Second Foundation 5. Fourth Interlude

The two Speakers passed each other on the road and one stopped the other. â€Å"I have word from the First Speaker.† There was a half-apprehensive flicker in the other's eyes. â€Å"Intersection point?† â€Å"Yes! May we live to see the dawn!† There was no sign in any of Channis' actions that he was aware of any subtle change in the attitude of Pritcher, and in their relations to each other. He leaned back on the hard wooden bench and spread-eagled his feet out in front of him. â€Å"What did you make of the governor?† Pritcher shrugged: â€Å"Nothing at all. He certainly seemed no mental genius to me. A very poor specimen of the Second Foundation, if that's what he was supposed to be.† â€Å"I don't think he was, you know. I'm not sure what to make of it. Suppose you were a Second Foundationer,† Channis grew thoughtful, â€Å"what would you do? Suppose you had an idea of our purpose here. How would you handle us?† â€Å"Conversion, of course.† â€Å"Like the Mule?† Channis looked up, sharply. â€Å"Would we know if they had converted us? I wonder- And what if they were simply psychologists, but very clever ones.† â€Å"In that case, I'd have us killed rather quickly.† â€Å"And our ship? No.† Channis wagged a forefinger. â€Å"We're playing a bluff, Pritcher, old man. It can only be a bluff. Even if they have emotional control down pat, we – you and I – are only fronts. It's the Mule they must fight, and they're being just as careful of us as we are of them. I'm assuming that they know who we are.† Pritcher, stared coldly: â€Å"What do you intend doing?† â€Å"Wait.† The word was bitten off. â€Å"Let them come to us. They're worried, maybe about the ship, but probably about the Mule. They bluffed with the governor. It didn't work. We stayed pat. The next person they'll send will be a Second Foundationer, and he'll propose a deal of some sort.† â€Å"And then?† â€Å"And then we make the deal.† â€Å"I don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think it will double-cross the Mule? It won't.† â€Å"No, the Mule could handle your double-crosses, any you could invent. But I still don't think so.† â€Å"Because you think then we couldn't double-cross the Foundationers?† â€Å"Perhaps not. But that's not the reason.† Channis let his glance drop to what the other held in his fist, and said grimly: â€Å"You mean that's the reason.† Pritcher cradled his blaster, â€Å"That's right. You are under arrest.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"For treason to the First Citizen of the Union.† Channis' lips hardened upon one another: â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"Treason! As I said. And correction of the matter, on my part.† â€Å"Your proof? Or evidence, assumptions, daydreams? Are you mad?† â€Å"No. Are you? Do you think the Mule sends out unweaned youngsters on ridiculous swashbuckling missions for nothing? It was queer to me at the time. But I wasted time in doubting myself. Why should he send you? Because you smile and dress well? Because you're twenty-eight.† â€Å"Perhaps because I can be trusted. Or aren't you in the market for logical reasons?† â€Å"Or perhaps because you can't be trusted. Which is logical enough, as it turns out.† â€Å"Are we matching paradoxes, or is this all a word game to see who can say the least in the most words?† And the blaster advanced, with Pritcher after it. He stood erect before the younger man: â€Å"Stand up!† Channis did so, in no particular hurry, and felt the muzzle of the blaster touch his belt with no shrinking of the stomach muscles. Pritcher said: â€Å"What the Mule wanted was to find the Second Foundation. He had failed and I had failed, and the secret that neither of us can find is a well-hidden one. So there was one outstanding possibility left – and that was to find a seeker who already*** knew the hiding-place.† â€Å"Is that I?† â€Å"Apparently it was. I didn't know then, of course, but though my mind must be slowing, it still points in the right direction. How easily we found Star's End! How miraculously you examined the correct Field Region of the Lens from among an infinite number of possibilties! And having done so, how nicely we observe just the correct point for observation! You clumsy fool! Did you so underestimate me that no combination of impossible fortuties struck you as being too much for me to swallow?† â€Å"You mean I've been too successful?† â€Å"Too successful by half for any loyal man.† â€Å"Because the standards of success you set me were so low?† And the blaster prodded, though in the face that confronted*** Channis only the cold glitter of the eyes betrayed the growing anger: â€Å"Because you are in the pay of the Second Foundation.† â€Å"Pay?†- infinite contempt. â€Å"Prove that.† â€Å"Or under the mental influence.† â€Å"Without the Mule's knowledge? Ridiculous.† â€Å"With the Mule's knowledge. Exactly my point, my you dullard. With the Mule's knowledge. Do you suppose else that you would be given a ship to play with? You led us to the Second Foundation as you were supposed to do.† â€Å"I thresh a kernel of something or other out of this immensity of chaff. May I ask why I'm supposed to be doing all this? If were a traitor, why should I lead you to the Second Foundation? Why not hither and yon through the Galaxy, skipping gaily, finding no more than you ever did?' â€Å"For the sake of the ship. And because the men of the Second Foundation quite obviously need atomic warfare for self-defense.† ‘You'll have to do better than that. One ship won't mean thing to them, and if they think they'll learn science from it a build atomic power plants next year, they are very, very simple Second Foundationers, indeed. On the order of simplicity as yourself, I should say.† â€Å"You will have the opportunity to explain that to the Mule.† â€Å"We're going back to Kalgan?† â€Å"On the contrary. We're staying here. And the Mule will join us in fifteen minutes – more or less. Do you think he hasn't followed us, my sharp-witted, nimble-minded lump of self-admiration? You have played the decoy well in reverse. You may not have led our victims to us, but you have certainly led us to our victims.† â€Å"May I sit down,† said Channis, â€Å"and explain something to you in picture drawings? Please.† â€Å"You will remain standing.† â€Å"At*** that, I can say it as well standing. You think the Mule followed us because of the hypertracer on the communication circuit?† The blaster might have wavered. Channis wouldn't have sworn to it. He said: â€Å"You don't look surprised. But I don't waste time doubting that you feel surprised. Yes, I knew about it. And now, having shown you that I knew of something you didn't think I did, I'll tell you something you don't know, that I know you don't.† â€Å"You allow yourself too many preliminaries, Channis. I should think your sense of invention was more smoothly greased.† â€Å"There's an invention to this. There have been traitors, of course, or enemy agents, if you prefer that term. But the Mule knew of that in a rather curious way. It seems, you see, that some of his Converted men had been tampered with.† The blaster did waver that time. Unmistakably. â€Å"I emphasize that, Pritcher. It was why he needed me. I was an Unconverted man. Didn't he emphasize to you that he needed an Unconverted? Whether he gave you the real reason or not?† â€Å"Try something else, Channis. If I were against the Mule, I'd know it.† Quietly, rapidly, Pritcher was feeling his mind. It felt the same. It felt the same. Obviously the man was lying. â€Å"You mean you feel loyal to the Mule. Perhaps. Loyalty wasn't tampered with. Too easily detectable, the Mule said. But how do you feel mentally? Sluggish? Since you started this trip, have you always felt normal? Or have you felt strange sometimes, as though you weren't quite yourself? What are you trying to do, bore a hole through me without touching the trigger?† Pritcher withdrew his blaster half an inch, â€Å"What are you trying to say?† â€Å"I say that you've been tampered with. You've been handled. You didn't see the Mule install that hypertracer. You didn't see anyone do it. You just found it there, and assumed it was the Mule, and ever since you've been assuming he was following us. Sure, the wrist receiver you're wearing contacts the ship on a wave length mine isn't good for. Do you think I didn't know that?† He was speaking quickly now, angrily. His cloak of indifference had dissolved into savagery. â€Å"But it's not the Mule that's coming toward us from out there. It's not the Mule.† â€Å"Who, if not?† â€Å"Well, who do you suppose? I found that hypertracer, the day we left. But I didn't think it was the Mule. He had no reason for indirection at that point. Don't you see the nonsense of it? If I were a traitor and he knew that, I could be Converted as easily as you were, and he would have the secret of the location of the Second Foundation out of my mind without sending me half across the Galaxy. Can you keep a secret from the Mule? And if I didn't know, then I couldn't lead him to it. So why send me in either case? â€Å"Obviously, that hypertracer must have been put there by an agent of the Second Foundation. That's who's coming towards us now. And would you have been fooled if your precious mind hadn't been tampered with? What kind of normality have you that you imagine immense folly to be wisdom? Me bring a ship to the Second Foundation? What would they do with a ship? â€Å"It's you they want, Pritcher. You know more about the Union than anyone but the Mule, and you're not dangerous to them while he is. That's why they put the direction of search into my mind. Of course, it was completely impossible for me to find Tazenda by random searchings of the Lens. I knew that. But I knew there was the Second Foundation after us, and I knew they engineered it. Why not play their game? It was a battle of bluffs. They wanted us and I wanted their location – and space take the one that couldn't outbluff the other. â€Å"But it's we that will lose as long as you hold that blaster on me. And it obviously isn't your idea. It's theirs. Give me the blaster, Pritcher. I know it seems wrong to you, but it isn't your mind speaking, it's the Second Foundation within you. Give me the blaster, Pritcher, and we'll face what's coming now, together.† Pritcher, faced a growing confusion in horror. Plausibility! Could he be so wrong? Why this eternal doubt of himself? Why wasn't he sure? What made Channis sound so plausible? Plausibility! Or was it his own tortured mind fighting the invasion of the alien. Was he split in two? Hazily, he saw Channis standing before him, hand outstretched – and suddenly, he knew he was going to give him the blaster. And as the muscles of his arm were on the point of contracting in the proper manner to do so, the door opened, not hastily, behind him – and he turned. There are perhaps men in the Galaxy who can be confused for one another even by men at their peaceful leisure. Correspondingly, there may be conditions of mind when even unlikely pairs may be mis-recognized. But the Mule rises above any combination of the two factors. Not all Pritcher's agony of mind prevented the instantaneous mental flood of cool vigor that engulfed him. Physically, the Mule could not dominate any situation. Nor did he dominate this one. He was rather a ridiculous figure in his layers of clothing that thickened him past his normality without allowing him to reach normal dimensions even so. His face was muffled and the usually dominant beak covered what was left in a cold-red prominence. Probably as a vision of rescue, no greater incongruity could exist. He said: â€Å"Keep your blaster, Pritcher.† Then he turned to Channis, who had shrugged and seated himself: â€Å"The emotional context here seems rather confusing and considerably in conflict. What's this about someone other than myself following you?† Pritcher intervened sharply: â€Å"Was a hypertracer placed upon our ship by your orders, sir?† The Mule turned cool eyes upon him, â€Å"Certainly. Is it very likely that any organization in the Galaxy other than the Union of Worlds would have access to it?' â€Å"He said-â€Å" â€Å"Well, he's here, general. Indirect quotation is not necessary. Have you been saying anything, Channis?† â€Å"Yes. But mistakes apparently, sir. It has been my opinion that the tracer was put there by someone in the pay of the Second Foundation and that we had been led here for some purpose of theirs, which I was prepared to counter. I was under the further impression that the general was more or less in their hands.† â€Å"You sound as if you think so no longer.† â€Å"I'm afraid not. Or it would not have been you at the door.† â€Å"Well, then, let us thresh this out.† The Mule peeled off the outer layers of padded, and electrically heated clothing. â€Å"Do you mind if I sit down as well? Now – we are safe here and perfectly free of any danger of intrusion. No native of this lump of ice will have any desire to approach this place. I assure you of that,† and there was a grim earnestness about his insistence upon his powers. Channis showed his disgust. â€Å"Why privacy? Is someone going to serve tea and bring out the dancing girls?† â€Å"Scarcely. What was this theory of yours, young man? A Second Foundationer was tracing you with a device which no one but I have and – how did you say you found this place?† â€Å"Apparently, sir, it seems obvious, in order to account for known facts, that certain notions have been put into my head-â€Å" â€Å"By these same Second Foundationers?† â€Å"No one else, I imagine.† â€Å"Then it did not occur to you that if a Second Foundationer could force, or entice, or inveigle you into going to the Second Foundation for purposes of his own – and I assume you imagined he used methods similar to mine, though, mind you, I can implant only emotions, not ideas – it did not occur to you that if he could do that there was little necessity to put a hypertracer on you. And Channis looked up sharply and met his sovereign's large eyes with sudden startle. Pritcher grunted and a visible relaxation showed itself in his shoulders. â€Å"No,† said Channis, â€Å"that hadn't occurred to me.† â€Å"Or that if they were obliged to trace you, they couldn't feel capable of directing you, and that, undirected, you could have precious little chance of finding your way here as you did. Did that occur to you?† â€Å"That, neither.† â€Å"Why not? Has your intellectual level receded to a so-much-greater-than-probable degree?† â€Å"The only answer is a question, sir. Are you joining General Pritcher in accusing me of being a traitor?† â€Å"You have a defense in case I am?† â€Å"Only the one I presented to the general. If I were a traitor and knew the whereabouts of the Second Foundation, you could Convert me and learn the knowledge directly. If you felt it necessary to trace me, then I hadn't the knowledge beforehand and wasn't a traitor. So I answer your paradox with another.† â€Å"Then your conclusion?† â€Å"That I am not a traitor.† â€Å"To which I must agree, since your argument is irrefutable.† â€Å"Then may I ask you why you had us secretly followed?† â€Å"Because to all the facts there is a third explanation. Both you and Pritcher explained some facts in your own individual ways, but not all. I – if you can spare me the time – will explain all. And in a rather short time, so there is little danger of boredom. Sit down, Pritcher, and give me your blaster. There is no danger of attack on us any longer. None from in here and none from out there. None in fact even from the Second Foundation. Thanks to you, Channis.† The room was lit in the usual Rossemian fashion of electrically heated wire. A single bulb was suspended from the ceiling and in its dim yellow glow, the three cast their individual shadows. The Mule said: â€Å"Since I felt it necessary to trace Channis, it was obvious I expect to gain something thereby. Since he went to the Second Foundation with a startling speed and directness, we can reasonably assume that that was what I was expecting to happen. Since I did not gain the knowledge from him directly, something must have been preventing me. Those are the facts. Channis, of course, knows the answer. So do I. Do you see it, Pritcher?† And Pritcher said doggedly: â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"Then I'll explain. Only one kind of man can both know the location of the Second Foundation and prevent me from learning it. Channis, I'm afraid you're a Second Foundationer yourself.† And Channis' elbows rested on his knees as he leaned forward, and through stiff and angry lips said: â€Å"What is your direct evidence? Deduction has proven wrong twice today.† â€Å"There is direct evidence, too, Channis. It was easy enough. I told you that my men had been tampered with. The tamperer must have been, obviously, someone who was a) Unconverted, and b) fairly close to the center of things. The field was large but not entirely unlimited. You were too successful, Channis. People liked you too much. You got along too well. I wondered- â€Å"And then I summoned you to take over this expedition and it didn't set you back. I watched your emotions. It didn't bother you. You overplayed the confidence there, Channis. No man of real competence could have avoided a dash of uncertainty at a job like that. Since your mind did avoid it, it was either a foolish one or a controlled one. It was easy to test the alternatives. I seized your mind at a moment of relaxation and filled it with grief for an instant and then removed it. You were angry afterwards with such accomplished art that I could have sworn it was a natural reaction, but for that which went first. For when I wrenched at your emotions, for just one instant, for one tiny instant before you could catch yourself, your mind resisted. It was all I needed to know. â€Å"No one could have resisted me, even for that tiny instant, without control similar to mine.† Channis' voice was low and bitter: â€Å"Well, then? Now what?† â€Å"And now you die – as a Second Foundationer. Quite necessary, as I believe you realize.† And once again Channis stared into the muzzle of a blaster. A muzzle guided this time by a mind, not like Pritcher's capable of offhand twisting to suit himself, but by one as mature as his own and as resistant to force as his own. And the period of time allotted him for a correction of events was small. What followed thereafter is difficult to describe by one with the normal complement of senses and the normal incapacity for emotional control. Essentially, this is what Channis realized in the tiny space of time involved in the pushing of the Mule's thumb upon the trigger contact. The Mule's current emotional makeup was one of a hard and polished determination, unmisted by hesitation in the least. Had Channis been sufficiently interested afterward to calculate the time involved from the determination to shoot to the arrival of the disintegrating energies, he might have realized that his leeway was about one-fifth of a second. That was barely time. What the Mule realized in that same tiny space of time was that the emotional potential of Channis' brain had surged suddenly upwards without his own mind feeling any impact and that, simultaneously, a flood of pure, thrilling hatred cascaded upon him from an unexpected direction. It was that new emotional element that jerked his thumb off the contact. Nothing else could have done it, and almost together with his change of action, came complete realization of the new situation. It was a tableau that endured far less than the significance adhering to it should require from a dramatic standpoint. There was the Mule, thumb off the blaster, staring intently upon Channis There was Channis taut, not quite daring to breathe yet. And there was Pritcher, convulsed in his chair; every muscle at a spasmodic breaking point; every tendon writhing in an effort to hurl forward; his face twisted at last out of schooled woodenness into an unrecognizable death mask of horrid hate; and his eyes only and entirely and supremely upon the Mule. Only a word or two passed between Channis and the Mule – only a word or two and that utterly revealing stream of emotional consciousness that remains forever the true interplay of understanding between such as they. For the sake of our own limits, it is necessary to translate into words what went on, then, and thenceforward. Channis said, tensely: â€Å"You're between two fires, First Citizen. You can't control two minds simultaneously, not when one of them is mine – so you have your choice. Pritcher, is free of your Conversion now. I've snapped the bonds. He's the old Pritcher; the one who tried to kill you once; the one who thinks you're the enemy of all that is free and right and holy; and he's the one besides who knows that you've debased him to helpless adulation for five years. I'm holding him back now by suppressing his will, but if you kill me, that ends, and in considerably less time than you could shift your blaster or even your will – he will kill you.† The Mule quite plainly realized that. He did not move. Channis continued: â€Å"If you turn to place him under control, to kill him, to do anything, you won't ever be quick enough to turn again to stop me.† The Mule still did not move. Only a soft sigh of realization. â€Å"So,† said Channis, â€Å"throw down the blaster, and let us be on even terms again, and you can have Pritcher back.† â€Å"I made a mistake,† said the Mule, finally. â€Å"It was wrong to have a third party present when I confronted you. It introduced one variable too many. It is a mistake that must be paid for, I suppose.† He dropped the blaster carelessly, and kicked it to the other end of the room. Simultaneously, Pritcher crumpled into profound sleep. â€Å"He'll be normal when he awakes,† said the Mule, indifferently. The entire exchange from the time the Mule's thumb had begun pressing the trigger-contact to the time he dropped the blaster had occupied just under a second and a half of time. But just beneath the borders of consciousness, for a time just above the borders of detection, Channis caught a fugitive emotional gleam in the Mule's mind. And it was still one of sure and confident triumph.

Cat in the Rain Essay

Cat in the Rain is a short story about an American couple on vacation to Italy. They are in their first year of marriage. The husband has a dismissive attitude towards the wife and the wife always wants more. In the story the couple has a lot of selfishness going on in their relationship. The husband ignores his wife’s needs and the wife and the wife is not satisfied with her husband. The theme of this story has a lot to do with loneliness in the couples’ relationship. In this story the American couple is trapped in their hotel room with nothing to do because of the raining weather. The husband wants to read and ignore his wife. So the wife is looking out the window and sees a cat crouched from the rain. She wants to go downstairs and get the cat. She tells her husband about it and he shrugs it off. The wife goes down herself and the story talks a lot about how she likes the inn keeper. I find that this part of the story most affected me when the husband ignored his wife’s wants and needs. She really wanted that cat because it was something for her to do and feel good about. Her husband obviously doesn’t satisfy her which makes her feel lonely and the cat would keep her company. The wife in this story wants to feel appreciated and loved like any other woman would. Being married for their first year is beginning to be hard for them. Hemingway tries to tell about a first marriage of a couple he once knew and how hard it is for some to always keep that happiness. Couples always have disagreements but should never feel alone. A husband should not ignore his wife’s needs and in this story that is what he does instead of trying to satisfy his wife. Close to the ending of this story the wife was not able to find the cat. She came back in the hotel room very sad. She tries to tell her husband but he does not listen. She starts complaining about what she wants to change about herself. She wants â€Å"her hair to be long so she can brush it† and she wants a cat. The husband can only say that he likes things the way they are. He tells her to shut up. He does not care what the wife’s needs are or what she wants. He does not want to listen and he just wants to read which is what he wishes she would do. This part of the story really interested me because I could not get as to why the husband doesn’t respond to what she asks for. The wife desperately wants attention and he is not giving it to her. The story of the American couple explains a lot about how the wife tries to get attention from the husband. Hemingway talks about a cat but behind that cat this story means more. The lack of attention her husband gives her may make her feel that she is restricted on expressing herself and keeps most of her feelings inside. The cat stays compact to stay dry outside, which is how the wife feels she has to be with her husband to make him happy. She hides herself constantly from him. In this story it relates to her as American wife and never tells her name. This kind of says that she is nothing but an American wife which is exactly how she feels. Hemingway had a unique way of telling the story but the way he told it had a lot of meaning to it. He showed the couples loneliness in a different way.

Storm Born Chapter Fifteen

I don't care how old you get or how tough you are. Nothing, nothing at all, can ever replace your mother taking care of you when you're sick. The feel of a cool, wet cloth touched my head, and the sound of familiar humming just barely penetrated my weary brain. I opened my eyes and saw the same funny-shaped pieces of sunlight cast through my blinds onto the bedroom ceiling. Only this time, their positions had changed, their colors dimmer and darker orange. The humming abruptly stopped. â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Mom,† I croaked. My throat felt torn and raw. She moved into my field of vision, face drawn with worry. I couldn't believe it. She looked almost entirely normal. Her hair had a bit of a wind-swept look, and I could see a few bruises. Other than that, she seemed fine, not like she'd just endured a paranormal attack and subsequent magically induced maelstrom. For just a moment, I questioned my own memories. Had I imagined what happened? Had it been a trick or a vision? No. I felt like shit. No delusion could have caused this pain. â€Å"You're okay?† I asked doubtfully. She nodded. â€Å"Fine. What about you?† I tentatively attempted to make contact with the muscles in my body. They told me to leave them the fuck alone. â€Å"I hurt.† She adjusted the cloth on my head, making it fractionally more perfect. As she leaned over, a lock of her hair slipped forward, and I made out muddy fingerprints on her neck. No. Definitely not my imagination. â€Å"I called Roland. He was up in Flagstaff with Bill. He's on his way back now – should be here in a couple of hours.† â€Å"Mom†¦how'd you recover?† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You were really messed up from those spirits. Don't you remember?† â€Å"I got a little shaken up but nothing worse. Nothing like you.† She frowned, giving a little sigh. â€Å"God, how I wish you were a lawyer instead. Or maybe a pharmacist.† â€Å"What do you remember happening?† â€Å"Not much,† she admitted. â€Å"I remember going after one of those†¦creatures. After that, it's a blur. I must have panicked. Your living room is, uh, going to need some help.† I closed my eyes, feeling tired. My living room would probably need to be bulldozed and rebuilt from scratch. No telling how the rest of the house had fared. It could probably collapse at any moment. My room actually looked kind of normal. A few things were knocked over, probably casualties of stray gusts of wind. â€Å"You've got people here who want to see you.† I opened my eyes. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"No one I know. A man and a woman.† â€Å"Is the man a fox?† She stared at me, confused. â€Å"A fox? He's very handsome, yes, but, sweetie†¦maybe I should send them away. You don't sound like you're better yet.† â€Å"No, no, let me talk to them.† I had a feeling the missing pieces of what had happened during and after the storm lay with Kiyo. â€Å"And I need to talk to them†¦alone.† My mother looked hurt. â€Å"It's not personal. It's business.† She started to argue, then shook her head and stood up. â€Å"I'll go get them.† While she was gone, I dared a hasty assessment of my appearance. I was still in my underwear and camisole. The top in particular was ripped and dirty. I pulled the covers up almost to my neck and ran a hand over my hair and face. I could feel more dirt on my skin plus a scab on my cheek, distantly reminding me of a shard of something flying out and cutting me. My hair stuck out everywhere. I attempted to smooth it down, but then my mom returned with Kiyo and a strange woman. â€Å"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me,† Mom said protectively. She pulled the door closed behind her, all but a crack. Kiyo's face told me all I needed to know about the way I looked. â€Å"You should see the other guy,† I said. A small smile broke over his face. â€Å"I did. He's in pieces in the other room.† â€Å"Oh.† He beckoned to the woman. â€Å"Eugenie, this is Maiwenn, queen of the Willow Land.† I started in surprise. She didn't look like a Willow Queen. Of course, I'm not sure what exactly I expected – maybe something akin to Glinda the Good Witch. But this woman looked like Surfer Girl Barbie. Her skin glowed with a deep bronze tan. Platinum blond hair fell in supermodel waves to her waist. Her eyes were the color of the sea in the sun, blue-green with long lashes. She wore a simple blue dress, a bit old-fashioned but nothing that screamed, â€Å"I'm a fairy queen.† It was looser than the form-fitting gowns other gentry women seemed to favor but was still quite pretty. My feelings of inadequacy about my appearance increased tenfold. â€Å"Nice to meet you,† I said. I could hear the tentativeness in my voice. Kiyo might swear to her character, but I still carried a lot of apprehension around the gentry, monarch or no. â€Å"And you,† she said. Her voice was rich and sweet, her face serene. â€Å"I'm sorry I could not heal you too.† â€Å"‘Too'? Oh†¦was it you? Did you heal my mother? She doesn't remember anything†¦.† She nodded. â€Å"I didn't have the power to heal you both. She was more severely injured, and with your age and stamina – and your blood – well, I thought you'd have an easier time recovering.† I thought about the aches and pains shooting through my body. Easier? That might be a subjective term. â€Å"You made the right choice. Thanks. I'll be fine.† Kiyo stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. â€Å"Eugenie doesn't like to admit weakness. It's one of her more charming traits.† I shot him a glare, and Maiwenn offered a small, polite smile. â€Å"Nothing wrong with that.† She approached me and extended a hand toward my face. â€Å"I think I have enough strength for a small healing. May I?† I nodded, not entirely sure what I was agreeing to. Her fingertips grazed my cheek, icy cold but gentle. A tingle ran through me, and she drew back, suddenly looking pale and tired. Kiyo started to help her when she stumbled, but she waved him off. â€Å"There. No scarring this way.† My fingers examined the place she had touched. No more scab. â€Å"Thank you.† Silence fell, and I looked from face to face. With me in bed and them hanging around so casually, I didn't really feel like I was having a meeting with a bona fide queen. It was all so informal. â€Å"What happened?† They exchanged uncertain glances. â€Å"We're not really sure,† he said. â€Å"You and your mother were both unconscious. The elemental was dead, and your living room†¦it looks kind of bad.† â€Å"But†¦that was it?† His eyebrows rose. â€Å"What more could there be?† â€Å"There was no storm when you showed up?† They exchanged conspiratorial looks again, and something about their solidarity rankled me. â€Å"Tell us what you remember,† Maiwenn said. I did, starting with the spirit attack and ending with the vicious storm. Neither spoke when I finished. Kiyo sighed. â€Å"What?† I demanded. â€Å"What happened? You obviously know.† â€Å"It's complicated.† â€Å"Everything's complicated lately. Let me guess. It was the magic, wasn't it? Storm King's inherited power?† He didn't answer. She did. â€Å"Yes. It seems it has been passed down after all.† â€Å"Can I stop it? Keep it locked up so it doesn't come out again?† â€Å"Not likely. You might be able to bury it so it isn't consciously used, but†¦if it's there, it's likely to burst out again when your emotions let loose. You'll get the same kind of disastrous results if you don't learn to manage it.† â€Å"I don't want it.† I shuddered, recalling that horrible blackness and deadly lightning. Uneasily, I remembered what Volusian had told me, that embracing my magic could protect me and those I loved. I looked at Maiwenn nervously, hating what I was about to ask. â€Å"But I don't want to hurt anyone either. Can you teach me to use it? Or at least control it?† Kiyo's eyes widened. â€Å"Eugenie, no – â€Å" â€Å"What do you expect me to do?† I demanded. The expression on his face mirrored what I felt inside. â€Å"It's not like I want to do this. But you saw what happened. I destroyed my house, and worse, I nearly killed my mother. And myself.† He sighed but didn't argue. Maiwenn regarded him calmly. â€Å"She's right.† â€Å"I know. But I don't have to like it.† â€Å"I don't know if I can teach you or not,† she murmured, turning back to me. â€Å"Your magic – storm magic – is a very physical, outward sort of power. Healing is more internal. Less aggressive. Some of the basics will be the same, but we'll probably have to find you a teacher with similar powers.† Like someone who can call up pieces of the earth and rip castles apart, I thought. I didn't give voice to that. Kiyo and I might be â€Å"friends,† but I immediately knew he wouldn't like me getting close to Dorian. â€Å"Kiyo says you're against the invasion thing, that you weren't a supporter of Storm King.† â€Å"Yes. That was part of the reason I wanted to meet you. I'm happy you survived today, Eugenie Markham, but†¦this possibility of the prophecy coming true alarms me. I've spent years believing Storm King had no children. Your existence causes all sorts of complications.† It occurred to me then that Maiwenn might have slept easier if I'd been killed today. â€Å"So is it true?† she asked. â€Å"You have no intention of fulfilling the prophecy?† â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Turning one's back on such power can't be easy. Even now, you're considering his magic.† â€Å"That's a necessity. I don't want it. Besides, none of this is about power. It's about keeping my world safe. You forget that until a few weeks ago, I had no clue about any of this. In most ways – me whipping up a storm aside – I still consider myself human. I'm not going to let some army subjugate or destroy my race.† â€Å"You see?† Kiyo said to her. â€Å"I told you.† I could still see the doubt on her face. â€Å"I'm serious. I don't want to usher in some terrible era of gentry domination. I sure as hell don't want to be a plaything for every gentry guy. And even if the worst happens† – I shuddered, remembering the elemental's proximity – â€Å"well, there are ways of making sure I don't actually get or stay pregnant.† I didn't feel like getting into logistics with her. â€Å"Hopefully, I can just keep up the avoidance, though. I'm not jumping into anyone's bed soon.† Sympathy replaced Maiwenn's doubt. â€Å"Yes. I'm truly sorry for what you've endured. It sickens me. I honestly can't imagine it. You've surpassed your fearless reputation. I couldn't have coped so bravely.† I thought again about the terror that had filled me when the elemental had me trapped. The tears. The desperation. I didn't know how brave I'd really been. Kiyo's eyes met mine then, and while Maiwenn looked distracted with thought, I think he might have glimpsed a little of my emotion. Affection for me burned on his face, and I fell into it. The moment shattered when a loud voice sounded outside my room. â€Å"What the fuck happened in here? No way am I cleaning this up!† Kiyo straightened up, alarmed, but I waved away his concern. â€Å"Don't worry. It's just my housemate.† Sure enough, Tim burst in, outrage written all over him. He wore buckskin pants and a matching vest over his bare chest. Feathers decorated his black hair. Beads ringed his neck. His face fell as soon as he saw me. â€Å"Oh God, Eug. Are you all right?† I started to give him the â€Å"other guy† line, then opted for simplicity. â€Å"Fine.† He jerked his thumb behind him. â€Å"That room's in pieces.† â€Å"I know. Don't worry. I'll clean it up.† â€Å"What happened?† â€Å"You're better off not knowing. Tim, this is Kiyo and Maiwenn.† Remembering himself, Tim raised his right hand in a sort of â€Å"How, white man† kind of way. â€Å"I am Timothy Red Horse. May the Great Spirit smile down upon you.† This latter part seemed to be for Maiwenn in particular. She smiled formally. Kiyo appeared to oscillate between hilarity and disgust. Greetings done, Tim walked over to me, shaking his head ruefully. â€Å"You're into some crazy shit.† â€Å"You might want to find another place to stay,† I said seriously. â€Å"I don't think it'll be safe around here.† â€Å"Are you kidding? I'm never going to find this good a deal. What's a little death and destruction?† â€Å"Tim – â€Å" His face sobered. â€Å"Don't worry, Eug. I know what you do. If things heat up, I'll get out.† â€Å"Did you see the living room? That's pretty hot.† â€Å"Yeah, but so long as the house is standing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're more difficult than I am.† I remembered I was supposed to find a witch to boost the wards around my house. I'd forgotten. Instead, I had created some wards of my own, but they weren't very strong, as evidenced by the recent invasion. A witch couldn't keep everything out but would do a better job than me. Tim grinned. â€Å"Well, let's not get carried away. Anyway. You look like you're in the middle of something. You want anything? Chicken soup? Foot massage?† â€Å"You can get me a Milky Way. And see if my Def Leppard CD survived the war zone.† â€Å"Don't get your hopes up on that last one.† He said goodbye to the others and left. â€Å"An odd man,† mused Maiwenn. â€Å"You have no idea.† Yet, while Tim and I had bantered, I'd noticed Maiwenn and Kiyo speaking quietly to each other in the corner. She had rested a hand on his arm as they talked, and there had been something almost†¦intimate in the way they stood together. Like they were comfortable being in each other's personal space. Very comfortable. I remembered Kiyo's resolute support of her, his claim that he worked with her because he believed in her cause. But was that truly it? Or was there more? She was a â€Å"good friend.† They stood apart now, but a jealous, ugly feeling kindled in my chest. She finally turned away from him and gave me a small, tight smile. â€Å"I don't mean to be rude, but†¦I'm not feeling well and must return home.† â€Å"It's no problem. Thanks for coming, and†¦thank you for healing my mother.† Maiwenn nodded, and I could tell she really was sick. Weariness ringed those lovely eyes. â€Å"I'm happy to. And I'm glad we were able to talk. You have no idea how relieved I am to see where you stand. I'll do what I can to keep others from trying to†¦take liberties with you.† Kiyo's fingertips brushed her arm to stop her, and I watched that contact with a critical eye. â€Å"Wait for me outside.† She nodded and then swept out of the room in all her golden beauty. Kiyo walked over to my bed and sat down, running a hand along my cheek. â€Å"I'm glad you're okay. When I walked in†¦I thought you were dead.† â€Å"I'm hard to kill,† I said lightly. He smiled, shaking his head with exasperation. â€Å"I can believe that.† Reaching down, he picked up my hand and brought it to his lips, eyes on mine. He lingered a moment, and my skin burned where he kissed me. Then carefully, gently, he laid my hand back down, lacing his fingers with mine. â€Å"I'm going to make sure she crosses over okay, and then I'll be back to stay with you.† â€Å"You gonna take care of me? Massage my feet and feed me chicken soup?† â€Å"Anything you want,† he promised. â€Å"That's what friends do.† He kissed my hand again and then stood up. â€Å"Be back in a few minutes.† I could still feel where he'd kissed me, but for once, my infatuation with him went on hold. I was thinking about the conversation I'd just had. It still bothered me, but I'd meant what I said. Learning gentry magic was about the scariest thing – other than rape by a mud elemental – that I could imagine right now. Yet, I wanted no more storms in my living room, no storms anywhere that I was incapable of controlling. And for what it was worth, that meant getting a grip on my power. I knew whom I had to go to for that control, and it held its own set of terrors. Necessary evils, though. I had no choice. So while I waited for Kiyo's return, I began a mental to-do list. Summon Volusian. Plot strategy. Buy high-heeled shoes†¦

Training for older worker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Training for older worker - Essay Example Reed et. al. (2005) begin with explaining the importance of older workers which is expected to increase as time goes by and note that calling older workers slow or inflexible is a stereotype. However, older workers may face issues of self-efficacy and believe themselves to be unable to perform certain technology related tasks simple because they are old. Thus, their age related confidence levels may be more responsible for create barriers to their training rather than any direct impact which they age or their advanced years have on their performance. The researchers hypothesize that age is negatively related to computer skill acquisition and that age is negatively related to computer self-efficacy (CSE). The third hypothesis given by the researchers is that CSE will mediate the influence of age on the acquisition of computer skills. To test their hypotheses, the researchers used 109 volunteers from a Midwestern community. These subjects were predominantly female and the median age of the group was 51 years old. The subjects took a survey to report on their computer skills, their attitude towards technology and their ability to handle change. The self reported results were compared to their monitored and measured performance on completing a set of tasks with spreadsheet and word processing software. The results showed that CSE effectively mediate the relationship between age and both the objective and subjective measures of the acquisition of computer skills.

Knowledge Management Processes & Tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Knowledge Management Processes & Tools - Essay Example Under these terms, a wide range of knowledge sharing tools has been developed aiming to respond to the needs of all relevant cases. The forms and the implications of knowledge sharing, in the context of knowledge management, are examined in this paper. Two specific knowledge sharing tools, blogs and intranets, are examined and evaluated – at the level that they can help to understand the contribution of knowledge sharing in the development of knowledge management. The key aspects of knowledge management, as the framework in which knowledge sharing operates, are also examined; particular emphasis is given on the fact that the forms of knowledge sharing tools used for serving the relevant needs of individuals and organizations are many, a fact indicating the lack of an integrated tool for knowledge sharing in both the social and the business context. 1. Introduction In modern market, the need for communication is intensive; effective communication is a prerequisite for the succe ss of various projects, personal or business. In this context, the sharing of knowledge has been considered as of crucial importance in order for various social and economic targets to be achieved. For this reason, a series of theoretical frameworks has been established aiming to help people to understand the value of communication and to choose the tools that would best help them to communicate and share knowledge with other people in the same or different social context. Current paper focused on the various aspects of knowledge management as a key prerequisite of communication in different environments; the most important knowledge management processes and tools are examined and evaluated. Reference is made to knowledge management as part both of social life and organizational activity. Emphasis is given on a particular aspect of knowledge management: the knowledge sharing. The literature published in the specific field has been reviewed aiming to show the role and the challenges of knowledge sharing as a key organizational activity, referring to the main role of knowledge management, as an organizational process; at the same time, two different knowledge management tools are presented and analysed: blogs and intranets. Both of them are likely to operate in different environments, i.e. both at workplace or at home. It is concluded that knowledge management, as part of a specific social or business activity is a significant prerequisite of effective communication. However, the following issue appears: can knowledge sharing tools, as described in this paper, have a standardized form or they are likely to be continuously changed – in order to meet the requirements of specific organizational or social context? The examination of the characteristics and the requirements of knowledge sharing tools has led to the assumption that these tools may change in terms of their operational characteristics and requirements; however, their key form and role remains the same. Moreover, their involvement in communication and knowledge sharing is also likely to be differentiated – under the influence of the local, economic and political conditions. 2. Knowledge management – overview, role In order to understand the potential value and the challeng

Building team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Building team - Essay Example Probably, the unsuccessful managers are leaving it up to the team members to select the leader amongst themselves. When this happens, the process of selection of the team leader may become complicated as there is just one post and contenders are many. In other cases, everybody is reluctant to be a leader since more authority comes with more responsibility. When the benefits of having more authority are not much, there is not much attraction in becoming a leader. To avoid these complications, it is a good practice for the manager to select the leader from among the team members himself/herself. In addition to simplifying the process, this would add to the credibility and reliability of the leader in the view of the followers since the manager placed his/her confidence in the individual selected as the leader. Selection of the team members is a technical process, and requires knowledge of the individual talents of members by the selector to form the right team. The managers should select diverse team members having different kinds of skills and talents to avoid repetition of skills and fights over roles (National Institute for Urban School Improvement, 2005, p. 3). Conflict management in teamwork is of prime importance. A team comprises people with conflicting views and opinions, so they may frequently erupt into dysfunctional conflicts, thus, affecting their own, as well as the team’s, performance as a whole in a negative way. Goof practices in conflict management are full-time monitoring, and establishment of a formal or informal code of ethics from day one. It is primarily the leader’s responsibility to explain the followers which behaviors are intolerable or unacceptable and might incur the executor’s liabilities and/or penalties and what behaviors are good enough to make the executor entitled to reward and appreciation. In addition, it is useful to document a procedure of arriving at a solution in times of conflict

Training employees as a cashier Personal Statement

Training employees as a cashier - Personal Statement Example Furthermore; it will help determine all the benefits and costs of the training process which later allows the management to put cost as a priority during training. This targets individual employees’ performance and uses information from any employee to determine the programme that will be used for training. In this case, the employees revealed some deficiencies of the organization which triggered the fact that training could be of used to meet their performance standards. Data was gathered through questionnaire which showed that each department was to have its own training to cater for the requirements of all the employees of the company. The employees were not satisfied with the training they had received because they felt that all issues were not addressed. Task analysis starts with each employee knowing the requirement of their jobs thus comparing knowledge and skills of all the employees to know the training needs of all the employees. During the training, the job analysis based on the skills and knowledge of all the employees is determined. Employees are told his or her area of specialization and the tasks that are to be performed.Moreover, the conditions for the tasks are to be well stipulated and show the employees when and how the tasks will be performdd.the employees should know the importance of quality performance and not necessarily basing on the quantity of the job (Gupta, 6). This determines the departments that training is needed, and the conditions under which the whole trainining will be held. The HR department and the management should know the future skills needed to improve the performance of the employees. This will help them comply with the affirmative actions, and guidelines. The labor pool should be looked at critically in order for the incorporate all people regardless of gender differences to the workforce. The laws that govern the organization may sometimes dictate the needs of training, but

Human Resource Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resource Development - Essay Example Human Resource Development (HRD) can also take an informal shape for example employees being coached by a manager. Healthy organizations, in meaningful terms, have strong faith in Human Resource Development and cover all its fundamental aspects. Learning and development is continuous process in every aspect whether it's in organizational or in classroom, people or an employee always learn something new in every area which will help in developing its skills and knowledge which also support him/her to work better in an organization or any other working condition. Ans. In my opinion learning is a continuous process and person will always learn on every stage of life. According to me learning will be more practical to gain an effective skills, knowledge, and motivation by developing the vision and skills that result in real team commitment; Build and lead empowered and motivated teams; Delegate tasks and authority while maintaining control, communicate effectively at all levels, create w orld-class team performance, Become a skilled and effective team leader. Ans. 2.Needs and performance are the main factors to improve learning. Discus this issue in relation to E-learning method to learn. Ans. Learning is a phenomenon within this definition that takes place across various locations, or that reaps benefits of learning opportunities provided by moveable technologies. In other words, E-learning decreases limitation of learning location with the mobility of general portable devices. The term covers: learning with portable technologies, where the focus is on the technology (which could be in a fixed location, such as a classroom).in today's world technology places very positive and effective role in several sectors and in different aspects such as in performance and needs as well. This technology will help in effective learning in every person's life because it's really fast and effective and the person can learn everything very easily and work can be done efficiently af ter effective learning in relation to E- learning. 3. State the main problem, objective that this university applied this teaching method. Ans. Arab Open University runs degree programs in the Middle Eastern country by providing open learning business studies. The lecturers adopt an action learning approach to teaching during their periodic time to students. However, resistance to this method is regularly experienced.

Quality Parts Case Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quality Parts Case Analysis - Essay Example The manager of Quality Parts Company is aiming to do precisely that by planning to appoint three inspectors to clean up the quality problem. She also contemplates adding a setting up a rework line to speed repairs. This is a disastrous idea that piles up the cost element of manufacturing. It also compromises on quality in the first place because when a new line for rework is added to the works the attention of the workers would be slanted more towards rework instead of a perfect first attempt manufacture. In forecasting demand, two methods can be applied- the push effect got as a result of demand forecast or the "pull" effect as Kanban exemplifies. The actual demand of the consumers is calibrated and production done accordingly. Kanban best suits a condition when the supply time is prolonged and the supposed demand is rather difficult to predict; the production then has to be done in response to the consumer's demand or 'pull'. Adoption of this methodology will cut down on the inventory costs because goods are procured as and when there is a pull by the consumer. The production facility becomes Just in time. The production process starts at the instance of a product being sent out of the factory. So, the process is upstream. Quality parts system makes basic errors in maintaining quality. ... The production process starts at the instance of a product being sent out of the factory. So, the process is upstream. Quality parts system makes basic errors in maintaining quality. As pointed earlier, the repair work or a separate rework line defeats the concept of quality management especially six sigma. In total quality management minimization of defects at the production stage is given more importance. The second most important thing is the manager's proposed idea of keeping "skids filled". This idea is in total contrast to the Just in time attainment of raw materials as professed in the kanban theory. (Chase-Jacobs-Aquilano, "Operations Management for Competitive Advantage, 2005, Operations_Management_Ch12.doc) Automatically ordering of inventory will not take into account the goods already manufactured, dispatched, in production and demand for future products. Getting and storing inventory will not only add to the cost of storage but defeats the logic of upstream production. High scrap rate: As evinced in the example, the scrap rate is nearly 10% that means 1 in 10 items produced are scrapped. This is an awesome waste considering the manpower and money involved. The high rise shelving inside the factory does not allow for grouping of similar tasks and interaction among teams of related work. The chain of uninterrupted production is disrupted and at times even broken. Grouping tasks: The bright thing to do incase of assembly line setup of manufacturing goods is to have people, procedures and equipments needed for similar tasks to be kept at proximity. It is a wonderful idea to do would be to place teams performing successive operation close to each other or near each other. This would reduce the physical

The Democratic Republic of Congo Essay Example for Free

The Democratic Republic of Congo Essay The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been characterized by the behavior of her natives, especially in the eastern part, being engaged into selling some of her valuable minerals such as gemstones and gold to other countries via the black markets mostly located at the country’s borders. The stakeholders in this business include the Senegalese, Indian and Chinese clients. Though the smugglers participating in this kind of illegal business are small part-time group of actors, they earn themselves millions of dollars, part of which is hidden in the country’s distressed backwoods. This income has been used to finance the country’s armed groups (Manson, 1). As a result, it has not been so smooth and easy to get to the bottom of the conflict that has over years existed over the Congo’s minerals. Even some of the smugglers testify that because of the sufferings that they have undergone for quite a long period of time, they resolved to this dirty business since they had nothing else they could do. Arguments from lobby groups in the U. K. reported that in order to attain peace in Congo and resettle the millions of displaced citizens, mineral-related conflicts ought to be contained first. However, it has been very challenging to resolves these conflicts because certain hindrances. To begin with, the smuggling routes are untraceable. Despite these pathways being rocky, twisted and on the green hills, there are armed men who demand for cash taxes and other levies such as their imposed in-kind levies. Moreover the mining sites are all through guided majorly by the PARECO, a former militia group (Global Witness, 1). Manufacturers of mobile phones have also been accused for having helped finance these conflicts since these companies have been using metals such as tantalum and tin which are obtained from the processing of the minerals from this country. As a result, these mobile phone companies have been called upon to review their supply chains with the aim of making certain that their tin and tantalum supplies are not from militia-controlled or military units-controlled mines. Thailand based Thailand Smelting and Refining Company (Thaisarco) has been accused for being a manufacturer of the mobile phones that buys ore from a Hutu Militia group, FDLR (Katrina, 1). Thaisarco is owned by Amalgamated Metal Corporation (AMC), a British company In the resolutions by the U. N. , it was highlighted that a measure to freeze the assets and ban the travels for those involved in financing the illegal Congolese armed groups should be taken on worldwide. In order to help hold back the catastrophes associated with the corrupt and illegal exploitation of the Congo’s mineral resources, the international trade system stakeholders have been urged to mend any loopholes so as to end not only this impunity but also avoid environmental abuses, bring to a halt mineral-linked conflicts and more importantly refrain from infringing the Congolese human rights. Furthermore, guideline to enable the tracing of the sources of the minerals should be put forth. Media analysis has helped me understand clearly the causes of the conflicts that are in Congo that are closely linked with the illegal exploitation of the minerals within the country, the contributors of these conflicts and also the prescriptions, from various public views, on how resolutions may be arrived at. This is because the analysis enhances the understanding of raw data from the various view points. It has played a crucial role in helping relate the events that were occurring in DRC. However, media analysis proves to be limiting is some ways. For instance, the information provided is most a times summarized, missing some first hand information. As a result, one is made to believe on the information at hand. Works Cited Global Witness. Metals in Mobile Phones Help Finance Congo Atrocities. February 16, 2009, Viewed August 2, 2010 from http://www. globalwitness. org/media_library_detail. php/718/en/metals_in_mobile_phones_help_finance_congo_atrocities Katrina, M. Groups Says Suing UK Over Congo Conflict Minerals. Times Live, July 26, 2010. Viewd August 2, 2010 from http://www. timeslive. co. za/africa/article570920. ece/Group-says-suing-UK-over-Congo-conflict-minerals Manson, K. Uphill Task to Solve Congo’s Conflict Minerals. Reuters Jul 30, 2010, viewed August 2 2010 from http://uk. reuters. com/article/idUKTRE66T1LR20100730

Influence of the Media on Society

Influence of the Media on Society CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. THE AUDIENCE 3. THEORIES AND IDEAS BEHIND PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES. 4. CONCLUSION 5. REFERENCES 1.0 INTRODUCTION We live in a world where the media dictates the way we dress, look and behave. Our society is becoming more and more materialistic, where we desire goods, products and spend money on items that are unnecessary. The media portrays the celebrity lifestyle as the ideal way of living and distributes masses of magazines that contain:- Celebrity gossip Dress sense Interfere into their personal life. Emphasise less glamorous pictures of them. Weight loss/gain. Display images of perfect celebrity bodies. Magazines such as Heat and Vibe target the young female population who are very impressionable and encourage the onset of anorexia and other eating disorders. Such media information results in the readers feeling less confident, experiencing body dismorphia and believing that coming out in spots etc is unnatural, (Vincent, 2001). The youth today are trapped in a society greatly influenced by media and are unable to distinguish between reality and normality exposed by media components. Media constantly reminds society of human perfection seen in celebrities, which can be perceived on billboards, magazines, TV and on the net. The society is becoming obsessed with image and particularly weight; we can view reality shows for weight loss and plastic surgery, which are components that further corrupt the minds of young adolescents, (Sproule, 1997). The mass media has now become a form of communication between cultures, global locations and most importantly as a means of advertising products and services that companies offer. The prominent expansion of globalisation has helped communication process between countries all over the world, where barriers such as language and cultural differences have been overcome or accommodated for. The role the mass media plays in our society is phenomenal, media communication components have expanded as technology has advanced, if we refer to electronic media and the accessibility of global news with the click of a button. Media is continuously making the society believe that luxury items are necessities, it should be highlighted that media shapes the society to such an extent, that individual opinions are also affected so that they are in agreement with the mass media, (Robbins, 1999). The major concerns in society are weight conscious young females and children who are being bullied, however the media does not facilitate enough for such important issues, instead we are in constant reminder of problems celebrities face and other unnecessary information. 2.0 THE AUDIENCE Society has not acknowledged the full potential or power of mass media. Society’s mind has changed considerably where industries/companies cannot rely on customer loyalty, as the competition between multinational companies is too big. The most powerful tool is the mass media that are paid large sums of money by industries and companies to capture the attention of potential or existing customers. For example if we consider the battle of Coca Cola and Pepsi, which has been going for years; Pepsi have employed a different approach by using popular celebrities to appear on their adverts and also used sport to make drinking Pepsi more â€Å"trendy†. It should be mentioned that mainstream media is driven by many market forces. For many companies such as the newspaper industry, the product (information provided) is regarded as the audience and the customers considered as the corporate advertisers (Chomsky, 1997). Many may be in disagreement with Chomsky’s statement, because it is not a normal manner of perceiving such customer and product relations. It would appear normal to consider the newspaper as the product and customer as the audience. The newspaper example can be generalised to assess the information and the reasons behind purchasing the magazines with celebrity and soap information. However if we analyse the scenario, where customers/readers conform to a demography where valuable information interpreted will be passed onto other members of society, and depending on the interest of subject topic will encourage the purchase of the paper. If this is true then the customer who has purchased the paper, has advertised what he/she has learnt/read. We refer to the paper as the audience; primarily it is the product that attracts the customers, hence the advertisers bring income to companies, (Vincent, 2001). The media has portrayed the need of knowing about celebrity lifestyle a necessity and has made society more addicted to TV programmes by providing future storylines in magazines or newspapers. In conclusion to Chomsky’s theory, the audience is also the consumer. The audience demographics are essential for media industries, where we should be aware that the content of media invasion/persuasion in our society is not as important as the target audience. It is a misconception to believe the notion of satisfying the customer, because in reality industries target audiences who able to afford the products on offer and in advertisements. Bagdikian (2000) proposed that magazine advertising has a major impact on society’s conception of products and views of global issues. Bagdikian believes that impact of magazine influence and advertising reached a stage where editors chose articles containing adverts, which were thought to have the most influential impact on the readers as apposed to the article content itself. 3.0 THEORIES AND IDEAS BEHIND PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES The communication used by the mass media includes predominantly TV, magazines and books. Such mediated messages are perceived as packaged commodities and perceived or presented in such a form that the target audience is forced to return to these goods and services, (Jankiewicz, 2004). Society and media influence has come so far along that separation of thoughts, opinions and way of living in the world today is impossible. When we refer to the media, we automatically assume that their advertising techniques are blatant and visible to us. However the mass/mainstream media disguises many adverts in the form of news and advertorials (which may be critical analysis of current issues). The characteristics of the mass media can be summarised, as presented (Sproule, 1997):- 1. Audience remains unknown to the source. 2. Message is transferred through so many media channels which are   technological and involve a lot of time and effort. This insinuates that   immediate feedback is not available. 3. The source is most probably a complex organisation that decides when   and where a particular product should be available in the market. The major issues faced by the mass media are propaganda and the impact of globalisation especially where cultural differences are less and less detectable and we are dominated by â€Å"Americanism†. The domination of the mass media in the society is successful because the means of persuasion that are employed to attract target audiences, (Prestage, 2002). The term persuasion refers to a method/process by which we influence the behaviour, physical or mental status of others by influencing them to adopt a particular manner or perception that is in agreement to ours. The persuasiveness of the mass media constitutes of two key points, which are the Direct-Effects Perspective and the Limited effects Perspective. The Direct-Effects Perspective assumes that media has direct effects on the audience and can be explained if the message-model (refer to Figure 1.1) is acknowledged as well as the cultivation theory. The Limited-Effects Perspective proposes that we are selective to media coverage and information. It postulates that we ignore messages that do not accommodate/suit individual needs and remain in focus of reality, which can be explained better using the cultural studies theory, (Underwood, 2005). The two-step flow model (message-model) was introduced by Katz and Lazarsfield in the 1940’s when they researched into the effects of political mass communication. Many valuable theories and conclusions were found by the researchers, one important aspect highlighted in their investigation was the change in votes (5% of sample group) as a result of media exposure. Their findings helped coin the term Limited Effects Paradigm of media influence. The general idea behind the two-step flow model is that opinion leaders play a vital role in the portrayal of media messages. Their theory is based on some assumptions deduced from their investigated, and are summarised below, (Chomsky, 1997):- There are limitations to effects of media messages which may be influenced by interpersonal relational and group membership. Misconception of the term â€Å"mass audience† as this instigates that all have equal say and input into the effects experienced through media influences. However it is clear that some individuals play a more active role than others where others simply conform. Opinion leaders in the â€Å"mass audience† are in constant interaction with the mass media and regard their selves as highly influential to others (refer to Figure 1.1). The Cultivation Theory developed by Professor George Gerbner during the 1960’s, when he began his investigation into the effects of TV on viewers in relation to their perception of everyday life. Many theorists believe that TV has long term effects and cultivates our attitudes to normality, (Vincent, 2001). The Cultivation Theory can be interpreted in two components, which are the first and second order effects. The first order effects refer to the beliefs that may emerge towards prevalence of violence and the second order effects may have developed in having particular attitudes where you may be conscious about personal welfare. Much cultivation research investigates the viewers’ perception of TV reality in comparison to reality of our society, (Chandler, 1995). Professor Gerbner proposed that TV dominates our symbolic environment, where TV can be perceived as a more attractive or realistic world to viewers. He also suggested that the exaggeration of violence on screen provides mixed messages to viewers; the younger audience are most likely to be affected, (Robbins, 1999). Professor Gerbner summarised the theory by postulating that if a viewers surrounding is similar to that shown on TV, then the effects of cultivation are the greatest. The Rhetoric Theory is based on three important aspects, which are:- Logical Emotional Ethical The Rhetoric Theory is mainly concerned with the available means of persuasion; it is regarded as using symbols to produce effects and involves use of either language or symbols. Advertisements come in so many forms, where the motive of the advert or message influences the form of persuasion. Sometimes images/symbolism such as logos is more appealing than literature, (Prestage, 2002). In conclusion to this section, it can be said that there are many theories of media persuasion towards target audiences, a few common theories have been mentioned to give the reader a broader thought process towards media domination, which is continually growing in our society. 4.0 CONCLUSION Media influences our society to such an extent that many have become obsessed with image, luxury items and especially weight. The media persuasive strategies have become stronger and stronger and more widely available which a result of globalisation. We live in a world where we are constantly exposed to the mass media and cannot help but become influenced by products and services that are unnecessary and become lost in the media reality and the reality of our society. Although there are many theories that try and explain the persuasive strategies of media domination and techniques employed to target certain groups. As with all theories, the hypotheses mentioned in the previous section are not without criticism; however they provide a more in depth insight into the media components and how literature such as that found in magazines in very influential. Magazines are convenient on long journeys and celebrity gossip and detail makes it very appealing especially to the young female population. The mass media does not realise the negative effects publicity of weight concern has on young impressionable adolescents, who may portray media images as a normal perception. REFERENCES Bagdikian, B., H. (2000). The Media Monopoly (6th edition). Beacon Press, 2000. Chandler, D. (1995). Cultivation Theory. Accessed online, URL: http://www.CultivationTheory.htm Chomsky, N. (1997). What Makes Mainstream Media Mainstream. Z Magazine. Jankiewicz, H (2004). The Concepts of Rhetoric. Accessed online, URL: http://www.RhetoricTheory.htm Prestage, J. (2002). Mainstream Journalism: Shredding the First Amendment. Online Journal, URL: http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/WarOnTerror/Shredding.asp Robbins, R. (1999). Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. Allyn and Bacon 1999. Sproule, J.M. (1997). Propaganda and Democracy: The American Experience of Media and Mass Persuasion. New York: Cambridge University Press. Vincent, R., C. (2001). Transnational Media and the Survival of Democracy. Department of Communication. Accessed online [google], URL: http://www.communication.indstate.ed/transnational_media.html Underwood, M. (2005). Katz and Lazarsfield: Two Step Model. Accessed online [google].

college essay :: essays research papers

Æ’Â ´Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€¢Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€"ƒÙƒÞƒÙƒÃ ¤Ã†â€™Ãƒâ„¢Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ¸Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ¾Ã†â€™nƒßƒÃâ€"Æ’nÆ’Â ½Ã†â€™Ãƒ ©Ã†â€™Ãƒ £Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€¢Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ"Æ’Ãâ€"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The definition I would place upon myself would consist of what I look like on the outside and what I feel and believe on the inside. In my opinion they way you look and how you dress and present yourself is hyped up a lot in the world today. What you wear has such an impact on how someone thinks about you.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I personally don ¡Ã‚ ¦t wear the GAP, Abercrombie & Fitch, or Old Navy clothes not because of the people who wear them, or because I don ¡Ã‚ ¦t want to be considered  ¡Ã‚ §trendy ¡Ã‚ ¨, I just don ¡Ã‚ ¦t wear them. I will go into the stores to look for something to buy, and I just never seem to find anything that I like. Stores I most often shop at are Pacific Sunwear, DEB, and Aeropostle. The style I guess you could categorize me into would probably be skater/ glam, at least that ¡Ã‚ ¦s what my dad would call it. My personal style does represent me in a lot of ways it ¡Ã‚ ¦s clean cut, yet edgy, and it ¡Ã‚ ¦s full of color, not a lot of black and white in my wardrobe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Appearance wise I ¡Ã‚ ¦m pretty much the same way as I am with my wardrobe. I love to play with make up. I like a lot of color. I love to play up my eyes; on occasion I will load up the eyeliner. My role model for clothing and make up is Gwen Stefani, the lead singer of No Doubt. She has such an awesome style; she just seems to be so together and knows what she wants. I love that! Sometimes I feel that way about myself, but it ¡Ã‚ ¦s just not as often probably.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The location of which I live isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t what you would expect the inside of my house to look like. At least that is what I think personally, only because my family lives in an apartment in downtown Auburn, Maine. From the outside it isn ¡Ã‚ ¦t anything fancy, and then once you step in through the front door, you ¡Ã‚ ¦ll be amazed how a little decorating can go a long way. Having my parents divorce in 2000 meant downsizing our house so it was hard on me. No matter where I live it ¡Ã‚ ¦s always home, and that I am very thankful for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My family is something I cherish dearly. My father is a very close friend of mine he is somebody I can talk to about anything with, even things most kids usually get all nervous about when it comes to telling their parents mostly my dad just lets me know his opinion, (which sometimes I may not like) and that ¡Ã‚ ¦s about it.

Picasso Essay -- essays research papers fc

Art represents beauty. It represents the soul and spirit of the artist. It's a form of communication that the artist can use as a substitution for words. Art has flourished the world for thousands of years and it has no intentions on stopping. One of "the most important figure's in modern art" (Selfridge, 15) is a man by the name of Pablo Picasso. He has taken the world into many places and has enabled us to see many abstract creations through his artwork alone. (Selfridge, 20) Born on October 25, 1881, Picasso was a miracle right from the start. There were complications with birth and everyone was sure that he wasn't going to make it, but then Picasso's uncle, Salvador Ruiz, was able to make this tragedy a miracle. He "exhaled a puff of cigar smoke into the baby's nostrils and suddenly†¦, he joined the world of the living"(Selfridge, 23). Picasso's miraculous ways didn't end there. He was soon to become one of the most well known artists of all times. Picass o's love for art was somewhat genetic. (Duncun, 45) His father, Jose Ruiz Blasco, was a painter as well and he loved art. Picasso was quick to express his desire for art. At the age of four, he was drawing detailed pictures with astounding results. (Duncun, 47) During school, Picasso would pay little if any attention to his work or the lecture that the teacher was giving. Instead, he spent his time making sketches of his fellow classmates. (Duncun, 52) At the age of 13, Picasso was enrolled at an art school where his father taught, and suddenly his academic habits changed. He began to apply himself to his work, showing interest in what he was doing, and his grades showed a vast improvement. (Galwitz, 92) The family moved to Malaga and on the way there they stopped at their uncle Salvador's house. While they were there, Salvador was so intrigued by Picasso's work that he provided him with a studio and an allowance. (Galwitz, 95) The family moved to Barcelona and Picasso attended scho ol at the Lota, a school of fine arts. He was beyond everyone else in the school and it wasn't much of a challenge. (Galwitz, 96) Picasso continued to paint, but he wasn't satisfied. He wanted more and had dreams to revolutionize painting. He realized that the only way of doing this would be to attend Madrid's Royal Academy of San Fernando, which is well known for having the most demanding artistic trainin... ...ciety" area c. very quickly moved back to less elite area d. started an affair with 18 year old Marie Theresa Walter J. Served as a director of a Spain's Prado Museum 1. Painted a mural for the Spanish Pavilion K. Nazi Party 1. Harassed Picasso a. taking and damaging his paintings 2. Prohibited displaying his work 3. Was over when liberated from Germans L. Joined communist Party M. Met Francoise Gilot 1. Was 40 years younger than him 2. Moved in together 3. Had a son in 1947, daughter in 1949 N. Won Lenon Peace Prize O. Health Problems 1. in 1965,at age of 83, health started to fail 2. in 1973 passed away P. Conclusion 1. Many great achievements 2. Art genius 3. Was committed to life 4. Personal Comment Bibliography BIBLIOGRAPHY Ø Duncun, David Douglas. Goodbye Picasso. New York: Grossel & Dunlap; 1974. Ø Galwitz, Klaus. Picasso at 90; The Late Work. New York: G.P. Putman's Sons; 1971. Ø Jaffe, Hans L.C. Picasso. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1983. Ø Selfridge, John W. Pablo Picasso. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1994. Ø Wertenbaker, Lael. The World of Picasso 1881-1973. New York: Time-Life Books, 1967

Bhabhas Contribution to Postcolonial Theory Essay -- Sociology

Colonialism is and has been a reality during previous centuries. As a political and economical reality it entailed significant consequences in the colonized country's politics, geographical maps, and people's lives, fates and temperaments. As the consequences are hard to ignore the writers of the formerly colonized countries never forgot to write about it and their people's lives before, during and after their country's colonization. As Emecheta is one of these writer who is born and brought up in Nigeria, a colony of British Empire until 1960, postcolonial approach is one of the most appropriate critical methods to deal with her narratives. Besides, since she is focusing on women in the colonial and postcolonial setting trying to foreground their subjugation, utilizing ideas proposed by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Chandra Talpade Mohanty as pioneers of postcolonial feminism are helpful in coming to the desired conclusion in this thesis. In addition to Mohanty and Spivak Homi K. Bhabha's propositions regarding the colonized self and her/his dual subjectivity also are helpful. Central to feminist concerns among the postcolonial scholars such as Gayatri Spivak and Talapde Mohanty is Western feminism's inattention to the differences among women. Spivak exposes how the world is presented from the dominant perspective and geopolitical location of the First World to the exclusion of other disenfranchised groups. Regarding women in the Third World countries she believes that the everyday lives of many Third World women are so complex and unsystematic that they cannot be known or represented in a straightforward way by the vocabulary of Western critical theory. In this respect, the lived experiences of such women can be seen to pres... ...2 (2004):365-373. Schneider, Gregory. â€Å"R.K Narayan’s The Guide and Buchi Emecheta’s Kehinde† www.assosiatedcontent.com/article. Stanford Friedman, Susa. â€Å"Locational Feminism: Gender, Cultural Geographies, and Geopolitical Literacy†. www. Women.it/cyberarchive/files/Stanford.htm Ure Mezu, Rose. â€Å"The Perspective of the Other: Rape and Women in Buchi Emecheta's The Rape of Shavi". Bookbird 36.1 (1998): 12-16. Ure Mezu, Rose. Buchi Emecheta's "The Bride Price" and "The Slave Girl": A Schizoanalytic Perspective. Van Judith Alan. â€Å"Sitting on a Man: Colonialism and the Last Political Institutions of Igbo Women†. Canadian Journal of American Studies. 28.2 (1972): 165-71. Ward, Cynthia. â€Å"What They Told Buchi Emecheta: Oral Subjectivity and The Joys of Motherhood.† PMLA 105.1(1990): 83-97.

Lawsuit In Movies

The movie North Country featured Josey Aimes, the woman with two kids who only wanted to make life better and happier for her family. After leaving her abusive husband, she found a job as hairdresser. But learning that working in the local mine could pay her good enough, she applied for it not knowing the prejudices and negations received by women miners. As days passed by in her life as a miner, she started to notice the dominance of the clan of Adam in that part of the country. Everyday, she could hear sexist jokes, and disrespectful comments from male coworkers, she began to outrage turning herself the object of hate, but at the same time, of lust. She later found out that the women in her hometown were so scared to come out of their shell†¦ that nobody even wanted to stand by her side. With the help of a local lawyer, she filed for a sexual harassment case against her workplace, when she was nearly raped. The movie opened with a big bang of emotions and scenarios that continuously built the excitement of any viewer to follow the journeys and decisions made by the female protagonist. Events like going away from her husband, getting inside the manly world of mining, and being the herculean woman amidst the fangs and stings of men, kept true to the philosophy of Niki Caro – women empowerment, like the Whale Rider. The director was able to present the powerhouse impact of the scenes attributed to a community enveloped in discrimination against women. Charlize Theron played the protagonist woman and added merits to her credentials. North Country was based on the case filed and won by Lois Jensen against the Eveleth Mines. It took over two decades before the charge was settled. Indeed, she made history by changing the course of sexual harassment law in the United States of America. The lawsuit created rooms for the rights of women against sexual harassment, discrimination and other negative actions towards women in the workplace. Erin Brokovich With three children to give a decent life, she asked her lawyer to help her get a work. She later found her career in researching about the case of water pollution and sickness among the children in a small town. She then excavated that the cause was the toxic wastes dumped by the huge company in the area. The worse part was that the company was trying to hide it from investigations. The company was so powerful that it could just make her dead in the records, but she was not stopped by this. She went an extra mile just to expose the truth. But she is not your ordinary good girl, smart employee in the office. She had skeletons in her closets, too. She usually left her children with her biker boyfriend, acting like she was not the mother. Dressed like a whore, she made Erin Brokovich heroine in a small town when she brought down a deep-pocketed company. Steven Soderbergh directed this film with wit and passion. He maximized the potentials, including the natural sexiness, of Julia Roberts, who played the role so effectively in return. This might have driven the female part of the audience crazy of desiring to be like Erin in their worlds. Every woman wanted to be the new modern woman, dressing casually but could carry the world when asked to. This is like a refresher movie of what Roberts was in the Pretty Woman, the role that made her the highest-paid and the most sought-after actress in Hollywood. The movie was based on the story of Erin Brokovich who helped the burdened community win over the Pacific Gas & Electric Company. She did not have the looks or appearance of a lawyer. But she managed to go on her way to help in the success of the largest settlement for a direct lawsuit ever. This clearly shows that if you have done something bad, it will haunt you no matter where you are and what status you belong. Moreover, no matter how good you are in hiding or covering your wrongdoings, the issue itself could find itself in the surface. A Civil Action A community struck with something that made the people vulnerable to skin rashes, and a leukemia outbreak among the youth, was finally put to limelight when they start to take their fate against two big corporations. The residents wanted someone to apologize for the death of their children. Their need for someone to defend them came at the right time for the firm of Jan Schlichtmann, who chose cases they believe they could get to success. Usually, their clients were poor, putting a pro-people and pro-justice on their image. But in his mind and heart, the lawyer was hoping for large settlement money. As they were getting through the lawsuit, the firm was also continuously sinking below the line of bankruptcy. The movie was based on the primary accounts of Jonathan Harr during the proceedings. This embedded the movie inside the courtroom. Stories about the Woburn victims were set aside for the presentation of what really happened inside the hearing of the case. John Travolta gave justice to the character of Schlichtmann, as being the ambitious lawyer, who wanted to nail down WR & Grace and Beatrice Foods, for a substantial amount of money. He also made a mistake when he was carried with the story of one of the victims. Robert Duvall, who played the antagonist Jerome Facher, also made a great effort in his role as the lawyer of one of the companies involved in the issue. Environmental crime is probably one of the celebrated cases in the history of man. This is because different sectors participate in the deliberation of points, trying to sound pro-environment. Oftentimes, big industrial companies are usually the subjects. Justice has its price, goes the tagline of the movie that peeked through the climax of the movie wherein the victims got a whopping amount of settlement money. This shows the negative attachments of the judicial system of the country. It made clear that money could have the power to break the shield of morality, humanity, and most of all, love. Reference: Caro, N (dir). 2005. North Country. USA: Warner Bros. Pictures. Soderbergh, S (dir). 2000. Erin Brokovich. USA: Jersey Films. Zaillian, S (dir). 1998. A Civil Action. USA: Touchstone Pictures.      

Influences of Language on Meaning and Perception

Language is the main communication tool which influences meaning and perception. Language can be verbal (sounds, words) and non-verbal (signs, gestures, mimic, facial expression, behavior, and physical setting, etc). Interpersonal communication includes any behavior that another person perceives and interprets. As such, it is one person's understanding of what another person means. Behavior itself is a form of communication. Interpersonal communication occurs through symbols and signs decoded by the sender and encoded by the receiver. Using language (verbal), people name and describe objects, events and processes. Clarity and precision of presentation have a great impact on meaning and perception processes. The main problem is that the receiver can ‘encode’ the information differently which influences his perception and meaning of the message (Wood, 2003). So although it is true that names must precede descriptions in the sense that they provide the atomic terms of a description, it is also true that some (possibly holophrastic) ostensive assertions must be primitive in all category naming (Guerrero 1999). Verbal communication means sending messages to another person to inform about something, to persuade people to do something, to develop positive attitudes, and to cause other changes in people's thinking and behavior. Following Russell (2000) one interpretation of perception: â€Å"focuses on attending and concentrates on surveying the environment. Another focuses on interpretation and concentrates on language and mental activity after initial contact with stimuli. Viewing perception as an attending process and as an outcome of attending can both serve well† (4) The speech sounds of a language vary in many ways. Only some of these differences signal a difference in meaning in the language. These are called â€Å"phonemic† differences. The rest of the differences are â€Å"phonetic† differences that are less salient, less readily perceived, and less easily produced than the phonemic differences. In this case, if a person has poor articulation or speech defects the receiver can encode information is a wrong way and misinterpret the meaning. It is important that every person remember that specific words may not have the same meaning and significance for different people. The choice of words and vocabulary is one type of symbol that possesses emotional and psychological properties. It is possible to say that language shapes the meaning and allows the receiver to perceive its meaning. A unique pattern of language comes to be regarded as equivalent to a unique pattern in the receiver mind. Meaning and perception depends upon experience and views of the receiver and differs in what is perceived and how information is stored, and because the nature of the mapping may differ for â€Å"different types of cross-modal linkages† (Guerrero 1999, p. 56). I suppose that my language is clearly understood because I carefully chose vocabulary and meaning of words. Active listening helps me to learn new words and understand their usage correctly. So, it is possible to say that if a person wishes to communicate effectively with other people (verbally or non-verbally), he must somehow put themselves in each other's shoes. Effective interpersonal communication requires that people have a common set of meanings and definitions. Such a common set of meanings derives not only from the language, but refers more broadly to the pattern of beliefs, codes, and feelings on the basis of which people learn to live with their environment. To enlarge my vocabulary I read a lot of printed matters: books, magazines, scientific article, etc, and use new words and phrases in practice. For instance, non-fiction writing has ideas followed by arguments, by examples, before returning to a second argument. Seeing the structure of paragraphs is to see the pattern of the argument. This technique will help me to create a clear message and communicate with different people. One more important fact is that mass media is intended to be an example of language norms: vocabulary and grammar. References 1.Guerrero, L. K. et al. (1999). The Nonverbal Communication Reader: Classic and Conteporary Readings. Waveland Press. 2.Russell, Ch. (2000). CULTURE, LANGUAGE AND BEHAVIOR: Perception. A Review of General Semantics, 57, 4. 3.Wood, J.T. (2003). Interpersonal Communications. Wadsworth Publishing.                     

Courage in the Civil War (Referencing for Cause and Comrades by James M. Mcpherson

Kathie Kaidan 4/14/10 HST 202 Paper #2 There is much controversy and uncertainty about the reasons of why the Civil War started, and why it went on for so long. The Civil War is unusual not only in American History, but in world history as well because of the intensity and carnage of it. Men were taking up arms against their neighbors, fathers, sons, brothers, and friends to meet on the field of battle with only one mission: to kill one another. James McPherson wondered this, so he researched over 25,000 uncensored letters to friends and family, and almost 250 private diaries from soldiers fighting for the Confederacy and soldiers fighting for the Union. He then took what he learned and wrote the book For Cause and Comrades, and found certain ideals that, he believes, are key reasons as to why these men fought each other over this conflict. McPherson argues that the initial impulse of the soldiers to fight the war was the simple â€Å"military rage† that follows after the declaration of any war. In most cases â€Å"military rage† is short lived, and mostly just talk, and then people back down when asked to rise up and fight. But in the Civil War, men were tearing down doors in order to enlist, and they continued to do so after the initial excitement had died down. McPherson also follows French Revolution Historian John Lynn in dividing soldiers motivation to fight into three sections throughout the war. â€Å"I have borrowed part of my conceptual framework from John A. Lynn, an historian of the armies of the French Revolution. Lynn posited three categories: initial motivation; sustaining motivation; and combat motivation. The first consists of the reasons why men enlisted; the second concerns the factors that kept them in the army and kept the army in existence over time; and the third focuses on what nerved them to face extreme danger in battle. These categories are separate but interrelated† (McPherson, 12). One important aspect was that men fought because of the desire to have this sense of manliness and doing things to prove it. Two versions of manhood competed in the Victorian era: the hard-drinking, gambling, whoring two-fisted man among men, and the sober, responsible, dutiful son or husband. Some soldiers found that the army transformed them from one kind of man to the other, better kind† (McPherson, 26). Courage played a huge role in determining one’s level of manliness. The more courage you showed, the manlier you were. And with every man trying to prove himself better than the others, it played a key role in why Civil War soldiers continued to fight for as long as they did. The war started out with the soldiers having a sense of false courage. Most of them hadn’t seen battle yet, and they were often unsure if they war would end before they had the chance to make their mark. But this behavior of being â€Å"pumped up† and excited for battle was just pre-battle adrenalin. They were not truly being courageous until after they had experienced the horror of the bloodshed, and decided to continue to endure it all over again. When it had been experienced, the emotional impact of it was overwhelming. Many wrote in their letters to loved ones saying â€Å"I hope I will never be in another†¦no man can tell me anything about war I have got a plenty† (McPherson, 33), and â€Å"I am satisfied with fighting. I wish the War was over†(McPherson, 33). McPherson compared these feelings to those men who fought in World War II, mostly the 101st Airborne Division who took part in the D-Day Invasion. â€Å"Before their drop behind German lines on D-Day, men in the elite 101st Airborne Division were ‘gung-ho’. When the survivors returned to England to prepare for their next mission, ‘the boys aren’t as enthusiastic or anxious to get it over with as they were before Normandy. Nobody wants to fight anymore. ’†(McPherson, 35) This is when the courage began to show. Even after seeing the â€Å"elephant†, a metaphor used by McPherson in place of battle, the men remained determined to fight. They came to realize that courage meant to stand up against and conquer their fear, not just feeling fear itself. It was at its worse before the battle had even begun. Once it began only their courage and adrenaline could keep them going. They also began of noticing ways to relieve their tension. One way was yelling at the top of their lungs, and this it to be thought as the origin of the famous Rebel Yell. The men didn’t understand the changing in their body chemistry, so they were dumbfounded when they could overcome illness, disabilities, and sometimes-even wounds in order to fight. After the battle had ended, most men were overcome with exhaustion. When they finally could rest, thoughts and nightmares of the battle would fill their heads. They experienced breakdowns, little sleep, appetite loss, and hot flashes quickly followed by the chills. But, nonetheless, they pursued on. The last thing they wanted was to give up or be taken over by their dreams. To them, retreating or going home was a loss of courage. â€Å"Civil War soldiers had never heard of the terms ‘shell shock’ or ‘battle fatigue’ or ‘combat stress reaction’ or ‘psychiatric casualties’. But many of them experienced the symptoms these terms attempt to describe. A word that was familiar to them, however, was ‘courage’. And they understood that combat stress reaction was a loss of courage, a loss of the will to go on fighting†(McPherson, 163). It soon was known that courage wasn’t only shown and proven on the field of battle, but to have the determination and desire to endure all else that comes along with warfare: scarcity of food, changes in weather, not having proper shelter, little sleep, having to march for hours every day, and not knowing if you were going to see your friends and family ever again. These were the things that took up most of the soldiers’ lives; fighting in battle was only a small percentage. McPherson quoted a major in the 11th Georgia on his definition of what courage was in 1863; â€Å"†¦not as merely bravery in battle, but also the nerve to endure rain, and snow, and sleet, and the privations of Winter, and the scorching sun of Summer†¦to undergo extreme fatigue, to subdue the pains of hunger†¦ to do battle with sickness and despondency and gloom as with the Country’s enemies. And above all to hold one’s self patiently and cheerfully ready to meet the shocks of battle† (McPherson, 163-164). Although many other factors were involved as to why the men stuck it out, I believe courage is the root to them all. It takes courage to defend your family and land, which is what made your honorable. It takes courage to believe in God, and know that he is watching over you, and guiding you. It takes courage to stand up for your country and fight for what you believe in. It’s amazing how these men continued to fight, and continued to be courageous when they had so many things going against them. It’s better understood as to why they volunteered in the first place, but it is amazing how so many stayed until they died or the war was declared over. Courage is a strong factor for anyone, but the way it is displayed through these men is miraculous.