Vodafone industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Warm Bodies Step one wanting Free Essays

I am dead, yet it’s not all that awful. I’ve figured out how to live with it. I’m sorry I can’t appropriately present myself, yet I don’t have a name any more. We will compose a custom paper test on Living, breathing people Step one needing or on the other hand any comparative point just for you Request Now Scarcely any of us do. We lose them like vehicle keys, overlook them like commemorations. Mine strength have begun with a ‘R’, however that’s all I have now. It’s clever on the grounds that back when I was alive, I was continually overlooking different people’s names. My companion ‘M’ says the incongruity of being a zombie is that everything is clever, yet you can’t grin, in light of the fact that your lips have decayed off. None of us are especially appealing, yet passing has been kinder to me than a few. I’m still in the beginning periods of rot. Simply the dim skin, the horrendous smell, the dark circles under my eyes. I could nearly go for a Living man needing an excursion. Before I turned into a zombie I probably been a specialist, an investor or intermediary or some youthful temp learning the ropes, in light of the fact that I’m wearing genuinely decent garments. Dark pants, dim shirt, red tie. M ridicules me in some cases. He focuses at my bind and attempts to chuckle, a gagged, sputtering thunder somewhere down in his gut. His garments are holey pants and a plain white T-shirt. The shirt is looking truly grotesque at this point. He ought to have picked a darker shading. We like to joke and hypothesize about our garments, since these last style decisions are the main sign of who we were before we turned into nobody. Some are more subtle than mine: shorts and a sweater, skirt and a shirt. So we make arbitrary conjectures. You were a server. You were an understudy. Sound familiar? It never does. Nobody I know has a particular recollections. Only an obscure, minimal information on a world a distant memory. Swoon impressions of previous existences that wait like apparition appendages. We perceive civilisation †structures, vehicles, a general outline †yet we have no close to home job in it. No history. We are simply here. We do what we do, time passes, and nobody poses inquiries. In any case, as I’ve stated, it’s not all that terrible. We may seem careless, yet we aren’t. The corroded gear-teeth of cogency despite everything turn, simply equipped further and further down till the external movement is scarcely obvious. We snort and moan, we shrug and gesture, and some of the time a couple of words sneak out. It’s not that not the same as in the past. In any case, it makes me tragic that we’ve overlooked our names. Out of everything, this appears to me the most grievous. I miss my own and I grieve for everybody else’s, in light of the fact that I’d like to cherish them, however I don’t know what their identity is. There are several us living in a surrendered air terminal outside some huge city. We don’t need safe house or warmth, clearly, yet we like having the dividers and rooftops over our heads. In any case we’d simply be meandering in an open field of residue some place, and that would be abnormally awful. To have nothing at surrounding us, nothing to contact or take a gander at, no hard lines at all, equitable us and the vast throat of the sky. I envision that’s what being full-dead resembles. A void tremendous and total. I think we’ve been here quite a while. I despite everything have all my substance, yet there are older folks who are minimal more than skeletons with sticking bits of muscle, dry as jerky. By one way or another it despite everything broadens and agreements, and they continue moving. I have never observed any of us ‘die’ of mature age. Perhaps we live for ever, I don’t know. What's to come is as hazy to me as the past. I can’t appear to make myself care about anything to one side or left of the present, and the present isn’t precisely pressing. You may state demise has loosened up me. I am riding the elevators when M discovers me. I ride the lifts a few times each day, at whatever point they move. It’s become a custom. The air terminal is abandoned, yet the force despite everything glimmers on some of the time, possibly spilling out of crisis generators faltering profound underground. Lights glimmer and screens flicker, machines shock into movement. I treasure these minutes. The sentiment of things waking up. I remain on the means and rise like a spirit into Heaven, that sweet long for our childhoods, presently a dull joke. After possibly thirty reiterations, I ascend to discover M hanging tight for me at the top. He is many pounds of muscle and fat hung on a six-foot-five edge. Whiskery, uncovered, wounded and spoiled, his horrible look slides into see as I peak the flight of stairs highest point. It is safe to say that he is the blessed messenger that welcomes me at the entryways? His worn out mouth is overflowing dark slobber. He focuses an unclear way and snorts, ‘City.’ I gesture and tail him. We are going out to discover food. A chasing party conforms to us as we mix towards town. It’s not elusive enlisted people for these endeavors, regardless of whether nobody is eager. Centered idea is an uncommon event here, and we as a whole tail it when it shows. In any case we’d simply be remaining near and moaning throughout the day. We do a great deal of remaining around and moaning. A long time pass along these lines. The substance wilts on our bones and we remain here, sitting tight for it to go. I regularly wonder how old I am. The city where we do our chasing is helpfully close. We show up around early afternoon the following day and begin searching for substance. The new appetite is a peculiar inclination. We don’t feel it in our stomachs †a few of us don’t even have those. We feel it wherever similarly, a sinking, drooping sensation, as though our cells are collapsing. The previous winter, when such a significant number of Living joined the Dead and our prey turned out to be rare, I observed a portion of my companions become full-dead. The change was undramatic. They just eased back down, at that point halted, and sooner or later I understood they were bodies. It disturbed me from the outset, however it’s against decorum to see when one of us kicks the bucket. I diverted myself with some moaning. I think the world has generally finished, on the grounds that the urban communities we meander through are as bad as we seem to be. Structures have crumpled. Rusted vehicles stop up the lanes. Most glass is broken, and the breeze floating through the empty tall structures groans like a creature left beyond words. I don’t comprehend what occurred. Sickness? War? Social breakdown? Or then again was it just us? The Dead supplanting the Living? I surmise it’s not all that significant. Once you’ve showed up at the apocalypse, it scarcely matters which course you took. We begin to smell the Living as we approach a flimsy high rise. The smell isn't the musk of sweat and skin, yet the bubbling of life vitality, similar to the ionized tang of lightning and lavender. We don’t smell it in our noses. It hits us more profound inside, close to our cerebrums, similar to wasabi. We combine on the structure and crash our way inside. We discover them crouched in a little studio unit with the windows barricaded. They are dressed more awful than we are, enclosed by dirty wears out and clothes, every one of them seriously needing a shave. M will be burdened with a short light facial hair for the remainder of his Fleshy presence, however every other person in our gathering is perfect shaven. It’s one of the advantages of being Dead, something else we don’t need to stress over any more. Whiskers, hair, toenails . . . not any more battling science. Our wild bodies have at last been subdued. Slow and cumbersome yet with unswerving responsibility, we dispatch ourselves at the Living. Shotgun impacts fill the dusty air with explosive and blood. Dark blood scatters the dividers. The loss of an arm, a leg, a part of middle, this is dismissed, disregarded. A minor restorative issue. Be that as it may, a few of us make efforts to our cerebrums, and we drop. Clearly there’s as yet something of significant worth in that wilted dim wipe, in such a case that we lose it, we are cadavers. The zombies to one side and right hit the ground with clammy crashes. Be that as it may, there are a lot of us. We are overpowering. We set upon the Living, and we eat. Eating is anything but a wonderful business. I bite off a man’s arm, and I loathe it. I loathe his shouts, since I don’t like torment, I don’t like harming individuals, however this is the world at this point. This is our main thing. Obviously on the off chance that I don’t eat every last bit of him, in the event that I save his cerebrum, he’ll ascend and tail me back to the air terminal, and that may cause me to feel better. I’ll acquaint him with everybody, and perhaps we’ll remain around and moan for some time. It’s difficult to state what ‘friends’ are any more, however that may be close. On the off chance that I control myself, on the off chance that I leave enough . . . Be that as it may, I don’t. I can’t. As consistently I go straight for the great part, the part that makes my head light up like an image tube. I eat the cerebrum and, for around thirty seconds, I have recollections. Flashes of marches, scent, music . . . life. At that point it blurs, and I get up, and we as a whole lurch out of the city, still cold and dark, however feeling somewhat better. Not ‘good’, precisely, not ‘happy’, unquestionably not ‘alive’, yet . . . somewhat less dead. This is all the better we can do. I trail behind the gathering as the city vanishes behind us. My means trudge somewhat heavier than the others’. At the point when I stop at a downpour filled pothole to scour gore off my face and garments, M drops back and slaps a hand on my shoulder. He knows my dislike for a portion of our schedules. He knows I’m somewhat more delicate than most. Some of the time he prods me, spins my muddled dark hair into braids and says, ‘Girl. Such . . . girl.’ But he realizes when to pay attention to my unhappiness. He taps my shoulder and just ganders at me. His face isn’t prepared to do a lot of expressive subtlety any more, yet I recognize what he needs to state. I gesture, and we continue strolling. I don’t know why we need to murder individuals. I don’t recognize what biting through a man’s neck achieves. I take what he needs to supplant what I need. He vanishes, and I remain. It’s basic however silly, self-assertive laws from some crazy person official in the sky. Be that as it may

Cognitive Restructuring for Panic Disorder

Cognitive Restructuring for Panic Disorder Panic Disorder Coping Print Cognitive Restructuring for Panic Disorder A CBT Technique to Change Negative Thinking By Katharina Star, PhD facebook linkedin Katharina Star, PhD, is an expert on anxiety and panic disorder. Dr. Star is a professional counselor, and she is trained in creative art therapies and mindfulness. Learn about our editorial policy Katharina Star, PhD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on August 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on May 29, 2019 PeopleImages/Getty Images More in Panic Disorder Coping Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Related Conditions Several theories of psychotherapy are founded on the notion that mood and anxiety disorders are largely caused by faulty thinking patterns. Negative thinking can be a major issue faced by people with panic disorder. Also known as cognitive distortions, these negative thinking processes may contribute to panic and anxiety symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one form of psychotherapy that is based on the idea that our thoughts influence our feelings and behaviors. Thus, those with a pessimistic view of themselves and the world around them will be susceptible to issues with depression and anxiety. CBT focuses on reinforcing healthier ways of thinking and behaving. Cognitive restructuring is one type of CBT technique that is designed to help change cognitive distortions. By restructuring one’s negative thought process, a person with panic disorder may be able to let go of some stress and feel less anxious. The following describes cognitive distortions and how cognitive restructuring can help you overcome this faulty way of thinking. Understanding Cognitive Distortions There are many types of cognitive distortions that may influence feelings of fear, stress, and anxiety. The most common faulty thinking patterns include all-or-nothing thinking, should statements, blame, and labeling. Listed below is a brief summary of these typical cognitive distortions: All-or-Nothing Thinking â€" This distortion involves only seeing the extremes, without noticing any gray areas in between. Life is either good or bad. A person is either a total success or a complete failure. People with panic disorder often see themselves as overly nervous or frazzled, without accounting for all the times they remain cool, calm, and collected. Should Statements â€" When going along with this cognitive distortion, the person will use self-statements that involve the terms “should,” “ought,” or “must.” A panic disorder sufferer may think to himself, “I must control my panic attacks or others will think less of me,” I ought to be able to get over my anxiety already,” or “I should be able to overcome my fears without any help.” Such negative self-statements can lead to a lowered sense of self-esteem and unhappiness. Blame â€" Far too many people with panic disorder blame themselves for their condition. For example, a person may think to themselves, “My panic symptoms are all my fault.” Blaming others can also be a negative thinking pattern in which the person begins to believe that others are the source of their problems or responsible for their anxiety. Labeling â€" This common cognitive distortion often entails negative statements about oneself. A person with panic disorder may label himself as “crazy” or “neurotic,” which can make him feel pretty hopeless about his condition. How To Use Cognitive Restructuring Cognitive restructuring can be an effective way to get past these and other cognitive distortions. This technique involves identifying, challenging, and changing your negative thoughts. Follow these steps to start overcoming your habitual and pessimistic ways of thinking: Notice Your Thoughts Changing the way you think begins by paying attention to your thought process. Spend some time throughout your day self-reflecting on the way in which you think. This may seem really strange at first  but will become more natural with practice. To help you remember this initial step, it may be beneficial to keep a journal or other record of your thoughts. Jot down a few notes throughout your day, tracking your typical thought process. Once you’re in the habit of bringing more awareness to your thoughts, start to recognize when you are using cognitive distortions. Are you frequently labeling yourself as an “anxious person?” Have you been blaming family members for your panic attacks? Do you put yourself down about your struggle with anxiety? Again, take some notes throughout the day and notice how often you a falling victim to cognitive distortions. Dispute Your Negative Thoughts Now that you recognize your cognitive distortions, it is time for you to challenge them. You start by using a negative thought that seems to come up often throughout your day. For example, perhaps you notice that you experience a lot of should statements. Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Label the top of the left column “Should Statements” and the right side “Realistic Thoughts.” Under the “Should Statements” column, write a should statement that you recently experienced, such as “I should always be able to control my nervousness.” Think about this statement for a moment. Is it necessarily true that you should always control your feelings of nervousness? Think about some ways you can dispute this idea, making it a more realistic statement. For instance, you may think, “Everyone feels nervous from time-to-time. I am working on ways to control my nerves better and until I can, I still accept myself.” Try performing this activity with all the negative thoughts you experience over a period of three days. Simply write down a negative thought followed by a more realistic way of looking at your situation. If at the end of three days you find that you  are more aware of your cognitive distortions, you are ready to proceed to the final step. Change Your Thoughts With practice, you will no longer need to write down each negative thought that arises. Instead, you can start to shift your cognitive distortions right away. After you have become more comfortable writing out and disputing your negative beliefs, start to practice changing your thoughts on the spot. For example, imagine that a negative thought like “I am such a failure for feeling so anxious” comes to mind. Rather than writing it down, take a deep breath and think about a way to challenge this thought. You may think, “Well, that’s not really true. I’ve achieved a lot of success in my life despite experiencing frequent panic and anxiety.” Notice if you feel differently after stopping to dispute your thought. You may feel as though some of your negativity has lifted. Cognitive restructuring can be an effective self-help technique to reduce some of your feelings of stress and anxiety. Keep going through these three steps of cognitive restructuring and you may notice a shift in your way you see the world. Through regular practice, you may take on a healthier and more positive way of thinking.

The Ban Of Tobacco Companies Essay - 1121 Words

On February 26th, 2001 the Indian government announced they were going to enforce a ban regarding advertising their products in their country. The problem was that tobacco companies in India promote their products through every conceivable medium, including radio, television, newspapers, magazines, billboards and the internet. The government realized that most of these tobacco companies were adapting creative new ways to publicize their brands to young people. Some tobacco companies also decided to use indirect methods which include sponsoring sporting events and teams; promoting rock concerts and discos; placing their brand logos on t-shirts, rucksacks and other merchandise popular with children; and giving away free cigarettes and brand merchandise in areas where young people gather. The article states that the ban of tobacco is already going on globally and countries like Finland, Norway and France have all imposed bans on tobacco companies. The Indian government decided to interfere with the business of these companies because the well-being of its citizens is at risk. The government pointed out that 3 million that consumed tobacco were killed between 1990 and 1998 the death toll has increased to 4.023 million. The Indian government also stated that by the year 2020 the death toll of tobacco consumers might rise to 8.4 million deaths and by the year 2030 the death will rise to 10 million. These tobacco industries were aiming at increasing their profits by luringShow MoreRelatedBan Banning Tobacco Companies From Advertising Their Products And Sponsoring Sports And Cultural Events867 Words   |  4 Pagesyear, first started with the ban on tobacco, but this apparently didn’t work out, so , now they are trying to make face to this problem by increasing tax es. On Feb 6, 2001 Government of India (GOI) dropped a bombshell on the tobacco Industry when it announced that it would shortly table a bill banning Tobacco Companies from advertising their products and sponsoring sports and cultural events. The objective of such a ban was to discourage adolescents from consuming tobacco products and also arm theRead MoreBAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENT IN INDIA800 Words   |  4 PagesBAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTISEMENT IN INDIA In 2004 the government of India banned tobacco companies from advertising their products and sponsoring sports and cultural events. The objective was to discourage adolescents from consuming tobacco products as well as empower the government with the power to launch an anti tobacco program. . This issue created a serious problem in that it was both ethical and commercial, the government on one hand, believe it was its responsibility to protect the welfare ofRead MoreBan Of Ban On Tobacco988 Words   |  4 Pages Those in favor of the ban on tobacco advertisements and sponsoring of cultural and sporting events in India noted that they were not the first country to be taking these steps. In fact, many European countries had previously invoked bans on tobacco beginning decades before. In both Belgium and France the ban was deemed to be constitutional as the main motivator behind this ban was public health, and not necessarily the desire to stop the tobacco industry from parta king in trade. BeyondRead MoreThe Government Of India ( Goi ) Proposed Ban On Tobacco Advertising946 Words   |  4 PagesThe Government of India (GOI) proposed ban on tobacco advertising was not unusual keeping in view the international precedents. Countries like France, Finland, and Norway had already imposed similar bans. An example is Belgium whose Supreme Court (of Appeal in 1981, gave its ruling that a ban on tobacco advertising was not unconstitutional. In a case which started in 1991 and ended in 1997, RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company, marketer of Camel cigarettes, was forced to withdraw its mascot, Joe Carmel, anRead MoreIndia s Government Should Ban Tobacco Advertisements900 Words   |  4 Pagesthe issue of tobacco advertising, and weigh the merit of each opposing viewpoint on whether or not India’s government should ban tobacco advertisements. 1. Those vouching for the ban of tobacco advertisements in India say that doing so is not unconstitutional, as it is meant to guard health of the general public. They also advocate that the state has the right to step in, when the general interest of its civilians may be at possible risk. Additionally, it was said that the ban would not hinderRead MoreThe Ethical Issues Of The Tobacco Industry879 Words   |  4 PagesA ban was proposed to stop tobacco companies from advertising their products in India. As you can imagine this did not sit well with many. There are always people on both sides of the fence when it comes to these bans. Managers face many ethical challenges. Most companies have a code of ethics they must follow. In this case analysis we are going to be looking at the ethical issues and challenges Managers in the tobacco industry in India face as well as the pros and cons of banning tobacco advertisingRead MoreIndia s Tobacco Advertising Ban1018 Words   |  5 PagesIndia s Tobacco Advertising Ban The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that worldwide, five million tobacco users die annually and estimates that one million Indians die each year prematurely from tobacco use (2015). As late at 2009, India was â€Å"the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of tobacco† (Economist, 2009, p. 5). In an attempt to reduce consumption, India introduced its first adverting ban on tobacco in 1990, followed in 2003 by the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco ProductsRead MoreThe Ban On Advertising Tobacco Products885 Words   |  4 PagesThe ban put on advertising tobacco products in India has caused a lot of debates. Some say it violates the constitution, others say it saves lives. Each side sets a valid argument, but which side is right? These bans do not only exist in India. They have been put into action in many different countries as well. Tobacco use kills 5.4 million people a year, averaging at about half of all smokers. (W.H.O.-Facts) I think that everyone is aware of how bad tobacco use is for your health. What peopleRead MoreIndias Ban on Tobacco664 Words   |  3 Pagesaddiction of marijuana and cocaine, tobacco is becoming more dangerous and damaging drug in the world. Due to its increasing effect in deteriorating health and death tolls on humans, it has become the main concern for many governments and forced them to act and take measures to minimize the damage caused by tobacco products. One typical example of these authorities is the Indian government. For this session of written assignment, I will analyze a case study of ban on tobacco Ads by Indian government. ByRead MoreIndian Ban On Tobacco Advertisements1469 Words   |  6 PagesINDIAN BAN ON TOBACCO ADVERTS IN FAVOUR According to the World Health Organization (WHO), tobacco accounted for over 3 million deaths in 1990, the figure rising to 4.023 million in 1998. It is estimated that tobacco related deaths would rise to 8.4 million in 2020 and to 10 million in about 2030. Internal industry documents released in the United States, described 14 – 24 year olds as â€Å"tomorrow’s business†. However, a study on tobacco consumption and employment, showed that effective policies

Innovate the Pixar Way - 1285 Words

INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson Company Profile Founded: 1979 as Graphics Group, but 1986 as Pixar Founders: Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith Headquarter: Emeryville, California, U.S.A. Products: feature films, short-films, animations, commercials, softwares Key people: †¢ Ed Catmull, President,Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ Steve Jobs, former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios and member of the Board of Directors at The Walt Disney Company Owner: The Walt Disney Company (since 2006) About the book INNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY (2010) by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson †¢ Authors of The†¦show more content†¦Intangible cultural measures: employee loyalty, freedom, collaboration†¦ Look at tangible and intangible measures Financial Measurement: Pixar ´ BoxPixar ´s Box-Office Results (in Thousands) Release Date 11/22/1995 11/20/1998 11/19/1999 11/02/2001 05/30/2003 11/05/2004 06/09/2006 06/29/2007 06/27/2008 05/29/2009 Totals Averages Movie Name Toy Story A Bug ´s Life Toy Story 2 Monsters, Inc. Finding Nemo The Incredibles Cars Ratatouille Wall-e Up 1st Weekend $29,140 $291 $300 $62,577 $70,251 $70,467 $60,119 $47,027 $63,097 $68,200 U.S. Gross $191,796 $162,798 $245,852 $255,870 $339,714 $261,441 $244,082 $206,445 $223,806 $2,131,804 $236,867 Worldwide Gross $361,996 $363,398 $485,752 $528,970 $866,592 $635,564 $461,982 $624,445 $532,936 $4,861,635 $540,182 Budget $30,000 $45,000 $90,000 $115,000 $94,000 $92,000 $70,000 $150,000 $180,000 $175,000 $1,041,000 $104,000 16 ways to get started Storyboarding – generates ideas graphically to expand team perspective „Plusâ€Å"-ing – originally from Walt Disney, you don ´t judge the work but plus the product or service „Try, learn, try againâ€Å" Training – design learning environment Transparency – remove barriers, decision making is cared out publicly Celebration – milestones, achievements and even failures Brain trust – group which discuss the unfinished work Postmortem technique – after each project identify things you would repeat and not repeat The Walt DisneyShow MoreRelatedInnovate the Pixar Way1279 Words   |  6 PagesINNOVATE THE PIXAR WAY by Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson Company Profile Founded: 1979 as Graphics Group, but 1986 as Pixar Founders: Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith Headquarter: Emeryville, California, U.S.A. Products: feature films, short-films, animations, commercials, softwares Key people: †¢ Ed Catmull, President,Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios †¢ Steve Jobs, former CEO ofRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Pixar1122 Words   |  5 Pagesof Pixar Overview In 1974, Ed Catmull was hired to manage the Computer Graphic Lab (CGL) at the New York Institute of Technology. The CGL also hired a few other computer scientists who shared ambitions about creating the world’s first computer animated film. In 1979, Ed Catmull and his team moved to the computer division at Lucasfilm. In 1986, Steve Jobs bought the computer division from Lucasfilm, paid $5million to George Lucas for technology rights and founded an independent company, Pixar. SteveRead MorePixar1465 Words   |  6 Pages7, 2013 Strategic Management 5301 Walt Disney-Pixar Analysis The Walt Disney-Pixar merger carries a number of convincing advantages for Disney, but Pixar shareholders should be less enthusiastic about such a deal. Pixar’s resources and capabilities have set a standard that is extremely difficult to imitate. Through its highly talented employee pool, culture of creativity and collaboration, and proprietary 3D computer animation software, Pixar has created a competitive advantage in the animationRead MoreSteve Jobs : An Innovator And Visionary1068 Words   |  5 PagesJobs has been widely recognized as one of the greatest technological visionaries in recent times. While Apple products and the name Steve Jobs have become synonymous, Jobs is also responsible for the ascension of animated films with the purchase of Pixar in 1986. Besides his breakthroughs in consumer products and animated films, Jobs has accomplishments spanning charitable donations and environmental causes. Over the course of his lifetime, the achievements and innovations Steve Jobs made through businessRead MorePixar Case Study Essay1336 Words   |  6 Pagesteam of people who formed the basis of what Pixar has become today. The group was hired in 1979 by Hollywood director George W. Lucas and developed as a graphics division for LucasFilms (Shamsie, 2001). This continued until 1985, when Catmull finally turned to Steve Jobs with the view to making full length feature f ilms using computer animation. After more than a year of negotiations, Steve Jobs then purchased the graphics division and renamed it Pixar Animation Studios (Shamsie, 2001). A threeRead MoreWalt Disney Pixar Case Analysis1439 Words   |  6 PagesOctober 7, 2013 Strategic Management 5301 Walt Disney-Pixar Analysis The Walt Disney-Pixar merger carries a number of convincing advantages for Disney, but Pixar shareholders should be less enthusiastic about such a deal. Pixar’s resources and capabilities have set a standard that is extremely difficult to imitate. Through its highly talented employee pool, culture of creativity and collaboration, and proprietary 3D computer animation software, Pixar has created a competitive advantage in the animationRead MoreFilm Analysis : Pixar s Animation1328 Words   |  6 Pagesor more commonly known as Disney, boomed worldwide with its use of advertisement through movie posters being presented in theaters, Disney theme parks, magazines, and stores. Producers of this film targeted children, teens, and die-hard Disney and Pixar fans. Being the large corporation that it is, Walt Disney Company was able to actively advertise the movie poster with sufficient amount of funds since the company was estimated to be worth 88.18 billion dollars as of 2015 (Statista). With a budgetRead MoreThe Book Creativity By Ed Catmull1472 Words   |  6 PagesThe book Creativity. Inc. , by Ed Catmull with Amy Wallace, is the chronological journey of Ed Catmul and Pixar from the early days until today. The best part of reading Creativity, Inc is that you know that Ed Catmull isn’t just talking the talk, he’s walking the walk. This book is separated into 4 cate gories: Getting Started, Protecting The New, Building and Sustaining and Testing What We Know. When Ed Catmul was younger he had two unconventional heroes for a young boy; Walt Disney and AlbertRead MoreCommon Characteristics of an Organization1084 Words   |  5 PagesWalt Disney Company has five entities that include: The Walt Disney Studios, Parks and Resorts, Disney Consumer Products, Media Networks, and Disney Interactive. The Walt Disney Studios is one of Hollywood’s major film studios today, and includes Pixar Animation and Lucas Films in their group. The Park and Resorts segment of the company includes the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Cruise Lines. Disney Consumer Products includes all merchandise, clothing, toys, and food that is based on their DisneyRead MoreSteve Jobs And Bill Gates Similarities1003 Words   |  5 PagesThe most significant similarity between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates is that they are both prominent for becoming two legends who left an indelible footprint in the field of Information Technology. Both individuals have changed the way we w ork, live, interact, communicate, with the help of their technology contributions to the society. They both had an equal passion to build biggest technology company in the world. It was only passion that inspired them to work almost without any sleep. They both had

Problems In Health Economy And Food Chains Environmental Sciences Essay Free Essays

In recent decennaries increasing attending has been paid to the environmental jobs and protection. The study conducted by Bureau of Meteorology in Australia provinces that the average temperature in the universe has increased by 2AÂ ° Celsius ; the warmer temperature increased the sea degree and endanger the environment ( 2010 cyberspace ) . It is noticed that the environmental jobs chiefly caused by human activities such as firing fossil fuels, fuel fumes from autos and alterations in land usage such as deforestation. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems In Health Economy And Food Chains Environmental Sciences Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Harmonizing to OECD, environmental protection refers to activities to stay or retrieve the quality of the environment through forestalling the emanation of pollutants ( 2003, Internet ) . It is believed that people should contend for environmental protection which means utilizing different methods to endeavor to get the better of the jobs and protect the environment. Environmental protection is deserving contending for as it can assist to cut down wellness jobs, stable the economic system and keep a healthy nutrient concatenation rhythm. The undermentioned essay will split into three facets, wellness, economic system and the rhythm of nutrient concatenation and explicate how the current environmental jobs affect these facets. Harmonizing to those three facets, the essay will besides explicate the ground of environmental protection is deserving to contend for. First, environmental job such as air pollution is going an progressively greater hazard to wellness ; therefore environmental protection is needed in order to protect the human wellness. The research from the Clean Air Healthy Communities states that air pollution can be caused by growing of population which may hike the petrochemical smog and auto emanation and impact the air quality ( twelvemonth unknown, cyberspace ) . It is believed that hapless air quality may take to respiratory unwellnesss such as asthma and allergic reactions. Zwillich states that by protecting the environment, the emanation of air pollutants can be reduced, respiratory unwellnesss can besides be decreased at the same clip ( 2009, cyberspace ) . Since protection can cut down the sum of take a breathing pollutants, hence environmental protection is deserving to contend for so as to take down the hazard of holding respiratory unwellnesss. Furthermore, Robins references that hapless air quality in Sydney potenti ally exposes more people to ozone concentrations and leads to wellness job such as skin malignant neoplastic disease ( 2010, 2 ) . Harmonizing to Department of Health and Ageing, Australia has the highest rate of tegument malignant neoplastic disease in the universe. In mundane, there are over 1000 Aussies are suffered from skin malignant neoplastic disease and approximative two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin malignant neoplastic disease before 70 ( 2008, Internet ) . Since environmental jobs may take to a figure of wellness jobs such as asthma, allergic reactions and even skin malignant neoplastic disease. Therefore, environmental protection is deserving to contend for as it can take down the hazard of holding those diseases and besides help people to keep a healthy life. Furthermore, the jobs in the current environment may besides impact the economic system of the state, therefore environmental protection is importance to contend for with the intent of better brace the economic system. Harmonizing to Gilpin, the accretion of the nursery gases in the ambiance can do planetary clime alteration, hence affect the life environment and even impact the economic system of a state ( 2000 ) . Tourism is one of the major sectors in the state ‘s economic system. It is believed that touristry is closely linked to biodiversity and the attractive force created by the environment. The clime alteration may take to loss of attractive force which means loss of touristry potency and hence affect the economic conditions. Furthermore, clime alteration will increase the opportunity of utmost conditions like hurricanes and typhoons. For illustration, Hurricane Mitch in 1998 was the stronger Atlantic Hurricane ; the powerful hurricane to a great extent affected tourist ry and accordingly besides affects the economic system in Caribbean ( Global Development Research Centre, twelvemonth unknown, cyberspace ) . Furthermore, it is believed that clime alteration may besides impact the agricultural and unrecorded stock production, therefore generate negative impacts to the economic system and environmental protection should be implemented. Wang, Huang A ; Rozelle province that grain and rice production in China will fall due to the heater conditions. Besides, continued alteration in temperature will diminish the production of farm animal. For illustration, the production of beef is predicted to cut down 9.8 per centum by 2030 ( 2010, Internet ) . Climate alteration may take to loss of attractive force, affect the agricultural sector and these corporate results may impact the state ‘s economic system. Harmonizing to Raicola, environmental protection could decelerate the emanation of nursery gases and finally brace the degree of such gases stay in the ambiance and hence aid to command the clime alteration job ( 2007, cyberspace ) . It is believed that environmental protection is deserving to endeavor to implement in order to better protect the touristry and agricultural sector and accordingly brace the economic system. In add-on, lifting ocean sourness and the frequent fluctuation of conditions will impact the nutrient concatenation rhythm from underside to exceed ; the perturbation of nutrient concatenation may jeopardize the life of animate beings therefore environmental protection should endeavor to set into pattern in order to stabilise the nutrient concatenation rhythm. Increasing ocean sourness due to human emanations of C dioxide could impact the nutrient concatenation. As seas grow more acidic, extra C dioxide from the ambiance is less able to be absorbed. This will endanger the life of animate beings such as shellfish, plankton, corals and besides affect the critical nexus of nutrient concatenation ( Greenbang, 2009, cyberspace ) . In the Arctic, polar bears eat seals, seals eat codfish and codfish eat plankton. Hamilton states that animate beings in the Arctic nutrient concatenation depend on the peculiar clime of the Arctic. If rising temperatures affect one portion of the nutrient conca tenation, the full Marine ecosystem may besides be affected ( 2009, cyberspace ) . It is believed that the perturbation of nutrient concatenation will take to animate beings ‘ extinction, if the current tendency of emanation carries on, all ice dependent animate beings will necessitate to get by with a inexorable hereafter. It is certain that the dual hazard state of affairs, warming and souring oceans will impact the rhythm of nutrient concatenation ; hence the environmental protection is truly deserving to contend for in order to assist to stabilise the rhythm. By protecting the environment, the negative impacts caused by clime alteration could be relieved, it may diminish the hazard of carnal extinction and besides maintain a healthy nutrient concatenation rhythm at the same clip. In decision, recent human activities cause different environmental jobs such as air pollution, planetary heating and clime alteration. It is believed that environmental jobs have deductions on the wellness, economic system, every bit good as the nutrient concatenation rhythm ; therefore environmental protection is deserving to contend for in order to better header with the jobs. In the wellness facet, environmental jobs may take to different diseases like respiratory unwellnesss and skin malignant neoplastic disease ; therefore environmental protection is deserving to contend for so as to take down the hazard of holding those diseases. Furthermore, environmental jobs may besides interrupt the economic system such as affect the touristry sector and the agricultural production. It is certain that environmental protection should endeavor to implement with the purpose of better brace the economic system of the state. Furthermore, clime alteration upset the nutrient concatenation rhythm a nd leads to animal extinction. Therefore, environmental protection is besides deserving to contend for with the intent of maintain the critical nexus of the nutrient concatenation. It is believed that protecting the environment can assist the state to get by with wellness and economic jobs and besides the perturbation of nutrient concatenation, therefore environmental protection is deserving to contend for in order to better trade with these issues. How to cite Problems In Health Economy And Food Chains Environmental Sciences Essay, Essay examples

Wrigleys Dual-Class Equity Strategy free essay sample

Increased cash flow ownership increases capital expenditures and growth in advertising and RD spending, and firm value increases until managerial ownership of cash flow reaches about 33 percent. Increasing managerial control apparently has the opposite effect, perhaps because some firms adopt dual-class structures when their original owners are reluctant to cede control and seeking capital typically dilutes control. As a result these firms are less likely to tap the capital markets, typically invest less, grow more slowly, and have lower valuations. Question 3) Some people dislike companies with dual-class share structures, but the idea behind it has its defenders. They say that the practice insulates managers from Wall Streets short-term mindset. Founders often have a longer-term vision than investors focused on the most recent quarterly figures. Since stock that provides extra voting rights often cannot be traded, it ensures the company will have a set of loyal investors during rough patches. We will write a custom essay sample on Wrigleys Dual-Class Equity Strategy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In these cases, company performance may benefit from the existence of dual-class shares. And there are plenty of reasons to dislike these shares. They can be seen as downright unfair. They create an inferior class of shareholder and hand over power to a select few, who are then allowed to pass the financial risk onto others. With few constraints placed upon them, managers holding super-class stock can spin out of control. Families and senior managers can entrench themselves into the operations of the company, regardless of their abilities and performance. Finally, dual-class structures may allow management to make bad decisions with few consequences. There are several hundred dual structure companies in the United States, some as large as Ford. Question 4) Wrigley paid a special dividend that could ultimately concentrate more control of the company in the hands of Wrigley family members. Heres how it works: Wrigley investors are to receive one share of class B stock for every four shares of common stock they hold and one share of class B stock for every four class B shares they hold, just as is stated in the case. The B shares, held widely by the Wrigley family, carry ten votes, compared with one vote per each common share. The catch: If and when shareholders sell those B shares, they will be converted to common shares, with the result that remaining holders of the B share will become more powerful with each sale. Such a lopsided voting arrangement generally gets low marks by todays corporate governance standards, and in most cases, wed agree. But Wrigley executives say it allows the company to manage the business for the long term, and its hard to argue with the fact that Wrigley has done just that for the two decades the dual share-class structure has been in place. (Credit to Kiplinger Magazine. This happened too after Wrigley purchased both Lifesavers and Altoids from Kraft. I think the dual-structure is working well for Wrigley. They are making money. And if you don’t like how they are managed then don’t invest in them. Question 5) This is a fairly clever way of reinstating family control for the long haul, says Kenneth Henderson, a partner in finance and securities law with the law f irm Bryan Cave LLP in New York. Wrigley spokesman Christopher Perille acknowledged the nature of the Class B stock would increase the voting power of those who hold onto the stock over time. The company created its dual-class stock structure in 1986. But the new B shares dont sit well with every shareholder. â€Å"It had nothing to do with shareholder value and everything to do with voting control, said James Burns, of East Syracuse, N. Y. , money manager J. W. Burns Co. Mr. Burns, who has held Wrigley shares for 18 years, recently cut his stake to fewer than 50,000 shares. At one time, he held as many as 300,000 shares. Wrigleys share structure also acts as a barrier against a hostile takeover of the company by putting power in the hands of long-term shareholders who are unlikely to heed such advances. Such a defense isnt an option for most companies. In the mid-1990s, the NYSE and other stock exchanges imposed rules against dual-class structures that create differences in voting power. But those that already had them such as Wrigley, Viacom Inc. and Hollinger International Inc. could keep them. Now, Wrigley has added 55 million Class B shares to the 33 million already in circulation. To understand how they translate into family control, think in terms of votes, not shares. Before the dividend, Wrigley had 189 million common shares outstanding with one vote each and 33 million Class B shares with 10 votes each for a total 519 million votes. Of that number, Mr. Wrigley, the CEO, controlled 211. 8 million votes, or 41 percent. Other family members had lesser amounts. After the distribution of 55 million new Class B shares, the total vote count swelled to about one billion, and Mr. Wrigleys votes made up 28 percent of the total. Now, assume one-third of the Class B shares are converted and sold in the first year, while Mr. Wrigley holds onto all of his Class B shares. The total vote count would shrink to about 782 million, and Mr. Wrigleys stock would represent 40 percent of the votes outstanding. If a similar thing happened the following year, the vote count would shrink to about 585 million shares, and Mr. Wrigleys stock would represent 53 percent of the total. Theoretically, Mr. Wrigleys control could reach between 56 percent and 60 percent of the votes outstanding. ( Credit to The Wall Street Journal). So investors look at it both good and bad, whether you are in for long or short term makes a huge difference. As mentioned, once you sell your class B shares, the Wrigley family benefits. | |

Critically evaluate the role of performance Essays

Critically evaluate the role of performance Essays Critically evaluate the role of performance Essay Critically evaluate the role of performance Essay This essay critically evaluates the function of public presentation profiling ( as outlined by Butler and Hardy, 1996 ) in the procedure of public presentation analysis. The essay begins with a reappraisal of public presentation profiling as outlined by Butler and Hardy ( 1996 ) , depicting how a public presentation profile is created and how this can be utilized as a tool to ease betterments in preparation and accomplishment, and so moves on to discourse the assorted pros and cons of public presentation profiling, supplying a critical rating of its function in public presentation analysis. Butler and Hardy ( 1992 ) illustrated the importance of detecting the athlete’s position of their ain thoughts of ego and public presentation, based on the personal concept theory of Kelly ( 1955 ) and Bannister and Fransella ( 1986 ) , with public presentation profiles developed for jocks based on the personal buildings of the jock. The chief purpose of public presentation profiling is to help managers and psychologists in placing countries of psychological strengths and failings, in add-on to any disagreements that may be between the perceptual experiences of the coach/psychologist and the jock with respects to the jocks public presentation ( Hays, 1998 ; p. 119 ) . Performance profiles are by and large developed for the jock by first spoting what qualities the athlete perceives to be basically of import for an elect public presentation, and so inquiring the jock to rate themselves along these concepts ( Hays, 1998 ) . The athlete’s coach/psychologist repeats the same process and the profiles that consequence are compared in order to place countries of disagreement and countries that need work, these so organizing the footing of a recommended preparation plan based on the techniques that are most likely to work given the state of affairs. The entreaty of public presentation profiling prevarications in the fact that it is an analytical procedure that involves the jock, instead than being purely coach-centered, with the advantage that this direct engagement can be actuating and educational and can ease and better communicating between the jock and the manager, bettering the overall quality of the coach-athlete relationship. Performance profiling can besides be used as a monitoring tool, by comparing profiles pre- and post-intervention in order to measure the impact of the intercession on public presentation. Changes to the intercessions can be made harmonizing to the consequences of the comparing of the two public presentation profiles, supplying a method offering an chance for continual betterment of public presentation. Hodges and Franks ( 2002 ) expression at how public presentation profiling can be used as an analytical tool by managers, in footings of patterning training pattern as a balance between direction and presentation, with pre-practice information being found to be highly of import in the procedure of skill acquisition, within the context of single scholars, harmonizing to how good the single scholar can understand instructions and so execute the coveted motion ( Hodges and Franks, 2002 ) . Performance profiling can therefore move as a valuable analytical tool, non merely for the jocks public presentation but in footings of finding which attack should be taken in footings of coaching ( Hardyet al. ,1996 ) . Performance profiling is, nevertheless, merely one attack that can be used to heighten jocks public presentation, with temper province profiling being another attack which can, for illustration, aid to cut down the negative impact of factors such as anxiousness on an athlete’s public presentation ( Terry, 1995 ) . Performance profiling is non, nevertheless, an wholly riskless or immaculate procedure, as rawness of the procedure amongst jocks can take to ‘false’ tonss being registered at the clip of roll uping the profile, either through jocks hiting themselves excessively low to avoid letdown, or hiting themselves excessively high to protect their self-image, for illustration. This can take to disagreements in the tonss of the jock and the manager, taking to jobs in the execution of the public presentation profiling procedure, in footings of utilizing the procedure as a diagnostic tool for bettering preparation and public presentation. The whole procedure of public presentation profiling relies wholly on honestness: of the jock with themselves and of the relationship between the manager and the jock. The procedure will merely non work, optimally, as a tool for public presentation analysis if the jock is non honorable with themselves and the manager is non honorable with the jock, and frailty versa, with respects to how they feel about their current position, their ends and the effects of their preparation government. As Hughes and Bartlett ( 2002 ) argue, public presentation indexs can be applied to many different athleticss by utilizing different structural definitions of games and by sub-categorising different athleticss by their regulations of hiting and stoping, leting for different measurings to be defined and used as diagnostic tools ( Hughes and Franks, 2004 ) . Their decision was that in order to enable a full and nonsubjective reading of the information from the public presentation analysis, comparings of informations are critical, with the recommendation that standardizations of public presentation indexs should besides be used more widely in concurrence with other signifiers of informations analysis in order to supply chances for public presentation enrichment in a scope of athleticss ( Hughes and Bartlett, 2002 ; ( Hughes and Franks, 2004 ) . For illustration, as Lees ( 2002 ) suggests, the incorporation of biomechanical measurings in public presentation analysis can supply valuable p enetrations in footings of technique analysis, potentially leting the effectivity of different techniques to be tested with respects to an athlete’s overall public presentation. In footings of the function of public presentation profiling in the procedure of public presentation analysis, as Liebermannet Al.( 2002 ) suggest, progresss in information engineering have meant that the feedback from public presentation profiling can take a figure of signifiers, including ocular, audio and proprioception ( Fix, 2002 ) , with each engineering supplying the chance for the appraisal of a different facet of public presentation, the overall appraisal of which could supply chances for optimising accomplishments acquisition ( Liebermannet al. ,2002 ) . As has been discussed, nevertheless, public presentation profiling will merely work if all concerned approach the procedure in an honest, unfastened, mode. In drumhead, public presentation profiling provides a potentially valuable analytical tool for finding an athlete’s current position and for analysing the effects of developing on an jock, amongst many other chances. The potency of the tool is, nevertheless, limited by the degree of apprehension of the tool by its users and by the degree of honestness with which the tool – and its recommendations are approached. Mentions Bannister, D. and Fransella, F. ( 1986 ) . Asking adult male: the psychological science of personal concepts.Croom Helm,London. Butler, R.J. ( 1996 ) .Performance profiling.National Coaching Foundation. Butler, R.J. and Hardy, L. ( 1992 ) . The public presentation profile: theory and application.The Sport Psychologist6 ( 3 ) , pp. 253-264. Fix, J.D. ( 2002 ) .Neuroanatomy.Hagerstwon: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Hardy, L.et Al.( 1996 ) .Understanding psychological readying for athletics: theory and pattern of elect performing artists.Wiley, Chichester. Hays, K.F. ( 1998 ) .Integrating exercising, athletics, motion and head: curative integrity.The Haworth Press. Hodges, N.J. and Franks, I.M. ( 2002 ) . Modeling training pattern: the function of direction and presentation.Journal of Sports Sciences20 ( 10 ) , pp. 793-811. Hughes, M.D. and Bartlett, R.M. ( 2002 ) The usage of public presentation indexs in public presentation profiling.Journal of Sports Sciences20 ( 10 ) , pp. 739-754. Hughes, M.D. and Franks, I. M. ( 2004 ) .Notational Analysis of Sport.2nd edition. London: Routledge. Leess, A. ( 2002 ) . Technique analysis in athleticss: a critical reappraisal.Journal of Sports Sciences20 ( 10 ) , pp. 813-828. Liebermann, D.G.et Al.( 2002 ) . Progresss in the application of information engineering to feature public presentation.Journal of Sports Sciences20 ( 10 ) , pp. 755-769. Terry, P. ( 1995 ) . The efficaciousness of temper province profiling with elect performing artists: a reappraisal synthesis.The Sports Psychologist9, pp. 309-324.

History of Gunpowder

History of Gunpowder Chinese Taoist alchemists were the major force behind the early invention of gunpowder. Emperor Wu Di (156-87 BCE) of the Han dynasty financed research done by the alchemists on the secrets of eternal life. The alchemists experimented with the sulfur and saltpeter heating the substances in order to transform them. The alchemist Wei Boyang wrote the Book of the Kinship of the Three detailing the experiments made by the alchemists. During the 8th century Tang dynasty, sulfur and saltpeter were first combined with charcoal to create an explosive called huoyao or gunpowder. A substance that did not encourage eternal life, however, gunpowder was used to treat skin diseases and as a fumigant to kill insects before its advantage as a weapon was made clear. The Chinese began experimenting with the gunpowder-filled tubes. At some point, they attached bamboo tubes to arrows and launched them with bows. Soon they discovered that these gunpowder tubes could launch themselves just by the power produced from the escaping gas. The true rocket was born.

Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks - Essay Example The essay "Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks" explains the artworks of Yoko Ono. One of Yoko Ono’s works that testifies to her use of conceptual art is that of the ceiling painting which is shown in Figure 1. The artwork consists of text on paper, glass, metal frame, metal chain, magnifying glass and painted ladder. In this well-known Ceiling Piece (1966), the seeker’s journey up a ladder is rewarded with a benevolent "yes." Yet the word can’t be easily read. A magnifying glass hanging nearby must be used, reminding the viewer that it is their desire to know and see that carried them to this moment of affirmation. There is not so much subtlety in the Line element besides from the fact that the words were written so as to produce the desired effect of curious thinking. The simplicity of the shape, a three dimensional ladder, induces the mind as it makes the viewer wander about where the ladder is leading to. Its effect is that it arouses curiosity and such is the wa y to make others view your work. When it comes to texture, the artwork seems to suggest of the smooth transition as the viewer climbs the stairs. We see that when it comes to space, there is that little space where the ladder is focused. There is no boundary for the negative space and it is this vastness that the viewer is attracted to the artwork. We see that the stairs were highlighted. The contrast between the ladder and its surrounding serves to further emphasize that this ladder is not just an ordinary ladder but something more. That placement of the common ladder makes it so conspicuous that someone passing by would be interested in taking a glance at the artwork. The lightness value of the way the ladder was emphasized somehow gave it a glint of mystery which made it more mysterious to behold. After having read the words yes with the magnifying glass, the whole work achieves harmony with the viewer as he now feels the aura of mysteriousness and the sense of fulfillment. Perha ps the movement in the artwork is the climbing of the stairs, usage of the magnifying glass and reading the words. Each movement leads the viewer more to the essence of the artwork and makes him internalize the meaning of what he has just experienced. I could not agree more with what Bowen (2003) tells us that Ono "Ceiling Piece encourages us to ponder where we're heading..emphasizing the visual nature of this quest by linking spiritual affirmation to the seeker's curious gaze. On the other hand, what is finally found is a word, not an image. This substitution makes the mental nature of vision apparent." Another work of art of Ono is the invitation to her exhibit This is Not Here (1971). The invitations were written on partially fixed then folded photographic paper. When the invitation was opened and exposed to the light, the image imprinted disappeared. Instead, what was left was Onos name and telephone number. The recipient was left with a blank sheet of paper and an afterimage of its contents. The feeling of being puzzled and awe was for Ono what art should be and that is "wonderment". This use of photographs, as she called it, is "a tool with which to picture our world, mediate our desires, fulfill our goals, and yet it too exists in flux, perpetually afloat and ridden with life". The question that now faces us is how to delineate the elements of art in this work. Can we consider the lines that gave semblance to the imprints as having some artistic

Clifford thinks Pascal and James are wrong Essay

Clifford thinks Pascal and James are wrong - Essay Example This needs explanations: if we believe in God and God exists, we remain innocent; if we believe in God and God does not exists, we still remain innocent; if we do not believe in God and God does not exist, we can’t be sure that we remain innocent as we can’t know for sure if God exists; if we do not believe in God and God exists, we are guilty. Thus, it is better to believe in God, than not to believe and therefore, according to Blaise Pascal, everybody should believe in God. The William James has a similar point of view. He also states that we should believe in God and waiting for evidence is not right for humans. Waiting for any evidence to decide if to believe or not may lead us to much losses. According to the philosopher, if a man hesitates to propose to a woman waiting for evidence that she is his ideal, he risks to lose her as she may accept the proposition of someone else. The same is with religion and belief. James states that those people who believe may enjoy the life of religious people and those who do not may lose this chance. Blaize Pascal and William James are sure that people should believe in God. William Clifford can’t agree with them. It does not mean that this philosopher states that we should not believe in God, but he call us to involve some doubt and states that it is necessary as it is our duty. He provides an example to explain why: a ship-owner had an old ship. He knew that it was old and he also knew that some people were going to have a voyage on its board. He did not have any time or facilities to repair his ship and he preferred to pin his hopes on Providence that would not have allowed people to die. As a result these people died as the ship was broken. This testifies that blind belief in Providence may lead to disaster. â€Å"If a man, holding a belief which he was taught in childhood or persuaded of afterwards, keeps down and pushes away any

Christopher Columbus :: Christopher Columbus Essays

My name is Christopher Columbus. I was born in the Italian city of Genoa in the year 1451. My father was a wool weaver and merchant who sold cloth. Genoa was famous for its traders, map-makers, and explorers and many men became sailers. I went to sea at the age of fourteen. In 1476, the ship on which I was aboard was attacked off the coast of Portugal. I managed to swim six miles to Lisbon. There I joined my brother Bartholomew, who was a chart maker. I also became a chart maker for a short period of time. I worked as a sugar buyer in the Portuguese islands off of Africa. From 1477-1482, I made merchant voyages as far as Iceland and Guinea. During this time I met pilots and navigators who believed in the existence of islands farther west. I settled in Lisbon and married the daughter of a Portuguese nobleman. By the time I was 32, I had become a master mariner in the Portuguese merchant service. Influenced by my brother and Alonso Pinzon, I believed that I could reach land by sailing farther west. I began seeking support for a voyage to the west. After being turned down several times, I finally gained the support of Ferdinand and Isabella after they conquered Granada. On August 3, 1492, I left Palos, Spain for my trip to the new world. I left with three ships, the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria, which I commanded. I first stopped in the Canary Islands and then sailed west until October 7th, when I change my course to Southwest. On October 12, I landed on a small island in the Bahamas. I found Cuba on October 27 and reached Hispaniola on December 5. Leaving some men to found a colony, I returned to Spain on the Nina. In October 1493, I set out on a second expedition and discovered Puerto Rico before arriving at Hispaniola to find the colony destroyed by Native Americans. I left in 1494 to explore the southern coast of Cuba. I left my brother in charge of the colony and returned to Spain in 1496.

The Twilight Saga 3: Eclipse Chapter 13. NEWBORN

â€Å"THE SAME THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HAND,† Jasper answered in a quiet voice. â€Å"Repeated a thousand times.† He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. â€Å"Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar.† â€Å"Why?† I breathed in horror, feeling rude but unable to stop staring at his subtly ravaged skin. â€Å"I didn't have quite the same . . . upbringing as my adopted siblings here. My beginning was something else entirely.† His voice turned hard as he finished. I gaped at him, appalled. â€Å"Before I tell you my story,† Jasper said, â€Å"you must understand that there are places in our world, Bella, where the life span of the never-aging is measured in weeks, and not centuries.† The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Emmett turned their attention to the TV again. Alice moved silently to sit at Esme's feet. But Edward was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face, reading every flicker of emotion. â€Å"To really understand why, you have to look at the world from a different perspective. You have to imagine the way it looks to the powerful, the greedy . . . the perpetually thirsty. â€Å"You see, there are places in this world that are more desirable to us than others. Places where we can be less restrained, and still avoid detection. â€Å"Picture, for instance, a map of the western hemisphere. Picture on it every human life as a small red dot. The thicker the red, the more easily we – well, those who exist this way – can feed without attracting notice.† I shuddered at the image in my head, at the word feed. But Jasper wasn't worried about frightening me, not overprotective like Edward always was. He went on without a pause. â€Å"Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It's the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed.† I frowned at the way he pronounced the name – with respect, almost gratitude. The idea of the Volturi as the good guys in any sense was hard to accept. â€Å"The North is, by comparison, very civilized. Mostly we are nomads here who enjoy the day as well as the night, who allow humans to interact with us unsuspectingly – anonymity is important to us all. â€Å"It's a different world in the South. The immortals there come out only at night. They spend the day plotting their next move, or anticipating their enemy's. Because it has been war in the South, constant war for centuries, with never one moment of truce. The covens there barely note the existence of humans, except as soldiers notice a herd of cows by the wayside – food for the taking. They only hide from the notice of the herd because of the Volturi.† â€Å"But what are they fighting for?† I asked. Jasper smiled. â€Å"Remember the map with the red dots?† He waited, so I nodded. â€Å"They fight for control of the thickest red. â€Å"You see, it occurred to someone once that, if he were the only vampire in, let's say Mexico City, well then, he could feed every night, twice, three times, and no one would ever notice. He plotted ways to get rid of the competition. â€Å"Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others. â€Å"But the most effective tactic was invented by a fairly young vampire named Benito. The first anyone ever heard of him, he came down from somewhere north of Dallas and massacred the two small covens that shared the area near Houston. Two nights later, he took on the much stronger clan of allies that claimed Monterrey in northern Mexico. Again, he won.† â€Å"How did he win?† I asked with wary curiosity. â€Å"Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first one to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They'll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost. â€Å"You see, though newborns are dangerous, they are still possible to defeat if you know what you're doing. They're incredibly powerful physically, for the first year or so, and if they're allowed to bring strength to bear they can crush an older vampire with ease. But they are slaves to their instincts, and thus predictable. Usually, they have no skill in fighting, only muscle and ferocity. And in this case, overwhelming numbers.† â€Å"The vampires in southern Mexico realized what was coming for them, and they did the only thing they could think of to counteract Benito. They made armies of their own. . . . â€Å"All hell broke loose – and I mean that more literally than you can possibly imagine. We immortals have our histories, too, and this particular war will never be forgotten. Of course, it was not a good time to be human in Mexico, either.† I shuddered. â€Å"When the body count reached epidemic proportions – in fact, your histories blame a disease for the population slump – the Volturi finally stepped in. The entire guard came together and sought out every newborn in the bottom half of North America. Benito was entrenched in Puebla, building his army as quickly as he could in order to take on the prize – Mexico City. The Volturi started with him, and then moved on to the rest. â€Å"Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time. â€Å"The Volturi were cleaning house for almost a year. This was another chapter of our history that will always be remembered, though there were very few witnesses left to speak of what it was like. I spoke to someone once who had, from a distance, watched what happened when they visited Culiacn.† Jasper shuddered. I realized that I had never before seen him either afraid or horrified. This was a first. â€Å"It was enough that the fever for conquest did not spread from the South. The rest of the world stayed sane. We owe the Volturi for our present way of life. â€Å"But when the Volturi went back to Italy, the survivors were quick to stake their claims in the South. â€Å"It didn't take long before covens began to dispute again. There was a lot of bad blood, if you'll forgive the expression. Vendettas abounded. The idea of newborns was already there, and some were not able to resist. However, the Volturi had not been forgotten, and the southern covens were more careful this time. The newborns were selected from the human pool with more care, and given more training. They were used circumspectly, and the humans remained, for the most part, oblivious. Their creators gave the Volturi no reason to return. â€Å"The wars resumed, but on a smaller scale. Every now and then, someone would go too far, speculation would begin in the human newspapers, and the Volturi would return and clean out the city. But they let the others, the careful ones, continue. . . .† Jasper was staring off into space. â€Å"That's how you were changed.† My realization was a whisper. â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"When I was human, I lived in Houston, Texas. I was almost seventeen years old when I joined the Confederate Army in 1861. I lied to the recruiters and told them I was twenty. I was tall enough to get away with it. â€Å"My military career was short-lived, but very promising. People always . . . liked me, listened to what I had to say. My father said it was charisma. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But, whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. The Confederate Army was new and scrambling to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By the first battle of Galveston – well, it was more of a skirmish, really – I was the youngest major in Texas, not even acknowledging my real age. â€Å"I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union's mortar boats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians to convey them to Houston. â€Å"I remember that one night very clearly. â€Å"We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely situated. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There wasn't time to rest. â€Å"Just a mile outside the city, I found three women on foot. I assumed they were stragglers and dismounted at once to offer them my aid. But, when I could see their faces in the dim light of the moon, I was stunned into silence. They were, without question, the three most beautiful women I had ever seen. â€Å"They had such pale skin, I remember marveling at it. Even the little black-haired girl, whose features were clearly Mexican, was porcelain in the moonlight. They seemed young, all of them, still young enough to be called girls. I knew they were not lost members of our party. I would have remembered seeing these three. â€Å"‘He's speechless,' the tallest girl said in a lovely, delicate voice – it was like wind chimes. She had fair hair, and her skin was snow white. â€Å"The other was blonder still, her skin just as chalky. Her face was like an angel's. She leaned toward me with half-closed eyes and inhaled deeply. â€Å"‘Mmm,' she sighed. ‘Lovely.' â€Å"The small one, the tiny brunette, put her hand on the girl's arm and spoke quickly. Her voice was too soft and musical to be sharp, but that seemed to be the way she intended it. â€Å"‘Concentrate, Nettie,' she said. â€Å"I'd always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they'd been military, I would have said that she outranked them. â€Å"‘He looks right – young, strong, an officer. . . . ‘ The brunette paused, and I tried unsuccessfully to speak. ‘And there's something more . . . do you sense it?' she asked the other two. ‘He's . . . compelling.' â€Å"‘Oh, yes,' Nettie quickly agreed, leaning toward me again. â€Å"‘Patience,' the brunette cautioned her. ‘I want to keep this one.' â€Å"Nettie frowned; she seemed annoyed. â€Å"‘You'd better do it, Maria,' the taller blonde spoke again. ‘If he's important to you. I kill them twice as often as I keep them.' â€Å"‘Yes, I'll do it,' Maria agreed. ‘I really do like this one. Take Nettie away, will you? I don't want to have to protect my back while I'm trying to focus.' â€Å"My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, though I didn't understand the meaning of anything the beautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them. â€Å"‘Let's hunt,' Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl's hand. They wheeled – they were so graceful! – and sprinted toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast – their white dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement, and they were gone. â€Å"I turned to stare at Maria, who was watching me curiously. â€Å"I'd never been superstitious in my life. Until that second, I'd never believed in ghosts or any other such nonsense. Suddenly, I was unsure. â€Å"‘What is your name, soldier?' Maria asked me. â€Å"‘Major Jasper Whitlock, ma'am,' I stammered, unable to be impolite to a female, even if she was a ghost. â€Å"‘I truly hope you survive, Jasper,' she said in her gentle voice. ‘I have a good feeling about you.' â€Å"She took a step closer, and inclined her head as if she were going to kiss me. I stood frozen in place, though my instincts were screaming at me to run.† Jasper paused, his face thoughtful. â€Å"A few days later,† he finally said, and I wasn't sure if he had edited his story for my sake or because he was responding to the tension that even I could feel exuding from Edward, â€Å"I was introduced to my new life. â€Å"Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn't been together long – Maria had rounded up the other two – all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their . . . herd lands, I suppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria's idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded. . . .† He paused, editing again. â€Å"She was in a hurry, though. Maria knew that the massive strength of the newborn began to wane around the year mark, and she wanted to act while we were strong. â€Å"There were six of us when I joined Maria's band. She added four more within a fortnight. We were all male – Maria wanted soldiers – and that made it slightly more difficult to keep from fighting amongst ourselves. I fought my first battles against my new comrades in arms. I was quicker than the others, better at combat. Maria was pleased with me, though put out that she had to keep replacing the ones I destroyed. I was rewarded often, and that made me stronger. â€Å"Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others – as if I were being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty. â€Å"This was considerable for the cautious times we lived in. My ability, as yet undefined, to control the emotional atmosphere around me was vitally effective. We soon began to work together in a way that newborn vampires had never cooperated before. Even Maria, Nettie, and Lucy were able to work together more easily. â€Å"Maria grew quite fond of me – she began to depend upon me. And, in some ways, I worshipped the ground she walked on. I had no idea that any other life was possible. Maria told us this was the way things were, and we believed. â€Å"She asked me to tell her when my brothers and I were ready to fight, and I was eager to prove myself. I pulled together an army of twenty-three in the end – twenty-three unbelievably strong new vampires, organized and skilled as no others before. Maria was ecstatic. â€Å"We crept down toward Monterrey, her former home, and she unleashed us on her enemies. They had only nine newborns at the time, and a pair of older vampires controlling them. We took them down more easily than Maria could believe, losing only four in the process. It was an unheard-of margin of victory. â€Å"And we were well trained. We did it without attracting notice. The city changed hands without any human being aware. â€Å"Success made Maria greedy. It wasn't long before she began to eye other cities. That first year, she extended her control to cover most of Texas and northern Mexico. Then the others came from the South to dislodge her.† He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm. â€Å"The fighting was intense. Many began to worry that the Volturi would return. Of the original twenty-three, I was the only one to survive the first eighteen months. We both won and lost. Nettie and Lucy turned on Maria eventually – but that one we won. â€Å"Maria and I were able to hold on to Monterrey. It quieted a little, though the wars continued. The idea of conquest was dying out; it was mostly vengeance and feuding now. So many had lost their partners, and that is something our kind does not forgive. . . . â€Å"Maria and I always kept a dozen or so newborns ready. They meant little to us – they were pawns, they were disposable. When they outgrew their usefulness, we did dispose of them. My life continued in the same violent pattern and the years passed. I was sick of it all for a very long time before anything changed . . . â€Å"Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who'd remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was . . . civilized – I suppose that's the right word. He didn't enjoy the fight, though he was good at it. â€Å"He was assigned to deal with the newborns – babysit them, you could say. It was a full-time job. â€Å"And then it was time to purge again. The newborns were outgrowing their strength; they were due to be replaced. Peter was supposed to help me dispose of them. We took them aside individually, you see, one by one . . . It was always a very long night. This time, he tried to convince me that a few had potential, but Maria had instructed that we get rid of them all. I told him no. â€Å"We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow – he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me. â€Å"The newborn I'd summoned was a female, just past her year mark. Her name was Charlotte. His feelings changed when she came into view; they gave him away. He yelled for her to run, and he bolted after her. I could have pursued them, but I didn't. I felt . . . averse to destroying him. â€Å"Maria was irritated with me for that . . . â€Å"Five years later, Peter snuck back for me. He picked a good day to arrive. â€Å"Maria was mystified by my ever-deteriorating frame of mind. She'd never felt a moment's depression, and I wondered why I was different. I began to notice a change in her emotions when she was near me – sometimes there was fear . . . and malice – the same feelings that had given me advance warning when Nettie and Lucy struck. I was preparing myself to destroy my only ally, the core of my existence, when Peter returned. â€Å"Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I'd never dreamed I had. In five years, they'd never had a fight, though they'd met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. â€Å"In one conversation, he had me convinced. I was ready to go, and somewhat relieved I wouldn't have to kill Maria. I'd been her companion for as many years as Carlisle and Edward have been together, yet the bond between us was nowhere near as strong. When you live for the fight, for the blood, the relationships you form are tenuous and easily broken. I walked away without a backward glance. â€Å"I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn't fade. I didn't understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I'd hunted. â€Å"I contemplated that. In so many years of slaughter and carnage, I'd lost nearly all of my humanity. I was undeniably a nightmare, a monster of the grisliest kind. Yet each time I found another human victim, I would feel a faint prick of remembrance for that other life. Watching their eyes widen in wonder at my beauty, I could see Maria and the others in my head, what they had looked like to me the last night that I was Jasper Whitlock. It was stronger for me – this borrowed memory – than it was for anyone else, because I could feel everything my prey was feeling. And I lived their emotions as I killed them. â€Å"You've experienced the way I can manipulate the emotions around myself, Bella, but I wonder if you realize how the feelings in a room affect me. I live every day in a climate of emotion. For the first century of my life, I lived in a world of bloodthirsty vengeance. Hate was my constant companion. It eased some when I left Maria, but I still had to feel the horror and fear of my prey. â€Å"It began to be too much. â€Å"The depression got worse, and I wandered away from Peter and Charlotte. Civilized as they were, they didn't feel the same aversion I was beginning to feel. They only wanted peace from the fight. I was so wearied by killing – killing anyone, even mere humans. â€Å"Yet I had to keep killing. What choice did I have? I tried to kill less often, but I would get too thirsty and I would give in. After a century of instant gratification, I found self-discipline . . . challenging. I still haven't perfected that.† Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate expression smoothed into a peaceful smile. â€Å"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day – something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little. â€Å"She was there – expecting me, naturally.† He chuckled once. â€Å"She hopped down from the high stool at the counter as soon as I walked in and came directly toward me. â€Å"It shocked me. I was not sure if she meant to attack. That's the only interpretation of her behavior my past had to offer. But she was smiling. And the emotions that were emanating from her were like nothing I'd ever felt before. â€Å"‘You've kept me waiting a long time,' she said.† I didn't realize Alice had come to stand behind me again. â€Å"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, ‘I'm sorry, ma'am.'† Alice laughed at the memory. Jasper smiled down at her. â€Å"You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope.† Jasper took Alice's hand as he spoke. Alice grinned. â€Å"I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up.† They smiled at each other for a long moment, and then Jasper looked back to me, the soft expression lingering. â€Å"Alice told me what she'd seen of Carlisle and his family. I could hardly believe that such an existence was possible. But Alice made me optimistic. So we went to find them.† â€Å"Scared the hell out of them, too,† Edward said, rolling his eyes at Jasper before turning to me to explain. â€Å"Emmett and I were away hunting. Jasper shows up, covered in battle scars, towing this little freak† – he nudged Alice playfully – â€Å"who greets them all by name, knows everything about them, and wants to know which room she can move into.† Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass. â€Å"When I got home, all my things were in the garage,† Edward continued. Alice shrugged. â€Å"Your room had the best view.† They all laughed together now. â€Å"That's a nice story,† I said. Three pairs of eyes questioned my sanity. â€Å"I mean the last part,† I defended myself. â€Å"The happy ending with Alice.† â€Å"Alice has made all the difference,† Jasper agreed. â€Å"This is a climate I enjoy.† But the momentary pause in the stress couldn't last. â€Å"An army,† Alice whispered. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me?† The others were intent again, their eyes locked on Jasper's face. â€Å"I thought I must be interpreting the signs incorrectly. Because where is the motive? Why would someone create an army in Seattle? There is no history there, no vendetta. It makes no sense from a conquest standpoint, either; no one claims it. Nomads pass through, but there's no one to fight for it. No one to defend it from. â€Å"But I've seen this before, and there's no other explanation. There is an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Fewer than twenty, I'd guess. The difficult part is that they are totally untrained. Whoever made them just set them loose. It will only get worse, and it won't be much longer till the Volturi step in. Actually, I'm surprised they've let this go on so long.† â€Å"What can we do?† Carlisle asked. â€Å"If we want to avoid the Volturi's involvement, we will have to destroy the newborns, and we will have to do it very soon.† Jasper's face was hard. Knowing his story now, I could guess how this evaluation must disturb him. â€Å"I can teach you how. It won't be easy in the city. The young ones aren't concerned about secrecy, but we will have to be. It will limit us in ways that they are not. Maybe we can lure them out.† â€Å"Maybe we won't have to.† Edward's voice was bleak. â€Å"Does it occur to anyone else that the only possible threat in the area that would call for the creation of an army is . . . us?† Jasper's eyes narrowed; Carlisle's widened, shocked. â€Å"Tanya's family is also near,† Esme said slowly, unwilling to accept Edward's words. â€Å"The newborns aren't ravaging Anchorage, Esme. I think we have to consider the idea that we are the targets.† â€Å"They're not coming after us,† Alice insisted, and then paused. â€Å"Or . . . they don't know that they are. Not yet.† â€Å"What is that?† Edward asked, curious and tense. â€Å"What are you remembering?† â€Å"Flickers,† Alice said. â€Å"I can't see a clear picture when I try to see what's going on, nothing concrete. But I've been getting these strange flashes. Not enough to make sense of. It's as if someone's changing their mind, moving from one course of action to another so quickly that I can't get a good view. . . .† â€Å"Indecision?† Jasper asked in disbelief. â€Å"I don't know. . . .† â€Å"Not indecision,† Edward growled. â€Å"Knowledge. Someone who knows you can't see anything until the decision is made. Someone who is hiding from us. Playing with the holes in your vision.† â€Å"Who would know that?† Alice whispered. Edward's eyes were hard as ice. â€Å"Aro knows you as well as you know yourself.† â€Å"But I would see if they'd decided to come. . . .† â€Å"Unless they didn't want to get their hands dirty.† â€Å"A favor,† Rosalie suggested, speaking for the first time. â€Å"Someone in the South . . . someone who already had trouble with the rules. Someone who should have been destroyed is offered a second chance – if they take care of this one small problem. . . . That would explain the Volturi's sluggish response.† â€Å"Why?† Carlisle asked, still shocked. â€Å"There's no reason for the Volturi -â€Å" â€Å"It was there,† Edward disagreed quietly. â€Å"I'm surprised it's come to this so soon, because the other thoughts were stronger. In Aro's head he saw me at his one side and Alice at his other. The present and the future, virtual omniscience. The power of the idea intoxicated him. I would have thought it would take him much longer to give up on that plan – he wanted it too much. But there was also the thought of you, Carlisle, of our family, growing stronger and larger. The jealousy and the fear: you having . . . not more than he had, but still, things that he wanted. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn't hide it completely. The idea of rooting out the competition was there; besides their own, ours is the largest coven they've ever found. . . .† I stared at his face in horror. He'd never told me this, but I guessed I knew why. I could see it in my head now, Aro's dream. Edward and Alice in black, flowing robes, drifting along at Aro's side with their eyes cold and blood-red. . . . Carlisle interrupted my waking nightmare. â€Å"They're too committed to their mission. They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they've worked for.† â€Å"They'll clean up afterward. A double betrayal,† Edward said in a grim voice. â€Å"No harm done.† Jasper leaned forward, shaking his head. â€Å"No, Carlisle is right. The Volturi do not break rules. Besides, it's much too sloppy. This . . . person, this threat – they have no idea what they're doing. A first-timer, I'd swear to it. I cannot believe the Volturi are involved. But they will be.† They all stared at each other, frozen with stress. â€Å"Then let's go,† Emmett almost roared. â€Å"What are we waiting for?† Carlisle and Edward exchanged a long glance. Edward nodded once. â€Å"We'll need you to teach us, Jasper,† Carlisle finally said. â€Å"How to destroy them.† Carlisle's jaw was hard, but I could see the pain in his eyes as he said the words. No one hated violence more than Carlisle. There was something bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it. I was numb, horrified, deathly afraid. And yet, under that, I could feel that I was missing something important. Something that would make some sense out of the chaos. That would explain it. â€Å"We're going to need help,† Jasper said. â€Å"Do you think Tanya's family would be willing . . . ? Another five mature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especially advantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid.† â€Å"We'll ask,† Carlisle answered. Jasper held out a cell phone. â€Å"We need to hurry.† I'd never seen Carlisle's innate calm so shaken. He took the phone, and paced toward the windows. He dialed a number, held the phone to his ear, and laid the other hand against the glass. He stared out into the foggy morning with a pained and ambivalent expression. Edward took my hand and pulled me to the white loveseat. I sat beside him, staring at his face while he stared at Carlisle. Carlisle's voice was low and quick, difficult to hear. I heard him greet Tanya, and then he raced through the situation too fast for me to understand much, though I could tell that the Alaskan vampires were not ignorant of what was going on in Seattle. Then something changed in Carlisle's voice. â€Å"Oh,† he said, his voice sharper in surprise. â€Å"We didn't realize . . . that Irina felt that way.† Edward groaned at my side and closed his eyes. â€Å"Damn it. Damn Laurent to the deepest pit of hell where he belongs.† â€Å"Laurent?† I whispered, the blood emptying from my face, but Edward didn't respond, focused on Carlisle's thoughts. My short encounter with Laurent early this spring was not something that had faded or dimmed in my mind. I still remembered every word he'd said before Jacob and his pack had interrupted. I actually came here as a favor to her. . . . Victoria. Laurent had been her first maneuver – she'd sent him to observe, to see how hard it might be to get to me. He hadn't survived the wolves to report back. Though he'd kept up his old ties with Victoria after James's death, he'd also formed new ties and new relationships. He'd gone to live with Tanya's family in Alaska – Tanya the strawberry blonde – the closest friends the Cullens had in the vampire world, practically extended family. Laurent had been with them for almost a year previous to his death. Carlisle was still talking, his voice not quite pleading. Persuasive, but with an edge. Then the edge abruptly won out over the persuasion. â€Å"There's no question of that,† Carlisle said in a stern voice. â€Å"We have a truce. They haven't broken it, and neither will we. I'm sorry to hear that. . . . Of course. We'll just have to do our best alone.† Carlisle shut the phone without waiting for an answer. He continued to stare out into the fog. â€Å"What's the problem?† Emmett murmured to Edward. â€Å"Irina was more involved with our friend Laurent than we knew. She's holding a grudge against the wolves for destroying him to save Bella. She wants -† He paused, looking down at me. â€Å"Go on,† I said as evenly as I could. His eyes tightened. â€Å"She wants revenge. To take down the pack. They would trade their help for our permission.† â€Å"No!† I gasped. â€Å"Don't worry,† he told me in a flat voice. â€Å"Carlisle would never agree to it.† He hesitated, then sighed. â€Å"Nor would I. Laurent had it coming† – this was almost a growl – â€Å"and I still owe the wolves for that.† â€Å"This isn't good,† Jasper said. â€Å"It's too even a fight. We'd have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers. We'd win, but at what price?† His tense eyes flashed to Alice's face and away. I wanted to scream out loud as I grasped what Jasper meant. We would win, but we would lose. Some wouldn't survive. I looked around the room at their faces – Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rose, Esme, Carlisle . . . Edward – the faces of my family.