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purchase custom U.N Rights Violation exposition Presentation Viciousness alludes to think utilization of corporal force or power, to compromise or really hurt, someone else, oneself, or on a gathering of individuals like kids or ladies coming about to death, injury, mal-improvement, or mental mutilation. Brutality against youngsters is a worldwide issue that outcomes to open wretchedness. In spite of the fact that bad form and neediness casualties have experienced issues being seen, generally, none of them has had more trouble whenever contrasted with the situation of kids. Brutality against youngsters happens in different structures for example physical wounds, carelessness, or mental torment. This occur at various levels and the culprits incorporate people, organizations, families, and the general public. This paper consequently builds up the condition of youngsters rights and the significant supporters of brutality against kids rights in the worldwide setting. Brutality against youngsters happens worldwide however the measurements may change starting with one locale then onto the next. For example, nations, for example, India, Pakistan, and Nepal will in general report more issues on youngsters rights infringement including kid work, sexual maltreatment, and kid dealing. India has been said to have the biggest number of working kids. In any case, these measurements could be deluding given that state executives may give low numbers to ensure pictures of their nations. An ongoing examination in eight Asian countries found that 33 to half of the sex laborers were the equivalent past casualties of youngster misuse (Brett, 2009). One fundamental human rights rule set down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is that every individual are brought into the world free and equivalent in pride and rights. Kids have been allocated extraordinary insurance by the UN legitimate structure. By and by, there are no solid legitimate instruments to ensure this right. Furthermore, worldwide law and nearby enactments are not homogeneous and this prompts irreconcilable circumstance. Childrens rights assurance under worldwide settlement law can be followed back to the primary Declaration of the Rights of the Child embraced by the League of Nations in 1924, which was a short archive containing just five standards by which part were welcome to be guided in crafted by kid government assistance. Youngsters appreciate security by method of general human rights arrangements, and their pertinence ought not be thought little of. The U.N has kept on guarding the privileges of kids under four standards, in particular; childrens right to balance, the wellbeing of the kid, the childrens right to life and advancement and the regard for childrens own perspectives (Committee on the Rights of the Child, 2005). In any case, these arrangements just stay in papers as various states keep on mishandling them as showed by the rising instances of youngster dealing, and kid work among different indecencies. Youngsters Rights Violation Children are supposed to be each countrys future and therefore; the United Nations (UN) individuals in 2002, attempted to fit in with eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) continuously 2015 with six of the said objectives legitimately connected with kids. Every one of these objectives that are firmly connected with the responsibility made by all administrations of the UN General Assembly at the 2002 Special Session on Children in 2002. All countries vowed to work with the objective of advancing and securing the privileges of each youngster. An investigation directed by the Convention on the Rights of the Child for the benefit of the UN in 2001 underscored on the privileges of youngsters to individual and physical trustworthiness. The examination additionally sketched out Countries obligations in shielding kids from a wide range of mental and physical viciousness, for example, sexual, misuse, or disparaging discipline (Detrick, 1999). It is anyway difficult to implemen these measures in creating nations because of elevated levels of neediness, whose cure on occasion would be drawing in youngsters in constrained work to put food on table. Furthermore, seriousness of HIV/AIDS influences capacity of parent to take care of their kids and this leave uncommon choice for confining kid work. The UN part nations are obliged to pass defensive measures so as to guarantee that no youngsters rights are damaged and if any is, they ought to guarantee that the casualties get the help and bolster vital for recuperation. In the Pacific and the East Asia Region, various provincial vows have been made and keep on being actualized at various levels so as to battle childrens issues of sexual misuse, misuse, and dealing. Youngsters rights infringement are for the most part incidental and are contributed by components that might be either positive or negative. Infringement of childrens rights is certifiably not another marvel and late overall improvement particularly the innovative headways have enormously tested the endeavors of the UN and different partners to stop this culpability. Different worldwide financial highlights and political affiliations have influenced kids assurance and prosperity. The part of fast urbanization is useful for some economies and occupations however it likewise contributes extraordinarily to infringement of childrens rights (UNICEF, 2001). This is on the grounds that; urbanization may will in general disintegrate government disability frameworks of families and networks, simultaneously, loosen import hindrances, and improve transport and correspondences systems encouraging cross-national developments and accordingly supported criminal operations, for example, youngster dealing. A few countries have abused childrens rights for the sake of energy. Kids are constrained into causing penances so as to ensure their nation. These kids take part in dangerous national exercises, for example, in some creating nations and other politically precarious countries, for example, Sierra Leone, Sudan and Rwanda, youngsters were utilized as spies and war troopers during wars all for the sake of enthusiasm (Van Bueren, 1998). By and by, on occasion political set ups don't enlist kids in their troop. Condition of a nation may likewise make a youngster to create enthusiasm for turning into a fighter at early age. Bad habit is political impact in enrolling kids in military soldiers. Infringement of youngsters rights has anyway been extraordinarily added to by negative cultural variables. For example, the primary focuses for kids violators and different abusers are the kids from minimized ethnic gatherings and monetarily deplorable families who are exposed to numerous kinds of social isolation. This is on the grounds that these kids live in poor and politically unsteady locales and they face various budgetary misfortunes. Because of their lamentable nature, a portion of these kids live in ghettos, roads and in socially isolated gatherings. Some ethnic minorities are illicit migrants and consequently, they need most confirmations, making them come up short on the essential access to legitimate work, instruction, and lawful relocation channels. This tragic parcel of childrens right to safe conveyance, great maternal wellbeing, legitimate sustenance, clinical heath (Van Bueren, 1998). Slander of HIV/AIDs conceived kids by families and the general public because of numbness and destitution by the general public firmly adds to the consistent separation, savagery and misuse and therefore making the youngsters look for elective occupations and getting defenseless against being abused (UNICEF, 2001). Also, most HIV/AIDs tainted and influenced kids from creating nations have been stranded and are hence under connection care, essentially under the matured and powerless people. These guardians have different issues and are hence unequipped for thinking about these youngsters. Having no resilient individual as gatekeeper makes the youngsters to be entirely vulnerable to mishandle and brutality. The U.N has subsidized and bolstered programs that can assist with fortifying work on pushing and exploring on the key causes cultural issues including HIV/AIDS and simultaneously, helps the contaminated and influenced youngsters to access to essential administrations, for example, training, social insurance, and security against violators. In the year 2000, about 2.3 million kids who are beneath the age of 15 from the creating scene have consistently become vagrants in view of HIV/AIDs related mortalities with one kid kicking the bucket at regular intervals (UNICEF, 2001). In any case, there are as yet the greatest obstacles that encompass such great activities. There is immense defilement particularly in creating nations that cause money related allotment to have little effect in saving the state of kids. Political precariousness in certain countries is additionally a gigantic supporter of infringement of childrens rights. War-torn nations experience numerous issues that influence its residents particularly kids straightforwardly in a colossal and remarkable manner. For example, in war times, numerous youngsters have been injured, killed or detracted from their families and networks. Because of wars, numerous youngsters have been stranded and have abused explicitly or through military enrollment. The young lady kid has particularly been gravely influenced by war. Ravenousness for control of landmines and creation of little arms and weapons additionally compromises lives of kids each day. This is on the grounds that contentions in numerous areas are brought about by such monetary voracity, intrigue and the longing to have control over important characteristic assets (Brett, 2009). This sort of enthusiasm for certain businesses is liable for invigorating wars that bring frightful infringement of childrens rights by making them endure mal-nourishment because of low creation of food. In the 1996 UN General Assembly, Machel gave a report on mindfulness and assortment of data on the childrens predicament that are influenced by equipped clash. End Youngsters reserve the privilege to wellbeing, right to sustenance and the privilege to training. What's more, kids additionally have the right to be ensured; they have the right to be liberated from ruthlessness and abuse and they have the right to have a protected and caring condition. A few kids get the opportunity to appreciate these rights while othe

Internet Privacy Essays (652 words) - Privacy, Digital Rights

Web Privacy Web Privacy For what reason would it be advisable for me to stress over protection and security? I'm not a crook or a psychological oppressor. I have nothing to cover up. These are things that the vast majority think. They likewise accept the web is substantially more secure and that their own data is just accessible to them, though this is entirely off-base. There are more motivations to need to secure your protection than can be named. The significant chief is that you have a privilege to protection as long as that privilege is utilized inside the limits of the law. Looking for security ought not cause you to feel blameworthy. Protection ought to be expected, and requested. The reasons may be as basic as saving your option to communicate disagreeable feelings without being exposed to oppression, or then again as genuine as imparting delicate business data, uncovering charge card numbers, legitimate conversations with your bookkeeper, or covering up your actual personality from a mystery government. Despite your reasons, protection is your right. In opposition to what some overseeing bodies may need people in general to accept, not every one of those worried about security and protection are programmers or fear based oppressors. The web gives one of the most effortless specialized instruments at any point managed by humanity. It is speedy, helpful, cheap....and as unreliable as it is snappy, advantageous, and modest. A message sent numerous months prior may stay on an ISP's server or as a reinforcement, and can be handily recovered by any individual who realizes how to do as such. This is data which you actually have erased for an explanation - not to be gotten to by another person after you have gotten done with it. There have been times where data has be recovered as long as a half year after, and utilized in a legal dispute as proof. It very well may be very straightforward for somebody to block your messages or data on the off chance that they need it. This might be only a manager of your ISP or your office arrange. Or on the other hand it may be a business contender, legitimate enemy, or government office, with substantially more genuine expectations. There are a bounteous methods accessible to ensure online protection. Some are huge and complex while others are incredibly basic. The significant truth is that a few strategies are completely ailing in security while others are for all intents and purposes impenetrable. It is a very regular misguided judgment that obscurity rises to security. Obscurity and protection might be connected, however their essentialness is very extraordinary. Do you wonder what others think about you? Treats are accessible on specific sites, and these little documents are put on your PC and record information which frequently contains data that the client would prefer to be kept secure. Data including passwords, charge card numbers and where the client has been. There are several electronic email administrations that seem to offer namelessness. Few truly do. These incorporate names such as Hotmail, Yahoo, Excite and a lot more that could be recorded. In each of these cases, the client is permitted to make an individual username that he utilizes for his messages. Sadly, through sign-up systems and logging, it is incredibly easy to decide your ISP, and even your actual personality, at the point when you utilize these administrations. For the undeniable explanation, there is no point in squandering space managing those sorts of administrations. As the client, it is your obligation to realize that your web obscurity is as it were as secure as the administration's protection approach. You ought to consistently acquaint yourself with the utilization and security strategies of any E-mail or web administration you think about utilizing. Who needs to realize what you're stating? It may be a nosey individual worker, your manager, your ISP, a rival, companion, or legitimate group. Notwithstanding who needs to, it is astoundingly simple for another person to peruse what you compose. It is good judgment to secure data that you don't need others to know, and individuals ought to guarantee that they go to certain lengths to do as such. There are an enormous number of charitable associations that represent considerable authority in securing your privileges to protection. It is time all around spent to visit these locales, as you can realize what the present laws are, what is being proposed, and what is being done to secure protection.

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Its alive! COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog The SIPA 2013 online application is now live.   Many have patiently waited for its release and we thank you for your enthusiasm and patience. SIPA is now accepting applications to its seven degree programs.     The first deadline â€" for Spring 2013 entry to the MIA (Master of International Affairs) and MPA (Master of Public Administration) programs â€" is October 15. Please visit our admissions homepage for more information, including start dates and application deadlines for all our programs. I encourage you to begin your application early so you have time to submit one that truly reflects your capabilities and accomplishments. Our application requirements can also be found on our website.   If you plan to reactivate a partially completed application, please note that we have made some modifications for 2013, so you should review any information that you entered previously. We look forward to assisting you with the application process and getting to know you.   Well continue to provide application tips over the next few months so stay tuned.

The Story Of One Crisp Autumn Day - 1001 Words

One crisp autumn day Zà ¶e was walking to Pierre’s house to meet up with him and go on a picnic. Grace had to go back to her grandmother’s for a week as she was sick, and the doctors weren t sure if she was going to make it. Zà ¶e had just turned the corner when, suddenly she was grabbed by her hood and pulled back into the arms of a twenty-one year old man. he clasped his dirty, greasy hand over her mouth preventing her from calling for help. She struggled futilely, but as lean and strong as she was, she could not make a dent in the man’s strong arms. As the man restrained and blindfolded her, another man started tying her up. Constrained to the chair, she could not cry out or elude what was to come of her at all. She was bracing herself for abuse or death when she heard a scuffling coming from where she believed the first man had gone. â€Å"Leave my little sister alone!!!† Zà ¶e instantly recognized the voice as Pierre’s. Although she was happy for a savior she couldn’t help but grieve over the one person that ever called her that was gone and she was never coming back, because the only person that ever called her that was was her twin sister, Artemis. The harsh noises of punches and kicks and the smell of blood permeates the air. It took all of Zoe’s willpower not to slip under and fall into a flashback. When the noises stopped it was a cold, excruciating wait until Zà ¶e discovered her fate. A tormenting moment later the blindfold was removed and Zà ¶e looked up into the crooked,Show MoreRelatedThe Fears Of The Middle Of A Circle884 Words   |  4 Pagesstarting the upcoming day. Suddenly overcome by my childish fears I stopped in the middle of a circle and began to sob. My parents rushed to comfort and discover what could be wrong. â€Å"I’m afraid to go to school,† I cried, â€Å"I m positive the principal will spank me!† Surprised and relieved that nothing was seriously wrong they nevertheless understood the importance of the problem to my little brain and were quick to reassure me. The following morning dawned, a crisp autumn day, I woke up excited,Read MoreAll Hallow s Eve Eve987 Words   |  4 Pagesin the supernatural, you have to admit there isn t a day quite as mystical or spiritual as All Hallow s Eve. The word Halloween means hallowed evening or holy evening. Its origins go back hundreds of years and its place in modern day culture is continuously evolving. A multitude of cultures see this day as the time when the veil between this world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. But, a very large number of people see this day as excuse to dress up, get drunk, and eat candy. So, whatRead MoreAnalysis Of Moments In A Championship Tale1463 Words   |  6 PagesEver wonder how a soccer team won the state championship title with half the team suspended from three to six games? Well I have the answers to those question, just keep reading. Hold on, why are you curious? Is there something about a great sports story that transcends audiences? Perhaps it is because we are seemingly hardwired to root for an underdog, or fight to overcome the adversity in our own lives. We may have even come from behind and had victory, which was savored and desired. Once tastedRead MoreA Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man : Role of Epiphanies Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesA Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man will always be an inspirational book in the world of Post-Modernist literature. This book is one is which paved the road for books just like it, not only breaking free from the expectations of society but also warming our hearts by following the early stages of life of young Stephen Dedalus. This semi-autobiographical story is a symphony of subtle epiphanies, which are expressed through innate underlying structure, which only a true devotee to post-modernistRead MoreKeats To Autumn Essay1815 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Keats was an English romantic poet in the early 1800s. One of his best works â€Å"To Autumn† is beautiful and lyrical, the words creating an entire scene painting a picture in our minds of great imagery through words that create color, tone, and environment. The poem means much more than just the description of the season. While some critics have considered it a static poem, there are others who disagree with that assessment. The poem discusses time and the seasonal nature of life. The poem canRead MoreToo Much to Bear in The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien1003 Words   |  4 Pagespain, guilt, cowardice, love and happiness. In the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, O’Brien centralizes on why people carry what they do, physical or not. To be honest, I carry what I do because I must. If I don’t carry that one textbook that one day, I’ll regret it. If I forget what it was like have my first icecream cone, what if felt like the instant my mouth froze up and the inside of my head pounded so loudly I almost screamed, I will be less of who I am today. What I carry definesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Beyond The White Line 1022 Words   |  5 Pagesbeauty as Autumn gladly welcomes itself in. A slight breeze streams past, knocking amber leaves from their branches and sending them to swim throughout the crisp air. The sun paints the sky with its warm colours as it dips below the horizon. The scent of pumpkins and apples caress my nose as their lulling scent complements the scenery; surrounding me in total bliss. I watch and wait as the pastel clouds fade into stars that now freckle the sky with their brilliant light, portraying stories of the RomanRead MoreMartin Luther King Mlk Letter To Birmingham Jail Analysis1233 Words   |  5 Pagesvery good job connecting to his audience. He used the fact that he was President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to give himself some credibility and build common ground with the clergymen. He references Bible stories several times to relate to the clergymen. One of my favorite examples is: â€Å"Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the groundRead MoreA Tragic Tale Of Three Sisters. On A Friday Night With1584 Words   |  7 PagesA Tragic Tale of Three Sisters On a Friday night with the wind gently blowing, one steps into the Stilwell Theater and must ask an usher to find one’s seat. After finding the seat on stage-right at the end of the row, this audience member settles in for an unforgettable Kennesaw State University production. As the house lights dim, 2017 is but a distant memory as the stage illuminates and the audience travels across the ocean and back in time to Russia during the late 1800’s. The play, Three SistersRead MoreEssay on The Message Behind A Poison Tree1077 Words   |  5 Pagesis a time for youth and immaturity, plants are just a thought. The speaker is angry with his friend, yet they soon overcome this problem. Then the speaker is angry with his foe, he does not tell his foe of this anger so it grows more and more each day (Grimes). Imagery and personification is used throughout the first stanza. When the speaker says â€Å"my wrath did end† I got this vivid picture of someone who was turning b eat red and had steam coming out of his ears, then it was abruptly cut off and he

How Students Adopt Social Media - 884 Words

Introduction This study will examine how HPU students adopt social media, and if there are any difference between an early American adopter versus an early Scandinavian adopter. The literature review will guide this study by give an understanding of how new innovations in social media are being adopted by the use of Diffusion of Innovation Theory. The first three sections of the literature review will provide information of the American and Scandinavian culture, with the focus on the differences in the use of technology between them. The forth section will provide Social Media and Facebook, which is essential in understanding this study. In sum, this literature review consists of the following sections: Culture (the differences in use†¦show more content†¦The definitions explain that culture as â€Å"human-made† and that it is learned, it highlights subjective elements such as values, beliefs and behaviors. However, culture is a term that is difficult to define and it is diffic ult to identify all the factors that it encompasses (Davey, 2011). Culture includes gender, sexual orientation, race, socioeconomic status, and cultural background (Peters Williams, 2009). Other terms such as mainstream, minority, ethnicity religion and race are used to describe how a group of people, a community or a nation lives in their social and physical environment (Schinke Hanrahan, 2009). 2.2 American Culture and Technology From a historic viewpoint, the American culture has dominated global culture based on its technological leadership of Web-based and consumer technology (Ashby, 2006). While these innovations are adopted outside the United States, in America it becomes less and more global. Cortada (2009) explains that American Web sites, applications and high-tech gadgets are dispersed worldwide, which results that it becomes less US-centric, even though they remain influenced by American culture. By using Facebook in this thesis, one sees that this technology is clearly a part of American culture, but worldwide adoption causes them to become less American. Nye (1997) explained, â€Å"Machines are social constructions which Americans long have

The threatened amazon rainforest Free Essays

The homes of these animals are under severe threat and not slowing down. In Just the last five months of 2007, more than 3,200 sq. Kilometers, an area equivalent to the state of Rhode Island, was deforested. We will write a custom essay sample on The threatened amazon rainforest or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Amazon is the world’s biggest habitat and we are gradually loosing it. The causes of the issue and the process There are many different opinions or attitudes toward threatening the Amazon coming from many different people of different backgrounds. When someone has an pollen they have a thought about how something should be. People Like Indigenous people have opinions and so do people who work at the Amazon all the way to those people who work in the government. All these different opinions can conflict against each other as everyone may have a different view towards this issue. There are a number of issues for the Amazon being under threat and the mains reasons are: ranching and agriculture, commercial fishing, smuggling, damming, logging and mining. The reason for these threats is that the Amazon is the biggest rain forest In the world and people Is taking advantage of this. More than half of Earth’s rain rests have already been lost forever to the greedy human demand for wood and land. The Amazon is like a pile of gold that is being over-invested’ in by the rich to make them richer and now is running out. The rate of population growth is climbing at a rapid rate but the rate of meat consumption is greater and this is having a harsh effect on the Amazon rainforest’s. The high amount of demand means we need to farm more cattle and the Amazon Is their first destination with Cattle pastures occupying 80% of the deforested areas In the Amazon. Ranching and agriculture Is the single arrest contributor to deforestation. Ranching is the extensive art and science of which there is a large herd of cattle, sheep, or horses raised( as shown in the picture on the side). The art of ranching Is a complicated art to master which requires you to know many things and keep records of all your cattle, you should maintain records, made sure that the area you are ranching is secure, prepare for breeding season and much more. Ranching Is the only way to keep up with the high demand of meat. Ranching occurs In the land that has fallen velvet to deforestation. This Is because hat land is already available and is perfect condition to breed a large herd of cattle, sheep or horse. Ranching goes on in 80% of the land that has fallen victim to deforestation. This activity does take a lot of land but is needed to satisfy current beef consuming rates. The main source of food and income for indigenous Amazonian people are fish, but In the modern day large industries are harvesting fish over fishing and threatening wildlife as if indigenous Amazonian don’t have fish to eat they will have to eat the wildlife. Over fishing is gradually increasing and may come catastrophic if nothing is done. Over fishing is when we fish so much in a certain regain that the fishes struggle to reproduce. This seems like a near impossible task to do but with modern day tactics and technology like industrial trawlers(as shown on the side)armed with gill nets that can scoop up entire schools of fish in a completely indefensible attempt to bring food to market and up to 60% of their catch is lost to spoilage. Industrial trawlers are spoiling the balance of the Amazon. Over fishing occurs in the Amazon River. This is because the Amazon River s very large and is the home to many species of fish which can easily be fished. Experts predict that there are around 5000 different fish species in the Amazon rainforest’s. The Amazon River is also the home to some of the fiercest piranhas. Smuggling is a big business in the Amazon with it was estimated that the illegal trade in wildlife is worth at least SIS$5 billion. The reason this activity happens is that it provides a good living for the smugglers and their family. Smuggling has to stop Smuggling is when you take animals illegally and sell them to people. This activity as oh know is going on in the Amazon and is one of the rainforest’s greatest threats. While smuggling you must be quite and sneaky to make sure you don’t get caught. Many countries have extremely strict laws against smuggling animals because of its severity. Smuggling animals happens all throughout the rainforest’s, this is because the rainforest’s is not guarded by any person 2417 and it is easy to get away with smuggling in the Amazon. Smuggling is a big industry which potentially can exceed of IS$20 billion annually. Smuggling is one of the many reasons why the Amazon is endangered and why we need to stop it. We build large hydroelectric dams in the Amazon in order to provide us with energy and provide clean pollution free energy. In our growing world hydroelectric dams provide a bee ken of hope for a better future but we Just don’t have the land to provide for them, that’s why we are using the land that has fallen victim to deforestation in the Amazon. Bell Monte is the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam in the world currently under construction in the Amazon basin. These dams are funded by international aid and development organizations like the World Bank which have led to widespread forest loss. Hydroelectric dam’s power is produced as water passes through the dam, the amount of energy produced is based on the amount of water that passes through. Electricity is produced by a device called a turbine. Turbines contain metal coils which are surrounded by magnets. When the magnets spin over the metal coils, electricity is produced. Turbines are located inside dams. The falling water spins the magnets within the dam (as shown on the previous page). These dams are made in the cleared out area of the Amazon. They are made there because that is the ideal place to make them and because of the low cost. The dams are a leading contributor to land degradation in the Amazon witch needs to stop. Hardwood trees provide wood for many things like furniture, building material, charcoal all the way to paper. If logging in the Amazon was stopped, we would struggle to keep up with the demand of paper and Just everyday items made out of wooden concerning any wooden things. Wood and paper manufacturing enterprises in Italy accounted for 21. % of Logging is important for our daily lives to strive. Logging is when people go to a certain area and cut down trees and transport the logs to a saw mill. They do this moieties with the help of machines but most of it is still hard labor. Since 1970, over 600,000 square kilometers (232,000 square miles) of Amazon rainforest’s have been destroyed (a graph of deforestation on top). Logging is importan t to maintain the world’s economy. Logging occurs in the Amazon rainforest’s. This is because the Amazon has lots of trees to log and is so vast it will fuel the logging industry for many years to come. The Amazon rain forest is 5,500,000 km. We need to do something about this arising future crisis. Many everyday items are made from minerals mined in the Amazon basin. We need to mine to keep up with the high demand of the goods that mining produces due to our plants rapid rate of population growth. Every second 4. 3 people are born worldwide; while every second 1. 8 deaths occur. The world population has a net gain of 2. 5 people every second. Our world depends on mining. Mining is when you dig into the ground for different minerals and materials (as shown in the end of the previous page). This is done with the help of huge machinery and manual labor. When one is mining they need to have many requirements like, they need to have all the machinery ready to purify the minerals and someone to by he minerals and many more. Mining is a vital part of any countries economy. Mining occurs in the empty land of the Amazon because the land there is rich in minerals and extremely vast. Mining in the Amazon is done by the big mining companies because they are the ones who have the money to invest in it. We cannot underestimate the impact mining can have on the Amazon basin, we need to act. Different perspectives relating to the issue Indigenous people strongly oppose of any threats to the wildlife in the Amazon rain forest because they live of the wildlife and if the wildlife is gone there will be no food, Deforestation is a major factor of habitat loss and the natives don’t like the cutting down of trees, not only because the food will be gone but because the food that is left will create immense competition within the tribes and create great dysfunction, forcing them to create enemies. Indigenous views should be held at a great level of importance as it is traditionally their land that we are entering. Most of the people working to threaten the Amazon don’t want it to stop. For the people working at the work sites, this work is giving them and their family a living and if it stops their evildoer will collapse because they will not have a Job. The workers need the Amazon to survive. The Brazilian government (building shown on the side) agrees with the workers, as the Amazon is a great income source for many things and is great for the economy. Without the Amazon many people would be placed into poverty and would promote the black market and illegal activities such as illegal logging, on top of all that the world would not be able to cope as their will be a sudden decline in the number of products being manufactured and with the high demand there is people and companies would not be able to cope. The world needs they have the right to think that way. The indigenous people think about the future and don’t like their environment being destroying, while the workers are thinking about their position and what it would be like if their Jobs where cut. The government has to think about everything and consider all scenarios and come to a conclusion. I believe all of these opinions are valid opinions that should be respected. Individual, group and governments responses to the issue Greenback( logo on the side) is a global environmental organization and they have en fighting strongly to keep the Amazon safe and out of harm’s way. Green peace’s goal is to have zero deforestation, globally by 2020. By do this by lobbying political powers to take action against this issue and convince the public that their cause is top priority. Greenback fight for a good cause. Greenback fought for the new forest code not to pass the government as that will lead to an increase in deforestation. They campaigned for the Brazilian president, Dilemma to stop this regressive forest code. Greenback failed but say that the fight is not over yet. Greenback fight for a good cause. World Wildlife Fund (WFM) is another global environmental organization (logo on the left), but they have done more to help the Amazon rainforest’s then green peace. They have invested in depriving soy farming, cattle ranching, hydrophone and illegal and unsustainable logging. WFM is paving the way for environmental groups worldwide. Soy farming- WFM works with the soy farming industry to make sure that they do as much as they can to reduce their impact to the wildlife around them. Cattle ranching- WFM educates ranchers and teaches them why they should not establish new ranches to increase profit while giving them tips o get the most out of their current ranch, they also teach ranchers how to ranch in a more efficient way. Hydrophone- WFM provides scientific support to help find dam locations that will do the least harm to the environment. Illegal and unsustainable logging-WFM works to create market conditions that conserve the world’s forests WFM was successful in all of these endeavors. Their plans are more believable and efficient then Green peace’s plans to eliminate deforestation. Eliminating all deforestation by 2020 is a much more difficult task then negotiating with the people ho lead these threats to the Amazon and WFM know that, they have realized that they have to work with the workers as these threats provides them with Jobs and a living. WFM are a company who has thought of everything. Meanwhile the Australian government (parliament house on the side) has been doing good deeds. Australia has donated $250,000 dollars to the Amazon rainforest’s protection program. Australia’s donation was only the 2nd country to make a donation to the Amazon rainforest’s; this donation was a major boost to the program and will be used wisely. Brazier’s government has been doing things to protect the Amazon basin like setting up a Amazon fund. This fund is aimed at raising money from governments and corporations. So far, it has secured an agreement with Norway, which will provide US $1 billion over 70 years. As of 2009, Norway has distributed $100 million towards the Amazon Fund. Brazier’s government is slowly helping the Amazon recover. These actions by the Brazilian government have been mildly successful considering how much money they have raised. Individuals have played a big part in saving the Amazon by doing little things like buying a piece of land from the Amazon for says to protect rainforest’s like the Amazon all the way to restricting what they buy to eating less meat to lower the demand for it. How to cite The threatened amazon rainforest, Papers

Poetic devices Essay Example For Students

Poetic devices Essay Bruce Dawe, a well renowned Australian poet was born in 1930 in Geelong. Who was once portrayed as an ordinary bloke with a difference. Bruce Dawe writes about ordinary Australian people in the suburbs confronting their everyday problems. He observes and records the sorrow and hardships of average people struggling to survive back in the 1940s. Mr Dawe emphasises his views by composing three of his great simple poems Home Suburbiensis, Drifters and my favourite Life-Cycle. Poem Homo suburbiensis-Latin term for humans that live in the suburbs. The poem shows a classical suburban household set on a quarter-acre block with a flower garden and lawn in front and a vegetable garden (lawn) at the back. Dawe maintains that there is one constant value in a unstable world where politics play a major role. The man is a suburban householder standing alone in his backyard on a quiet evening among his vegetables. Dawes captures humorous terms like its not much but its all weve got. The imagery sug gests that Dawe is both celebrating suburbia, while in some ways puts down the suburban householders dreams: The rich smell of compost and rubbish. The space taken vastly by overcrowds dry land with drying plants represent the overcrowding of suburbia. His thoughts are lost escaping the pressures that comes with life. The traffic unescapable to his mind. Dawe shows a sympathetic look towards this person lost in a green confusion, as even in the retreat of his backyard he still cannot escape the lifestyle of suburbs. This is a good example of an ordinary life, as this particular person needs to escape the pressures, which highlight TIME, PAIN, LOVE, HATE, AGE, EMOTION, and LAUGHTER. All which are present and Dawe makes that aware of an ordinary life. Being achieved in his back yard. Dawe proposes that ordinary lifestyles are not just eat, work, sleep but the strains people have to face everyday. He goes into depths of peoples lives and makes their problems obvious to the readers. Dawe faces peoples problems that is not bought up everyday and are ignored Another poem in which Bruce Dawe tackles the issue of ordinary people was Drifters this poem represents family who move from place to place, as the father needs to move by the demand of his job. The young children are growing up to learn no other way of life, as they are all waiting for the day they shall move again. The children get very excited about moving from place to place and the kids will yell truly. The eldest, she is seeing what she is missing out on and is becoming aware that there roaming lives may never change the oldest girl is close to tears because she was happy here. She realises she can not lead a normal teenage life as she is not stationed long enough, to become friends with people her own age. She is becoming frustrated with her life. From the above Dawe shows compassion for the wife, as she has to go through this more than once she wont even ask why theyre leaving this time. In addition, the young children are going to grow up to realise they will too go through the same thing. Dawe also shows a serious side in the poem, as the mother just wants to settle down and have a peaceful future. Dawe has a sympathetic outlook towards the mother, by outlining her hopes and dreams, also asking her husband Tom to make a wish in the last line of the poem Make a wish, Tom, make a wish. The ten-verse poem life- cycle was probably the best known poem that Dawe wrote it foresees the football fans in Victoria it describes the poem as something like a religious believe and salvation This poem is based on Australian invention of Aussie Rules Football. It confirm football is portrayed as a religion and food for many people in Victoria hot pies and potato-crisps they will eat. It also shows football sustains the young and replenishes the old. Its tradition is life sustaining with no other thing better to do than support football. The poet uses the language of football freelybarrackingcarnstreamers scarfed Demons saintsladder final

A essays

A essays A Friend With Multiple Personalities The variance in personalities can be as massive as an ocean or as microscopic as an atom. Most people think of personalities as distinctive. I have found distinctive does not necessarily describe personalities. Renee is a friend of mine who has a very wide variance in personality. Renees personality can change within a matter of minutes. She calls me daily with a seemingly innocent conversation. The conversation always starts with simple inquires about the general health of family and friends. Suddenly, as if possessed by some demonic force, she will insult other people that we both know. She says things that I personally know to be untrue. When I try to point out what she is doing, she turns her anger toward me. At any point during a telephone conversation, she can exhibit any one of three different personality aspects. Each of these personality aspects demonstrates individual distinctions. One person can have multiple personalities. In fact, my friend has three aspect s of her personality. The three are the friend forever, the crybaby, and the rattlesnake personalities. The "friend forever" personality is the one with which I am most familiar. When she displays this personality, she concerns herself with others, she is willing to help out, and she always has a dry shoulder to loan for crying. Renee so easily fits into this category. Most days, she is a very loving and caring individual. She concerns herself with the welfare of others. While in this personality, Renee goes out of her way to call and inquire about the health of others. She offers her help in any situation. She may not be physically able to change a flat tire for a person, but she will hold the light so the person can see how to change the tire for themself. Renee always has a dry shoulder on which someone can cry without invitation. She will listen to a friend's problem for ...

A Complete Guide to Writing a Marketing Essay

A Complete Guide to Writing a Marketing Essay If you go to college with an assumption that you’ve learned everything there is to learn about writing essays back in high school, then you are in for a nasty surprise. A college marketing essay is an entirely different beast from what you’ve been taught before. In high school, it was enough to rehash the relevant chapter from a textbook and â€Å"express your thoughts†. In college, nobody is interested either in textbook material or in your thoughts unless they are backed up by original research and, preferably, grounded in practice. In this guide we will cover, step by step, how to write a marketing essay you won’t have to rewrite half a dozen times to impress your professors. Choosing a Topic Marketing deals with current problems and issues, which means that you can earn bonus points with your professor or tutor if you find a topic that is relevant here and now instead of repeating the same generalities as everybody else. Here are a few ways to get ideas for a topic: Go to the Marketing section of Quora and take a look at what questions people are asking right now. Topics discussed there are not only current and interesting but often contain usable links to information sources and allow you to get in touch with specialists you can consult; Visit marketing websites like GrowthHackers or Social Media Examiner and see what’s trending; Look for marketing communities in social media, LinkedIn first of all; Read mass media sources like AdNews and AdWeek to spot the current trends; Brainstorming with mind mapping is a fun and surprisingly effective tactic. Write down the general idea of your topic in the middle of a page (it may be just â€Å"Marketing† for now) and start jotting down ideas all around it. Go for quantity, not quality, simply put on paper everything you come up with. Turn off your internal censor and don’t be afraid to write a bad idea – it will help to spur your creativity; Check if it is relevant for your course and you can find enough material on the topic before you commit to it; Narrow down your topic if necessary. Essays are relatively small assignments, not very well suited to discussing broad subjects. For example, â€Å"Social media marketing† is way too vague a topic. â€Å"Facebook marketing campaigns† is better. â€Å"Use of video in Facebook marketing campaigns† is better yet; Discuss the topic with your supervisor and ask if your choice is a good one. It can just as well be a step one – simply say that you want some advice. Your supervisor probably did it many times before and knows what would be the best course of action. However, before you proceed with writing, you should ask yourself a few questions: Do you have access to data relevant for your topic (market researches, consumer reports, current statistics, etc.)? Do you have contacts of people from whom you can get the necessary information? These are not always necessary but can give your essay extra credibility? Is your topic original? You probably won’t be able to find a topic that has never been touched upon before, but if it is something every other student writes about, you will have a hard time impressing your professors? Is your topic relevant? Is it important in today’s world? Can studying it be useful? If you need more specific ideas, consider these prompts – each of them can serve as a basis for a dozen original and interesting essays: Analyze a particularly imaginative and successful marketing campaign and discuss what makes it so; Analyze a marketing campaign that backfired spectacularly and discuss what mistakes were made and how they could have been avoided; Discuss the importance of taking local culture and realia into account when planning marketing campaigns for foreign markets and potential blunders that can result from failing to do so; Compare two marketing campaigns promoting similar products and point out their strong and weak suits; Discuss the reasons why viral marketing campaigns are so powerful and analyze some examples. Tips from Our Experts: Before You Start Writing Gathering Enough Information Just as with any other writing assignment, you start your job with gathering enough reliable sources of information to support your point of view and demonstrate that it is based on existing body of research, not just your own conjectures. In fact, it is best to do a bout of information before you settle down with a topic to make sure you will have enough material to work with. How many sources you need may vary – if it isn’t mentioned in the assignment you should consult your supervisor. Some students decide that the more the better – however, it isn’t always true. Using fifty sources to write a one-page essay is a bit excessive (and makes the professor doubt whether you really used all of them or simply added them to works cited page to make a better impression). General rule of a thumb is this: start with at least 3 sources and add one for each page after the first one. Also, consider the quality of the sources. Although marketing as a discipline is less conservative than, for example, psychology or physics, you still have to maintain certain standards. For example, blog posts aren’t usually considered to be a viable source of information. This, however, doesn’t mean that you cannot use online sources – you simply have to look for them using special academic search engines like Google Scholar. When choosing sources, follow these guidelines: Try to choose the most recent ones. Marketing is a volatile discipline that is subject to quick changes, and data that has been relevant five years ago may be hopelessly obsolete today; Prefer articles published by well-reputed magazines and universities. Irrespectively of their true value, they immediately add gravitas to your argument; Books and newspapers with good reputation are also suitable, although mass media in general are considered less valuable sources than proper academic materials, so don’t rely on them too much; Use a variety of sources without fixating on any one type in particular to make your research more well-rounded; Using case studies is a good idea in almost all situations. Any marketing assignment that uses data about real-life situations is going to be treated better than a purely theoretical work. Do Market Research In order to write most marketing essays you have to prepare at least a superficial market research related to your topic, even if you are dealing with a past case. Its details may vary, but most commonly you should do the following: Study the target demographic of the product or service you research. Before you do anything else, consider who its main intended consumer is. How does the company position the product? Is this positioning in alignment with how it is perceived by the public? Can this perception be changed with marketing methods? Do demographic research. Once you’ve formed your preliminary judgment, back it up with real research. Marketing reports are especially helpful when gathering this sort of info, but you shouldn’t forget about other sources: corporate websites and social media accounts, magazines and advertisements promoting the product. Document the trends trying to use as much objective facts and numerical data as possible. Support your conclusions with quotations from academic sources; Use input from psychology. Marketing isn’t the only discipline that studies advertisements and their influence. Psychology does so as well, and by looking at the subject from this unusual perspective, you can gain valuable insights into the situation: what psychological impact the ads in question have and how they can be altered. Writing Introduction and Thesis Statement Just like any other academic assignment, a marketing essay should start with a thesis statement – that is, the primary idea behind your writing, your viewpoint on the subject you are about to discuss and the purpose of your essay condensed to one or two sentences. Depending on the size of your essay, place thesis statement either in the introduction (in smaller assignments) or in the second paragraph (in larger ones). Be concise and straightforward and avoid vague expressions. However, don’t run the opposite extreme – phrases like â€Å"the topic of my essay is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"the purpose of my essay† are fit for middle school, not college. You should formulate your thesis statement before writing anything else, as the entire essay revolves around it. If by the time you finish writing you feel that your perception of the subject changed, don’t hesitate to come back and alter it to suit the final variant of the essay better. Introduction per se serves a technical purpose – it should grasp the reader’s attention and lead him up to the thesis statement. Use anything that will cause the necessary effect. Here are some tips that will help you write a better introduction: Start with an interesting, probably unexpected fact about the industry in question (e.g., â€Å"Although there is twenty times as many consumers in the country as there are business buyers, the total volume of business market far surpasses that of that of consumer market†); Don’t repeat what you’ve said in the title. Better yet, use something seemingly completely unrelated to it; Keep it short. Introduction should lead the reader up to the main content, not replace it; Don’t forget to point out why your essay is important. Methodology Marketing is more concerned with provable facts and methods used to achieve the results and less with your personal thoughts and opinions on the subject. If you cannot prove that certain results are connected with certain factors, your opinion doesn’t mean much. That is why you should pay special attention to describing how you reached your conclusions: Where did you get your data? What methods did you use for data collection? What statistical procedures have you applied? How did you analyze your information? Why have you chosen this particular methodology (in case you had a viable alternative)? Body Paragraphs The number of body paragraphs, carrying the main content of the essay, can vary, but they are usually written following the same structure (sometimes called TEEL or TEECL): Topic sentence. Each paragraph should deal with a single idea or claim, and it is the job of the topic sentence to introduce it; Explanation. A few sentences to elaborate on the idea or claim in greater detail; Evidence. Back up the idea or claim with proof. This is where all your information sources come into play. Don’t forget that all sources should be cited using the academic style you’ve been assigned with; Comment. An optional yet very helpful part. Think about strong and weak points of your arguments and explain how your evidence supports your claim. Consider potential counter-arguments and answer to them preventatively; Link. Sum up the main idea of the paragraph, point out how it refers to the rest of your argument and why it is an important part of the bigger picture. Conclusion Marketing is all about practical application of knowledge and information, and it is not enough to just analyze the subject. That is why in conclusion in addition to summing up your argument and explaining the value of your research you are expected to offer your recommendations to solving the problem discussed in the main part. Post-Writing Activities Revision Ideally, you should set your essay aside for at least a day or two before revising it. Immediately after you’ve finished writing you are too used to your own words and sentence structures to notice most of the mistakes you’ve made. Better yet, have a trusted friend or a professional proofreader (or both) read your essay and point out all the errors they’ve noticed. However, this doesn’t replace a dedicated effort at proofreading on your own. Here are things you should pay attention to in addition to grammar and syntax: Eliminate any logical inconsistencies you find; Check if you answered all the questions you’ve asked. Make sure your answers are clear, comprehensible and unambiguous; See if you use unnecessarily long and complex words and sentence structures to make your writing appear more scientific. Remove them; Check if you follow â€Å"one paragraph – one idea† rule; Make sure you use passive voice only if it is absolutely necessary; Do you see any unnecessary words, sentences or even paragraphs? More isn’t always better, so if something isn’t needed to convey your thoughts, eliminate it without doubt. Style and Formatting When you are first given an essay to write you are assigned an academic style to use: APA, MLA or some other. You can find most information needed to successfully write an essay using one of them on websites like Purdue Owl. However, getting a relevant style guide is still a good idea. You will probably have most trouble with citations and bibliography page. If you have problems keeping in mind all the requirements in the style guide, consider using one of the websites generating citation entries based on your input. Conclusion Finally, a word to the wise. Don’t put writing off until the last possible moment – it always tends to take more time than you expect. If, however, you manage to finish the assignment a few days before the deadline, take a little break and then reread it carefully. If you find that you don’t like some parts of it, don’t hesitate to cut and rewrite – it may mean all the difference between a passing and a failing grade.

Writing process before this class vs this class now Essay

Writing process before this class vs this class now - Essay Example Army, it was time for me to make life out of myself. In particular, this is the time when I had the opportunity to strive for higher education which I did not acquire while I was young. However, the experience in the first assignment on my memoir meant that I needed to acquire more knowledge in English if at all I was to become an orator and a respectable person in society. In this assignment, I only managed to get a C. This was because by writing neither reflected nor followed any of the process/rules of writing. In fact, my writing was not organized, had grammar, spelling and typo errors. Despite the challenges I went through in the first assignment on English 080 class, I encouraged myself and joined the English 090 class with the hope of turning the tables round. In this class we had to take the second assignment on writing a personal interview with my grandfather Thomas Clement II on CSM F despite not having done such. Although in this interview I had made a little improvement in my English, I only managed to get a C. Such poor performance resulted from the fact that despite having improved in my English, I had not achieved much on formatting the final written product. As such, I made proofreading errors which left my final paper with obvious clumsy and inappropriate wording and writing. As the saying goes, through determination and focus one can achieve much. I realized a big improvement in my English after taking my third assignment on â€Å"the importance of securing the boarder on US Safety and Security†. This was evidenced by a rise from a grade C to B+. To me, this was a great metamorphosis which could not be attributed to the fact that the assignment was on my experience as a U.S. Army officer, but on the fact that I had learnt a few tricks about the process and the rules of English writing in the course of my learning and my determination to correct the mistakes made on the previous in my next assignment. It is evident that effective

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Human resource management - Essay Example Corporate culture affects a business and its workers in different ways so that workers become more creative and innovative. According to Hawken and Lovins (1999), a business that functions as a learning organization, rewarding measurement, monitoring continuous improvement always outpaces a corporate culture. A strong corporate culture provides a sense of identity for its employees so that they feel as part of the firm. A sound corporate culture can help form a effective teamwork among its workers. Corporate culture encourages workers to become more committed to the business and as a result industrial relation or high labor turn-over problems can be solved. Corporate culture contributes employee motivation that in turn increases the productivity of the employees. The corporate strategy can be used by managers as a measure to control managerial activities and to shape employee behavior and attitude towards the business. The researchers have found that strong corporate culture often damage company performances and its effectiveness in operation (Lowney, 2003, p. 209). People in a group or organization may be different in expressing values, rites or symbols and hence there can be subcultures within a corporate culture. The corporate culture can be ‘integrated, or differentiated or fragmented. The integration perspective of corporate culture is a unitary in which culture is shared and it would be unambiguous. The differentiation perspective is one in which culture forms in different ways. In fragmentation perspective, there would be little consensus between the workers in an organization regarding what is their culture. â€Å"Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal† (Northouse, 2009, p. 3) Leadership is the process of guiding the behavior of other people towards attaining organizational objectives. Leadership causes subordinates to behave in a particular

Impact Of Assessment For Learning

Impact Of Assessment For Learning This paper considers the impact of Assessment for Learning on childrens progress in a particular strand of the Primary Maths Curriculum. It does so firstly through a review of the relevant literature, and then employs some empirical examples to illustrate how the cycle had helped to secure learning points in a particular context. The specific strand under consideration is the solving of multi-step problems, and problems involving fractions, decimals and percentages; choose and use appropriate calculation strategies at each stage, including calculator use. (DCFS 2009). Literature Review Changes in the professional framework for the teaching and assessment of Primary maths have been reflected in a constantly expanding literature. This is now so expansive, that it can only really be reviewed here through some representative examples. There are two principal sub-genres which feature here: specifically, these are official publications, and range of commercially produced texts which may be characterised as critical, professional, or vocational self-help literature. It is also the case that some generic texts on the subject of Primary Assessment for Learning may be pertinent here, although they do not relate specifically to mathematics. The official literature emphasises the holistic nature of assessment by asserting that assessment of childrens achievements and progress should be based on the expected learning outcomes identified through the learning objectives. In mathematics, assessing childrens progress in a core strand of learning should be informed by the objectives in the strand. (DCFS 2009). The fruition of this process may be visualized in the motivation and empowerment of the learners themselves, supported by Constructive feedback that identifies how childrens work and responses have led to success this, it advises, should provide a shared understanding of the achievements on which to build to make further progress. It helps children to see how the next steps take account of this success and are attainable. (DCFS 2009). There is a sense in which this acknowledges that Assessment for Learning has an importance, over and above what is revealed in outcome-based results, i.e. those from standardised tests. In other words, the latter no longer implies that it can stand as proxy for other kinds of learning. (Campbell et al. 2004: p.119) The commercially published literature is constantly being updated by texts which engage with official policy and curriculum changes, interpreting them for practitioners and parents. However, the majority of these, although they make some reference to assessment, do not do so in the terms now prescribed by the DCFS, i.e., day-to-day and periodic assessment. This is possibly because these models have only been operating in the official discourse for a relatively short period. Overall, this genre may itself be split into sub-groups, the most significant of which are the reflective or critical genre, and the vocational or self-help group. One of the most prolific authorities within this group is Sharon Clarke, whose Targeting Assessment in the Primary Classroom: Strategies for Planning, Assessment, Pupil Feedback and Target Setting (1998), Unlocking Formative Assessment: Practical Strategies for Enhancing Pupils Learning in the Primary Classroom, (2001), and Active Learning Through Forma tive Assessment (2008) straddle successive developments in the teaching and assessment of Primary mathematics. Also helpful in these areas is Hansens Primary Mathematics: Extending Knowledge in Practice (Achieving QTS Extending Knowledge in Practice) (2008), and David Clarkes Constructive Assessment in Mathematics: Practical Steps for Classroom Teachers (Key Resources in Professional Development), (1999). As Shirley Clarke indicates, the sharing of a learning intention is more complex than simply repeating what is in the teachers plan. In order for the learning intention to be shared effectively, it needs to be clear and unambiguous, so that the teacher can explain it in a way which makes sense. (2001: p.20) This may be taken as supportive of the official position: it endorses the idea that planning should draw not only on the learning outcome, but also on the prior knowledge of the students in question. If they are expected to objectively assess their own progress, they must understand the frame of reference, and be able to envisage the learning outcome, even if they havent yet attained it. This idea is also implicit in the ideas of David Clarke: as he points out, earlier approaches to assessment focussed on à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦measuring the extent to which students possess a set of tools andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the extent to which they can apply them. However, he further indicates that à ¢Ã¢â €š ¬Ã‚ ¦to be mathematically equipped, a student must also understand the nature of mathematical tools and be able to select the correct tool for a given problem-solving situation. (1999: p.11) This perspective is also endorsed in the reflections of Hansen, who argues that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦it is possible to help children to learn mathematical content through effectively integrating problem-solving, reasoning and communication into mathematics lessons. (Hansen 2008: p.5) Texts such as Gardners edited collection, , Assessment and Learning, (2006), Gipps and Murphys A Fair Test? Assessment, Achievement and Equity, (1994), and Tabers Classroom-based research and evidence-based practice, (2007), go some way to bridging the gap between the official and the educational literature, specifically by looking at how policy and curriculum matters are linked by research and ideology. These are, however, not specifically devoted to Primary mathematics, and neither are they wholly accepting of the orthodoxies which pervade the official literature. Gipps and Murphy make the point that evaluating assessment is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not just a question of looking at the equity in the context of assessment but also within the curriculum, as the two are intimately related. (1994: p.3) As Taber points out, practitioners are at the end of a very long and often remote supply chain when it comes to weighing the evidence on what is best practice. As they put it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦teac hers are told what research has found out during their initial training, and are updatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦through courses and staff development days, but largely through centralised official guidance. (2007: p.4) This is reinforced by commentators such as Rist, who argues that, We are well past the time when it is possible to argue that good research will, because it is good, influence the policy process. (2002: p.1002). These are academic but not unimportant points in terms of the overall discussion, even if they are not particularly prominent in the day to day responsibilities of the class teacher. The point is that, as reflective practitioners, we might all benefit from some awareness of what shapes the frameworks which inform our approach to teaching and learning. With regard to the current Assessment for Learning conventions, the ideas in Assessment for Learning, Beyond the black box (Assessment Reform Group, 1999), are acknowledged by the QCA to have been constructive of the whole approach. (QCA 2003: p.1). As the latter state, The study posed three questions: is there evidence that improving formative assessment raises standards?; is there evidence that there is room for improvement in the practice of assessment?; and is there evidence about how to improve formative assessment? This research evidence pointed to an unqualified yes as the answer to each of these questions. (QCA 2003: p.1). These are important points, as the teaching, learning and assessment frameworks which define contemporary practice are profoundly adaptive of them. Discussion/Example from Experience. A strand of the Primary curriculum where day to day and periodic assessment was found to be particularly important in the overall Assessment for Learning approach, was securing number facts, relationships and calculating. The examples used here are from Year 6 block E, especially Ma2, Written and calculator methods, and Ma2, solving numerical problems from Unit One, and focused on dealing with errors and misconceptions. One context where assessment was found to be particularly relevant was in dealing with upper school (i.e. Years 4, 5 and 6) learning of multiplication and division. The assessment process had to be multi-faceted, taking in all of the associated knowledge and skills, the errors and misconceptions which arose, and the modelling of questions to identify the origin of such problems. This may be illustrated by focusing on one example, taken from Year 6 Key Objective 2, Multiplying and dividing by powers of ten and the associative law, where commonly, the unprepared or conf used learner à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Misuses half understood rules about multiplying and dividing by powers of ten and the associative lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (2009). The important thing about multiplication and division through successive addition or subtraction respectively, is that, once mastered, they can demonstrate to learners that the application of basic skills will enable them to break down seemingly complex problems into a manageable format. Multiplying or dividing a three digit number by a two digit number depends on the use of a number of skills: knowledge of number facts, i.e. times tables, place value, to quickly assess the viability of an answer, and organisational skills, i.e. being able to apply the correct steps in the appropriate order. It may also be useful to augment these with calculator use, in order to verify answers. The important point here is that day to day and periodic assessment and reflective feedback from the learners themselves was indispensable in the planning, pitching and delivery of this input. The interdependence of each step in these calculations meant that the failure to execute one step, often resulted in the failure to complete the overall objective. For example, if times tables and multiplication by 10 and 100 were not securely in place, the learner would get bogged down in the arithmetic. Conversely, the securing of one of the incremental skills involved in these calculations was a positive factor in the learners overall approach: i.e., if they knew their times tables facts, place value, or multiplication by 10 and 100 were in place, it gave them a starting point from which to analyse errors or problems. For some learners, this had the generic effect of making them realise that their long-term work in achieving these positions of strength had a positive outcome, rather than b eing an abstract, stand-alone process. This in turn made them more interested in acquiring other general mathematics skills. Looking beyond specific mathematics skills, this may also have the propensity to develop the students own capacities for self-realisation and self-motivation. As the QCA points out, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦In many classrooms, pupils do not perceive the structure of the learning aims that give meaning to their work. Therefore they are unable to assess their own progress. (QCA 2003: p.3) Achievement in a multi-step process such as long multiplication or division might therefore enable them to map out where they are within the overall standards. However, it was only through a combination of day to day and periodic assessment that the practitioner could be confident of planning effectively with regard to these tasks. There was no point in assembling sessions which relied on a range of skills when they were not secure, either in individual learners, or sufficiently across the cohort as a whole. In mixed ability groups, this approach was obviously the key the necessary differentiation. The logical corollary to this is that discursive feedback from the learners themselves was also important in defining the next stage of planning, i.e. what worked, what didnt, who tried which method, were there any preferences etc. The appeal of this activity also lays in its fine balance of mental and pencil and paper methods, and the way in which estimation is the necessary accompaniment to concrete calculation. Overall, these experiences may be deemed supportive of the proposals of commentators such as Clarke and Hansen, (see above) in that th ey emphasize the need for the continuous reinforcement of planning with assessment. Summary, Analysis and Reflection: Implications for Future Teaching. In summary, the conclusion of this paper is that both the literature and practical experience discussed here are mutually supportive of the need for complimentary assessment and planning. Outcome orientated results can illustrate individual and whole school performance in certain contexts, but practitioners need to be aware of assessment in a holistic way, as a daily part of their approach to teaching and learning. As the QCA expresses it, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Teachers are experiencing an increased sense that pupils are working with them rather than for them. For example, pupils are asking for more questions or examples to practice applying their understanding of a topic or to repeat homework or tests if they have not met the standard and the objectives that they and the teacher have set. (QCA 2009: p.48). Whilst this dynamic sounds very positive, practitioners have new and different responsibilities within it. In terms of assessment, these can be itemised in the following waysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã ‚ ¦ Day to day: within this level of assessment, specific learning objectives should explicitly communicated, and augmented with both peer and self assessment as appropriate. Periodic: ideally, this should assemble a broader overview of progress across the subject for both learner and teacher. It is also an opportunity to interweave the national standards in a sensitive way with classroom practice. The practitioner can use the insights gained from this process to inform both long and medium term planning. Overall, it should be recognised that the ideal situation, i.e. of self-motivated, self-actuating learners, involved in their own self-assessment, is unlikely just to happen. Considered superficially, it might seem that the practitioners role in assessment has lessened, whilst the remainder has been taken up by the learners themselves. The reality is rather different: pupils will only become adequate and effective assessors of their own progress if they are provided with the appropriate support and guidance. In a sense, this facilitating role is a much more challenging and subtle one than that implied in a more top-down, didactic model. Also, there are obvious problems in considering the learner as a passive or generalised aspect of this approach: it is much more likely that there is a staggered and variegated uptake of the model, as different learners are engaged at their own pace and level. This in turn indicates that, as with all aspects of the curriculum, the social and emotional aspects of learning should be taken into consideration.

Twilight 14. MIND OVER MATTER

14. MIND OVER MATTER He could drive well, when he kept the speed reasonable, I had to admit. Like so many things, it seemed to be effortless to him. He barely looked at the road, yet the tires never deviated so much as a centimeter from the center of the lane. He drove one-handed, holding my hand on the seat. Sometimes he gazed into the setting sun, sometimes he glanced at me – my face, my hair blowing out the open window, our hands twined together. He had turned the radio to an oldies station, and he sang along with a song I'd never heard. He knew every line. â€Å"You like fifties music?† I asked. â€Å"Music in the fifties was good. Much better than the sixties, or the seventies, ugh!† He shuddered. â€Å"The eighties were bearable.† â€Å"Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?† I asked, tentative, not wanting to upset his buoyant humor. â€Å"Does it matter much?† His smile, to my relief, remained unclouded. â€Å"No, but I still wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I grimaced. â€Å"There's nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night.† â€Å"I wonder if it will upset you,† he reflected to himself. He gazed into the sun; the minutes passed. â€Å"Try me,† I finally said. He sighed, and then looked into my eyes, seeming to forget the road completely for a time. Whatever he saw there must have encouraged him. He looked into the sun – the light of the setting orb glittered off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles – and spoke. â€Å"I was born in Chicago in 1901.† He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. My face was carefully unsurprised, patient for the rest. He smiled a tiny smile and continued. â€Å"Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza.† He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked down into my eyes again. â€Å"I don't remember it well – it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade.† He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. â€Å"I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget.† â€Å"Your parents?† â€Å"They had already died from the disease. I was alone. That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone.† â€Å"How did he†¦ save you?† A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully. â€Å"It was difficult. Not many of us have the restraint necessary to accomplish it. But Carlisle has always been the most humane, the most compassionate of us†¦ I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history.† He paused. â€Å"For me, it was merely very, very painful.† I could tell from the set of his lips, he would say no more on this subject. I suppressed my curiosity, though it was far from idle. There were many things I needed to think through on this particular issue, things that were only beginning to occur to me. No doubt his quick mind had already comprehended every aspect that eluded me. His soft voice interrupted my thoughts. â€Å"He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating.† â€Å"So you must be dying, then, to become†¦Ã¢â‚¬  We never said the word, and I couldn't frame it now. â€Å"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice.† The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. â€Å"It is easier he says, though,† he continued, â€Å"if the blood is weak.† He looked at the now-dark road, and I could feel the subject closing again. â€Å"And Emmett and Rosalie?† â€Å"Carlisle brought Rosalie to our family next. I didn't realize till much later that he was hoping she would be to me what Esme was to him – he was careful with his thoughts around me.† He rolled his eyes. â€Å"But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting – we were in Appalachia at the time – and found a bear about to finish him off. She carried him back to Carlisle, more than a hundred miles, afraid she wouldn't be able to do it herself. I'm only beginning to guess how difficult that journey was for her.† He threw a pointed glance in my direction, and raised our hands, still folded together, to brush my cheek with the back of his hand. â€Å"But she made it,† I encouraged, looking away from the unbearable beauty of his eyes. â€Å"Yes,† he murmured. â€Å"She saw something in his face that made her strong enough. And they've been together ever since. Sometimes they live separately from us, as a married couple. But the younger we pretend to be, the longer we can stay in any given place. Forks seemed perfect, so we all enrolled in high school.† He laughed. â€Å"I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again.† â€Å"Alice and Jasper?† â€Å"Alice and Jasper are two very rare creatures. They both developed a conscience, as we refer to it, with no outside guidance. Jasper belonged to another†¦ family, a very different kind of family. He became depressed, and he wandered on his own. Alice found him. Like me, she has certain gifts above and beyond the norm for our kind.† â€Å"Really?† I interrupted, fascinated. â€Å"But you said you were the only one who could hear people's thoughts.† â€Å"That's true. She knows other things. She sees things – things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change.† His jaw set when he said that, and his eyes darted to my face and away so quickly that I wasn't sure if I only imagined it. â€Å"What kinds of things does she see?† â€Å"She saw Jasper and knew that he was looking for her before he knew it himself. She saw Carlisle and our family, and they came together to find us. She's most sensitive to non-humans. She always sees, for example, when another group of our kind is coming near. And any threat they may pose.† â€Å"Are there a lot of†¦ your kind?† I was surprised. How many of them could walk among us undetected? â€Å"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting you people† – a sly glance in my direction – â€Å"can live together with humans for any length of time. We've only found one other family like ours, in a small village in Alaska. We lived together for a time, but there were so many of us that we became too noticeable. Those of us who live†¦ differently tend to band together.† â€Å"And the others?† â€Å"Nomads, for the most part. We've all lived that way at times. It gets tedious, like anything else. But we run across the others now and then, because most of us prefer the North.† â€Å"Why is that?† We were parked in front of my house now, and he'd turned off the truck. It was very quiet and dark; there was no moon. The porch light was off so I knew my father wasn't home yet. â€Å"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon?† he teased. â€Å"Do you think I could walk down the street in the sunlight without causing traffic accidents? There's a reason why we chose the Olympic Peninsula, one of the most sunless places in the world. It's nice to be able to go outside in the day. You wouldn't believe how tired you can get of nighttime in eighty-odd years.† â€Å"So that's where the legends came from?† â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?† â€Å"No, and that is a mystery. Alice doesn't remember her human life at all. And she doesn't know who created her. She awoke alone. Whoever made her walked away, and none of us understand why, or how, he could. If she hadn't had that other sense, if she hadn't seen Jasper and Carlisle and known that she would someday become one of us, she probably would have turned into a total savage.† There was so much to think through, so much I still wanted to ask. But, to my great embarrassment, my stomach growled. I'd been so intrigued, I hadn't even noticed I was hungry. I realized now that I was ravenous. â€Å"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from dinner.† â€Å"I'm fine, really.† â€Å"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget.† â€Å"I want to stay with you.† It was easier to say in the darkness, knowing as I spoke how my voice would betray me, my hopeless addiction to him. â€Å"Can't I come in?† he asked. â€Å"Would you like to?† I couldn't picture it, this godlike creature sitting in my father's shabby kitchen chair. â€Å"Yes, if it's all right.† I heard the door close quietly, and almost simultaneously he was outside my door, opening it for me. â€Å"Very human,† I complimented him. â€Å"It's definitely resurfacing.† He walked beside me in the night, so quietly I had to peek at him constantly to be sure he was still there. In the darkness he looked much more normal. Still pale, still dreamlike in his beauty, but no longer the fantastic sparkling creature of our sunlit afternoon. He reached the door ahead of me and opened it for me. I paused halfway through the frame. â€Å"The door was unlocked?† â€Å"No, I used the key from under the eave.† I stepped inside, flicked on the porch light, and turned to look at him with my eyebrows raised. I was sure I'd never used that key in front of him. â€Å"I was curious about you.† â€Å"You spied on me?† But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with the proper outrage. I was flattered. He was unrepentant. â€Å"What else is there to do at night?† I let it go for the moment and went down the hall to the kitchen. He was there before me, needing no guide. He sat in the very chair I'd tried to picture him in. His beauty lit up the kitchen. It was a moment before I could look away. I concentrated on getting my dinner, taking last night's lasagna from the fridge, placing a square on a plate, heating it in the microwave. It revolved, filling the kitchen with the smell of tomatoes and oregano. I didn't take my eyes from the plate of food as I spoke. â€Å"How often?† I asked casually. â€Å"Hmmm?† He sounded as if I had pulled him from some other train of thought. I still didn't turn around. â€Å"How often did you come here?† â€Å"I come here almost every night.† I whirled, stunned. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You're interesting when you sleep.† He spoke matter-of-factly. â€Å"You talk.† â€Å"No!† I gasped, heat flooding my face all the way to my hairline. I gripped the kitchen counter for support. I knew I talked in my sleep, of course; my mother teased me about it. I hadn't thought it was something I needed to worry about here, though. His expression shifted instantly to chagrin. â€Å"Are you very angry with me?† â€Å"That depends!† I felt and sounded like I'd had the breath knocked out of me. He waited. â€Å"On?† he urged. â€Å"What you heard!† I wailed. Instantly, silently, he was at my side, taking my hands carefully in his. â€Å"Don't be upset!† he pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was embarrassed. I tried to look away. â€Å"You miss your mother,† he whispered. â€Å"You worry about her. And when it rains, the sound makes you restless. You used to talk about home a lot, but it's less often now. Once you said, ‘It's too green.'† He laughed softly, hoping, I could see, not to offend me further. â€Å"Anything else?† I demanded. He knew what I was getting at. â€Å"You did say my name,† he admitted. I sighed in defeat. â€Å"A lot?† â€Å"How much do you mean by ‘a lot,' exactly?† â€Å"Oh no!† I hung my head. He pulled me against his chest, softly, naturally. â€Å"Don't be self-conscious,† he whispered in my ear. â€Å"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it.† Then we both heard the sound of tires on the brick driveway, saw the headlights flash through the front windows, down the hall to us. I stiffened in his arms. â€Å"Should your father know I'm here?† he asked. â€Å"I'm not sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I tried to think it through quickly. â€Å"Another time then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I was alone. â€Å"Edward!† I hissed. I heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing else. My father's key turned in the door. â€Å"Bella?† he called. It had bothered me before; who else would it be? Suddenly he didn't seem so far off base. â€Å"In here.† I hoped he couldn't hear the hysterical edge to my voice. I grabbed my dinner from the microwave and sat at the table as he walked in. His footsteps sounded so noisy after my day with Edward. â€Å"Can you get me some of that? I'm bushed.† He stepped on the heels of his boots to take them off, holding the back of Edward's chair for support. I took my food with me, scarfing it down as I got his dinner. It burned my tongue. I filled two glasses with milk while his lasagna was heating, and gulped mine to put out the fire. As I set the glass down, I noticed the milk trembling and realized my hand was shaking. Charlie sat in the chair, and the contrast between him and its former occupant was comical. â€Å"Thanks,† he said as I placed his food on the table. â€Å"How was your day?† I asked. The words were rushed; I was dying to escape to my room. â€Å"Good. The fish were biting†¦ how about you? Did you get everything done that you wanted to?† â€Å"Not really – it was too nice out to stay indoors.† I took another big bite. â€Å"It was a nice day,† he agreed. What an understatement, I thought to myself. Finished with the last bite of lasagna, I lifted my glass and chugged the remains of my milk. Charlie surprised me by being observant. â€Å"In a hurry?† â€Å"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early.† â€Å"You look kinda keyed up,† he noted. Why, oh why, did this have to be his night to pay attention? â€Å"Do I?† was all I could manage in response. I quickly scrubbed my dishes clean in the sink, and placed them upside down on a dish towel to dry. â€Å"It's Saturday,† he mused. I didn't respond. â€Å"No plans tonight?† he asked suddenly. â€Å"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep.† â€Å"None of the boys in town your type, eh?† He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool. â€Å"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet.† I was careful not to over-emphasize the word boys in my quest to be truthful with Charlie. â€Å"I thought maybe that Mike Newton†¦ you said he was friendly.† â€Å"He's Just a friend, Dad.† â€Å"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking.† Every father's dream, that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in. â€Å"Sounds like a good idea to me,† I agreed as I headed up the stairs. â€Å"‘Night, honey,† he called after me. No doubt he would be listening carefully all evening, waiting for me to try to sneak out. â€Å"See you in the morning, Dad.† See you creeping into my room tonight at midnight to check on me. I worked to make my tread sound slow and tired as I walked up the stairs to my room. I shut the door loud enough for him to hear, and then sprinted on my tiptoes to the window. I threw it open and leaned out into the night. My eyes scanned the darkness, the impenetrable shadows of the trees. â€Å"Edward?† I whispered, feeling completely idiotic. The quiet, laughing response came from behind me. â€Å"Yes?† I whirled, one hand flying to my throat in surprise. He lay, smiling hugely, across my bed, his hands behind his head, his feet dangling off the end, the picture of ease. â€Å"Oh!† I breathed, sinking unsteadily to the floor. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He pressed his lips together, trying to hide his amusement. â€Å"Just give me a minute to restart my heart.† He sat up slowly, so as not to startle me again. Then he leaned forward and reached out with his long arms to pick me up, gripping the tops of my arms like I was a toddler. He sat me on the bed beside him. â€Å"Why don't you sit with me,† he suggested, putting a cold hand on mine. â€Å"How's the heart?† â€Å"You tell me – I'm sure you hear it better than I do.† I felt his quiet laughter shake the bed. We sat there for a moment in silence, both listening to my heartbeat slow. I thought about having Edward in my room, with my father in the house. â€Å"Can I have a minute to be human?† I asked. â€Å"Certainly.† He gestured with one hand that I should proceed. â€Å"Stay,† I said, trying to look severe. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† And he made a show of becoming a statue on the edge of my bed. I hopped up, grabbing my pajamas from off the floor, my bag of toiletries off the desk. I left the light off and slipped out, closing the door. I could hear the sound from the TV rising up the stairs. I banged the bathroom door loudly, so Charlie wouldn't come up to bother me. I meant to hurry. I brushed my teeth fiercely, trying to be thorough and speedy, removing all traces of lasagna. But the hot water of the shower couldn't be rushed. It unknotted the muscles in my back, calmed my pulse. The familiar smell of my shampoo made me feel like I might be the same person I had been this morning. I tried not to think of Edward, sitting in my room, waiting, because then I had to start all over with the calming process. Finally, I couldn't delay anymore. I shut off the water, toweling hastily, rushing again. I pulled on my holey t-shirt and gray sweatpants. Too late to regret not packing the Victoria's Secret silk pajamas my mother got me two birthdays ago, which still had the tags on them in a drawer somewhere back home. I rubbed the towel through my hair again, and then yanked the brush through it quickly. I threw the towel in the hamper, flung my brush and toothpaste into my bag. Then I dashed down the stairs so Charlie could see that I was in my pajamas, with wet hair. â€Å"‘Night, Dad.† â€Å"‘Night, Bella.† He did look startled by my appearance. Maybe that would keep him from checking on me tonight. I took the stairs two at a time, trying to be quiet, and flew into my room, closing the door tightly behind me. Edward hadn't moved a fraction of an inch, a carving of Adonis perched on my faded quilt. I smiled, and his lips twitched, the statue coming to life. His eyes appraised me, taking in the damp hair, the tattered shirt. He raised one eyebrow. â€Å"Nice.† I grimaced. â€Å"No, it looks good on you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I whispered. I went back to his side, sitting cross-legged beside him. I looked at the lines in the wooden floor. â€Å"What was all that for?† â€Å"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out.† â€Å"Oh.† He contemplated that. â€Å"Why?† As if he couldn't know Charlie's mind much more clearly than I could guess. â€Å"Apparently, I look a little overexcited.† He lifted my chin, examining my face. â€Å"You look very warm, actually.† He bent his face slowly to mine, laying his cool cheek against my skin. I held perfectly still. â€Å"Mmmmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he breathed. It was very difficult, while he was touching me, to frame a coherent question. It took me a minute of scattered concentration to begin. â€Å"It seems to be†¦ much easier for you, now, to be close to me.† â€Å"Does it seem that way to you?† he murmured, his nose gliding to the corner of my jaw. I felt his hand, lighter than a moth's wing, brushing my damp hair back, so that his lips could touch the hollow beneath my ear. â€Å"Much, much easier,† I said, trying to exhale. â€Å"Hmm.† â€Å"So I was wondering†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began again, but his fingers were slowly tracing my collarbone, and I lost my train of thought. â€Å"Yes?† he breathed. â€Å"Why is that,† my voice shook, embarrassing me, â€Å"do you think?† I felt the tremor of his breath on my neck as he laughed. â€Å"Mind over matter.† I pulled back; as I moved, he froze – and I could no longer hear the sound of his breathing. We stared cautiously at each other for a moment, and then, as his clenched jaw gradually relaxed, his expression became puzzled. â€Å"Did I do something wrong?† â€Å"No – the opposite. You're driving me crazy,† I explained. He considered that briefly, and when he spoke, he sounded pleased. â€Å"Really?† A triumphant smile slowly lit his face. â€Å"Would you like a round of applause?† I asked sarcastically. He grinned. â€Å"I'm just pleasantly surprised,† he clarified. â€Å"In the last hundred years or so,† his voice was teasing, â€Å"I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be with†¦ in another way than my brothers and sisters. And then to find, even though it's all new to me, that I'm good at it†¦ at being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're good at everything,† I pointed out. He shrugged, allowing that, and we both laughed in whispers. â€Å"But how can it be so easy now?† I pressed. â€Å"This afternoon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's not easy,† he sighed. â€Å"But this afternoon, I was still†¦ undecided. I am sorry about that, it was unforgivable for me to behave so.† â€Å"Not unforgivable,† I disagreed. â€Å"Thank you.† He smiled. â€Å"You see,† he continued, looking down now, â€Å"I wasn't sure if I was strong enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He picked up one of my hands and pressed it lightly to his face. â€Å"And while there was still that possibility that I might be†¦ overcome† – he breathed in the scent at my wrist – â€Å"I was†¦ susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I would†¦ that I ever could†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I'd never seen him struggle so hard for words. It was so†¦ human. â€Å"So there's no possibility now?† â€Å"Mind over matter,† he repeated, smiling, his teeth bright even in the darkness. â€Å"Wow, that was easy,† I said. He threw back his head and laughed, quietly as a whisper, but still exuberantly. â€Å"Easy for you!† he amended, touching my nose with his fingertip. And then his face was abruptly serious. â€Å"I'm trying,† he whispered, his voice pained. â€Å"If it gets to be†¦ too much, I'm fairly sure I'll be able to leave.† I scowled. I didn't like the talk of leaving. â€Å"And it will be harder tomorrow,† he continued. â€Å"I've had the scent of you in my head all day, and I've grown amazingly desensitized. If I'm away from you for any length of time, I'll have to start over again. Not quite from scratch, though, I think.† â€Å"Don't go away, then,† I responded, unable to hide the longing in my voice. â€Å"That suits me,† he replied, his face relaxing into a gentle smile. â€Å"Bring on the shackles – I'm your prisoner.† But his long hands formed manacles around my wrists as he spoke. He laughed his quiet, musical laugh. He'd laughed more tonight than I'd ever heard in all the time I'd spent with him. â€Å"You seem more†¦ optimistic than usual,† I observed. â€Å"I haven't seen you like this before.† â€Å"Isn't it supposed to be like this?† He smiled. â€Å"The glory of first love, and all that. It's incredible, isn't it, the difference between reading about something, seeing it in the pictures, and experiencing it?† â€Å"Very different,† I agreed. â€Å"More forceful than I'd imagined.† â€Å"For example† – his words flowed swiftly now, I had to concentrate to catch it all – â€Å"the emotion of jealousy. I've read about it a hundred thousand times, seen actors portray it in a thousand different plays and movies. I believed I understood that one pretty clearly. But it shocked me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He grimaced. â€Å"Do you remember the day that Mike asked you to the dance?† I nodded, though I remembered that day for a different reason. â€Å"The day you started talking to me again.† â€Å"I was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury, that I felt – I didn't recognize what it was at first. I was even more aggravated than usual that I couldn't know what you were thinking, why you refused him. Was it simply for your friend's sake? Was there someone else? I knew I had no right to care either way. I tried not to care. â€Å"And then the line started forming,† he chuckled. I scowled in the darkness. â€Å"I waited, unreasonably anxious to hear what you would say to them, to watch your expressions. I couldn't deny the relief I felt, watching the annoyance on your face. But I couldn't be sure. â€Å"That was the first night I came here. I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted. I knew that if I continued to ignore you as I should, or if I left for a few years, till you were gone, that someday you would say yes to Mike, or someone like him. It made me angry. â€Å"And then,† he whispered, â€Å"as you were sleeping, you said my name. You spoke so clearly, at first I thought you'd woken. But you rolled over restlessly and mumbled my name once more, and sighed. The feeling that coursed through me then was unnerving, staggering. And I knew I couldn't ignore you any longer.† He was silent for a moment, probably listening to the suddenly uneven pounding of my heart. â€Å"But jealousy†¦ it's a strange thing. So much more powerful than I would have thought. And irrational! Just now, when Charlie asked you about that vile Mike Newton†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shook his head angrily. â€Å"I should have known you'd be listening,† I groaned. â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"That made you feel jealous, though, really?† â€Å"I'm new at this; you're resurrecting the human in me, and everything feels stronger because it's fresh.† â€Å"But honestly,† I teased, â€Å"for that to bother you, after I have to hear that Rosalie – Rosalie, the incarnation of pure beauty, Rosalie – was meant for you. Emmett or no Emmett, how can I compete with that?† â€Å"There's no competition.† His teeth gleamed. He drew my trapped hands around his back, holding me to his chest. I kept as still as I could, even breathing with caution. â€Å"I know there's no competition,† I mumbled into his cold skin. â€Å"That's the problem.† â€Å"Of course Rosalie is beautiful in her way, but even if she wasn't like a sister to me, even if Emmett didn't belong with her, she could never have one tenth, no, one hundredth of the attraction you hold for me.† He was serious now, thoughtful. â€Å"For almost ninety years I've walked among my kind, and yours†¦ all the time thinking I was complete in myself, not realizing what I was seeking. And not finding anything, because you weren't alive yet.† â€Å"It hardly seems fair,† I whispered, my face still resting on his chest, listening to his breath come and go. â€Å"I haven't had to wait at all. Why should I get off so easily?† â€Å"You're right,† he agreed with amusement. â€Å"I should make this harder for you, definitely.† He freed one of his hands, released my wrist, only to gather it carefully into his other hand. He stroked my wet hair softly, from the top of my head to my waist. â€Å"You only have to risk your life every second you spend with me, that's surely not much. You only have to turn your back on nature, on humanity†¦ what's that worth?† â€Å"Very little – I don't feel deprived of anything.† â€Å"Not yet.† And his voice was abruptly full of ancient grief. I tried to pull back, to look in his face, but his hand locked my wrists in an unbreakable hold. â€Å"What -† I started to ask, when his body became alert. I froze, but he suddenly released my hands, and disappeared. I narrowly avoided falling on my face. â€Å"Lie down!† he hissed. I couldn't tell where he spoke from in the darkness. I rolled under my quilt, balling up on my side, the way I usually slept. I heard the door crack open, as Charlie peeked in to make sure I was where I was supposed to be. I breathed evenly, exaggerating the movement. A long minute passed. I listened, not sure if I'd heard the door close. Then Edward's cool arm was around me, under the covers, his lips at my ear. â€Å"You are a terrible actress – I'd say that career path is out for you.† â€Å"Darn it,† I muttered. My heart was crashing in my chest. He hummed a melody I didn't recognize; it sounded like a lullaby. He paused. â€Å"Should I sing you to sleep?† â€Å"Right,† I laughed. â€Å"Like I could sleep with you here!† â€Å"You do it all the time,† he reminded me. â€Å"But I didn't know you were here,† I replied icily. â€Å"So if you don't want to sleep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he suggested, ignoring my tone. My breath caught. â€Å"If I don't want to sleep†¦ ?† He chuckled. â€Å"What do you want to do then?† I couldn't answer at first. â€Å"I'm not sure,† I finally said. â€Å"Tell me when you decide.† I could feel his cool breath on my neck, feel his nose sliding along my jaw, inhaling. â€Å"I thought you were desensitized.† â€Å"Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet,† he whispered. â€Å"You have a very floral smell, like lavender†¦ or freesia,† he noted. â€Å"It's mouthwatering.† â€Å"Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get somebody telling me how edible I smell.† He chuckled, and then sighed. â€Å"I've decided what I want to do,† I told him. â€Å"I want to hear more about you.† â€Å"Ask me anything.† I sifted through my questions for the most vital. â€Å"Why do you do it?† I said. â€Å"I still don't understand how you can work so hard to resist what you†¦ are. Please don't misunderstand, of course I'm glad that you do. I just don't see why you would bother in the first place.† He hesitated before answering. â€Å"That's a good question, and you are not the first one to ask it. The others – the majority of our kind who are quite content with our lot – they, too, wonder at how we live. But you see, just because we've been†¦ dealt a certain hand†¦ it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above – to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can.† I lay unmoving, locked in awed silence. â€Å"Did you fall asleep?† he whispered after a few minutes. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Is that all you were curious about?† I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Not quite.† â€Å"What else do you want to know?† â€Å"Why can you read minds – why only you? And Alice, seeing the future†¦ why does that happen?† I felt him shrug in the darkness. â€Å"We don't really know. Carlisle has a theory†¦ he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified – like our minds, and our senses. He thinks that I must have already been very sensitive to the thoughts of those around me. And that Alice had some precognition, wherever she was.† â€Å"What did he bring into the next life, and the others?† â€Å"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie her†¦ tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness.† he chuckled. â€Å"Jasper is very interesting. He was quite charismatic in his first life, able to influence those around him to see things his way. Now he is able to manipulate the emotions of those around him – calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift.† I considered the impossibilities he described, trying to take it in. He waited patiently while I thought. â€Å"So where did it all start? I mean, Carlisle changed you, and then someone must have changed him, and so on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well, where did you come from? Evolution? Creation? Couldn't we have evolved in the same way as other species, predator and prey? Or, if you don't believe that all this world could have just happened on its own, which is hard for me to accept myself, is it so hard to believe that the same force that created the delicate angelfish with the shark, the baby seal and the killer whale, could create both our kinds together?† â€Å"Let me get this straight – I'm the baby seal, right?† â€Å"Right.† He laughed, and something touched my hair – his lips? I wanted to turn toward him, to see if it was really his lips against my hair. But I had to be good; I didn't want to make this any harder for him than it already was. â€Å"Are you ready to sleep?† he asked, interrupting the short silence. â€Å"Or do you have any more questions?† â€Å"Only a million or two.† â€Å"We have tomorrow, and the next day, and the next†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he reminded me. I smiled, euphoric at the thought. â€Å"Are you sure you won't vanish in the morning?† I wanted this to be certain. â€Å"You are mythical, after all.† â€Å"I won't leave you.† His voice had the seal of a promise in it. â€Å"One more, then, tonight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And I blushed. The darkness was no help – I'm sure he could feel the sudden warmth under my skin. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"No, forget it. I changed my mind.† â€Å"Bella, you can ask me anything.† I didn't answer, and he groaned. â€Å"I keep thinking it will get less frustrating, not hearing your thoughts. But it just gets worse and worse.† â€Å"I'm glad you can't read my thoughts. It's bad enough that you eavesdrop on my sleep-talking.† â€Å"Please?† His voice was so persuasive, so impossible to resist. I shook my head. â€Å"If you don't tell me, I'll just assume it's something much worse than it is,† he threatened darkly. â€Å"Please?† Again, that pleading voice. â€Å"Well,† I began, glad that he couldn't see my face. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"You said that Rosalie and Emmett will get married soon†¦ Is that†¦ marriage†¦ the same as it is for humans?† He laughed in earnest now, understanding. â€Å"Is that what you're getting at?† I fidgeted, unable to answer. â€Å"Yes, I suppose it is much the same,† he said. â€Å"I told you, most of those human desires are there, just hidden behind more powerful desires.† â€Å"Oh,† was all I could say. â€Å"Was there a purpose behind your curiosity?† â€Å"Well, I did wonder†¦ about you and me†¦ someday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He was instantly serious, I could tell by the sudden stillness of his body. I froze, too, reacting automatically. â€Å"I don't think that†¦ that†¦ would be possible for us.† â€Å"Because it would be too hard for you, if I were that†¦ close?† â€Å"That's certainly a problem. But that's not what I was thinking of. It's just that you are so soft, so fragile. I have to mind my actions every moment that we're together so that I don't hurt you. I could kill you quite easily, Bella, simply by accident.† His voice had become just a soft murmur. He moved his icy palm to rest it against my cheek. â€Å"If I was too hasty†¦ if for one second I wasn't paying enough attention, I could reach out, meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake. You don't realize how incredibly breakable you are. I can never, never afford to lose any kind of control when I'm with you.† He waited for me to respond, growing anxious when I didn't. â€Å"Are you scared?† he asked. I waited for a minute to answer, so the words would be true. â€Å"No. I'm fine.† He seemed to deliberate for a moment. â€Å"I'm curious now, though,† he said, his voice light again. â€Å"Have you ever†¦ ?† He trailed off suggestively. â€Å"Of course not.† I flushed. â€Å"I told you I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even close.† â€Å"I know. It's just that I know other people's thoughts. I know love and lust don't always keep the same company.† â€Å"They do for me. Now, anyway, that they exist for me at all,† I sighed. â€Å"That's nice. We have that one thing in common, at least.† He sounded satisfied. â€Å"Your human instincts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began. He waited. â€Å"Well, do you find me attractive, in that way, at all?† He laughed and lightly rumpled my nearly dry hair. â€Å"I may not be a human, but I am a man,† he assured me. I yawned involuntarily. â€Å"I've answered your questions, now you should sleep,† he insisted. â€Å"I'm not sure if I can.† â€Å"Do you want me to leave?† â€Å"No!† I said too loudly. He laughed, and then began to hum that same, unfamiliar lullaby; the voice of an archangel, soft in my ear. More tired than I realized, exhausted from the long day of mental and emotional stress like I'd never felt before, I drifted to sleep in his cold arms.