â€Å"Why does Sam hate them so much? Why does he wish I would hate them?† Jacob sighed. â€Å"This is the really weird part.† â€Å"I'm a pro at weird.† â€Å"Yeah, I know.† He grinned before he continued. â€Å"So, you're right. Sam knew what was going on, and everything was almost okay. In most ways, his life was back to, well, not normal. But better.† Then Jacob's expression tightened, like something painful was coming. â€Å"Sam couldn't tell Leah. We aren't supposed to tell anyone who doesn't have to know. And it wasn't really safe for him to be around her – but he cheated, just like I did with you. Leah was furious that he wouldn't tell her what was going on – where he'd been, where he went at night, why he was always so exhausted – but they were working it out. They were trying. They really loved each other.† â€Å"Did she find out? Is that what happened?† He shook his head. â€Å"No, that wasn't the problem. Her cousin, Emily Young, came down from the Makah reservation to visit her one weekend.† I gasped. â€Å"Emily is Leah's cousin?† â€Å"Second cousins. They're close, though. They were like sisters when they were kids.† â€Å"That's . . . horrible. How could Sam . . . ?† I trailed off, shaking my head. â€Å"Don't judge him just yet. Did anyone ever tell you . . . Have you ever heard of imprinting?† â€Å"Imprinting?† I repeated the unfamiliar word. â€Å"No. What's that mean?† â€Å"It's one of those bizarre things we have to deal with. It doesn't happen to everyone. In fact, it's the rare exception, not the rule. Sam had heard all the stories by then, the stories we all used to think were legends. He'd heard of imprinting, but he never dreamed . . .† â€Å"What is it?† I prodded. Jacob's eyes strayed to the ocean. â€Å"Sam did love Leah. But when he saw Emily, that didn't matter anymore. Sometimes . . . we don't exactly know why . . . we find our mates that way.† His eyes flashed back to me, his face reddening. â€Å"I mean . . . our soul mates.† â€Å"What way? Love at first sight?† I snickered. Jacob wasn't smiling. His dark eyes were critical of my reaction. â€Å"It's a little bit more powerful than that. More absolute.† â€Å"Sorry,† I muttered. â€Å"You're serious, aren't you?† â€Å"Yeah, I am.† â€Å"Love at first sight? But more powerful?† My voice still sounded dubious, and he could hear that. â€Å"It's not easy to explain. It doesn't matter, anyway.† He shrugged indifferently. â€Å"You wanted to know what happened to Sam to make him hate the vampires for changing him, to make him hate himself. And that's what happened. He broke Leah's heart. He went back on every promise he'd ever made her. Every day he has to see the accusation in her eyes, and know that she's right.† He stopped talking abruptly, as if he'd said something he hadn't meant to. â€Å"How did Emily deal with this? If she was so close to Leah . . . ?† Sam and Emily were utterly right together, two puzzle pieces, shaped for each other exactly. Still . . . how had Emily gotten past the fact that he'd belonged to someone else? Her sister, almost. â€Å"She was real angry, in the beginning. But it's hard to resist that level of commitment and adoration.† Jacob sighed. â€Å"And then, Sam could tell her everything. There are no rules that can bind you when you find your other half. You know how she got hurt?† â€Å"Yeah.† The story in Forks was that she was mauled by a bear, but I was in on the secret. Werewolves are unstable, Edward had said. The people near them get hurt. â€Å"Well, weirdly enough, that was sort of how they resolved things. Sam was so horrified, so sickened by himself, so full of hate for what he'd done. . . . He would have thrown himself under a bus if it would have made her feel better. He might have anyway, just to escape what he'd done. He was shattered. . . . Then, somehow, she was the one comforting him, and after that. . . .† Jacob didn't finish his thought, and I sensed the story had gotten too personal to share. â€Å"Poor Emily,† I whispered. â€Å"Poor Sam. Poor Leah. . . .† â€Å"Yeah, Leah got the worst end of the stick,† he agreed. â€Å"She puts on a brave face. She's going to be a bridesmaid.† I gazed away, toward the jagged rocks that rose from the ocean like stubby broken-off fingers on the south rim of the harbor, while I tried to make sense of it all. I could feel his eyes on my face, waiting for me to say something. â€Å"Did it happen to you?† I finally asked, still looking away. â€Å"This love-at-first-sight thing?† â€Å"No,† he answered briskly. â€Å"Sam and Jared are the only ones.† â€Å"Hmm,† I said, trying to sound only politely interested. I was relieved, and I tried to explain my reaction to myself. I decided I was just glad he didn't claim there was some mystical, wolfy connection between the two of us. Our relationship was confusing enough as it was. I didn't need any more of the supernatural than I already had to deal with. He was quiet, too, and the silence felt a little awkward. My intuition told me that I didn't want to hear what he was thinking. â€Å"How did that work out for Jared?† I asked to break the silence. â€Å"No drama there. It was just a girl he'd sat next to in school every day for a year and never looked at twice. And then, after he changed, he saw her again and never looked away. Kim was thrilled. She'd had a huge crush on him. She'd had his last name tacked on to the end of hers all over in her diary.† He laughed mockingly. I frowned. â€Å"Did Jared tell you that? He shouldn't have.† Jacob bit his lip. â€Å"I guess I shouldn't laugh. It was funny, though.† â€Å"Some soul mate.† He sighed. â€Å"Jared didn't tell us anything on purpose. I already told you this part, remember?† â€Å"Oh, yeah. You can hear each other's thoughts, but only when you're wolves, right?† â€Å"Right. Just like your bloodsucker.† He glowered. â€Å"Edward,† I corrected. â€Å"Sure, sure. That's how come I know so much about how Sam felt. It's not like he would have told us all that if he'd had a choice. Actually, that's something we all hate.† The bitterness was abruptly harsh in his voice. â€Å"It's awful. No privacy, no secrets. Everything you're ashamed of, laid out for everyone to see.† He shuddered. â€Å"It sounds horrible,† I whispered. â€Å"It is sometimes helpful when we need to coordinate,† he said grudgingly. â€Å"Once in a blue moon, when some bloodsucker crosses into our territory. Laurent was fun. And if the Cullens hadn't gotten in our way last Saturday . . . ugh!† he groaned. â€Å"We could have had her!† His fists clenched into angry balls. I flinched. As much as I worried about Jasper or Emmett getting hurt, it was nothing like the panic I felt at the idea of Jacob going up against Victoria. Emmett and Jasper were the closest thing to indestructible I could imagine. Jacob was still warm, still comparatively human. Mortal. I thought of Jacob facing Victoria, her brilliant hair blowing around her oddly feline face . . . and shuddered. Jacob looked up at me with a curious expression. â€Å"But isn't it like that for you all the time? Having him in your head?† â€Å"Oh, no. Edward's never in my head. He only wishes.† Jacob's expression became confused. â€Å"He can't hear me,† I explained, my voice a tiny bit smug from old habit. â€Å"I'm the only one like that, for him. We don't know why he can't.† â€Å"Weird,† Jacob said. â€Å"Yeah.† The smugness faded. â€Å"It probably means there's something wrong with my brain,† I admitted. â€Å"I already knew there was something wrong with your brain,† Jacob muttered. â€Å"Thanks.† The sun broke through the clouds suddenly, a surprise I hadn't been expecting, and I had to narrow my eyes against the glare off the water. Everything changed color – the waves turned from gray to blue, the trees from dull olive to brilliant jade, and the rainbow-hued pebbles glittered like jewels. We squinted for a moment, letting our eyes adjust. There were no sounds besides the hollow roar of the waves that echoed from every side of the sheltered harbor, the soft grinding of the stones against each other under the water's movement, and the cry of gulls high overhead. It was very peaceful. Jacob settled closer to me, so that he was leaning against my arm. He was so warm. After a minute of this, I shrugged out of my rain jacket. He made a little sound of contentment in the back of his throat, and rested his cheek on the top of my head. I could feel the sun heat my skin – thought it was not quite as warm as Jacob – and I wondered idly how long it would take me to burn. Absentmindedly, I twisted my right hand to the side, and watched the sunlight glitter subtly off the scar James had left there. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† he murmured. â€Å"The sun.† â€Å"Mmm. It's nice.† â€Å"What are you thinking about?† I asked. He chuckled to himself. â€Å"I was remembering that moronic movie you took me to. And Mike Newton puking all over everything.† I laughed, too, surprised by how time had changed the memory. It used to be one of stress, of confusion. So much had changed that night. . . . And now I could laugh. It was the last night Jacob and I had had before he'd learned the truth about his heritage. The last human memory. An oddly pleasant memory now. â€Å"I miss that,† Jacob said. â€Å"The way it used to be so easy . . . uncomplicated. I'm glad I've got a good memory.† He sighed. He felt the sudden tension in my body as his words triggered a memory of my own. â€Å"What is it?† he asked. â€Å"About that good memory of yours . . .† I pulled away from him so that I could read his face. At the moment, it was confused. â€Å"Do you mind telling me what you were doing Monday morning? You were thinking something that bothered Edward.† Bothered wasn't quite the word for it, but I wanted an answer, so I thought it was best not to start out too severely. Jacob's face brightened with understanding, and he laughed. â€Å"I was just thinking about you. Didn't like that much, did he?† â€Å"Me? What about me?† Jacob laughed, with a harder edge this time. â€Å"I was remembering the way you looked that night Sam found you – I've seen it in his head, and it's like I was there; that memory has always haunted Sam, you know. And then I remembered how you looked the first time you came to my place. I bet you don't even realize what a mess you were then, Bella. It was weeks before you started to look human again. And I remembered how you always used to have your arms wrapped around yourself, trying to hold yourself together. . . .† Jacob winced, and then shook his head. â€Å"It's hard for me to remember how sad you were, and it wasn't my fault. So I figured it would be harder for him. And I thought he ought to get a look at what he'd done.† I smacked his shoulder. It hurt my hand. â€Å"Jacob Black, don't you ever do that again! Promise me you won't.† â€Å"No way. I haven't had that much fun in months.† â€Å"So help me, Jake -â€Å" â€Å"Oh, get a grip, Bella. When am I ever going to see him again? Don't worry about it.† I got to my feet, and he caught my hand as I started to walk away. I tried to tug free. â€Å"I'm leaving, Jacob.† â€Å"No, don't go yet,† he protested, his hand tightening around mine. â€Å"I'm sorry. And . . . okay, I won't do it again. Promise.† I sighed. â€Å"Thanks, Jake.† â€Å"Come on, we'll go back to my house,† he said eagerly. â€Å"Actually, I think I really do need to go. Angela Weber is expecting me, and I know Alice is worried. I don't want to upset her too much.† â€Å"But you just got here!† â€Å"It feels that way,† I agreed. I glared up at the sun, somehow already directly overhead. How had the time passed so quickly? His eyebrows pulled down over his eyes. â€Å"I don't know when I'll see you again,† he said in a hurt voice. â€Å"I'll come back the next time he's away,† I promised impulsively. â€Å"Away?† Jacob rolled his eyes. â€Å"That's a nice way to describe what he's doing. Disgusting parasites.† â€Å"If you can't be nice, I won't come back at all!† I threatened, trying to pull my hand free. He refused to let go. â€Å"Aw, don't be mad,† he said, grinning. â€Å"Knee-jerk reaction.† â€Å"If I'm going to try to come back again, you're going to have to get something straight, okay?† He waited. â€Å"See,† I explained. â€Å"I don't care who's a vampire and who's a werewolf. That's irrelevant. You are Jacob, and he is Edward, and I am Bella. And nothing else matters.† His eyes narrowed slightly. â€Å"But I am a werewolf,† he said unwillingly. â€Å"And he is a vampire,† he added with obvious revulsion. â€Å"And I'm a Virgo!† I shouted, exasperated. He raised his eyebrows, measuring my expression with curious eyes. Finally, he shrugged. â€Å"If you can really see it that way . . .† â€Å"I can. I do.† â€Å"Okay. Just Bella and Jacob. None of those freaky Virgos here.† He smiled at me, the warm, familiar smile that I had missed so much. I felt the answering smile spread across my face. â€Å"I've really missed you, Jake,† I admitted impulsively. â€Å"Me, too,† his smile widened. His eyes were happy and clear, free for once of the angry bitterness. â€Å"More than you know. Will you come back soon?† â€Å"As soon as I can,† I promised.

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment BY unet193 World Literature The Enlightenment's Impact on the Modern World The Enlightenment, Age of Reason, began in the late 17th and 18th century. This was a period in Europe and America when mankind was emerging from centuries of ignorance into a new age enlightened by reason, science, and respect for humanity. This period promoted scientific thought, skeptics, and intellectual interchange: dismissing superstition, intolerance, and for some, religion. Western Europe, Germany, France, and Great Britain, and the American Colonies generally influenced the age of reason.Following the Renaissance, science and rationality was the forefront of this age. The enlightenment came as a wave throughout Europe, drastically changing the culture. The literature of time reflected this idea. Authors such as Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were torchbearers of this time, writing Enlightenment literature and philosophy. The Enlightenment was the forefront for modern literature a nd changed the way people viewed and interacted with the world, without it society today would not be the same. The ideas of the Enlightenment have had a long-term major impact on the culture, politics, and governments of theWestern worlds. English philosopher John Locke's principles of religious tolerance, the separation of church and state, and the social contract, for instance, greatly influenced the Founding Fathers of the United States as they planned their new country. Locke's idea of a social contract, which Rousseau in particular developed, was also of great importance in France both before and after the French Revolution. Democratic institutions were in existence to some degree in England, Switzerland, and the United Province of the Netherlands when Rousseau elaborated his social contract.Many of the ideas that the philosophers developed are intrinsic to modern democratic society, and they were often developed with the intent of creating such a society. It is important to n ote that Enlightenment thinkers were not the only source of such ideas. These are only two of many examples of how these ideas influenced later events. In fact, these three countries were important centers for printing and discussion, even though much of the discussion was about how to change the repressive society in France; French exiles, including both Rousseau and Voltaire, took efuge in these countries when the French state sought to silence them.The 18th century was a time, which saw a significant expansion of knowledge in the realm of the natural world. In conjunction with the emerging philosophical enquiry of the Enlightenment, men of science began to investigate widespread beliefs about the structure of the universe, and even the type of knowledge that was possible for the human mind to understand. A great many of the Enlightenment writers possessed a background in the sciences, or a willingness to conduct scientific experiments. Adam Smith, US representative and philosophe r states, Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition. (Smith) Like many he believed that in order to clear the mind ot talse superstition and tocus on the true nature of a human science was necessary. A notable opponent was Rousseau, he believed that science led to the distancing of mankind from nature and often worked against the improvement and development of individuals. The spread of science in the 18th century was enhanced by the numbers of scientific societies and academies which had started to emerge in the previous century and which, in eneral, accepted â€Å"Newtonianism† over the Cartesian system.It should be noted, however, that science was not a term often used by Enlightenment thinkers; the use of natural philosophy illustrates that it was originally conceived of as a line of enquiry that shared contact points with moral philosophy and epistemology. The philosophers generally favored reducing government control over the market, whi ch we call â€Å"laissez-faire† economics. The most prominent school of laissez-faire thinkers in France were the physiocrats, who believed that the only real ource of national wealth was agriculture.An unobstructed supply of grain in France would be a means of increasing total output. In 1776 Adam Smith published The Wealth of Nations, which forwards similar ideas. Smith was somewhat different from the physiocrats, though, because he believed that labor and the market were the prime creators of wealth. Smith argues â€Å"The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and Judgment with which it is anywhere directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of abour. (Smith) He believes labor for one owns success is the best way to work, not wealth based on social standings. In making these arguments, both the physiocrats and Adam Smith struck at the hold that the aristocracy was trying to maintain o n the economy. Locke agrees, â€Å"All wealth is the product of labor† The laissez-faire economists believed that wealth should not be confined to one class. As articulated in France, therefore, the argument for laissez-faire economics was an argument that the ancient regime should be abolished and replaced with a more equal basis for ociety.Most literature was nonfiction, which means it was based on fact rather than being made up by the author's imagination. Its aims were to instruct, to enlighten, and to make people think. Immanuel Kant, German philosopher, states â€Å"Two things inspire me to awe: the starry heavens above and the moral universe within. â€Å"(Kant) He explains the sort of wonder and inspiration found in the literature of the Enlightenment age Two of the primary targets of critical examination during the Enlightenment were governments and religious authorities.These calls for reform ere raised by some of the most eloquent writers in history, such that th e Enlightenment is also known as the golden age of satire. The two leading figures of Enlightenment satire are Voltaire (in French) and Swift (in English). Voltaire battled many forms of injustice, including religious and political discrimination, arbitrary imprisonment, and torture. He is known primarily for his many philosophical and satirical works, including novels, short stories, and essays. His masterpiece is the novel Gulliver's Travels, a broad examination of ethics, politics, and society framed in series of fantastic adventures.During the late seventeenth century, France waxed as the supreme political and cultural power of Europe. Classical French literature flourished especially in the form of drama. French tragedy peaked in the works of Jean Racine, while Moliere, otten considered the greatest ot all French dramatists, attained the pinnacle of French comedy. While ancient and medieval writers produced novels, the form received unprecedented attention in modern times. Form ative age novel writing flourished primarily in Spanish, French, English, and German.As the novel did not achieve its supreme position until the nineteenth century, novelists of the formative age are generally less prominent than other literary fgures, namely poets and dramatists. Nonetheless, a list of the foremost novelists of the formative age will be attempted here: in Spanish, Cervantes; Defoe's foremost work, Robinson Crusoe, is likely the most widely familiar novel of the entire formative age. These ideas, works, and principles of the Enlightenment would continue to affect Europe and the rest of the Western world for decades and even centuries to come.Nearly every theory or fact that is held in modern science has a foundation in the Enlightenment; Yet it is not simply the knowledge attained during the Enlightenment that makes the era so pivotal†it's also the era's groundbreaking and tenacious new approaches to investigation, reasoning, and problem solving that make it s o important. although some may have been persecuted for their new ideas, it nevertheless became indisputable that thought had the power to incite real change. Just like calculus or free trade, the very concept of freedom of expression had to come from somewhere, and it too had firm roots in the Enlightenment.