Case Closed: A short Story

Jackie dropped her blue fountain pen and relaxed her aching wrist. She had been reading and adding to the notes of her client's case for the last two hours. It was taking place the next day and she hadn't even read halfway through yet. Laying back in the comfy black office chair she let out a long yawn and stretched out her legs under the desk. Her neck and back were as stiff as a board and she let out a low moan as she turned her head from side to side. Jackie loved her job as a lawyer. Eating, sleeping and drinking her work she would often receive criticism telling her that there was more to life than just work and that you where supposed to work to live not live to work. She was so bored of hearing it. That's why she lived alone, she was able to get on with extra work and block people out. She knew that they just didn't understand how passionate she was about her job. Well for most aspects of it. She hated doing all the written work and the notes on the cases. After hours of relentless writing, her skinny arm felt as if it was about to drop off. She slowly unhinged her sore arms and stretched up towards the ceiling letting out another deep yawn. She new she would need motivation if she was going to continue with her work. She rose from her warm, moulded seat and dragged herself over to her immaculate, open plan kitchen. Although Jackie's job took up most of her life she had always been a bit of a clean freak. She couldn't bear the sight of untidiness and she always found herself putting things away and cleaning up. Her indolent arms reached up to the wooden shelf and she grabbed a wine glass. Filling the glass up to the brim Jackie took a long gulp and returned back to her study. As she sat back down in her cosy chair she was disturbed by the irritating ring of her telephone. Sighing and reluctantly getting up again, she walked across the room to the phone and clearing her sore throat she picked it up. â€Å"Hello?† No answer. â€Å"Hello?† she repeated herself rolling her exhausted eyes. Still silence. Slamming the phone down she returned back to her desk feeling annoyed that someone had disturbed her. She took another sip of her wine and unwillingly picked up her fountain pen again. Jackie sat in her warm office in deep concentration. She had no longer sat down that she was bothered again. But this time it wasn't her annoying telephone. The noise that filled her ears made her jump out of her skin. It sounded like a lost soul shrieking from the depths of hell. It was her car alarm. Jackie strided through the narrow hallway and wrenched open the front door causing a gust of icy wind to hit her and enter the house. She cautiously walked down the footpath, biting her dry lips, her once warm feet slapping against the smooth glacial pavement. Pushing her tangled curly hair out of her face she bent down and checked underneath her car. Nothing. She glanced across the drive and not wanting to catch a cold for her big day tomorrow she hopped back up the footpath and back into her heated house. Turning the heating up on the wall she returned back to her work filled desk. She picked up her glass and stopped. The glass that she had left on the desk to go and investigate her car alarm going off had been half full. Now it was empty. She stood up, heart racing and stared around the room. She looked back at the glass suspiciously and rubbed her weary eyes. â€Å"I'm going mad† she muttered to herself. Jackie tried to dismiss that somebody had drank from her glass but she couldn't stop thinking about the fact she was sure she hadn't drank it all. She glided over to the front door and pulled across the top lock. She felt slightly easier and safer now. Positioning herself in her chair she went to begin her work. Again she stopped. Her fountain pen that she always kept on top of the mountainous piles of work had gone. Puzzled, Jackie began moving her papers out of the way and searching the whole desk work top for the pen. Giving up and becoming very stressed out because of all her disturbances she furiously got up again and went in search of another pen. She stomped in to the kitchen opened the white sliding draw looking for a biro or something of that sort that she could carry on scrawling her notes with. With no look she slammed the drawer shut and spun back around to have a look in the sitting room. She froze. There was her fountain pen propped up against her porcelain vase on the corner table. The hairs on the back of Jackie's neck stood up. She was positive she hadn't even been in the sitting room all night. She attentively moved across the room towards the pen. When she got there she stopped for a moment and just looked at it, it had been balanced against the vase. She was so bewildered that her heart started to race. She heard a deep breathing sound coming behind her. She couldn't move as her legs had gone numb with terror. Slowly she turned her head but before she could catch sight of her intruder she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. Jackie fell forward knocking over the vase and hitting her face against the solid wall. She fell to the floor in a state of shock. The stranger dragged Jackie up by her long, blood-soaked hair. Without thinking she grabbed the man's thick, hairy arm and sunk her teeth deep into his flesh. His grip loosened on her hair and she stumbled across the room falling against her desk. Hitting the floor again Jackie began to crawl towards the door in hope to get away from the attacker. She lunged for the handle and tried to turn it. It didn't move. She remembered she had locked it minutes before. Frantically trying to unlock it she could hear him breathing behind her. The lock clicked open but it was too late. She felt another piercing blow to her head, then darkness. Jackie woke up with a start. The pain in her head was unbearable. She was trying to catch her breath but she couldn't, her lungs felt as if they were about to explode. She attempted to sit up, but hit her head on what seemed like a wooden surface that was inches in front of her face. She was terrified; she needed to know where she was. She hated not being in control of situations. She tried to move her arms. They were pressed tightly to her sides. She was in some sort of box. She let out a long, high pitched scream. Little did she know that there was no chance any living person would ever hear her.

Persuasive Speaking Outline Essay

Introduction: Why same sex couples should be allowed to get married †¢America is a nation of peace and equality †¢The definition of marriage excludes the union of same sex couples †¢Gays have family values too Body: Studies. Statistics. Benefits †¢Sixteen countries allow same-sex couples to marry †¢Legalization of same sex marriage increases with the higher levels of education. †¢54% of Americans support marriage equality Conclusion: What should we do? †¢Same sex couples should be treated equally †¢We should have an open mind, big heart and brain What’s the reason people get married for? So let me show you a short video first: America is a nation of peace and equality, however there have always been minority groups restricted from these basic rights. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary marriage is the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a contractual relationship recognized by  law. The definition excludes the union of same sex couples. Gays have been fighting for rights since the 1960’s, maybe even before then, and yet today. So banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. Making this issue illegal is also a form of discrimination. Nobody likes feeling inferior, or like they a below standards, by making sex marriage illegal you are making people who are attracted to the same sex feel and seem inferior to others. Homosexuality is not a conscious choice; it’s something they are born with. You may not think about it, but gays have family values too. They have many strong family benefits that some straight marriages lack, such as being more open-minded and accepting. Gay couples have even been proven to have stronger emotional bonds than straight couples. And since 2 people of the same sex can’t reproduce on their own, child adoption rates would increase. Strong family benefits and strong emotional bonds are essential to long-lasting relationships and marriages. As of 9 May 2014, sixteen countries (Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark,[nb 1] France, Iceland, Netherlands,[nb 2] New Zealand,[nb 3] Norway, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, United Kingdom,[nb 4] Uruguay) and several sub-national jurisdictions (parts of Mexico and the United States) allow same-sex couples to marry. Studies conducted in several countries indicate the support for the legalization of same sex marriage increases with the higher levels of education and a very strong support of young people in todays society. Additionally, polls show that there is rising support for same sex marriage across all races, ethinicities, ages, religion and socioeconomics. A majority of todays society doesn’t quite understand the concept of gay marriage. Even though 54% of Americans support marriage equality, and the rest oppose, and the ones who support are generally very open minded and educated about the topic and mostly in the younger age groups. Civil rights are something people have worked hard to maintain over the years, abolishing slavery and treating women equally. Homosexual couples are no different. They deserve to have their civil rights fulfilled, just like women deserve to vote, they should be allowed to get married. Majority of the population against same sex marriage firmly believe the bible states  that it is unholy for couples of the same gender to marry. In the end same sex couples are really just couples and should be treated as such. They should be allowed the benefits of marriage, treated equally, not like they are inferior, and same sex couples should be allowed their civil rights. What should we do? We should have an open mind, big heart and brain. Don’t spend entire life hating because someone is different, and don’t really understand them. Everyone deserves a chance to love. Work cited page: http://prezi.com/obkis61thxax/same-sex-marriage-persuasive-speech/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage

A Game of Thrones Chapter Eleven

Daenerys Daenerys Targaryen wed Khal Drogo with fear and barbaric splendor in a field beyond the walls of Pentos, for the Dothraki believed that all things of importance in a man's life must be done beneath the open sky. Drogo had called his khalasar to attend him and they had come, forty thousand Dothraki warriors and uncounted numbers of women, children, and slaves. Outside the city walls they camped with their vast herds, raising palaces of woven grass, eating everything in sight, and making the good folk of Pentos more anxious with every passing day. â€Å"My fellow magisters have doubled the size of the city guard,† Illyrio told them over platters of honey duck and orange snap peppers one night at the manse that had been Drogo's. The khal had joined his khalasar, his estate given over to Daenerys and her brother until the wedding. â€Å"Best we get Princess Daenerys wedded quickly before they hand half the wealth of Pentos away to sellswords and bravos,† Ser Jorah Mormont jested. The exile had offered her brother his sword the night Dany had been sold to Kbal Drogo; Viserys had accepted eagerly. Mormont had been their constant companion ever since. Magister Illyrio laughed lightly through his forked beard, but Viserys did not so much as smile. â€Å"He can have her tomorrow, if he likes,† her brother said. He glanced over at Dany, and she lowered her eyes. â€Å"So long as he pays the price.† Illyrio waved a languid hand in the air, rings glittering on his fat fingers. â€Å"I have told you, all is settled. Trust me. The khal has promised you a crown, and you shall have it.† â€Å"Yes, but when?† â€Å"When the khal chooses,† Illyrio said. â€Å"He will have the girl first, and after they are wed he must make his procession across the plains and present her to the dosh khaleen at Vaes Dothrak. After that, perhaps. If the omens favor war.† Viserys seethed with impatience. â€Å"I piss on Dothraki omens. The Usurper sits on my father's throne. How long must I wait?† Illyrio gave a massive shrug. â€Å"You have waited most of your life, great king. What is another few months, another few years?† Ser Jorah, who had traveled as far east as Vaes Dothrak, nodded in agreement. â€Å"I counsel you to be patient, Your Grace. The Dothraki are true to their word, but they do things in their own time. A lesser man may beg a favor from the khal, but must never presume to berate him.† Viserys bristled. â€Å"Guard your tongue, Mormont, or I'll have it out. I am no lesser man, I am the rightful Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. The dragon does not beg.† Ser Jorah lowered his eyes respectfully. Illyrio smiled enigmatically and tore a wing from the duck. Honey and grease ran over his fingers and dripped down into his beard as he nibbled at the tender meat. There are no more dragons, Dany thought, staring at her brother, though she did not dare say it aloud. Yet that night she dreamt of one. Viserys was hitting her, hurting her. She was naked, clumsy with fear. She ran from him, but her body seemed thick and ungainly. He struck her again. She stumbled and fell. â€Å"You woke the dragon,† he screamed as he kicked her. â€Å"You woke the dragon, you woke the dragon.† Her thighs were slick with blood. She closed her eyes and whimpered. As if in answer, there was a hideous ripping sound and the crackling of some great fire. When she looked again, Viserys was gone, great columns of flame rose all around, and in the midst of them was the dragon. It turned its great head slowly. When its molten eyes found hers, she woke, shaking and covered with a fine sheen of sweat. She had never been so afraid . . .. . . until the day of her wedding came at last. The ceremony began at dawn and continued until dusk, an endless day of drinking and feasting and fighting. A mighty earthen ramp had been raised amid the grass palaces, and there Dany was seated beside Khal Drogo, above the seething sea of Dothraki. She had never seen so many people in one place, nor people so strange and frightening. The horselords might put on rich fabrics and sweet perfumes when they visited the Free Cities, but out under the open sky they kept the old ways. Men and women alike wore painted leather vests over bare chests and horsehair leggings cinched by bronze medallion belts, and the warriors greased their long braids with fat from the rendering pits. They gorged themselves on horseflesh roasted with honey and peppers, drank themselves blind on fermented mare's milk and Illyrio's fine wines, and spat jests at each other across the fires, their voices harsh and alien in Dany's ears. Viserys was seated just below her, splendid in a new black wool tunic with a scarlet dragon on the chest. Illyrio and Ser Jorah sat beside him. Theirs was a place of high honor, just below the khal's own bloodriders, but Dany could see the anger in her brother's lilac eyes. He did not like sitting beneath her, and he fumed when the slaves offered each dish first to the khal and his bride, and served him from the portions they refused. He could do nothing but nurse his resentment, so nurse it he did, his mood growing blacker by the hour at each insult to his person. Dany had never felt so alone as she did seated in the midst of that vast horde. Her brother had told her to smile, and so she smiled until her face ached and the tears came unbidden to her eyes. She did her best to hide them, knowing how angry Viserys would be if he saw her crying, terrified of how Khal Drogo might react. Food was brought to her, steaming joints of meat and thick black sausages and Dothraki blood pies, and later fruits and sweetgrass stews and delicate pastries from the kitchens of Pentos, but she waved it all away. Her stomach was a roil, and she knew she could keep none of it down. There was no one to talk to. Khal Drogo shouted commands and jests down to his bloodriders, and laughed at their replies, but he scarcely glanced at Dany beside him. They had no common language. Dothraki was incomprehensible to her, and the khal knew only a few words of the bastard Valyrian of the Free Cities, and none at all of the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms. She would even have welcomed the conversation of Illyrio and her brother, but they were too far below to hear her. So she sat in her wedding silks, nursing a cup of honeyed wine, afraid to eat, talking silently to herself. I am blood of the dragon, she told herself. I am Daenerys Stormborn, Princess of Dragonstone, of the blood and seed of Aegon the Conqueror. The sun was only a quarter of the way up the sky when she saw her first man die. Drums were beating as some of the women danced for the khal. Drogo watched without expression, but his eyes followed their movements, and from time to time he would toss down a bronze medallion for the women to fight over. The warriors were watching too. One of them finally stepped into the circle, grabbed a dancer by the arm, pushed her down to the ground, and mounted her right there, as a stallion mounts a mare. Illyrio had told her that might happen. â€Å"The Dothraki mate like the animals in their herds. There is no privacy in a khalasar, and they do not understand sin or shame as we do.† Dany looked away from the coupling, frightened when she realized what was happening, but a second warrior stepped forward, and a third, and soon there was no way to avert her eyes. Then two men seized the same woman. She heard a shout, saw a shove, and in the blink of an eye the arakhs were out, long razor-sharp blades, half sword and half scythe. A dance of death began as the warriors circled and slashed, leaping toward each other, whirling the blades around their heads, shrieking insults at each clash. No one made a move to interfere. It ended as quickly as it began. The arakhs shivered together faster than Dany could follow, one man missed a step, the other swung his blade in a flat arc. Steel bit into flesh just above the Dothraki's waist, and opened him from backbone to belly button, spilling his entrails into the dust. As the loser died, the winner took hold of the nearest woman—not even the one they had been quarreling over—and had her there and then. Slaves carried off the body, and the dancing resumed. Magister Illyrio had warned Dany about this too. â€Å"A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is deemed a dull affair,† he had said. Her wedding must have been especially blessed; before the day was over, a dozen men had died. As the hours passed, the terror grew in Dany, until it was all she could do not to scream. She was afraid of the Dothraki, whose ways seemed alien and monstrous, as if they were beasts in human skins and not true men at all. She was afraid of her brother, of what he might do if she failed him. Most of all, she was afraid of what would happen tonight under the stars, when her brother gave her up to the hulking giant who sat drinking beside her with a face as still and cruel as a bronze mask. I am the blood of the dragon, she told herself again. When at last the sun was low in the sky, Khal Drogo clapped his hands together, and the drums and the shouting and feasting came to a sudden halt. Drogo stood and pulled Dany to her feet beside him. It was time for her bride gifts. And after the gifts, she knew, after the sun had gone down, it would be time for the first ride and the consummation of her marriage. Dany tried to put the thought aside, but it would not leave her. She hugged herself to try to keep from shaking. Her brother Viserys gifted her with three handmaids. Dany knew they had cost him nothing; Illyrio no doubt had provided the girls. Irri and Jhiqui were copper-skinned Dothraki with black hair and almond-shaped eyes, Doreah a fair-haired, blue-eyed Lysene girl. â€Å"These are no common servants, sweet sister,† her brother told her as they were brought forward one by one. â€Å"Illyrio and I selected them personally for you. Irri will teach you riding, Jhiqui the Dothraki tongue, and Doreah will instruct you in the womanly arts of love.† He smiled thinly. â€Å"She's very good, Illyrio and I can both swear to that.† Ser Jorah Mormont apologized for his gift. â€Å"It is a small thing, my princess, but all a poor exile could afford,† he said as he laid a small stack of old books before her. They were histories and songs of the Seven Kingdoms, she saw, written in the Common Tongue. She thanked him with all her heart. Magister Illyrio murmured a command, and four burly slaves hurried forward, bearing between them a great cedar chest bound in bronze. When she opened it, she found piles of the finest velvets and damasks the Free Cities could produce . . . and resting on top, nestled in the soft cloth, three huge eggs. Dany gasped. They were the most beautiful things she had ever seen, each different than the others, patterned in such rich colors that at first she thought they were crusted with jewels, and so large it took both of her hands to hold one. She lifted it delicately, expecting that it would be made of some fine porcelain or delicate enamel, or even blown glass, but it was much heavier than that, as if it were all of solid stone. The surface of the shell was covered with tiny scales, and as she turned the egg between her fingers, they shimmered like polished metal in the light of the setting sun. One egg was a deep green, with burnished bronze flecks that came and went depending on how Dan y turned it. Another was pale cream streaked with gold. The last was black, as black as a midnight sea, yet alive with scarlet ripples and swirls. â€Å"What are they?† she asked, her voice hushed and full of wonder. â€Å"Dragon's eggs, from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai,† said Magister Illyrio. â€Å"The eons have turned them to stone, yet still they burn bright with beauty.† â€Å"I shall treasure them always.† Dany had heard tales of such eggs, but she had never seen one, nor thought to see one. It was a truly magnificent gift, though she knew that Illyrio could afford to be lavish. He had collected a fortune in horses and slaves for his part in selling her to Khal Drogo. The khal's bloodriders offered her the traditional three weapons, and splendid weapons they were. Haggo gave her a great leather whip with a silver handle, Cohollo a magnificent arakh chased in gold, and Qotho a double-curved dragonbone bow taller than she was. Magister Illyrio and Ser Jorah had taught her the traditional refusals for these offerings. â€Å"This is a gift worthy of a great warrior, O blood of my blood, and I am but a woman. Let my lord husband bear these in my stead.† And so Khal Drogo too received his â€Å"bride gifts.† Other gifts she was given in plenty by other Dothraki: slippers and jewels and silver rings for her hair, medallion belts and painted vests and soft furs, sandsilks and jars of scent, needles and feathers and tiny bottles of purple glass, and a gown made from the skin of a thousand mice. â€Å"A handsome gift, Khaleesi,† Magister Illyrio said of the last, after he had told her what it was. â€Å"Most lucky.† The gifts mounted up around her in great piles, more gifts than she could possibly imagine, more gifts than she could want or use. And last of all, Khal Drogo brought forth his own bride gift to her. An expectant hush rippled out from the center of the camp as he left her side, growing until it had swallowed the whole khalasar. When he returned, the dense press of Dothraki gift-givers parted before him, and he led the horse to her. She was a young filly, spirited and splendid. Dany knew just enough about horses to know that this was no ordinary animal. There was something about her that took the breath away. She was grey as the winter sea, with a mane like silver smoke. Hesitantly she reached out and stroked the horse's neck, ran her fingers through the silver of her mane. Khal Drogo said something in Dothraki and Magister Illyrio translated. â€Å"Silver for the silver of your hair, the khal says.† â€Å"She's beautiful,† Dany murmured. â€Å"She is the pride of the khalasar, † Illyrio said. â€Å"Custom decrees that the khaleesi must ride a mount worthy of her place by the side of the khal.† Drogo stepped forward and put his hands on her waist. He lifted her up as easily as if she were a child and set her on the thin Dothraki saddle, so much smaller than the ones she was used to. Dany sat there uncertain for a moment. No one had told her about this part. â€Å"What should I do?† she asked Illyrio. It was Ser Jorah Mormont who answered. â€Å"Take the reins and ride. You need not go far.† Nervously Dany gathered the reins in her hands and slid her feet into the short stirrups. She was only a fair rider; she had spent far more time traveling by ship and wagon and palanquin than by horseback. Praying that she would not fall off and disgrace herself, she gave the filly the lightest and most timid touch with her knees. And for the first time in hours, she forgot to be afraid. Or perhaps it was for the first time ever. The silver-grey filly moved with a smooth and silken gait, and the crowd parted for her, every eye upon them. Dany found herself moving faster than she had intended, yet somehow it was exciting rather than terrifying. The horse broke into a trot, and she smiled. Dothraki scrambled to clear a path. The slightest pressure with her legs, the lightest touch on the reins, and the filly responded. She sent it into a gallop, and now the Dothraki were hooting and laughing and shouting at her as they jumped out of her way. As she turned to ride back, a firepit loomed ahead, directly in her path. They were hemmed in on either side, with no room to stop. A daring she had never known filled Daenerys then, and she gave the filly her head. The silver horse leapt the flames as if she had wings. When she pulled up before Magister Illyrio, she said, â€Å"Tell Khal Drogo that he has given me the wind.† The fat Pentoshi stroked his yellow beard as he repeated her words in Dothraki, and Dany saw her new husband smile for the first time. The last sliver of sun vanished behind the high walls of Pentos to the west just then. Dany had lost all track of time. Khal Drogo commanded his bloodriders to bring forth his own horse, a lean red stallion. As the khal was saddling the horse, Viserys slid close to Dany on her silver, dug his fingers into her leg, and said, â€Å"Please him, sweet sister, or I swear, you will see the dragon wake as it has never woken before.† The fear came back to her then, with her brother's words. She felt like a child once more, only thirteen and all alone, not ready for what was about to happen to her. They rode out together as the stars came out, leaving the khalasar and the grass palaces behind. Khal Drogo spoke no word to her, but drove his stallion at a hard trot through the gathering dusk. The tiny silver bells in his long braid rang softly as he rode. â€Å"I am the blood of the dragon,† she whispered aloud as she followed, trying to keep her courage up. â€Å"I am the blood of the dragon. I am the blood of the dragon.† The dragon was never afraid. Afterward she could not say how far or how long they had ridden, but it was full dark when they stopped at a grassy place beside a small stream. Drogo swung off his horse and lifted her down from hers. She felt as fragile as glass in his hands, her limbs as weak as water. She stood there helpless and trembling in her wedding silks while he secured the horses, and when he turned to look at her, she began to cry. Khal Drogo stared at her tears, his face strangely empty of expression. â€Å"No,† he said. He lifted his hand and rubbed away the tears roughly with a callused thumb. â€Å"You speak the Common Tongue,† Dany said in wonder. â€Å"No,† he said again. Perhaps he had only that word, she thought, but it was one word more than she had known he had, and somehow it made her feel a little better. Drogo touched her hair lightly, sliding the silver-blond strands between his fingers and murmuring softly in Dothraki. Dany did not understand the words, yet there was warmth in the tone, a tenderness she had never expected from this man. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head, so she was looking up into his eyes. Drogo towered over her as he towered over everyone. Taking her lightly under the arms, he lifted her and seated her on a rounded rock beside the stream. Then he sat on the ground facing her, legs crossed beneath him, their faces finally at a height. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"Is that the only word you know?† she asked him. Drogo did not reply. His long heavy braid was coiled in the dirt beside him. He pulled it over his right shoulder and began to remove the bells from his hair, one by one. After a moment Dany leaned forward to help. When they were done, Drogo gestured. She understood. Slowly, carefully, she began to undo his braid. It took a long time. All the while he sat there silently, watching her. When she was done, he shook his head, and his hair spread out behind him like a river of darkness, oiled and gleaming. She had never seen hair so long, so black, so thick. Then it was his turn. He began to undress her. His fingers were deft and strangely tender. He removed her silks one by one, carefully, while Dany sat unmoving, silent, looking at his eyes. When he bared her small breasts, she could not help herself. She averted her eyes and covered herself with her hands. â€Å"No,† Drogo said. He pulled her hands away from her breasts, gently but firmly, then lifted her face again to make her look at him. â€Å"No,† he repeated. â€Å"No,† she echoed back at him. He stood her up then and pulled her close to remove the last of her silks. The night air was chilly on her bare skin. She shivered, and gooseflesh covered her arms and legs. She was afraid of what would come next, but for a while nothing happened. Khal Drogo sat with his legs crossed, looking at her, drinking in her body with his eyes. After a while he began to touch her. Lightly at first, then harder. She could sense the fierce strength in his hands, but he never hurt her. He held her hand in his own and brushed her fingers, one by one. He ran a hand gently down her leg. He stroked her face, tracing the curve of her ears, running a finger gently around her mouth. He put both hands in her hair and combed it with his fingers. He turned her around, massaged her shoulders, slid a knuckle down the path of her spine. It seemed as if hours passed before his hands finally went to her breasts. He stroked the soft skin underneath until it tingled. He circled her nipples with his thumbs, pinched them between thumb and forefinger, then began to pull at her, very lightly at first, then more insistently, until her nipples stiffened and began to ache. He stopped then, and drew her down onto his lap. Dany was flushed and breathless, her heart fluttering in her chest. He cupped her face in his huge hands and looked into his eyes. â€Å"No?† he said, and she knew it was a question. She took his hand and moved it down to the wetness between her thighs. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered as she put his finger inside her.

Tourism and Economy of UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Tourism and Economy of UK - Essay Example By now, the benefits that tourism brings to any country are plainly incontrovertible. But tourism has its own downsides or drawbacks. It is a volatile and mercurial national undertaking. It is subject to so many factors and influences that may slow down its growth or even send it to the doldrums. Effects of global warming, such as floods, frequent typhoons, hailstorms, tsunamis and other calamities discourage vacationers and affect the tourism industry. So do absence of peace and order, civil wars, religious fanaticism, epidemic outbreaks, â€Å"political instability, currency fluctuations, changes in fashion and changes in the economy† (Nagle 1999,p.5). Speaking of the economy, economic factors can drastically reverse the growth of the tourism industry or advance it further. Financial crisis or the slowing down of the economy or recession definitely gives the tourism industry a big blow that may decelerate it. However, currency devaluation, which increases the spending power of tourists has an opposite effect. In the late 1990’s when Asian currencies, such as the Thai baht and the Philippine peso were devalued, streams of tourists from Europe and North America took advantage of the weakened currencies and enlivened the tourism industry in those parts of the world. But a strong exchange rate will always dissuade tourists from coming. Instead, they will tend to flock to weakened economies where they will get more value for their money. Bad governance especially governance of the economy in any nation always contributes to tourism decline. Mishandling of the economy that always entails graft and corruption gives bad image to the country and travelers shun countries marred by claims of misgovernance and corruption. In tourism promotion, good image counts a lot. Besides misgovernance spawns a destitute citizenry who finds it difficult to travel domestically and domestic tourism provides a sizable chunk of the tourism earnings of any nation. Enacted le gislations inimical to tourism also affects its tourism industry as well as the budgeting of a measly outlay for tourism infrastructures. A hostile foreign relations policy may scuttle the tourism vessel of the nation and cause it to sink to oblivion. An example for this was the near-destruction of Cuba's tourism industry when USA imposed an economic embargo against Cuba in the 60's and 70's (Jafari 2000,p.122).

Project Mgmt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Project Mgmt - Essay Example having at least one member of senior management represented on a steering committee (Englund & Bucero, p.88) that meets periodically to review the direction, milestones, progress, and costs of the project. A concise summary should be presented periodically to the steering committee with a clear outline of any expectations from senior management. Another way is to agree on a project sponsor within the client organization who champions the cause of the project and liaises with all stakeholders. The sponsor is then given the responsibility to maintain the â€Å"upper management link† for the project (Englund & Bucero, p.10). Underlining this involvement is continued communication while taking care that problems that could be resolved at a lower level are not escalated to the steering committee or the senior management (Lester, 2007, p. 87). Clear statement of requirements: A clear definition of requirements for the project determines the planning and direction of the entire project. Requirements must be discussed and defined thoroughly and documented in a Requirements Specification Document. This is directly linked with the list of deliverables which then sets the direction the project will take (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). It is also essential to keep in place change control procedures as some requirements may change over time and must again be clearly stated and incorporated into the project plan if accepted (Cleland & Ireland, 2007, p. 271). Accurate documentation of requirements results from interviews and discussions and must be signed off by all stakeholders reflecting the agreement on their clarity, accuracy, assumptions, and correlation with the deliverables. An engineer at Morton Thiokol suspected that the O-rings in the space shuttle Challenger’s solid rocket boosters were faulty and would not work at low temperatures below the threshold of 53 degrees. On the ill fated day of the disaster, the temperatures were expected to be 10 degrees below

Analysis of Clinton article America's Pacific Century Essay

Analysis of Clinton article America's Pacific Century - Essay Example All in all, whether the US will be at the center of the action is very much dependent on strategy. The basic assumption when it comes to national perspectives is that each and every state will have its interests that are to be pursued. Colonel Arthur Lykke proposes a three element approach when formulating a strategy (Bartholomees 3). This can be summarized as the end, ways and means approach. Strategy serves to control its surrounding instead of reacting to it. It enables the use of power in either a persuasive or coercive manner to achieve set goals. Based on the USAWC Strategy Formulation Framework, Clinton seems to be on the right track. The ideas articulated in the article are in line with the core national interests of the nation (Bartholomees 399) namely; security, stability, promotion of values and economic wellness. Clinton recognizes the need to invest the US resources wisely over the next ten years as this will have a great bearing the future of the nation as a world power (Clinton 1). She clearly states the strategic vision of the Obama administration as being guided by three principles. These are; maintaining political consensus, quickly adapting into the newly formed alliances and guaranteeing defense for new allies. The importance of the region is greatly emphasized. Clinton first points out that the US needs to reposition and not withdraw from the region as is proposed by some in the political scene. She highlights the market potential in Asia for American businesses as one of the key reasons to reposition. She also reiterates that the key to stability and security at home is the stability of areas abroad. The open markets in Asia are seen as an opportunity to invest, conduct trade and access latest technologies. These markets are also portrayed as being important to recovery of the US economy. Given the economic crisis that the nation went through a while back, it would be unwise not to seize the available opportunity for a speedy recovery. Cli nton advocates for a symbiotic relationship between Asia and the US. This proposal underlies the idea that both the US and Asia-Pacific need each other in order to progress well to the future. The article also distinctively identifies the national interests of the country. The most important is the issue of security. Several ways have been proposed on how to implement the strategy. Clinton first calls for application of a forward deployed diplomacy. In this case diplomatic assets are used to achieve partnership. Six key aspects have been forwarded as the basis for this approach. They are; the strengthening of security alliances; intensifying the work relationships with the emerging powers, this includes China; interacting with multilateral organizations in the region; expansion of investment and trading activities; establishing military presence; and championing for democracy and application of human rights in partner countries. There are several alliance treaties that exist with Co untries such as Japan, Australia, Thailand, South Korea and the Philippines. The countries have been identified as a fulcrum to the strategies that the US plans to apply in the Asia-Pacific region. Though the treaties have proven to be beneficial to the US, Clinton calls for the update of the treaties to make them more relevant to the current times. The alliance with Japan is

Maths Coursework Investigating Borders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Maths Coursework Investigating Borders - Essay Example Here we observe that the second row gives the number of white squares added at each level, and the third row is a constant, that is, 4. Now we will first find the formula for the white squares and after that the formula for the total squares. Subtracting from the total squares the number of white squares we will get the number of black squares. Let us find the pattern in counting all the squares. In Pattern 1 we can see first two rows contain 1+3=4 squares. If we consider the last two rows then they also contain 1+3=4 squares. We are counting the three squares in the middle row two times so we have to subtract them from the total to get the total number of squares in the pattern. So we get In Pattern 2 the first three rows contain 1+3+5=9 squares. Similarly the last three rows contain 9 squares. We are counting the five squares in the middle row two times so we have to subtract them to get the total number of squares in the pattern. So we

Giving up densities of rabbits Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Giving up densities of rabbits - Research Paper Example The purpose of the study was to determine how far the cottontail would go from its natural habitat for the food set up in the trays. The prediction was that the cottontail rabbits would not venture too far from their home for the food set up in the trays at a further distance. There were two trays set up at a closer distance. In the one tray the food was easier for the rabbits to get to than in the other tray that was set out at a close distance to the proximity of the rabbits natural habitat. The prediction was that the rabbits would not want to venture to far away from the habitat to find the food that was set out for them. The rabbits would not work as hard at the closer two trays that were set up with the rabbit nibble, because the rabbits would be too frightened that a predator would come and hunt the rabbit. The rabbits would devour the food from the tray that was easier to grab at, and easier to get to the food, because the rabbits would not want to stand there too long to get the food. The rabbits would want to hurry, and eat so they would not be discovered by any predators. The importance of a rabbit giving up density is because the rabbits do not want to be discovered while going through extra lengths just to get the food. The rabbits give up density for safety, and will always go for the easier food that is closer to their habitat, than go for food that is far away from their habitat. â€Å"When we say ‘habitat’ we are referring to a location that suits best the basic needs of the living organism,† Cottontail Rabbit Habitat, (1). Materials and Methods The materials used for this experiment were four feeding troughs. The troughs were filled with dry sand, and then filled with rabbit chow. The rabbit chow was mixed with the sand. There was the same amount of food put into two troughs, and the same amount of food put into the other two troughs. The troughs were filled with unequal portions of sand. When the sand was poured into the t roughs with the food the food was then blended well with the sand. The two troughs with the most food in them were placed further in the field. The two troughs with the least amount of food were left near the habitat of the rabbits. When the rabbits came out in the night the rabbits ate from the two troughs that were closest to the habitat. â€Å"Cottontail rabbits generally forage for food at night and stay concealed in brush during the daytime,† Moore, (1). The researchers put the troughs out at night, and expected the rabbits to eat from them during the night. The experiment was conducted in the same spot over the course of the three nights. The experiment warranted the use of the troughs in the same spots over the course of the three nights as not to have inconsistencies with the results of the experiment. The rabbits ate more food from the trough that was closest to their habitat, and not filled with as much sand. The researchers found that the rabbits ate more from the trough that did not have as much sand in it, because the rabbits found it easier to get to the food with less sand in the trough. The rabbits did not want to linger too long at the troughs to get the food. The rabbits were afraid of any predator coming around and harming the rabbits as the rabbits were trying to eat. Results The results of the experiment were that the rabbits ate less out of the two troughs that were far away. The rabbits ate more out of the trough that was close to their habitat,

Research Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Research Design - Essay Example This research aims to evaluate and present respondents were asked as to estimate the WTP figures. The questions, which involved the willingness to pay (WTP), considered both the environmental and economic factors like the acceptability of WTP and the refusal of proposal both cannot be considered in the similar manner and for what the refusal stand for. Similarly, willingness to pay is sometimes regarded as the willingness to accept. Sometimes, WTP estimates weather the respondent wills to pay or just responds for the moral satisfaction, how the policy-making procedure utilized the benefit estimation. Before each question it gives an information about the question and the relative taxes and costs that will apply. In this way, the respondents and the interviewer maintain an atmosphere of confidence and reliability. Political views of freedom to ask and freedom to say are well adopted in the research paper. Most of the questions are answered in a more reasonable manner and respondent ha ve tried their best to answer as many question and bid as more as possible but in the other paper, respondents avoided some of the questions and responded some of the questions in an unsatisfactory manner. The utilization of multiples as double the current amount, three times the current amount, four times the current value or one thousand times the current amount made the research more cost efficient as it could be without the utilization of multiple values.... The questionnaire is such designed to provide an information to the respondents in both the papers but the method of interaction utilized in the paper â€Å"Benefits of Costs and Wildlife Enhancement Scheme: A Case Study of the Pevensey Levels† written by â€Å"K. G. Willis† are not much influencing. The article â€Å"I struggled with this money business†: respondents’ perspectives on contingent valuation† written by Judy Clark, Jacquelin Burgess and Carolyn M. Harrison’ utilizes the better interaction and information sharing methods. Before each question it gives an information about the question and the relative taxes and costs that will apply. In this way, the respondents and the interviewer maintain an atmosphere of confidence and reliability (Petterson &Williams 2005). Political views of freedom to ask and freedom to say are well adopted in the research paper. Most of the questions are answered in a more reasonable manner and respondent h ave tried their best to answer as many question and bid as more as possible but in the other paper, respondents avoided some of the questions and responded some of the questions in an unsatisfactory manner. The utilization of multiples as double the current amount, three times the current amount, four times the current value or one thousand times the current amount made the research more cost efficient as it could be without the utilization of multiple values. These questions have still indefinite and unsatisfactory answers; however, the satisfactory results can be achieved by utilizing a better questionnaire design. A well-researched method can resolve the problem associated with the WTP and CV

Provide two reasons why Medicaid violations do not generally receive media attention Essay Example for Free

Provide two reasons why Medicaid violations do not generally receive media attention Essay One of the most frequent crimes of the affluent and the high-class of the society is Medicaid fraud. These frauds can be committed by several parties including the recipients and the providers. Medicaid is a government program that utilizes the taxpayer’s money to provide healthcare to the low income groups of the society. It is basically setup to help the weaker sections of the society including individuals above the age of 65, the disabled, the medically compromised and the low-income groups. The nations would be happy if the money is spending to help people in need, but frequently several providers and recipients indulge in fraud and abuse of the funds set aside under Medicaid. Some of the abuses committed by recipients include forging prescription, giving the medical card to another party, using several cards, duplicating or consuming excessive healthcare services, and selling the items received under Medicaid to others. Some of the abuses that can be committed by the providers include providing false bills, duplicating bills, providing unwanted medical care, doing unnecessary tests, billing in excess, compromising the quality of care under Medicaid services, and including the names of others in the bills (NY State, 2006). One of the reasons why Medicaid violations are not given great amount of media attention is because these crimes are usually committed by affluent. These crimes are often great amount of protection and secrecy, so as to gain for profit. In the US, it is estimated that Medicaid fraud cost the nation about forty billion dollars in the year 1993. Usually, a certain person rather than an organization would be involved in committing a Medicaid fraud. The White collar staffs who commit these crimes frequently think that they are above the law. They feel that committing such crimes is justified as it is anyway a part of the system. They would go to any extent to cover their crimes. The media would not like to get involved in covering such events, as they feel that they would later be harassed by the White collared staff. Besides, they also feel that they would not be getting any kind of requests they may have, as the white collared staff would be using their powers to avenge for the media attention given. It is found that the business-minded white collared staffs are more frequently involved in committing Medicaid frauds rather than the professional staff (Cullen, 2008). The media feels that the people who are victims by the crimes of Medicaid fraud are usually not the class who would be customers to their services. They may find that covering such events would not be beneficial to them in anyway, and would instead get them in bad looks with the high-class. The poor, elders and the disabled are less likely to be customers of the media services. They would also not stand up to fight their rights. The beneficiaries of Medicaid frequently are not aware of their rights. They may be often abused or neglected by the healthcare organization which may include the white collared staff. Frequently, the person getting abused may be physically and mentally helpless and would depend on the care provider for help. However, the care giver would be providing low quality healthcare and instead use the funds other Medicaid for other purposes (including gaining profits). Medicaid fraud is a criminal offence and involves abusing taxpayer’s money. It has been set aside for helping the weaker sections of the society, but instead these funds are ending up in the hands of the rich, thus making the rich richer and the poor poorer. At any cost, the media would have to change their policy of reporting cases of Medicaid fraud to the public.

What Is The Relationship Between Geography And Relations Cultural Studies Essay

What Is The Relationship Between Geography And Relations Cultural Studies Essay To answer a question like the proposed one, it is necessary first to follow some steps that can guide us into the correct line to obtain the best response which not only will give the exactly solution to the problem but also it will let one fulfill the necessity of know and comprehend the context of the entire situation. Saying this, it is essential to know how the international relations work and what are they about, and off course it is needed to recognize the definition of geography to be able to create some bases for give a correct response and to have the capacity to establish a connection between the two terms meaning and make a reflection of how they can coexist and be related with each other in the daily development of life. Although, we need to analyze each of the geography factors that have influenced the international system, why are they about and how they have change their importance according to the evolution of the actors during the time; so we can finally come with a complete solution to the question treated, taking into account all the information recollected. This solution will let us create some general and specific conclusions that may be useful to understand the conduct of this system and come with a new perspective of the worlds behavior in terms of the international relations and the geography that would permit us participate of it in an active and conscientiously way. The term of international relations, to begin, refers to: a branch of political science concerned with relations between nations and primarily with foreign policies(1). Analyzing this definition, there is the word international as a strong factor, that involves not only more actors with different cultures, aspects, needs, and behaves participating in the system, but also implies an expansion of territory where relations are not longer realized in the national borders from each state, yet it now refers that human interactions are done in the entire world. The definition also shows the importance of creating foreign policies which can be understood as the plans of states to follow at the time of interact internationally. No matter how different international contacts between states have been, (due to peoples mental conception of the world, and the existing differences between the actors that affects this humans interactions), they will be always present in the history, representing humankind natural necessity of interaction, and they will be always affected by the decisions and behaviors of the representatives in the international system. One example can be taken from the old ages, where the interests of some international actors as Cristobal Colà ³n, were discovering new lands and persons, to increase the territory of the king and to open new markets with the India. In here, territory represents Cristobal Colà ³n wants of recognizing the shape of the world and the general necessity of creating maps to be able to go through the land and expand territory, wealth, knowledge and so on. As we see, international relations can be a complex system that shows the interactions between the humans all around the world, but having a deeply view, it is possible to understand and see that those interactions work according to more specific aspects of the actors, which are also related to the external environment where they developed their cultures, believes, wants and methods to achieve all the goals that they have on mind. On the other hand the term of geography, refers to: The scientific study of the location and spatial variation in both physical and human phenomena on Earth (2). Since ancient times, humankind has always been interested in knowing the surrounding world and before we knew the world as it is today, we used to dream with distant treasures in other lands, including not only the mineral materials like gold or oil that have a big economic value nowadays, but also new landscapes with better grounds that let us harvest and build new villages, territories with a variety of climates and may be other persons with differences in their physical aspect, culture and life style from who to learn new techniques and to whom we could teach or even colonize. In other words, geographers are the ones who investigate the distribution of all of the resources in the earth and how nature has gave to some nations what other nations dont even know but that they will probably want a need. According to the geography branch, geographers have an especial field of study, for example, those who have the population as the base of study and are in charge of analyze physical differences between races, are called human geographers; those specialized in behaviors and believes are called cultural geographers, and finally those who search all the territory, its location in the map and the advantages and disadvantages of that location, are the physical geographers. As we have discussed before, international relations have been evolving according to the actors and some other factors that influenced them, including ideology, economic, politic, and geographical aspects. It is in this analysis where we can notice the relation between the two terms, and it permits us the establishment of a new definition that involves both terms. This definition would says that international relations are the connections and interactions established by humans all around the world, whose acts are defined according to their personal culture, raze and territory characteristics. Therefore sometimes the relations become difficult when the differences between these aspects from each nation, shock among them. All this factors that influenced human actions are the field of study of geography. Starting with the analysis of the human branch, we see that there have been many differences between races on earth, for example black people in Africa have a strong physic which represents an advantage in doing hard jobs, or the natives in America with beautiful features and big knowledge of the nature. These varieties have influenced peoples behavior and thoughts of the worlds reality in each time. We can see as an example, that at the beginning, when the humankind felt the necessity of investigate and make an appropriation of the earth, international actors have interests on discovering new lands and learn from possible different cultures. They started traveling all around the world, arriving to new lands that were already inhabited by more developed cultures or at the opposite by cultures that, for being less developed, were also more vulnerable to being attacked and colonized, even when populations physical characteristics were as strong as the Africans. At this time, human thoughts were based on the growing, not only of the empires but also of their knowledge about the world were they lived; also the relations between nations were based on mutual recognition, acceptation and interaction. But after the discovery of new lands that were possibly richer in resources (human, cultural, physical), and because of humans natural ambition, the wishes of territorial expansion to increase wealth and power appeared on International relations field. Human interactions development changed from the ones that used to be, to a new scenario based on the pretenses of the statesmen in increasing their power, without caring about the means they had to use, like violent acquisition of human, mineral, and land resources taken from any place they wanted, even if there were established any other nation. In the cultural analysis, we can say that: All cultures change through time. No culture is static. However, most cultures are basically conservative in that they tend to resist change. Some resist more than others by enacting laws for the preservation and protection of traditional cultural patterns while putting up barriers to alien ideas and things. (3). Culture represents one of the biggest and more important aspects in international relations because of the strongest link existing between humans behavior and humans believes. Both aspects influence each other and make the other possible, therefore sometimes it is difficult to maintain some interactions between the representatives of different traditions, because even if the culture is somehow open for new changes, there will be always some kind of resistance to accept the external ideas that are different from their believes and ways of behave. In the history, cultures differences have represented not only difficulties to maintain commercial or diplomatic relations, but also the reasons given by some actors to initiate wars as the one in the Middle East with the well known problem land of promise, that hasnt been resolved and that also shows how different believes can influence the international relations scenario. Finally the physical aspect of geography refers to all of the specific resources inside any territory. Since the mental expansion of the actors, and their capacity of extend their physical territory occurred, territory has become one of the most relevant points to understand the international system, due to the fact that it has become the place where all the relations are done, therefore land appropriation has become the biggest want of the international actors to control all new interactions and increase their power and recognition among other states. Statesmen who have always looked for their benefits and profits in international interactions, understood that having richer territories with all kind of resources, and strategic locations, would let them achieve their personal goals, therefore all international policies in the different countries take in to account land and its characteristics to plan the nation behave in the international system. Therefore it is possible to see now that developed nations helped the developing ones to fulfill their necessity of power even if they dont say it in a direct way. To conclude, we have analyzed and proved that all human interactions are influenced somehow by some geographical aspects that are, were and will be always present in humankind evolution. Factors as the territory where we live, the culture that we have learned and our specific physical aspects, including behaves, are the ones that guide us in the international relations field. Therefore there is a big relationship between the two terms, and it is essential to study geography in the international system, to be able to be a conscientiously actor that participates actively in that big network, where all is connected.

Are Liberty and Equality Compatible?

Are Liberty and Equality Compatible? Reconciling Liberty and Equality There seems to be an endless debate amongst different philosophers in different political traditions on whether or not the concepts of liberty and equality are reconcilable. Some argues that the two go together and therefore are indistinguishable while others conversely maintain that they are incompatible. In modern democratic societies, the two principles need to be reconciled as they both seem to have a common end of developing the capacity of an individual. The concepts of liberty and equality seem to be in conflict due to the fact that they are derived from two opposite ideologies which are liberalism and socialism. However, a common argument is that the preservation of negative liberty requires positive action on the part of the state or society to prevent some individuals from taking away the liberty of others (Berlin, 1958). Political scientist Max Dalton clearly argued that liberty and equality are compatible. In his article titled; â€Å"Are liberty and equality compatible?† he says that when well reconciled, they support a capitalist state with some re-distributive measures (Dalton, 2014). However, inorder to reconcile the two concepts, we need to define the two terms on the outset. What is liberty? Liberty is derived from liberalism which believes in individualism. The term liberty narrowly means freedom, free will or permissive. The doctrine of liberalism stresses that an individual has got the right to live according to his or her wishes provided that such rights do not infringe on the overall good of the community. A liberal believer does not permit the state to constrain the freedom of an individual (Democracy Consolidation Programe, 2004). Liberty is contested concept. Different scholars have defined the term liberty differently. Mill, (1993) defined the term in a negative aspect as the freedom to act and he also defined it in a negative sense as the absence of coercion. Sir Robert Firmer defined liberty as the freedom to do what one likes, to live as one wishes and not to be tied to laws. In general liberty in a negative sense, also known as classical liberalism, means freedom of an individual from outside compulsion or coercion. In this sense, libertaria ns like Nozick, (1974) argues that any form of interference, either by a coercive authority, any other person or by oneself in form of ‘self-mastery’, ‘self-determination’, ‘self-realization’ or ‘self-compulsion’, is an encroachment in an individual’s space of freedom. Liberalism suggests that people need to be left alone to act on free will and to take responsibility for their actions. It further suggests that a man need to be given a realm of freedom without interference. Professor Isaiah Berlin said Liberty in the negative sense involves an answer to the question â€Å"What is the area within which the subject—a person or group of persons—is or should be left to do or be what he is able to do or be, without interference by other persons . In this sense, negative liberty seems to be a form of rejection of any supreme power or authority. On the extreme, the concept may be identified with a state of lawlessnes s. According to Johari, (2004) the negative view of liberty is not appreciated in the present time. Johari said that this is so because the liberty of an individual is relative to that of others because and man’s action need to be viewed as both self-regarding and other people regarding. On the contrary, positive liberty, also known as social liberalism, places emphasis on social structures and is related to egalitarianism. In the positive sense, social liberalism asserts that an individual need to be protected from tyranny and the arbitrary exercise of power. In this facet, social liberalism favors for the establishment of a social structure in a form of a minimal state that will be able to provide the necessary protection of the individual’s rights. T. H. Green as quoted by (Johari, 2004) defined positive liberty as the power to of doing or enjoying something that is worth doing or enjoying in relation with others. Johari (2004) contend that since man is a social creature, his life should be regulated by certain social bonds. This entails that liberty in its negative view favours lack of restraint of an individual while in its positive view, it permits the existence of a social system that exercises reasonable restraint of individual’s actions inorder to ensure that noone is allowed to enfringe on someone’s liberty. Equality is derived from socialism, an ideology which believes in equality of all individuals. It stresses that all people are equal and therefore someone should not necessarily get too much at the expense of others (Democracy Consolidation Programe, 2004). In socialism, mutual interest and common good is the main principle of organizing the economy. Self-interest and too much individual accumulation of wealth result in depriving others which in turn creates inequalities. Redistribution of wealth for the sake of common good is one key element of socialism (Democracy Consolidation Programe, 2004). Equality has narrowly been defined as the fact of being equal or the fact of having the same value. Johari, (2004) explains that equality means â€Å"equal conditions guaranteed to each for making the best of themselves†. In political science, the term usually means the equal treatment of people irrespective of social or cultural difference and it takes myriad forms such as social equ ality, economic equality, formal equality, legal equality, moral equality, international equality etc. These forms have been categorized into two main types which are namely positive equality and negative equality. Equality in the form of social equality is referred to as the absence of class or caste boundaries and the absence of discrimination motivated by an inalienable part of a person’s identity i.e. gender, race, age, sexual orientation, origin, caste or class, income or property, language, religion convictions, opinions, health or disability that may result in unequal treatment. In the egalitarian doctrine, equality is referred to as a condition in which all humans are equal in fundamental worth or social status should be treated equally in politics and economics cycles. It advocates for the removal of all economic inequality among people and this is considered to be the classical concept of socialists. Rawls, (1972) illustrates this notion in his Egalitarian theory of Justice where he notes that cooperation under the state is manifested in the sharing of ‘benefits’ and ‘burdens’. He further argues that if individuals acquire wealth at the expense of others, then they shall suffer the burden of having part of their wealth taken by the worst-off. Equality, may also take another form popularly known as equality before the law or legal egalitarian, which entails that all persons are entitled to equal treatment before the law. In a positive sense, equality means the provision of adequate opportunities for all (Johari, 2004). Johari further describes positive equality as not simply meaning identical treatment for all since men differ in their need and capacities for their self-development. However, scholars have argued that the provision of adequate opportunity, does not mean equal treatment for all. Equality in its negative sense is referred to the non-discrimination on the ground of religion, caste, wealth, creed, domicile, descent, sex and the like (Johari, 2004). But how can the two terms be reconcile in modern society? The fact that the two concepts are different in principle has been clearly eluded to. But however the two concepts shares some form of similarities as they have common foundations due to the fact that they all recognize that all members within the society are free and equal. Scholars have also argued that the two concept provide egalitarian guidance on controversial questions about the distribution of social and economic resources. On the positive sense, social liberty takes the form of egalitarianism as it places emphasis on the establishment of a social structure such as a state that is able to regulate the actions of an individual so that he or she does not hamper other people’s rights and freedoms. In this sense, the two are perceived to be compactible and inseparable. This is so because positive liberties fully appreciate the need of restraining an individual for the sake of public good as they are perceive as both self-regarding and other people regarding. In this aspect, the desire to have equality, just like the desire to enjoy negative liberties cannot be utilized without a positive state or social structure that would restrain the individual from infringing other person’s liberties. Therefore, the notion that liberty implies that man need to be given total freedom may not be true in our modern society. This fact agrees with the real definition of liberty given by Johari (2004) who conten ded that libery is not supposed to be identified with the absence of restraints and limitation. The desire to enjoy equality destroys the possibility of having full liberties while the exercise of full liberty may degenerate into licese and equality without liberty lapses into uniformity. Liberty is superior to equality because equality serves under liberty. According to Prof. Barker Equality in all its forms, must always be subject and instrumental to the free development of capacity; but if it be pressed to the length of uniformity; if uniformity be made to thwart the free development of capacity, the subject becomes the master, and the world is turned topsy-turvy (DasGupta, 2014). The development of a rich society requires a large measure of liberty and outlaws all attempts to enforce a dead level of social and economic equality. Liberty builds a united society but equality assesses the social hierarchy and contributes towards the stability of the community. Therefore liberty would be dull without some measure of equality and equality would be meaningless without liberty. A quick look at most of the democratic constitutions of the world and many international human rights instruments will review that both liberty and equality have been incorporated and this speaks volume to the fact that the two concepts have a common aim- and that is to develop an individual and to make life worth-living. Therefore, liberty without equality results in license – acts beyond one’s rights to abuse the rights of others; and equality without liberty is dull. Bibliography Berlin, I. (1958). Two Concepts of Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dalton, M. (2014, May 1). Are liberty and equality compatible? . Retrieved from Oriel Web Site: http://www.oriel.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Max Dalton Lloyd Davies Philosophy prize Liberty.pdf DasGupta, R. (2014, May 21). Retrieved from Preserve Articles Web Site: http://www.preservearticles.com/201104265965/notes-on-the-relationship-between-equality-and-liberty.html Democracy Consolidation Programe. (2004). Building an Informewd Nation. Lilongwe: Montifort Media. Johari, J. (2004). Principles of Modern Political Science. New Dehli: Sterling Publishers. Mill, J. S. (1993). On Liberty and Utilitarianism (2nd ed.). New York: Bantam Books. Nozick, R. (1974). Anarchy, State, and Utopia. New York: Basic Books. Rawls, J. (1972). A Theory of Justice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wiktionary. (2014, May 15). Wiktionary The Free on Line Dictionary. Retrieved from equality: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/equality Jean Valjean | Les Misà ©rables | Character Analysis Jean Valjean | Les Misà ©rables | Character Analysis The character I have chosen for study from Bille Augusts film, Les Misà ©rables, is Jean Valjean. As the main protagonist of the story, Valjean starts out as an ex-convict who went to prison for stealing bread, but after an encounter with a kind bishop, he makes important changes in his life. Jean Valjean went through many psychological changes throughout the movie Les Misà ©rables which molded him into a better person because of the mercy that was extended to him by the Bishop of Digne at a time when Valjean was least deserving of it; from that point on, he became a morally upright citizen who showed compassion and mercy on others. Throughout the movie, Les Misà ©rables, Jean Valjean goes through many distinct life-changing phases that permit him to grow from a loathsome of a man to a honorable man. Jean Valjeans first psychological alteration took place during his nineteen years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. He went in as a wholesome and straightforward man, but came out of jail showing hatred and scorn to society. While in prison, Valjean endured abuse and, in turn, dedicated himself to defeating related mistreatment in society. Because of cruelty shown to him there, Valjean discovered a new level of physical strength and, more-so, a new emotional concentration through his newly found cause of social justice. Whether Valjean knew it or not, he was about to undergo another big psychological transformation that would change his life forever. The Bishop of Digne played a huge role in the psychological change of Jean Valjean, even though he was only in the film for the first couple minutes of the movie. Right off the bat, the humble bishop shows Jean something that he hasnt experienced in a couple decades; the power of love and respect. When the bishop saved him from the authorities after escaping from prison, Valjean came to deeply respect his great kindness and assistanceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦so we thought. While the bishop and his wife are sleeping, Valjean, still stuck in his ruthless ways, starts stealing all of their silver utensils. At this point all I could think was, how could he do this to such a nice family who gave him a place to stay? But it gets crazier. The bishop hears the ruckus going on, so he goes to check it out only to find Jean Valjean stealing from him. Valjean ends up punching the bishop in the face, knocking him on the ground, unable to move as Valjean escapes. The next day, the police force caught Valjea n with all the silver he had stolen, and brought him back to the bishops house; this was the turning point in Valjean. The bishop shows an act of mercy on Valjean by telling the authorities that Jean didnt steal any of that stuff, but he just simply gave it to him. This catches Valjean totally off guard; he doesnt understand why the bishop would do this, so he questions him on why he saved him. The bishop responds by telling him something that would change his future forever: And dont forgetdont ever forget, youve promised to become a new man. You no longer belong to evil. With this silver, Ive bought your soul. Ive ransomed you from fear and hatred. And now I give you back to God. It was then when Valjean finally saw the brute, vile of a man he was, and the honorable, self-giving man he could become if he puts the bishops moral fiber into action. As nine years elapsed, Valjean was compelled towards a life of integrity, and consequently, he became a respected leader and prosperous businessman. After the city of Vigau bankrupted five years prior, Valjean decided to buy and refurbish the citys brick factory. At the time of the purchase, Valjean had been named mayor of the city. Obviously Valjean wanted to make something of himself, and also wanted to help others make something of their own lives by buying, running, and offering jobs at the factory to the people of the town. This is the first, of many, psychological changes we see in Valjean since the promise he made with the bishop. Additional evidence that further supports his transformation comes in the subsequent scene where Javert and Captain Beauvais are walking through Valjeans factory. Javert asks the question, The men and women work separately? Captain Beauvais answers, Yes. Monsieur le maire redesigned the factory in order to keep the sexes apart. He cares about honest working women and wants to protect their virtue. Valjean had a high regard for women workers despite the fact that many men did not value woman as important parts in society. He says, I dont want our ladies to be exposed to corruption. This is another moral transformation that Valjean has gone through. There have been a plethora of characteristics that Valjean has adopted over the years. Another trait he embraces is compassion. Fantine, a worker in his factory who had to turn to prostitution to support her daughter after being fired without Valjeans consent, was treated dissipatedly by men of the city and subsequently unjustly accused by Javert as he sentenced Fantine to six months in prison. When Valjean heard about this, he took time out of his night to make his way down to the police station to take care of the situation and set things straight. Not only does Jean set her free from jail, but he takes her into his home, just as the bishop had done for him, to care for her while she was very sick. He also paid to get Fantines daughter, Cosette, to be sent up to stay with him and Fantine. But before Fantine gets to see her daughter, she passes away from sickness. Valjean shows a further act of compassion by adopting Cosette and caring for her in place of her mother. These were just a few actions which demonstrated Valjeans newfound mannerism of compassion, and yet another psychological alteration in Jean. And yet Jean Valjean was still ready for more change. One day Valjean learned that a man named Jean Valjean had been found guilty of a crime. He knew that this couldnt be true because his name was Jean Valjean. After wrestling with his conscience, he decided to attend the court case where he revealed that he was the real Jean Valjean, thus releasing the indicted. Valjean says to the judge, I am the man you want. I am Jean Valjean. I wish I could keep my mouth shut and let this poor wretch suffer for me, but continue with the investigation monsieur. You will find further proof that I am Valjean. This was a huge decision that he made, since the authorities learn that he is an escape convict; forcing Valjean to, once again, to be an absconder from the law. This means that he would have to relinquish all the things that he had accomplished in his professional life, but by acceding to a standard of psychological integrity, by doing what is right and true, Valjean made one of the most affe cting psychological changes in his life. Sacrifice, what is it? According Websters New Collegiate Dictionary sacrifice is defined as, The surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim. The ultimate sacrifice is shown towards the end of the movie which shows Valjeans true character. After several years of running from Javert and the law, Valjean find himself in an intriguing situation. Valjean has Javert, who has been trying to end his life ever since he was in jail, with his hands tied, a gun to his head, and a chance for him to finally end his life. What does he do? He simply lets him go. Valjean spares Javerts life for some very straightforward, but touching reasons. Valjean is nothing like Javert. He does not embrace the same abhorrence or the desire to win like Javert does. Jeans simply wants to live in peace. This audacious decision by Valjean exemplifies how far Jean has come since the beginning of the film. Just as the bishop s howed mercy on Valjean, he also demonstrated that same act of mercy on Javert; even when he least deserved it. Even today, peoples perspectives on life are changed for the better when theyve been shown acts of love, compassion, and mercy. This is depicted in Les Misà ©rables as Jean Valjean goes through many psychological changes which shape him into, literally, a totally different person for the good. He was extended mercy when he least deserved it, and in-turn, became a morally upright citizen who showed compassion and mercy on others. I hope that through this paper youve been inspired to overcome obstacles and hard times in your own lives and are able to use your difficulties to mold you into a better person.

Sex Change Complicates Battle Over Child Custody :: Free Essays Online

Sex Change Complicates Battle Over Child Custody Florida state law does not recognize same sex marriage. In this case, the law had no way of proving whether or not Michael Kantaras is a man or a woman, since having a female to male sex change. Depending on this, it will decide whether or not he (pending on decision) will be able to keep custody of his adopted children. If society had not let technology surpass their conventional thinking and laws, this case would be easier to decide, or at least not pending on the sex of Mr./Mrs. Kantaras. If Florida law, and that of other places, had thought about all the consequences of technology, such a case as this never would have come to be so controversial. So, is Michael Kantaras really a man, or is she the woman she was born as? Janice G. Raymond would say that Michael Kantaras is really Margo. She believes that transsexuals can never really relate to the female persona and therefore never truly be a woman. She bases this belief on the idea of male privilege. This is the privilege that men receive just for being men; they get higher pay, more leadership opportunities, are always seen as more competent, etc. Even though men are born with this privilege and may not realize they have it, they still experience it and have that edge to allow them to advance in society. Because of this, Raymond claims that male to female sex changes cannot know how it really is to be a woman. They do not realize they have this privilege, but continue to live being dominant because it is inherently within them. Sandy Stone, a male to female transsexual, is angered by Raymond's view. She became a successful employee at Olivia Records, and obtained a head position. Olivia records emerged during the 1970s toward the end of the women's movement in an attempt to produce lesbian feminist music. It wanted for women to obtain the head positions and dominate the company, so once word got out about Sandy Stone's natural born sex, there was much controversy and debate on whether or not to keep her at the head position. Those who believed she should be fired sided with Raymond's view, that having been a male, Stone had an advantage in being brought up to be competitive. Sex Change Complicates Battle Over Child Custody :: Free Essays Online Sex Change Complicates Battle Over Child Custody Florida state law does not recognize same sex marriage. In this case, the law had no way of proving whether or not Michael Kantaras is a man or a woman, since having a female to male sex change. Depending on this, it will decide whether or not he (pending on decision) will be able to keep custody of his adopted children. If society had not let technology surpass their conventional thinking and laws, this case would be easier to decide, or at least not pending on the sex of Mr./Mrs. Kantaras. If Florida law, and that of other places, had thought about all the consequences of technology, such a case as this never would have come to be so controversial. So, is Michael Kantaras really a man, or is she the woman she was born as? Janice G. Raymond would say that Michael Kantaras is really Margo. She believes that transsexuals can never really relate to the female persona and therefore never truly be a woman. She bases this belief on the idea of male privilege. This is the privilege that men receive just for being men; they get higher pay, more leadership opportunities, are always seen as more competent, etc. Even though men are born with this privilege and may not realize they have it, they still experience it and have that edge to allow them to advance in society. Because of this, Raymond claims that male to female sex changes cannot know how it really is to be a woman. They do not realize they have this privilege, but continue to live being dominant because it is inherently within them. Sandy Stone, a male to female transsexual, is angered by Raymond's view. She became a successful employee at Olivia Records, and obtained a head position. Olivia records emerged during the 1970s toward the end of the women's movement in an attempt to produce lesbian feminist music. It wanted for women to obtain the head positions and dominate the company, so once word got out about Sandy Stone's natural born sex, there was much controversy and debate on whether or not to keep her at the head position. Those who believed she should be fired sided with Raymond's view, that having been a male, Stone had an advantage in being brought up to be competitive.

Should Committed Environmentalists Choose to Adopt a Vegan/Vegetarian D

Introduction The environmental impacts of a diet based in animal products is well documented and is the source of much debate. According to a controversial United Nations report entitled Livestock's Long Shadow (2006),â€Å"The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.† For those committed to reducing their environmental impacts, one solution would be to transfer to a vegetarian or even vegan diet. It is not necessarily ethical to prescribe one way of being for environmentalists all over the world, especially without thinking about differences in cultures. However, most committed environmentalists should adopt a vegetarian or vegan diet, with a few caveats. This is because (1) animal products are an inefficient source of protein in terms of environmental impact, (2) the greenhouse gas emissions from an animal product-based diet is significantly higher than a plant-ba sed diet and (3) animals are part of the environment and their treatment is as important as the treatment of the planet as a whole. Differing views Among Environmentalists Environmentalists take up many causes in their fight to protect nature. Their tactics can involve direct-action, petitions, media stunts and boycotts. Boycotting a company that is involved in unethical behaviour can be very effective and one of the simplest, most direct ways to exercise your consumer power, since most of the world's population is embedded in the capitalist economic system. Three areas that research has shown we contribute most of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is through transportation, home energy and food, all areas in which committed environmentalists are ... ...rent dietary protein choices, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 78, p. 664s-668s. Stepaniak J, 2000, Being vegan: living with conscience, conviction, and compassion, Lowell House, Los Angeles. Tukker, A & Jansen, B 2006, ‘Environmental impacts of products – a detailed review of studies’, Journal of Industrial Ecology, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 159–182. Waller, D, 1997, ‘A vegetarian critique of deep and social ecology’, Ethics and the Environment, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 187-197. Weber, CL & Matthews, HS 2008, ‘Food-miles and the relative climate impacts of food choices in the United States', Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 42, no. 10, pp. 3508-3513. Wells, T 2005, The world in your kitchen, New Internationalist Publications, Oxford. Yacoubou, J 2011, 'Ecocriticism as vegetarian activism', Vegetarian Journal, vol, 30, No. 2, pp. 12-14.

Playing Sports Essay

Ever since I started playing tennis, I noticed that I have been less aggravated and also a feeling of â€Å"calm† after each game. Whatever was bothering me that day becomes a faint memory. Have you been looking for a way to relieve stress, get some exercise, and make some new friends? Then try playing a sport. It does not matter if you are a child or an adult. Becoming involved in sports is an excellent way to stay fit and relieve stress. You can get out and have some fun while getting healthy. It also can be a way to bring your family together. Playing sports together and being health together. Playing sports can be beneficial for your mental and physical health. Playing some sports can be fun and help support your physical and mental health. Participating in most sports can help reduce stress, promote physical and mental health, and encourages social skills. Involving yourself in a sport strengthens your heart and all your other muscles while having lots of fun. First, let’s talk about how a person can reduce stress by playing a sport. No one has to tell you how stressful day to day life is. Stress is a major health concern to everyone. Every day people in the world battle with stress and look for ways to relieve it. Being active in a sport is one of the ways to reduce stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, â€Å"one way to take control of the stress in your life is through physical activity. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. † While playing sports, a person can focus on the game being played and not on their worries. Getting into the game and taking out your frustrations on the game can also manage stress. I personally know from experience that stress can be relieved through exercise. I exercise 4 to 5 times a week. I feel great before and after the workout. Exercising just makes you feel good about yourself! Playing sports sometimes changes your mood and puts the focus on the game. Physical activity helps to bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. (Mayo Clinic)The physical activity of sports can reduce tension and help the player relax and get in a better mood. Playing a simple game like ping pong can get your mind off of what’s stressing you. Next, physical and mental health can be maintained through playing sports. Playing sports can provide a form of exercise. Depending on the exercise what kind of benefit your body receives. Exercise through sports can improve your heart health. When playing sports, your body receives exercise needed to build endurance and strength. (Isports2012) Staying active helps keep health problems away from your body. Playing sports can also help maintain weight, strength, and increase stamina. (Manali Oak2012)Sports like soccer are good for your heart and improve body tone. When playing a game like basketball, dribbling, changing direction quickly and passing are performed at different rates of speed which can improve some one’s body coordination, agility and balance. Kicking the ball and receiving the pass from someone improves your hand to eye coordination. According to the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace states that young people can benefit from physical activity as it contributes to developing healthy bones, efficient heart and lung function as well as improved motor skills and cognitive function. Mental health can also be helped through playing sports. It encourages you to be your best, help with concentration, build confidence, and build leadership skills. Playing sports can help a person deal with loss and disappointment. Sports also help boost self –esteem. (Rachel Nelson2011) Also playing a sport can produce many opportunities to increase your confidence and self-esteem, and help to reduce anxiety. Playing sports can also reduce depression. When becoming active in sports, a person has to focus on the game and does not have time to think or worry about outside issues. All of the person’s energy is focused on the game. According to Vanderbelt, â€Å"In a study by DiLorenzo, Bargman, Stucky-Ropp, Brassington, Frensch, and LaFontaine (1999), the conclusions showed that exercise helped with depression both short-term and long-term. The experiment took 111 adults randomly assigned them to two groups. One group was to use bicycle ergometry twenty-four minutes a session, four times a week for twelve weeks. The other group was to do the same exercise but forty-eight minutes a session, four times a week for twelve weeks. By the end of the twelve weeks, DiLorenzo et al. were able to conclude that not only were physiological benefits occurred, such as a stronger heart, but also psychological improvements were made, specifically with depression. The long-term effects of this experiment showed an overall improvement both physically and mentally which was still present a year after the experiment had occurred. It is important to note that in most experiments the findings suggest that exercise helps minimize one’s depressions but there is little scientific evidence stating that exercise can prevent depression. † Sports also play a positive role in emotional health, and helps build social connections, often having opportunities for fun and self-expression. Sports teach you to interact with people, communicate with them and work together as a team. Playing sports can be beneficial to learning social skills. When participating in a sport, working as a team, helping each other out, having good times and the bad times are ways people learn how to support and help others through sports. It helps maintain focus on team goals, instead of personal goals. Building a great team and having fun at the same time is a great reason to play a sport. Sports can improve social skills in adults through leadership and making and keeping new friends. Being a captain on a team or the coach can help with leadership skills. Team mates can become friends. Improving social skills in children can be a task. With sports, it can become a little easier. Playing sports improve teamwork, which can help children learn to work better with one another. While playing sports, people learn what is best for the group instead of just for themselves, and they learn to be friends with people from other backgrounds. When participating in a sport, teammates can be from different races, have different personalities, religions, and sometime genders. Interaction with different teammates can result in lasting bonds. Eventually, a person can move forward and accept a person who may not look or act the same as themselves and treat other teammates as equals. Participating in sports helps adults and youth with the excitement of winning and the bittersweet feeling of defeat. When a team loses a game, a player can have some ill feelings, including disappointment, frustration and anger. Sports allow adults and youth to better handle non positive feelings. After learning how to manage some of these emotions, players can use the same skills learned in sports in apply them to other situations in their life. Also confidence can be improved in adults and children through playing sports. Winning a game is an example of how sports can increase confidence. Playing a sport helps a person feel like they are a part of something. That alone can help motivate and help boost some ones confidence. Being a part of something or a team can boost the confidence in anyone. As you have read, playing sports can increase your overall physical and mental health. Playing sports increases your health, while having fun, being active, and making new friends. Just a few hours a week can be beneficial to your health. There are many types of sports to play that will offer health benefits. People, who have not been active in a while, should contact their doctor first, before participating in high impact sports. You can hurt your body when you just jump right into a high pact exercise. It does not matter if it is tennis, football, or soccer. Being active in sports helps your body. Playing sports affect your health long term when you stay active. Sports help keep your heart and mind healthy. Overall, sports help personal abilities, general health and self-knowledge. Getting out at least 3 days out of the week to play a sport is a reasonable way to stay active through sports. You can contact your local sports club, recreational center, or YMCA for information on playing sports, joining a team, and the benefits that they offer. Everyone needs to relieve some type of stress or be in better shape. Why not pick up a sport and have fun doing both! References 1. http://www. sportanddev. org/en/learnmore/sport_and_health/the_health_benefits_of_sport_and_physical_activity/ 2. http://www. onlymyhealth. com/health-benefits-playing-sports-1290074521 3. http://www. acefitness. org/blog/412/americans-coping-with-stress-anxiety-find-relief, Americans Coping with Stress & Anxiety Find Relief with Exercise, Posted September 12, 12:00AM in ACE Press Releases 4. KOLATA,G. ( 2008, March 27). Personal Best, Yes, Running Can Make You High, The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www. nytimes. com 5. DiLorenzo, T. M. , Bargman, E. P. , Stucky-Ropp, R. , Brassington, G. S. , Frensch, P. A. ,& LaFontaine, T. (1999). Long term effects of aerobic exercise on psychological outcomes. Prev Med, 28 (1), 75-85. 6. http://www. un. org/wcm/content/site/sport/home/unplayers/coordinationmechanisms/interagencytaskforce 7. http://www. djlah. net 8. http://healthpsych. psy. vanderbilt. edu.

Far from the madding crowd Essay

In ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’, Thomas Hardy examines different types of love. Consider the relationships Bathsheba has with Gabriel, Boldwood and Troy; consider also Troy’s relationship with Fanny Robin. What conclusions does Thomas Hardy wish us to draw about the nature of love? Support the points you make with close reference to the text. You must also mention the social context of the novel and any relevant literary tradition. Bathsheba is a very vain woman who likes to think very highly of herself, in the first appearance she makes in the novel, she is admiring herself in the mirror. The last word in Chapter 1 is ‘vanity’. Hardy has established some of the features of two of the main characters and made us curious about this development of the relationship between Oak and this vain but handsome girl. Bathsheba was not a conventional woman of her time. She was an unusual for a woman of her time because she was very independent. She also refused her first offer of marriage although penniless and living with her aunt. Women at this time relied heavily on marriage. Women at that time often also married for security. Bathsheba is quite teasing with men, for example, when Gabriel Oak holds her hand, she suggests: â€Å"But I suppose you are thinking you would like to kiss it? You may if you want to. † But when Gabriel says, â€Å"I will. † She instantly says, â€Å"No you wont! † This shows that she is teasing, and she can get some men crazy about her. Her relationship with Gabriel has its ups and downs. Gabriel cares for Bathsheba so much but as the novel goes on, Gabriel realizes that there is no chance that he will marry Bathsheba because two other obstructions are in the way, the similarly vain Sergeant Troy and Mr. Boldwood. Bathsheba’s relationship with Mr. Boldwood is very awkward because, she only sent the valentine letter as a prank. It all started off when Liddy and Bathsheba were writing a Valentine letter to ‘little Teddy Coggan’. But Liddy suggests, â€Å"What fun it would be to send it to the stupid old Boldwood, and how he would wonder! † Bathsheba does not agree to the idea at first and says, â€Å"No, I won’t do that. He wouldn’t see any humour in it. † She was right. But Boldwood takes it so seriously and becomes absolutely obsessed with her, â€Å"My life is a burden without you, I want you – I want you to let me say I love you again and again! † When Bathsheba tells him the truth about the Valentines card, Boldwood does not want to and cannot accept the fact that it was a joke and a prank: â€Å"No, no, no. Don’t say thoughtlessness! Make me think it was something more – that it was a sort of prophetic instinct – the beginning of a feeling that you would like me. † Then Troy comes into the novel. During that period of time, there were strict rules governing the etiquette of behaviour about men and women being alone together and they certainly would not publicly touch each other or their clothes. This makes their meeting highly irregular. Bathsheba would be particularly vulnerable in this situation. Troy is similarly vain and teasing like Bathsheba, this enchants her, â€Å"Thank you for the sight of such a beautiful face! † He also often repeats the word, â€Å"Beauty† aimed obviously at Bathsheba. When they depart after their first ‘encounter’, she is very happy and feels flattered. She looks in the mirror (as usual) and repeats Troy’s words, â€Å"Goodnight †¦ beauty! † Bathsheba is aware of her beauty, and she feels that if some handsome man in uniform compliments her on her looks, then that is very rewarding for her and it boosts her self-confidence. Also, Troy’s showmanship with his sword swept Bathsheba off her feet. Also, because Bathsheba would have been very nai ve and inexperienced in the ways of love, she found it very hard to resist Troy. Bathsheba and Troy’s relationship, was more of a sexual love than a real love: â€Å"She felt powerless to withstand or deny him. He was altogether too much for her. † Another sign of Bathsheba’s vanity was that, she only married Troy because he had said he saw a more beautiful woman. So, Bathsheba went all the way to Bath just for Troy. But later on in the novel, Troy does not show that same feelings as when they first met. Instead, Troy becomes more involved into Fanny Robin and regrets ever turning her down. The type of love Fanny Robin loves Troy with all her heart; she even walks miles just for him. Many young women in the Victorian times would have eloped to marry soldiers. This was called ‘Scarlet fever’. This would be a disgrace to the girl and her family. Hardy’s aunt Martha was said to have eloped with a soldier When she asks Troy when they will be wed, Troy does not even understand what she is talking about. Fanny asks, â€Å"When will it be? † Troy then asks â€Å"What? † Then Fanny tries to remind Troy, â€Å"That you promised. † Troy again, forgetful, â€Å"I don’t quite recollect† Then Fanny desperately says, â€Å"O you do! Don’t speak like that. It weighs me to the earth. It makes me say what ought to be said first by you. † Fanny wants to get desperately married, but Troy wants her mainly for sex and for more of a ‘casual’ relationship. Troy gets very angry and upset when he sees the coffin with Fanny Robin and the baby in it. Tragically, Fanny died of childbirth. The baby was still born. Many deaths occurred due to lack of technology including childbirth. He completely forgets about what he had with Bathsheba and thinks of what he could have had with Fanny. Troy’s reaction to her death and his disregard for Bathsheba shows he is the type of man who only wants what he cannot have. When Fanny was alive, Troy showed little interest in her predicament. I think that the message Thomas Hardy is trying to get out is that love can only be true, not just for jokes and pranks (the valentines letter. ) Love also has to have two people involved not like Fanny Robin and Troy at the start of the novel. In conclusion, Hardy ended the novel happily, because he knew that is what the readers wanted to read. The story was printed into a monthly magazine and for a Victorian readership; a happy end involved a marriage. Bathsheba was first attracted by Troy’s good looks and superficial charm and preferred these qualities to the more traditional ones of security and love offered by Oak and Boldwood. But when Fanny dies, Bathsheba finally realizes that Troy’s is actually a womanizer and he is disloyal. Hardy, himself did not rate marriage very highly as he had an unhappy marriage. So by the end of the novel, Bathsheba becomes more sensitive to others and realizes that she should have accepted Oak’s initial proposal, rather than Troy’s, and that she would have been much happier with Oak.