Friday, September 6, 2019
A Dangerous Method Essay Example for Free
A Dangerous Method Essay A Dangerous Method was nothing short of intriguing and moving. It was a film based on psychoanalysis and the careers of some of its most well-known practitioners, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Sabina Spielrein, and Otto Gross. I feel that each one of these characters was well played. Each one helped to put the viewer there with them and understand each circumstance clearly. This movie truly displays the reality of what can happen even in such a professional field. While in class, some of these topics can blend together and not really catch my full attention. Since watching this movie theà names Carl Jung, Sabina Spielrein, and Sigmond Freud have stuck in my memory. This movie helped me to understand Freud and Jungââ¬â¢s friendship. I found their differences rather interesting. It seemed to me that Jung was more open to other theories and explanations behind human behavior while Freud seemed very much so stuck in a box with his way of thinking. He would not budge. He wanted to stay on track because it was best for their reputation and their credibility. All while Jung had believed that there was much more to it than Freud had thought. The relationship between Jung and Sabina was intriguing toà say the least. In the beginning of the movie Sabina was having physical ticks and outbursts, also what seemed to me to be hysterical episodes. The movie takes a turn when we find out the root of Sabinaââ¬â¢s issues. The fact that her Father was severely abusive to her was bad enough, and then we find out that she liked it and it excited her! This was discovered by Jungââ¬â¢s talking method. This signified the beginning of a whole different and affective method of therapy. Also, after these discoveries were made about Sabina, she seemed to make great progress and calm down. She started school to become a psychologist. Jung and Sabina began working closely with each other and shared ideas and theories. While Sabina moved away to Vienna Jung and Sabina started to have an affair. Carl Jung was married and had children but gave in to his temptations with Sabina. Otto Gross planted the seed in Jungââ¬â¢s head that not only was it O. K. to give in to sexual temptation but unhealthy not to. This affair was both intense and exciting for the viewer. This affair crossed so many boundaries. Carl Jung was married with children and still gave in to his temptations. This affair also grew into something deeper between the two of them. They began to love each other and Jung found himself stuck within his feelings. Not only was this wrong because he was being unfaithful to his wife it was extremely unprofessional. The fact that Sabina was his patient was nothing short of unacceptable. To me, the two should have known better than to think this secret relationship they had would last. Because Jung was Sabinaââ¬â¢s therapist, he knew her issues that she was battling. Even though Jung knew these issues he still proceeded to have sex with her in a way that fed her issues. This caused Sabina to become obsessed with him, and when he tried to cut off the relationship, she cut hisà face in his office. All of this couldââ¬â¢ve been avoided if the both of them respected their relationships. Otto Gross came to Carl Jung as a patient but was also a therapist. He had very different views than Jung and Freud. Like I said earlier he believed that monogamy was unrealistic and as human beings it is unhealthy to act on our sexual urges or desires. He had sex with most of his female patients and was proud of it. This topic in particular is one that got under my skin the most. I disagree with his theory. For one, as human beings in this day in age, we would be spreading diseases left and right if we just hadà sex with whoever we desired in that moment. More than we are already. Not only would we be putting our health at risk, there would be another baby boom, and even more failed marriages. It was clear that Gross made Jung feel more comfortable with his urges regarding Sabina which led to nothing but negative effects. Sex is something sacred that should be shared between two people who have love for each other and kept between them. When these boundaries are crossed it leads to heartbreak and hurt to innocent people as well. All in all, this film was a great story about Feud and Jungââ¬â¢s journeys. It helped me to understand their viewpoints better, and understand their relationship. It was also amazing for me to see the transformation of Sabina. She went from a troubled hysterical individual, to a studious, more controlled and calm person. It showed how effective the talking method is. It can help heal people and come face to face with their issues and face them head on. This film also helped me to understand how narrow minded Freud was for a psychoanalysist. This movie was excellent and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in psychology. It was very interesting.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Pros And Cons Of Offshore Outsourcing Commerce Essay
Pros And Cons Of Offshore Outsourcing Commerce Essay In the new era offshore outsourcing has emerged as a very important and extensively adapted business strategy. Organisations across the globe consider outsourcing as a pathway to avail benefits of cost and effective resources of the country to which work is outsourced. Many organisation s in western markets offshore outsource their activities extensively to emerging market countries where there are location, cost and resource advantages to gain a competitive edge in the global market. The distinctive feature of offshore outsourcing is to provide uninterrupted service in order to meet the different time zones and gain customer satisfaction. Off shoring refers to the relocation of outsourced activities across countries. In the process of outsourcing, initially a particular activity is generalized across firms, then the shift of the location of the vendor can cause off shoring. Chandrasekhar Ghosh, 2006, p.92 The main reason for any organisation to offshore outsource their activities is to gain extended benefits and increase net profits. It is also adapted to achieve various cost, product, and differentiation advantages. It is a known fact that companies outsource various activities depending upon the country in which it is good at and this comes from the educational system and standards followed by that country. India, for example is most preferred destinations for the service and IT industries owing to the advantages like cheap labour, effective skills, language consistency and courtesy. Outsourcing is successful and effective cost saving strategy when applied in a legitimate way. For any buy decision, taken by the companies in west the most attractive solution would be to offshore outsource to destinations across the globe. WESTERN COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- The major advantages for western companies by offshore outsourcing their activities would be tax benefits, cheap labour and increased productivity. It enables the firm to lower supply cost by relocating production to countries where inputs and labour costs are lower. Thomson, the French consumer electronics group, transferred the production of some of its video cassette models from Germany to Singapore to take the advantage of the latters lower cost base. Outsourcing services to India is continuously rising because of its various advantages like advanced technology, cheap talented labour, infrastructure and other facilities. Western companies will improve their brand name by customer satisfaction and substantial profits by offshore outsourcing. Microsoft, software giant in USA offshore outsource their customer service and technical support activities to destinations such as India which has no language barriers, good quality infrastructure, stable government policies, supporting labour laws and other favourable factors. The market for home country products is extended; for example: IT firms in India working for US companies will buy US computers and related equipment. 40% of the fortune 500 companies are strongly interested in the software outsourcing model because the average cost savings by adopting this is in the range of 40% to 70%. The companies can escape from various laws and restrictions imposed by the home country and hence reduce production costs by outsourcing production channels. It is adapted by majority of the car manufacturing companies. Ford Motors, USA based car manufacturing company has shifted 70% of their production units to Mexico owing to stringent environmental and emission laws imposed by USA. Free trade across European Union has also favoured many motor companies to shift their production units to Eastern European countries to exploit cheap labour and resources. DISADVANTAGES:- The direct relationship between employees and companies are lost due to distance and communication gap. Risk in transferring technology and know-how, this can be copied by its market competitors in the host country. The company faces a potential threat from the employees and competitors as their technical information can be leaked anywhere and spreads like a rapid fire. This has a direct impact on the companys brand name and sales. Dell for example, is basically a US based company but its activities such as manufacturing, customer and technical support are outsourced on a global scale. Many competitors took advantage of unmotivated employees, gained access to technical information and manufactured similar kind of products with same features and services. The same is the case with Chinese firms. It is a common sight to find any duplicate of consumer goods of western brands appearing to be exactly same for 80% cheaper price in the Shanghai local black market. Offshore outsourcing carries the risk of lower quality products and lower standards because of lack of training and effective controls by home company. EMERGING MARKET COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- People always look forward for something new every day! Emerging market companies can grow and create new brand name by satisfying this similar need of flock across different markets in the world. For example, Hyundai motor company is in the process of growing into brand appreciation by its customer as it is determined to achieve the goal of making better quality product. It also builds its image as a top global automobile company by handling every task transparency from the perspective of business ethics. Foreign direct investment plays an important role by focusing on emerging economies than developed economies. By increase in inflow of FDI by the global company into emerging market the revenue and sales increases thus increase in standard of living. By establishment of Microsoft, IBM and Oracle in metropolitan cities of India, it has enormously resulted in increase in income and spending capacity of people. Technology and skills are transferred from western companies to the emerging market. This creates waves and builds up competitive spirit in emerging companies thus improved productivity by the emerging market companies is achieved. DISADVANTAGES:- Small and medium companies in emerging markets suffer from low revenues and profit margins by presence of highly competitive brands. By establishment of several clothing western brands in India, several yarn farmers to the cloth sellers in the supply chain have shut their doors for business. It is observed that some companies which emerged has not succeeded due to lack of co-ordination and good relationship with their service provider. WORKFORCE OF WESTERN COUNTRIES ADVANTAGES:- Workforce in western countries builds group and individual learning techniques to promote self awareness and professional development. Employees are trained with World class design and delivery designs and finally from their experience they are improved in learning intervention. Employees are motivated by providing benefits and incentives for a better performance of the company. McDonalds, for example provides potential benefits to its employees and thus retains its employees to work better for more benefits. Highly talented and multi skilled employees are given more benefits like increase in salary and bonus facility. The first preference is given to employees who work inside the home other than outside the country. The companies who initially invested in fringe countries of south-east Asia such as Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are now investing in China due to their highly technical and knowledge skilled labour. DISADVANTAGES:- Decline in operation and manufacturing process in home country, which leads to loss of jobs and thus create unemployment in ones own country. Inefficiency shown in the progress of work and lack of knowledge for which employees expect training for each and every task, thus increases the expenses. Dell computers returned its business help desk from India to North America because of an increase in complaints from its customers about Indian employees as they were lacking in solving complex computer problems. The workforce of western companies faces a tough competition on a global scale. They are less motivated because of job insecurity and pay cuts. WORKFORCE OF EMERGING MARKET COMPANIES ADVANTAGES:- Employees desire to work in such emerging companies as their payrolls will be high when compared to local companies. These are large companies in which employees professional life grow faster with attractive salary package. If one wants to visit the world and have the capabilities to communicate with different kind of people they have an opportunity to work in such field and thus changes their lifestyle. TESCO, for example a U.K. based company which outsources all its payroll, service and supply chain control operations to India. Employees who work offshore for this company are given an opportunity to switch their jobs if promoted to a higher level and get a chance to work in U.K. This is regarded as a dream come true for any typical middle class Indian employee. It creates motivation and lifts the spirits of workforce, hence job satisfaction is achieved. DISADVANTAGES:- Expatriate assignments can be very expensive, maintenance cost of expatriates in a host country range from three to ten times the cost of domestic employees with similar responsibilities. Sometimes employees are not motivated properly which results in failure to achieve the assignment goals and thus reported at disturbing levels. Employees are made to work overtime and not paid properly. The employees of the western market dependant companies are seriously affected if there is any financial crisis or economy imbalance in that country. For example, Indian software employees are directly hit by the recession in the USA or UK. If there is no business for the firm the dependant workforces in the outsourced countries suffer from losing out their jobs.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Disability and Ageing Theories Comparison
Disability and Ageing Theories Comparison Task One : Comparing a range of definitions as they apply to Disability and Aging 1.1 Disability according to WHO According to the World Health Organization, ââ¬Å" Disabilities is a term that covers impairments, restrictions in participations and limitations in ones activity. An impairment is seen as a problem in body function and itââ¬â¢s structure; a limitation in activity is a difficulty an individual may encounter when performing an action or task; while the restriction in participation is a problem in an individuals life situation.â⬠As stated on this source, disability is seen as not just a health problem but a complex phenomenon that shows the interaction between features of a persons body and features of society that they live in. It is said that people with disabilities has the same health needs as of those as non-disabled people, like for example disabled people also need immunizations, cancer screenings and treatments for other medical conditions, illnesses or diseases that they might have. b) Disability according to SSC State Services Commission of NZ The New Zealand Disability Strategy describes disability as, ââ¬Å"Individuals do not have disability instead what individuals have are impairments. And these impairments may be physical,sensory,psychiatric,neurlogical, intelletual or other impairments. When people creates barriers the disability process happens because they take no account of people living with impairments in ther world.â⬠According to this, disability is only a perceived idea , of how non-impaired people view people with impairments. And if people would change their view of impaired individuals then people that has disability would just be people that has impairments and they will be able to function in society if we give them an environment they can work around with. c) Disability according Government of Western Australia / Disabilities Services Commission According to the Disabilities Services Commission of Western Australia , ââ¬Å" A disability is a condition that continues on to restrict activities in the everyday life. They define disability as: Being attributed to an intellectual,psychiatric,cognitive,neurolgical,sensory or physical impairment Permanent or may likely be permanent Chronic or acute Reduced capacity of an individual to cmmunicate, interact socially, learn, move and wil need continouos support.â⬠As stated on this source , disability is an impairment that will restrict a persons movement and functioning that is caused by a multitude of physiological and external factors. It is said that most restrictions that people with disability may encounter can be overcome by using appropriate tools and utilizing services specifically designed for their impairments. In your own words compare those definitions and identify the similarities and differences between them According to the sources I have used, they define disability as being attributed to a multitude of impairments such as an intellectual, psychiatric, cognitive, neurological, sensory or physical impairment or a combination of those impairments that makes them unable to perform certain tasks effectively or none at all. It is stated that a person with a disability has the reduced ability to communicate , interact , learn and move and will be needing assistance in their daily lives. But the sources also gave different views and definitions on how they view disability. One of those differences is that according to the State Services Commission of New Zealand, a disability is a process and not a condition, therefore a person is disabled only because of the perception of society and their attitudes towards people that have impairments. Society does provide them an environment in which they can become productive and function with the abilities they possess, instead society views them as people that cannot contribute and has no useful abilities. Another difference is that according to WHO disability is categorized under two terms, which are impairment and limitations. Impairment is seen as a problem in the way the body, parts of the body or a specific part of the body fail to function, while limitation is seen as difficulty in performing certain tasks or actions. The Disabilities Services Commission of the Government of Western Australia see disability as being chronic or a condition that has endured and will endure for a long time and acute which means an abrupt onset or occurrence of an impairment. They view disability as being one of permanent or temporary nature. 1.2 Comparing 3 (three) definitions of aging Aging according to US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Aging According to the National Institute on Aging of the US Department of Health and Human Services aging is defined as , ââ¬Å" Aging is a reflection of all the changes that occur all throughout our lives. As we grow, develop and mature. For young people aging wil be exciting because they will have late bedtimes and longer curfew hours. And during middle age there might be a grey hair or two. For a marathon runner he will not be able to run as fast like when he was 20 now that he is 60. There are varying factors that will affect aging.â⬠As defined in this source, aging is a reflection of all the changes that happens through the course of our entire life. The growth, development and maturity which thus entails that aging in a broad sense is a change in our biology, our psychology, our environment and our cognitive abilities. b) Aging according to senescence.info , author Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, PHD According to the author on senescence.info , ââ¬Å" Aging can be just a passing of time and seen a just a normal biological process of getting older. Some people call this senescence. And some have defined it as a progress in which humans will inevitably die. Aging is viewed as a complex process that is composed of three features: 1) Increase in likelihood of death as we age; 2) changes within the body that will lead to deterioration of internatl functions and 3) the increased risk of catching infections and diseases as people age. It is a progressive decline in bodily functions, and it is an intricate process of life.â⬠As defined on this source, aging is described as leading to the process of death or mortality due to the biological process of growing older, as the body loses the ability to function with efficiency and it becomes vulnerable to environmental factors including illnesses and diseases. c) Aging according to Age and Aging Journal , Auckland Library , Digital Library According to the journal , ââ¬Å" Aging is the result of a complex interaction of the genetic make up and the environment we live in. As people age it is but normal to suffer certain diseases and illnesses so we cannot discount it as a factor in the aging process. Aging may also be explained as the bodyââ¬â¢s response to stress that can lead to physical and chemical damage, infections and trauma. Aging can also be attributed as a by product of action in the genes or the natural selection process that deteriorates as we age.â⬠According to this source , aging is defined as the chemical processes that occur within the cellular level of our bodies and the various factors of genes, gene mutations and the different phenotypes which affect how our bodies change in accordance with the cellular changes that occur during the Aging process. In your own words compare those definitions and identify the similarities and differences between them According to the sources I have used, they define Aging as a complex process affected by varying physiological, biological, environmental and social factors that contribute on how Aging progresses. They state that Aging is not only about the external characteristics of our physicality, like the changing color of our hair or the wrinkling of our skin, but a more in depth analysis reveals that a lot of factors that we encounter in our lives affect the Aging process. Some differences on how the sources define Aging can be seen with how the National Institute of Aging view it in a more positive way. They state that Aging is attributed to how a person grows, develops and matures through the course of life. Therefore, they view Aging as a state of mind , an accumulation of knowledge and experiences as one goes through life. However according to Joao Pedro de Magalhaes, PHD on senescence.info Aging is more on the most basic and primal note. According to his research, Aging is a gradual and progressive decline in how well our body functions over time, our bodys susceptibility to illnesses and diseases as we grow older because our immune system will weaken as we age and that Aging is an inevitable path leading towards death. The Age and Aging Journal defines Aging on a cellular level. Stating that as part of Aging process diseases and illnesses contribute on how we age. And the level of Aging is widely affected by our genes, how genes mutate and phenotypes which affect how our body will change according to the cellular changes inside us during the Aging process. 1.3 Comparing theories of disability and aging Disability Theory The Medical Model The Medical Model defines disability as being caused by an illness or medical condition. It is said that disability is directly caused by trauma, disease, or other health conditions and people that have disabilities need sustained medical care provided by professionals. The Medical Model promotes the view that a disabled person is someone who is dependent on others and needs care to be provided to them. Aging Theory Psychosocial Theory Psychosocial theories of Aging states that Aging is correlated to human development such as an individuals change in cognitive functions, behaviours, roles, relationships and coping ability and social changes. This theory does not describe how older people could be treated or what the social changes are but they describe what Aging implies and factors important to the care of older people can be derived from this factors. Age is the period in time in which a person has been living Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that society deem appropriate for a man and a woman Class is an individual or groups position within hierarchal social structure. It is associated with socio-economic status including variables such as occupation, education, income, wealth and place or residence. 4. Ethnicity refers to a persons language, culture, history, socio-economic and political factors, geographic origin of ancestry, nationality and beliefs and traditional practices. 1. AGE Age in relation to the Medical Model in Disability Age is the period in time in which a person has been living, and according to the Medical Model a disability is caused by trauma, disease or other health conditions. The implication of age in relation to the Medical Model is that, as a person grow older or age our bodys immune system becomes weaker as do our bones and muscles, this makes older persons susceptible to infections and diseases therefore causing disability. For example a 20 year old persons lung is much more stronger than an 85 year old, therefore if both of them are exposed to pneumonia there is a high probability that the 85 year old person will die and the 20 year old will just need some medications and he will be alright. Age in relation to Psychosocial Theory in Aging Age is the period in time in which a person has been living, and according to the Psychosocial Theory of Aging , it is said that Aging is correlated to the human development including the change in cognitive functions, behaviours, roles, relationships and coping ability and social changes. The implication of age in relation to the Psychosocial Theory of Aging is that as a person grows older so does his/her abilities and knowledge, collection of memories and emotions that shape a persons personality and how he/she views life, life experiences and the social circle they move around in contribute to how a person ages. GENDER Gender in relation to the Medical Model in Disability Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women, and according to the Medical Model a disability is caused by trauma, disease or other health conditions. The implication of gender in relation to the Medical Model is that since society dictates what should and should not be done according to gender, the diseases and types of trauma that a male and female will have that will lead to disability will be different for a male and a female. For example in terms of trauma, in Saudi Arabia females are not allowed to drive vehicles and only males are allowed to, therefore there will be a markedly increased number of trauma cases for male leading to disability than females. Gender in relation to the Psychosocial Theory in Aging Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women, and according to the Psychosocial Theory of Aging , it is said that Aging is correlated to the human development including the change in cognitive functions, behaviours, roles, relationships and coping ability and social changes. The implication of gender in relation to the Psychosocial Theory is that a male and female will have different life experiences, developments in cognitive functioning, behaviours, roles relationships and coping ability and social changes so the way that they will age will be different from each other. One example of this is regarding roles and relationships, coping ability and social changes in a Muslim culture like Saudi Arabia. A male can interact with anyone they want to interact with and there is no restriction regarding this, but females are not allowed to talk to males that are not their husband or immedia te family member. Therefore the females have less exposure to the outside world and their coping abilities in social situations will be poor compared to the males and this will reflect on how they age. CLASS Class in relation to the Medical Model in Disability Class is an individuals affiliation within a social hierarchical structure that is associated with an individuals socio-economic status. and according to the Medical Model a disability is caused by trauma, disease or other health conditions. The implication of class in relation to the Medical Model is that, the type of trauma, disease or other health condition leading to disability that a person may have will depend on where he is in the socio-economic structure. An example of this will be a person of low socio-economic background contracts diabetes. Since he is of low socio-economic status he will be unable to seek medical attention, purchase and take medications, and eat a healthy diet, he can suffer from kidney failure as a complication and therefore be unable to work and this will cause disability. Whereas a person of high socio-economic status can easily access medical care and attend to all his needs and his diabetes would not lead to complications and become a disability if he will follow medical advice. Class in relation to the Psychosocial Theory in Aging Class is an individuals affiliation within a social hierarchical structure that is associated with an individuals socio-economic status, and according to the Psychosocial Theory of Aging , it is said that Aging is correlated to the human development including the change in cognitive functions, behaviours, roles, relationships and coping ability and social changes. The implication of class in relation to the Psychosocial Theory is that, the quality of life of a person , of how he ages and develops through his life will depend on his socio-economic status.For example, a person of high socio-economic status is said to be a person who can age well, because of financial stability he is able to access services that are not available to a person of low socio-economic status. He has the capability and capacity to sustain his cognitive improvements and sustain all levels of development throughout his life. His life experiences will be enriched and he can achieve quality Aging. ETHNICITY Ethnicity in relation to the Medical Model in Disability Ethnicity refers to a persons language, culture, history, socio-economic and political factors, geographic origin of ancestry, nationality and beliefs and traditional practices, and according to the Medical Model a disability is caused by trauma, disease or other health conditions. The implication of ethnicity on the Medical Model is that the type of disease or trauma a person may have will depend on his ethnical background. There are certain diseases that will lead to disability that affects only a certain ethnic group due to genetics, diet and cultural practices. For example people of African origin has prevalent cases of sickle anemia, instead of a round red blood cell , the red bloods are shaped like a crescent moon, which causes them to lump together and block blood vessels which causes severe pain to the person affected. The pain they experience usually lasts for hours or some even for days. Ethnicity in relation to the Psychosocial Theory in Aging Ethnicity refers to a persons language, culture, history, socio-economic and political factors, geographic origin of ancestry, nationality and beliefs and traditional practices, and according to the Psychosocial Theory of Aging , it is said that Aging is correlated to the human development including the change in cognitive functions, behaviours, roles, relationships and coping ability and social changes. The implication of ethnicity in relation to aging is that how a person ages is affected by a persons ethnical background. Because people from different parts of the world have practices that are unique to them, this will affect their development and their aging process. How they live their day to day lives and how they deal with the daily experiences will vary according to their culture. References WHO. (2014). Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/ State Services Commission of NZ. (2014). Chapter One: Defining disability. Retrieved from http://www.ssc.govt.nz/node/1671 Disabilities Services Commission , Government of Western Australia. (2014). What is Disability. Retrieved from http://www.disability.wa.gov.au/understanding-disability1/understanding-disability/what-is-disability/ National Institute on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services. (2011). Biology of Aging, What is Aging?. Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/aging-under-microscope/what-aging De Magalhaes, J.P. (2013) What is Aging. Retrieved from http://www.senescence.info/aging_definition.html#Demographic_Measurements_of_Aging Dyer, Christopher A.E., and Alan J. Sinclair. (1998). The premature ageing syndromes: insights into the ageing process. Age and Ageing 27.1 (1998): 73+. GALE|A21113303 . Student Resources in Context. Retrieved from http://0-ic.galegroup.com.www.elgar.govt.nz/ic/suic/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/AcademicJournalsDetailsWindow?failOverType=query=prodId=SUICwindowstate=normalcontentModules=mode=viewdisplayGroupName=Journalslimiter=u=auclibcurrPage=disableHighlighting=falsedisplayGroups=sortBy=source=search_within_results=p=SUICaction=ecatId=activityType=scanId=documentId=GALE|A21113303 WHO. (2014). Gender. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/gender/whatisgender/en/ Jaqueline Villaflores
Transnational Race and the Black Movement Essay -- Race History
The United States and Latin America have seen their fair shares of inequality and hardships when it comes to those of the minority status. Minorities have successfully fought back in the timeless battle to achieve equality, rather it be with those of their own race, or from different ethnic backgrounds. When groups are able to coexist, their ideologies are expressed to one another and at times are able to influence different groups on their attitudes toward different subjects. Now that immigration has astronomically increased to the United States, the idea of this country as a ââ¬Å"melting potâ⬠has never been more correct. Being that more individuals are turning to the United States for permanent residence, race has obtained multiple definitions over the course of history, resulting from the ever-changing racial makeup of the United States and Latin America. The black movement has also contributed to the change in racial identification from the early 20th century up until to day, resulting in transnational ideologies of race. These two changes have culminated into the current culture that is taking over America, and making it into a more diversified nation. As the election of President Barack Obama proved to America and others around the world that this country was moving past race, the importance of transnational ideologies and race in America have led to a society that does not turn to race first, but instead looks at the beliefs and attitudes of those around it. When looking around the world at different races, it is easy to compare some of the sentiment toward these races to the very same attitudes American citizens have against them in the United States. Mark Anderson discusses how certain stereotypes about blacks have diffuse... ...rican American president, how far will we go in ensuring that race is a thing of the past? Works Cited Anderson, Mark. "Bad Boys and Peaceful Garifuna." In Neither Enemies nor Friends, by Anani Dzidzienyo and Oboler Suzanne, 101-115. New York: Palgrave Macmillian, 2005. DeScipio, Louis. "Transnational politics and civic engagement : do home-country political ties limit Latino immigrant pursuit of US civic engagement and citizenship?" In Transforming politics, transforming America : the political and civic incorporation of immigrants in the United States, by S. Karthick Ramakrishnan, and Ricardo Ramà rez Taeku Lee, n/a. Charlottesville: UVA Press, 2006. Lewis, Hope. "Transnational Dimensions of Race in America." Albany Law Review, 2009: 999-1028. Sawyer, Mark Q. Racial Politics in Post-Revolutionary Cuba. New York City: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Golgi Complex :: essays research papers
The Golgi complex's structure is made up of many flattened membranes sacs that are surrounded by tubules or vesicles. These are called the cisternae. The golgi complex accepts vesicles from the endoplasmic reticulum and modifies them for usage in the cell. The golgi complex is used to distribute materials which help form the cell membranes. They also assemble the membranous material by producing glycolipids and glycoproteins. The golgi complexes also hand their vesicles materials for secretion. The golgi complex could not do its job without the help of vesicles. Vesicles bring and send the organelle its materials. Attributes: à § 1.0 à µm in diameter à § Flattened sacks à § Takes materials from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Functions: à § Packages materials à § Readies products for export from the cell à § These products are then transfered to other organelles or out of the cell Description: Want me an example? Have you ever made a sandwich for lunch and sealed it inside a plastic bag? That's what happens inside the Golgi complex. Important materials that the cell needs to grow and repair itself are packaged in the membrane material made inside the Golgi complex and then shipped to the parts of the cell where they are needed. The Golgi Complex (or Golgi Apparatus, or Golgi Body) is a cytoplasmic structure composed of multiple cisternae (pools of solution surounded by membranes) arranged to look like a stack of pancakes hovering over the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). The Golgi Complex can be subdivided into three principal parts - cis, medial, and trans - based on proximity to the ER. The cis- and trans- Golgi stacks look discontinuous and irregular as vesicles are constantly joining and leaving, so they are usually referred to as the cis Golgi network (CGN) and trans Golgi network (TGN), respectively. The medial Golgi can have any number of cisternae, which are referred to collectively as the medial stacks. The function of the Golgi Complex is to modify proteins and then target them to specific sites in the cell. As proteins are being made through the translation of mRNA on Ribosomes, they are identified by amino acid "tags" which tell the cell where the protein belongs. Many proteins have a signal peptide which tells the cell to insert the protein directly into the ER during translation. Proteins which enter the ER are modified in several ways, including the addition of large glycosides (branched sugars) to specific amino acid side chains (Asparagines). After processing in the ER is done, the proteins are shuttled to the CGN via small vesicles.
Monday, September 2, 2019
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 ââ¬â 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. ââ¬Å"You like fifties music?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Music in the fifties was good. Much better than the sixties, or the seventies, ugh!â⬠He shuddered. ââ¬Å"The eighties were bearable.â⬠ââ¬Å"Are you ever going to tell me how old you are?â⬠I asked, tentative, not wanting to upset his buoyant humor. ââ¬Å"Does it matter much?â⬠His smile, to my relief, remained unclouded. ââ¬Å"No, but I still wonderâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I grimaced. ââ¬Å"There's nothing like an unsolved mystery to keep you up at night.â⬠ââ¬Å"I wonder if it will upset you,â⬠he reflected to himself. He gazed into the sun; the minutes passed. ââ¬Å"Try me,â⬠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 ââ¬â the light of the setting orb glittered off his skin in ruby-tinged sparkles ââ¬â and spoke. ââ¬Å"I was born in Chicago in 1901.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was seventeen, and dying of the Spanish influenza.â⬠He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked down into my eyes again. ââ¬Å"I don't remember it well ââ¬â it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade.â⬠He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. ââ¬Å"I do remember how it felt, when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget.â⬠ââ¬Å"Your parents?â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"How did heâ⬠¦ save you?â⬠A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully. ââ¬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 usâ⬠¦ I don't think you could find his equal throughout all of history.â⬠He paused. ââ¬Å"For me, it was merely very, very painful.â⬠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. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"So you must be dying, then, to becomeâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ We never said the word, and I couldn't frame it now. ââ¬Å"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice.â⬠The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. ââ¬Å"It is easier he says, though,â⬠he continued, ââ¬Å"if the blood is weak.â⬠He looked at the now-dark road, and I could feel the subject closing again. ââ¬Å"And Emmett and Rosalie?â⬠ââ¬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 ââ¬â he was careful with his thoughts around me.â⬠He rolled his eyes. ââ¬Å"But she was never more than a sister. It was only two years later that she found Emmett. She was hunting ââ¬â we were in Appalachia at the time ââ¬â 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.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"But she made it,â⬠I encouraged, looking away from the unbearable beauty of his eyes. ââ¬Å"Yes,â⬠he murmured. ââ¬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.â⬠He laughed. ââ¬Å"I suppose we'll have to go to their wedding in a few years, again.â⬠ââ¬Å"Alice and Jasper?â⬠ââ¬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 anotherâ⬠¦ 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⬠ââ¬Å"Really?â⬠I interrupted, fascinated. ââ¬Å"But you said you were the only one who could hear people's thoughts.â⬠ââ¬Å"That's true. She knows other things. She sees things ââ¬â things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"What kinds of things does she see?â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Are there a lot ofâ⬠¦ your kind?â⬠I was surprised. How many of them could walk among us undetected? ââ¬Å"No, not many. But most won't settle in any one place. Only those like us, who've given up hunting you peopleâ⬠ââ¬â a sly glance in my direction ââ¬â ââ¬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 liveâ⬠¦ differently tend to band together.â⬠ââ¬Å"And the others?â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Why is that?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Did you have your eyes open this afternoon?â⬠he teased. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"So that's where the legends came from?â⬠ââ¬Å"Probably.â⬠ââ¬Å"And Alice came from another family, like Jasper?â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I'm sorry, I'm keeping you from dinner.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm fine, really.â⬠ââ¬Å"I've never spent much time around anyone who eats food. I forget.â⬠ââ¬Å"I want to stay with you.â⬠It was easier to say in the darkness, knowing as I spoke how my voice would betray me, my hopeless addiction to him. ââ¬Å"Can't I come in?â⬠he asked. ââ¬Å"Would you like to?â⬠I couldn't picture it, this godlike creature sitting in my father's shabby kitchen chair. ââ¬Å"Yes, if it's all right.â⬠I heard the door close quietly, and almost simultaneously he was outside my door, opening it for me. ââ¬Å"Very human,â⬠I complimented him. ââ¬Å"It's definitely resurfacing.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"The door was unlocked?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, I used the key from under the eave.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I was curious about you.â⬠ââ¬Å"You spied on me?â⬠But somehow I couldn't infuse my voice with the proper outrage. I was flattered. He was unrepentant. ââ¬Å"What else is there to do at night?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"How often?â⬠I asked casually. ââ¬Å"Hmmm?â⬠He sounded as if I had pulled him from some other train of thought. I still didn't turn around. ââ¬Å"How often did you come here?â⬠ââ¬Å"I come here almost every night.â⬠I whirled, stunned. ââ¬Å"Why?â⬠ââ¬Å"You're interesting when you sleep.â⬠He spoke matter-of-factly. ââ¬Å"You talk.â⬠ââ¬Å"No!â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Are you very angry with me?â⬠ââ¬Å"That depends!â⬠I felt and sounded like I'd had the breath knocked out of me. He waited. ââ¬Å"On?â⬠he urged. ââ¬Å"What you heard!â⬠I wailed. Instantly, silently, he was at my side, taking my hands carefully in his. ââ¬Å"Don't be upset!â⬠he pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was embarrassed. I tried to look away. ââ¬Å"You miss your mother,â⬠he whispered. ââ¬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, ââ¬ËIt's too green.'â⬠He laughed softly, hoping, I could see, not to offend me further. ââ¬Å"Anything else?â⬠I demanded. He knew what I was getting at. ââ¬Å"You did say my name,â⬠he admitted. I sighed in defeat. ââ¬Å"A lot?â⬠ââ¬Å"How much do you mean by ââ¬Ëa lot,' exactly?â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh no!â⬠I hung my head. He pulled me against his chest, softly, naturally. ââ¬Å"Don't be self-conscious,â⬠he whispered in my ear. ââ¬Å"If I could dream at all, it would be about you. And I'm not ashamed of it.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Should your father know I'm here?â⬠he asked. ââ¬Å"I'm not sureâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I tried to think it through quickly. ââ¬Å"Another time thenâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ And I was alone. ââ¬Å"Edward!â⬠I hissed. I heard a ghostly chuckle, then nothing else. My father's key turned in the door. ââ¬Å"Bella?â⬠he called. It had bothered me before; who else would it be? Suddenly he didn't seem so far off base. ââ¬Å"In here.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Can you get me some of that? I'm bushed.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Thanks,â⬠he said as I placed his food on the table. ââ¬Å"How was your day?â⬠I asked. The words were rushed; I was dying to escape to my room. ââ¬Å"Good. The fish were bitingâ⬠¦ how about you? Did you get everything done that you wanted to?â⬠ââ¬Å"Not really ââ¬â it was too nice out to stay indoors.â⬠I took another big bite. ââ¬Å"It was a nice day,â⬠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. ââ¬Å"In a hurry?â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, I'm tired. I'm going to bed early.â⬠ââ¬Å"You look kinda keyed up,â⬠he noted. Why, oh why, did this have to be his night to pay attention? ââ¬Å"Do I?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"It's Saturday,â⬠he mused. I didn't respond. ââ¬Å"No plans tonight?â⬠he asked suddenly. ââ¬Å"No, Dad, I just want to get some sleep.â⬠ââ¬Å"None of the boys in town your type, eh?â⬠He was suspicious, but trying to play it cool. ââ¬Å"No, none of the boys have caught my eye yet.â⬠I was careful not to over-emphasize the word boys in my quest to be truthful with Charlie. ââ¬Å"I thought maybe that Mike Newtonâ⬠¦ you said he was friendly.â⬠ââ¬Å"He's Just a friend, Dad.â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, you're too good for them all, anyway. Wait till you get to college to start looking.â⬠Every father's dream, that his daughter will be out of the house before the hormones kick in. ââ¬Å"Sounds like a good idea to me,â⬠I agreed as I headed up the stairs. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËNight, honey,â⬠he called after me. No doubt he would be listening carefully all evening, waiting for me to try to sneak out. ââ¬Å"See you in the morning, Dad.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Edward?â⬠I whispered, feeling completely idiotic. The quiet, laughing response came from behind me. ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Oh!â⬠I breathed, sinking unsteadily to the floor. ââ¬Å"I'm sorry.â⬠He pressed his lips together, trying to hide his amusement. ââ¬Å"Just give me a minute to restart my heart.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Why don't you sit with me,â⬠he suggested, putting a cold hand on mine. ââ¬Å"How's the heart?â⬠ââ¬Å"You tell me ââ¬â I'm sure you hear it better than I do.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Can I have a minute to be human?â⬠I asked. ââ¬Å"Certainly.â⬠He gestured with one hand that I should proceed. ââ¬Å"Stay,â⬠I said, trying to look severe. ââ¬Å"Yes, ma'am.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËNight, Dad.â⬠ââ¬Å"ââ¬ËNight, Bella.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Nice.â⬠I grimaced. ââ¬Å"No, it looks good on you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Thanks,â⬠I whispered. I went back to his side, sitting cross-legged beside him. I looked at the lines in the wooden floor. ââ¬Å"What was all that for?â⬠ââ¬Å"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh.â⬠He contemplated that. ââ¬Å"Why?â⬠As if he couldn't know Charlie's mind much more clearly than I could guess. ââ¬Å"Apparently, I look a little overexcited.â⬠He lifted my chin, examining my face. ââ¬Å"You look very warm, actually.â⬠He bent his face slowly to mine, laying his cool cheek against my skin. I held perfectly still. ââ¬Å"Mmmmmmâ⬠¦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. ââ¬Å"It seems to beâ⬠¦ much easier for you, now, to be close to me.â⬠ââ¬Å"Does it seem that way to you?â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Much, much easier,â⬠I said, trying to exhale. ââ¬Å"Hmm.â⬠ââ¬Å"So I was wonderingâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I began again, but his fingers were slowly tracing my collarbone, and I lost my train of thought. ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠he breathed. ââ¬Å"Why is that,â⬠my voice shook, embarrassing me, ââ¬Å"do you think?â⬠I felt the tremor of his breath on my neck as he laughed. ââ¬Å"Mind over matter.â⬠I pulled back; as I moved, he froze ââ¬â 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. ââ¬Å"Did I do something wrong?â⬠ââ¬Å"No ââ¬â the opposite. You're driving me crazy,â⬠I explained. He considered that briefly, and when he spoke, he sounded pleased. ââ¬Å"Really?â⬠A triumphant smile slowly lit his face. ââ¬Å"Would you like a round of applause?â⬠I asked sarcastically. He grinned. ââ¬Å"I'm just pleasantly surprised,â⬠he clarified. ââ¬Å"In the last hundred years or so,â⬠his voice was teasing, ââ¬Å"I never imagined anything like this. I didn't believe I would ever find someone I wanted to be withâ⬠¦ 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 itâ⬠¦ at being with youâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"You're good at everything,â⬠I pointed out. He shrugged, allowing that, and we both laughed in whispers. ââ¬Å"But how can it be so easy now?â⬠I pressed. ââ¬Å"This afternoonâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬Å"It's not easy,â⬠he sighed. ââ¬Å"But this afternoon, I was stillâ⬠¦ undecided. I am sorry about that, it was unforgivable for me to behave so.â⬠ââ¬Å"Not unforgivable,â⬠I disagreed. ââ¬Å"Thank you.â⬠He smiled. ââ¬Å"You see,â⬠he continued, looking down now, ââ¬Å"I wasn't sure if I was strong enoughâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He picked up one of my hands and pressed it lightly to his face. ââ¬Å"And while there was still that possibility that I might beâ⬠¦ overcomeâ⬠ââ¬â he breathed in the scent at my wrist ââ¬â ââ¬Å"I wasâ⬠¦ susceptible. Until I made up my mind that I was strong enough, that there was no possibility at all that I wouldâ⬠¦ that I ever couldâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I'd never seen him struggle so hard for words. It was soâ⬠¦ human. ââ¬Å"So there's no possibility now?â⬠ââ¬Å"Mind over matter,â⬠he repeated, smiling, his teeth bright even in the darkness. ââ¬Å"Wow, that was easy,â⬠I said. He threw back his head and laughed, quietly as a whisper, but still exuberantly. ââ¬Å"Easy for you!â⬠he amended, touching my nose with his fingertip. And then his face was abruptly serious. ââ¬Å"I'm trying,â⬠he whispered, his voice pained. ââ¬Å"If it gets to beâ⬠¦ too much, I'm fairly sure I'll be able to leave.â⬠I scowled. I didn't like the talk of leaving. ââ¬Å"And it will be harder tomorrow,â⬠he continued. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Don't go away, then,â⬠I responded, unable to hide the longing in my voice. ââ¬Å"That suits me,â⬠he replied, his face relaxing into a gentle smile. ââ¬Å"Bring on the shackles ââ¬â I'm your prisoner.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"You seem moreâ⬠¦ optimistic than usual,â⬠I observed. ââ¬Å"I haven't seen you like this before.â⬠ââ¬Å"Isn't it supposed to be like this?â⬠He smiled. ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Very different,â⬠I agreed. ââ¬Å"More forceful than I'd imagined.â⬠ââ¬Å"For exampleâ⬠ââ¬â his words flowed swiftly now, I had to concentrate to catch it all ââ¬â ââ¬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 meâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He grimaced. ââ¬Å"Do you remember the day that Mike asked you to the dance?â⬠I nodded, though I remembered that day for a different reason. ââ¬Å"The day you started talking to me again.â⬠ââ¬Å"I was surprised by the flare of resentment, almost fury, that I felt ââ¬â 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. ââ¬Å"And then the line started forming,â⬠he chuckled. I scowled in the darkness. ââ¬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. ââ¬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. ââ¬Å"And then,â⬠he whispered, ââ¬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.â⬠He was silent for a moment, probably listening to the suddenly uneven pounding of my heart. ââ¬Å"But jealousyâ⬠¦ 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 Newtonâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He shook his head angrily. ââ¬Å"I should have known you'd be listening,â⬠I groaned. ââ¬Å"Of course.â⬠ââ¬Å"That made you feel jealous, though, really?â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm new at this; you're resurrecting the human in me, and everything feels stronger because it's fresh.â⬠ââ¬Å"But honestly,â⬠I teased, ââ¬Å"for that to bother you, after I have to hear that Rosalie ââ¬â Rosalie, the incarnation of pure beauty, Rosalie ââ¬â was meant for you. Emmett or no Emmett, how can I compete with that?â⬠ââ¬Å"There's no competition.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"I know there's no competition,â⬠I mumbled into his cold skin. ââ¬Å"That's the problem.â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠He was serious now, thoughtful. ââ¬Å"For almost ninety years I've walked among my kind, and yoursâ⬠¦ 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⬠ââ¬Å"It hardly seems fair,â⬠I whispered, my face still resting on his chest, listening to his breath come and go. ââ¬Å"I haven't had to wait at all. Why should I get off so easily?â⬠ââ¬Å"You're right,â⬠he agreed with amusement. ââ¬Å"I should make this harder for you, definitely.â⬠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. ââ¬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 humanityâ⬠¦ what's that worth?â⬠ââ¬Å"Very little ââ¬â I don't feel deprived of anything.â⬠ââ¬Å"Not yet.â⬠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. ââ¬Å"What -â⬠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. ââ¬Å"Lie down!â⬠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. ââ¬Å"You are a terrible actress ââ¬â I'd say that career path is out for you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Darn it,â⬠I muttered. My heart was crashing in my chest. He hummed a melody I didn't recognize; it sounded like a lullaby. He paused. ââ¬Å"Should I sing you to sleep?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right,â⬠I laughed. ââ¬Å"Like I could sleep with you here!â⬠ââ¬Å"You do it all the time,â⬠he reminded me. ââ¬Å"But I didn't know you were here,â⬠I replied icily. ââ¬Å"So if you don't want to sleepâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ he suggested, ignoring my tone. My breath caught. ââ¬Å"If I don't want to sleepâ⬠¦ ?â⬠He chuckled. ââ¬Å"What do you want to do then?â⬠I couldn't answer at first. ââ¬Å"I'm not sure,â⬠I finally said. ââ¬Å"Tell me when you decide.â⬠I could feel his cool breath on my neck, feel his nose sliding along my jaw, inhaling. ââ¬Å"I thought you were desensitized.â⬠ââ¬Å"Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet,â⬠he whispered. ââ¬Å"You have a very floral smell, like lavenderâ⬠¦ or freesia,â⬠he noted. ââ¬Å"It's mouthwatering.â⬠ââ¬Å"Yeah, it's an off day when I don't get somebody telling me how edible I smell.â⬠He chuckled, and then sighed. ââ¬Å"I've decided what I want to do,â⬠I told him. ââ¬Å"I want to hear more about you.â⬠ââ¬Å"Ask me anything.â⬠I sifted through my questions for the most vital. ââ¬Å"Why do you do it?â⬠I said. ââ¬Å"I still don't understand how you can work so hard to resist what youâ⬠¦ 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.â⬠He hesitated before answering. ââ¬Å"That's a good question, and you are not the first one to ask it. The others ââ¬â the majority of our kind who are quite content with our lot ââ¬â they, too, wonder at how we live. But you see, just because we've beenâ⬠¦ dealt a certain handâ⬠¦ it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above ââ¬â to conquer the boundaries of a destiny that none of us wanted. To try to retain whatever essential humanity we can.â⬠I lay unmoving, locked in awed silence. ââ¬Å"Did you fall asleep?â⬠he whispered after a few minutes. ââ¬Å"No.â⬠ââ¬Å"Is that all you were curious about?â⬠I rolled my eyes. ââ¬Å"Not quite.â⬠ââ¬Å"What else do you want to know?â⬠ââ¬Å"Why can you read minds ââ¬â why only you? And Alice, seeing the futureâ⬠¦ why does that happen?â⬠I felt him shrug in the darkness. ââ¬Å"We don't really know. Carlisle has a theoryâ⬠¦ he believes that we all bring something of our strongest human traits with us into the next life, where they are intensified ââ¬â 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⬠ââ¬Å"What did he bring into the next life, and the others?â⬠ââ¬Å"Carlisle brought his compassion. Esme brought her ability to love passionately. Emmett brought his strength, Rosalie herâ⬠¦ tenacity. Or you could call it pigheadedness.â⬠he chuckled. ââ¬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 ââ¬â calm down a room of angry people, for example, or excite a lethargic crowd, conversely. It's a very subtle gift.â⬠I considered the impossibilities he described, trying to take it in. He waited patiently while I thought. ââ¬Å"So where did it all start? I mean, Carlisle changed you, and then someone must have changed him, and so onâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"Let me get this straight ââ¬â I'm the baby seal, right?â⬠ââ¬Å"Right.â⬠He laughed, and something touched my hair ââ¬â 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. ââ¬Å"Are you ready to sleep?â⬠he asked, interrupting the short silence. ââ¬Å"Or do you have any more questions?â⬠ââ¬Å"Only a million or two.â⬠ââ¬Å"We have tomorrow, and the next day, and the nextâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ he reminded me. I smiled, euphoric at the thought. ââ¬Å"Are you sure you won't vanish in the morning?â⬠I wanted this to be certain. ââ¬Å"You are mythical, after all.â⬠ââ¬Å"I won't leave you.â⬠His voice had the seal of a promise in it. ââ¬Å"One more, then, tonightâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ And I blushed. The darkness was no help ââ¬â I'm sure he could feel the sudden warmth under my skin. ââ¬Å"What is it?â⬠ââ¬Å"No, forget it. I changed my mind.â⬠ââ¬Å"Bella, you can ask me anything.â⬠I didn't answer, and he groaned. ââ¬Å"I keep thinking it will get less frustrating, not hearing your thoughts. But it just gets worse and worse.â⬠ââ¬Å"I'm glad you can't read my thoughts. It's bad enough that you eavesdrop on my sleep-talking.â⬠ââ¬Å"Please?â⬠His voice was so persuasive, so impossible to resist. I shook my head. ââ¬Å"If you don't tell me, I'll just assume it's something much worse than it is,â⬠he threatened darkly. ââ¬Å"Please?â⬠Again, that pleading voice. ââ¬Å"Well,â⬠I began, glad that he couldn't see my face. ââ¬Å"Yes?â⬠ââ¬Å"You said that Rosalie and Emmett will get married soonâ⬠¦ Is thatâ⬠¦ marriageâ⬠¦ the same as it is for humans?â⬠He laughed in earnest now, understanding. ââ¬Å"Is that what you're getting at?â⬠I fidgeted, unable to answer. ââ¬Å"Yes, I suppose it is much the same,â⬠he said. ââ¬Å"I told you, most of those human desires are there, just hidden behind more powerful desires.â⬠ââ¬Å"Oh,â⬠was all I could say. ââ¬Å"Was there a purpose behind your curiosity?â⬠ââ¬Å"Well, I did wonderâ⬠¦ about you and meâ⬠¦ somedayâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ He was instantly serious, I could tell by the sudden stillness of his body. I froze, too, reacting automatically. ââ¬Å"I don't think thatâ⬠¦ thatâ⬠¦ would be possible for us.â⬠ââ¬Å"Because it would be too hard for you, if I were thatâ⬠¦ close?â⬠ââ¬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.â⬠His voice had become just a soft murmur. He moved his icy palm to rest it against my cheek. ââ¬Å"If I was too hastyâ⬠¦ 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.â⬠He waited for me to respond, growing anxious when I didn't. ââ¬Å"Are you scared?â⬠he asked. I waited for a minute to answer, so the words would be true. ââ¬Å"No. I'm fine.â⬠He seemed to deliberate for a moment. ââ¬Å"I'm curious now, though,â⬠he said, his voice light again. ââ¬Å"Have you everâ⬠¦ ?â⬠He trailed off suggestively. ââ¬Å"Of course not.â⬠I flushed. ââ¬Å"I told you I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even close.â⬠ââ¬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⬠ââ¬Å"They do for me. Now, anyway, that they exist for me at all,â⬠I sighed. ââ¬Å"That's nice. We have that one thing in common, at least.â⬠He sounded satisfied. ââ¬Å"Your human instinctsâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬ I began. He waited. ââ¬Å"Well, do you find me attractive, in that way, at all?â⬠He laughed and lightly rumpled my nearly dry hair. ââ¬Å"I may not be a human, but I am a man,â⬠he assured me. I yawned involuntarily. ââ¬Å"I've answered your questions, now you should sleep,â⬠he insisted. ââ¬Å"I'm not sure if I can.â⬠ââ¬Å"Do you want me to leave?â⬠ââ¬Å"No!â⬠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.
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)
Jazz is a style of music that integrates with strong, convoluted rythms. Jazz is traces its origins from the basic principles of Blues music. It is solely based on a pattern of succession of two or more distinct sounds, wherein the a sound of a particular instrument is complemented by the other in perfect harmony. Jazz also highly involves emotion in playing. This may vary according to the mood, experience, and interactions with other people. In this sense jazz's key components may be augmented when played.The piece, Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) is a Jazz piece performed by the band Incubus. The musical piece, though performed by contemporary musicians, arranged the piece with respect to the conventional elements of Jazz. The song is a harmony of string instruments accompanied by drums and percussion plus a saxophone to add more emotion. The piece, according to Sara Shaw insinuates a lively feel similar to the implications of Disco Music during the 1970sSummer Romance (Ant i-Gravity Love Song) is a song that brings out a ââ¬Å"Jazzyâ⬠feel. Its tempo is is not as fast to cause an adrenalin rush, however, the beat of the drums and the percussion compliments are enthusiastic to provoke a listener to dance into the song. The song Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) applies the musical concept of an ensemble, particularly of a quintet. The string instruments, percussions and brass instruments are accompanied by vocals that complete the musical piece.However, as far as texture is concerned an additional string instrument such as a jazz guitar could provide more rhythm to add more ebullience to the piece. The tempo is just moderate enough for the piece and the saxophone solo is the icing to the cake. The lack of rhythm did not hinder the piece to express its feel nor the idea that it suggests. Works Cited Shaw Sara. ââ¬Å"Music For Once That Has Meaningâ⬠8 July 2001. Amazon. co. uk. 28 November 2007 http://www. dooyoo. co. uk/music-records/ s-c-i-e-n-c-e-incubus/296431/
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