Were the French Right to Execute Their King

Were the French Revolutionaries Right To Execute Their King? Over the years since the execution of Louis 16th there have been several different discussions as to whether it was right for the French revolutionaries to execute their king. There are a number of reasons to lead people to think that it was right that Louis 16th was beheaded by the blood stained blade of the guillotine. The defendants of the revolutionaries state that Louis 16th was a horrific traitor to the majority of his people. The first was that he believed in feudalism, â€Å"slavery and all sorts of things that were genuinely satanic. The French Revolution saw peasants in the third estate rebel against an extremely corrupt tax system that caused millions of deaths and years of famine. French society was organised into three estates. The first two estates (church and nobility) enjoyed great privileges. The third estate, which had no privileges had to pay all the taxes. This system was called â€Å"The Ancient Regim e. † The third estate consisted of ninety six percent of the population and the remaining four percent were the first and second estates. In 1700s the cost of living was rising fast but wages remained low.This, along with the corrupt tax system plunged the third estate deep into a huge economic crisis which left them fighting over scraps of food. There were also new ideas spreading in 1700s. For example the American Declaration of Independence in 1776 included ideas such as; all people are born equal, people have rights and the government should govern in the interests of the people. None of these were happening in France. Lastly, King Louis spent a lot of the money that he had collected from the third estate on luxuries.On the other hand, there are people with contrasting views who believe that the French king should not have been executed. There first and most important argument is that Louis did ask the first and second estates to pay taxes but they refused. As a result it was not his fault that the third estate was charged heavy taxes and subsequently not his fault that the first and second estates were not taxed. Another argument is that the French government was in a great amount of debt (mainly because of the wars in Canada). As a result Louis had no other choice but to raise taxes.Also, Louis was not the person responsible for spending a lot of the money, his wife Marie Antoinette was. She splashed money on numerous extremely expensive items such necklaces, rings and several other items. In conclusion, I think that the French revolutionists were right to execute their king mainly because Louis taxed the extremely poor but did not tax the rich. This was exceptionally cruel and corrupt. Also, the king let his wife, Marie Antoinette spend lots of money that was collected from tax that should have gone towards the French government and the overall maintenance of the country.

Saving Grace by Lee Smith

Lucid and devoid of any ornate sentimentality, Saving Grace is the ninth novel of Lee Smith, followed by what many considers to be her masterpiece, Oral History. The Appalachian setting of the novel reflects the author’s unceasing obsession with nature, folklore and traditional humane values. Like Oral History, Saving Grace too deals with the thematic constructs of troubled family relations and wistful remembrances. The first person narrative technique brings out the feel of the novel perfectly. Florida Grace Shepherd, the protagonist of the story, vividly recounts her younger days in a melancholy tone which reverberates with lack of self-pity. Such a tone reflects Grace's complete alienation not just from established family or social orders, but also from her own internal world. Her subsequent coming of age in an adulterous world is amply recorded in the prose style which is â€Å"breathtaking in scope and heart-rending in effect–a redemptive work of art†¦ † (Saving Grace 2006). This essay is going to critically discuss how Grace’s life is shaped by her encounter with various men. What makes Saving Grace a standout among Lee Smith’s other novels is its portrayal of a compelling journey to self-exploration. The title itself serves as an interactive vehicle for bringing out the thematic aspects of the plot. Right from the fictional beginning, the heroine of the story Florida Grace Shepherd feels the need to be saved: â€Å"I am and always have been contentious and ornery, full of fear and doubt in a family of believers. Mama used to call me her â€Å"worrywart child. † (Smith 3) However, the fact that she never liked to be saved by some kind of divine intervention goes to show the matriarchal-patriarchal dichotomy in the Shepherds household. The first Man whom Grace is commanded to put her trust is Jesus Christ, and she hates doing that. She openly avows her hatred for Jesus. It is her mother in whom she finds solace and healing touch in moments of extreme pain and emotional anguish: â€Å"†¦smoothing my long yellow hair and pressing me against her bosom where I could smell the familiar smell of cotton dried out on the line. (Smith 3) Despite her mother’s firm faith in the Holy Lord, much like her father’s, Jesus to her is the perpetrator behind broken family relationships. Deep in her mind she knows that her father finds the forgiving nature of God as an alibi to lead a life of a compulsive womanizer on the pretext of fundamentalist preaching of Evangelism. The main line of business for the Reverend Virgil Shepherd is the unassuming womenfolk of the mountain community of Scrabble Creek, North Carolina. Her father’s escapades and itinerant schedule have spelled doom for the entire family. The serpent-healing of Grace’s father haunts her at night when she and her sister Billie Jean â€Å"fall asleep to the sound of serpents rattling in boxes under their bed. † (Eckard 174) In this context, the all-important theme of spiritual salvation comes into contention. Grace refuses to embrace the ways of salvation by being obedient to the Holy Lord. She scorns the prospect of becoming a â€Å"special servant of the Lord† (Smith 30). Her reluctance is extended to such a degree that she cannot even gather up enough courage to rely on the Lord fearing it would lead to misunderstandings within the family and she may be cast out of the known bondage. Moreover, her restricted and brainwashed childhood is manifested through the religious customs imposed upon the children by their father: â€Å"he would not let us read anything except the Bible, he said that was all we needed to read. We were not even allowed to read the newspaper, as the only news we needed to know was the good news of the Gospel, and anything else would distract us from it. † (Smith 11) So we have seen the affect of two men on Grace’s upbringing – firstly, her father and secondly and perhaps more ominously, Jesus Christ Himself. As the story sets in motion, the readers are introduced to a 38-year old Grace making a homecoming to Scrabble Creek. The course of her life appears to be bleak after two failed marriages, childhood seduction by half brother Lamer, her mother’s suicide, and the forsaking of her own children. Here we can get a feel of the plot which is to be unfolded as we go along. It is primarily a plot based on begin-at-end formation with the main character revealing her past life at a time when everything in her present seems to have come to a cul-de-sac. However, as The Washington Post Book World reviewed, Lee Smith gives an almost impersonalized voice to her heroine as she states the truth with an â€Å"honesty so severe we are brought to our knees†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Saving Grace 2006). â€Å"I mean to tell the truth†¦even the terrible things†, and she does unhurriedly and forthrightly (Eckard 174). Her recollection touches down the lives of everyone she happened to come across right throughout her childhood and adolescent days. What she can relate to fondly was the maternal love and care she got. But nowhere in her narration do we find traces of accusation or bitter repudiation against those men who directly or indirectly exploited her. Her matter-of-fact presentation renders a dramatic appeal to the narrative, making her a storytelling model. It conforms to the viewpoints held by Sheila Collins who in her essay Theology in the Politics of Appalachian Women argues that â€Å"women must resist the silent, feminized roles traditionally expected of them in religious and political spheres†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Eckard 175). Indeed, Grace’s account shakes the stereotyped role of womanhood hailing from rough and repressive highland living. All along the novel, the readers can find several sets of juxtaposition in terms of feminine ways of perceiving life. Time and again, Grace embarks on self-evaluation to find meaning behind her existence in a world which is ruthless and full of contradicting elements. Her internal world is perpetually at flux for the simultaneous presence of sin and salvation, silence and voice, power and powerlessness and so on. All these elements are typically associated with the male connections Grace has during her eventful journey. It won’t be an overstatement to claim that Saving Grace is about the tragic life of a woman who, after coming in touch with lumps of dirt, remains unblemished in the end. Her single life may not be seen ideal to follow, but one cannot deny the unyielding spirit of humanity in the face of male dominance that Lee Smith documents through the portrayal of Florida Grace Shepherd.

Dave and Busters Tour Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dave and Busters Tour - Coursework Example The gaming zone is a major attraction at all the branches. Games on offer include pool and bowling. Whereas in the arcade gaming zone Star Wars, Kung Fu Panda, Transformers, Batman, Fishbowl Frenzy and various others are available to play. In addition to all this the restaurant also provides sponsorships for major events such as WWE and UFC. Keeping in mind these offerings it is important to understand that the franchise needs some refurbishments. Hence if I were running the place I would make the following changes. Food is an attraction for people and delicious food is a reason for them to come again. If I were to set the menu of the restaurant I would do it with keeping in mind what type of crowd the place generates. Prices of the food items need to be monitored as the prices to certain dishes are high. My target audiences are the kids because they require a place to hangout, where they could eat and get entertained. I would include various deals for youngsters by which they could enjoy a worthy meal and could also try their hands on a few games. I would also provide them with bottomless sodas. I would also set the menu for other age groups. If certain people just come to drink or play games I would offer them with food tastings that would tempt them to get the whole meal. Another major addition to the food section is the commencement of breakfast. Breakfasts are the first meals of the day, hence if we provide healthy and delicious breakfast to our customers they would come back later for the other attractions. I would reassess the gaming and arcade zone again as it attracts people from all age groups. I would sponsor championships for billiards and bowling. The sponsored championships would have good prize money and a chance to become a lifelong member at Dave and Buster’s restaurants. Whereas for the video gaming section a similar scheme can be applied, where I would organize regular events for the gamers. Playing video games

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 27

Business - Essay Example This therefore implies that it is important to make sure that the workforce is satisfied and relating well with one another. A workforce that is well motivated, working as a team, and has a good working environment are all ingredients required for success of any business. It is upon the management to build of any business to ensure that there is team work I the organization, and that the workforce is motivated. In building employee motivation there is need for the management to create a strong foundation that should act as the main driving force of the employees. Building a foundation involves revisiting the organization’s mission, vision and objectives. It is important to make sure that all employees are fully aware of the organization’s vision, mission, and objectives. This is important since it gives a guideline on what the organization as a whole is working towards. Additionally, knowledge of the mission, vision, and objectives is important for employees to make a self-assessment to determine if they are in correspondence with individual career goals and aspirations. Correspondence of individual career goals with goals of the organization brings a sense of belonging and therefore there are higher chances of feeling motivated. This should be done frequently new employees joining the organization in order to ensure that the entire workforce is well motivated. It is upon the management to build a conducive and welcoming atmosphere within the organization in a bid to motivate the workforce. A good working environment motivates employees and there are hardly any cases of absenteeism. This is because a conducive atmosphere in work places makes employees feel important and comfortable. It is extremely easy to handle all forms of work related challenges when employees are in a comfortable environment. The management should ensure that employees feel comfortable to approach them with all questions regarding work. For instance, the

Medicare and Medicaid Module 4 (SLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Medicare and Medicaid Module 4 (SLP) - Essay Example The program has been designed to provide affordable medical support and its clients benefit from a range of products, including regional care teams, social workers, registered nurses and the behavioral health specialists. Medical services in Texas are offered depending on the laid down policies. The Medicare system is ideally relevant and it involves a number of radical considerations. The Medicare supplement involves paying your taxes through 65 years and from here you can be able to get your payback. To qualify for Texas Medicare, the state offers enrolment requirements for the couples. For example in Texas, the core consideration for people planning to acquire the health plan would involve ideally ensuring that qualification for Part A hospital insurance scheme is achieved. This implies that must work for 10 years in order to qualify for the free cover. Other people would opt to buy the program. The rates vary considerably from about $32-$100 depending on the program. To enroll hence for Part B program or otherwise known as medical insurance, you will be required to pay $99.90 every month. Once enrolled, your details would be reflected in the Medicare systems database once you reach 65 years. The services take effect as soon as your information has been crosschecked for authenticity. Further, the medicare scheme could be automatically loaded depending on specific pay details. The next step is to classify your outpatient insurance program to be able to attain the relevant benefits. Part B insurance is critical and it is fundamental for people looking for treatments outside the hospital. If you have been successful in meeting relevant requirements, then it would be ideal to ensure that you proceed to create specific milestone for your spouse and your family. The monthly fee for Part B is $99.9 per month but this could be much less and this is classified basing your existing membership scheme or even when your premium has

The Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s - Research Paper Example The book contains details regarding the origins of the Iran-Iraq War. It separately analyzes politics and strategies that were associated with both countries during the war. Issues of long-term effects and impacts of the war on both countries are also addressed in this book. Religion in both Iraq and Iran is stated in the both. The book further continues by assessing the relationship between these two countries and the superpowers. In essence, the book in the conclusion chapters describes how Iran is related to the United States, and how Iraq related with Superpowers, which were either hostile or friendly. Published in the year 1989, this book by Dilip Hiro turned out to be highly instrumental in providing information regarding the Iraq-Iran War. The book provides detailed information on the root of conflict between Iraq and Iran War. Hiro takes a deep and critical look at the boiling issues affecting embattle Iran and Iraq. Hiro continues giving details regarding the war by touching on impacts it will have on the outside and Western world that is through exploring the victims and benefactors of the war. The engaging part of the book is the part whereby, Hiro discusses how the war was fought that is, through stating the weaponry and strategy employed by both countries during the war. This book also provides information pertaining to the negotiations that failed, and resulted in the war. Jacek’s article is one of the most recent scholarly article that examines United States’ involvement in the Iran-Iraq war of 1980s. Since it is one of the latest publication in this subject matter, it highly gets cited in later articles and books on the U.S. participation in Iran-Iraq war of 1980s.

Mark Steinberg's Voices of Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mark Steinberg's Voices of Revolution - Essay Example Steinberg re-hashes the demonstrations of June and the days of July giving extra-special detail to top-level political decisions and machinations. In analyzing the activity of the lower class, he highlights looting and violence, that he refers to as protests of the lower class. He concludes that this â€Å"gave expression to a good deal of clearly directed anger and hatred† (Steinberg & Schwartz, 2003 p270). Steinberg points out in this section that moderate socialists, the far left, Kerensky and the re-energized right were of the opinion that only firm order would halt the further disintegration of Russia (Steinberg & Schwartz, 2003 p273). Steinberg continues to put emphasis on an effort, born of his own consciousness, to veer Bolshevism away from the center of this narrative. He does this by devoting more attention to the creation of Kerensky’s directory, for example, as well as the democratic conference and Moscow State Conference (Steinberg & Schwartz, 2003 p275). He does this instead of dwelling on the Bolshevik emergence in a majority of the soviets and the power seizure in October. Steinberg in this section explains the crisis and social breakdown that plagued Russia in this period by using the October revolution. The October revolution was about every-day people claiming power over their daily lives and the circumstances governing that life they held dear. Worth noting, however, is that Steinberg’s analysis, especially as laid down in this section, gives decreased attention to the rational approach of their efforts. The decreased attention to this is at the expense of their expressive and emotiona l intent, in particular the desire for retribution by the lower class on the social elites (Steinberg & Schwartz, 2003 p277). On July 1, there were demands of â€Å"all power to the soviets† by the second Gun regiment, as the third infantry regiment declined to send companies as a replacement to the front. Immediately after reception of orders to send help to the front, machine gunners in their thousands held an impromptu meeting to plan artillery backed insurrection. As the Bolsheviks attempted to calm things down, anarchists added more wood to the fire. The soldiers, fully armed took a decision to march while sending delegates from factories that, as workers, had to drop everything and join in the march. Soon, over 50,000 of them went marching all the while demanding All Power to the people (Steinberg & Schwartz, 2003 p279). The Bolsheviks at this point had no choice but to support the masses as long as they were peaceful in

Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Education - Essay Example The American government has put in place a body that sees to it that before a school is mandated to operate; whether as a private or public school, the school undergoes certain assessment process to ensure that it meets laid down criteria and standard. This assessment process is known as accreditation. Accreditation is important in ensuring that the freedom given to people to start schools is not abused and that parents and guardians get value for the money they spend in educating their wards. One area that the issuance of accreditation has become most popular and gained a lot of public attention is at the higher education level in the US. Higher Education System in US There are several types of higher education institutions in the United States. Some of these include: Research Universities, Doctorate-Granting Universities, Master's (Comprehensive) Universities and Colleges, Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges, Associate of Arts Colleges, Professional Schools, Specialized Instituti ons, Postsecondary Vocational and Technical Schools. According to the U.S. Network for Education Information (USNEI), Washington (2001), â€Å"current data indicate that there are some 2,819 institutions offering a Bachelor's or higher degree; 2,657 institutions offering at least an associate's degree but less than a bachelor's degree; and 4,927 institutions offering shorter non-degree programmes of less than two years duration.† These schools offer educational credentials such as High School Diploma, Associate Degree, Certificate, Bachelor's Degree, Diploma, Education Specialist, First Professional Degree, Post-Bachelor's Diploma, Master's Degree, Certificate of Advanced Study and Doctorate. Thelin, J.R., Edwards, J.R & Moyen, E (2011) see the higher education system to be just more than a set of institutions that impart knowledge. To them, higher education in the United States is an established ‘knowledge industry’ that represents about 3 percent of the gross n ational product. To this effect, they claim that â€Å"virtually every governor and legislature across the nation evokes colleges and universities as critical to a state's economic and cultural development.† It is for the sake of this important role that higher education plays to the United States that it is important to ensure that products that are produced by higher education institutions are products worth the ‘market force’. Accreditation Agencies for Higher Education Accreditation of schools in the United States dates back to the 1800s. According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Schools and Colleges, ACICS (2011), â€Å"The first regional accrediting agencies formed in the 1880s with particular focus on educational standards and admissions procedures.† The agencies kept changing till in 1996, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation took over accreditation in the United States to oversee the works of accreditation agencies like ACICS and other public and private accreditation agencies. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) is generally responsible for accreditation of higher education

Pop Music Has It Gone Too Far Essay Example for Free

Pop Music Has It Gone Too Far Essay Has Pop music gone too far some might say yes some might say no but to some extent everyone would agree but how can you judge this by standard of the generation and how the artist changed it as well as how you would think the next generation would react. hen we began the course it started with rock and rollers wearing suits and dancing with a 1-2 step then coming to 2013 which Ithink the second teen idol era such as Justin Bieber or Katy Perry or even worse the Kardashians but even now compare them to the likes of Fabian teen idols of the late 50s-60s who are taking the rolls of Elvis and such should be noted than filming of Elvis from the waist down was prohibited at a time then to half naked women for the sake of getting a gold record and a couple of bucks but then there was jim morrison waving around his penis on stage but it can be said he was under influence of several things. But all in all I Say that yes it has gotten too far . Pop music can be said to be always changing because the change from RB to hip hop did not happen without a huge change like rock and roll and san francisco but when you say something is extreme the next generation will take it as the norm say when 80s rock and roll started making sex related music videos which was considered ridiculous today its everywhere my cousin who was listening to songs like stronger or E. however her mom had no problem . One of the biggest thing I Seen arise is that it injected itself into our culture just like a virus from well dressed clean cut to leather pants and jackets and crazy cuts but it began with the beatles who simply got long hair. Or when KIss stated wearing leather and make up the youth followed proving that it was no longer anti-culture it was culture and changing america for better or worse. Another thing that crossed my mind is that good is bad and bad is good when the rolling stones crossed this path they set a whole world of problems but how far can you go for record sales once it was love, peace and tolerance then it turned to sex drugs and rock and roll while the singers who were in tune were dismissed while screamers were considered the best. But some may not think this is a big deal, it is pop music but I Would think death would change one’s mind. Jimi Hendrix one of the best guitarists died due to â€Å"misadventure† aka he overdosed as well as jim morrison taking their own lives the best of the san francisco style dead, pop music took these â€Å"tortured† souls but it can be said that they had it coming to them how about the fans, ordinary people for example say Altamont Free Concert what could go wrong Free concert with world famous acts what could go wrong. Drugs and alcohol can. The rolling stones here tried to skip the police and decided that they can do whatever they wanted , they were a pop artist group of course, so they decided to hire the hells Angels and with the drugs and fight music a brawl broke out between a fan and to members which ended with the death of Meredith Hunter who was stabbed to death by the security personnel and it was caught on tape. Or when the prince of darkness decided to write a song about suicide (suicide solution) a teenaged John McCollum decided to kill himself . he lyrics went†Where to hide, suicide is the only way out Dont you know what its really about Wine is fine but whiskeys quicker Suicide is slow with liquor Take a bottle, drown your sorrows Then it floods away tomorrows† this song at the least suggests suicide if not promoting it . Being bad may bring in platinum records and #1 hits but when people start dying bad is not good any more it’s bad. Rock and roll was once full of well dressed mannered people the Beatles be a good example and early on their lyrics meant well elvis sang about love and moondogs then Jimi hendrixs start humping his guitar on fire then the who started breaking equipment , The rolling stones started shooting heroin on stage, ozzy osbourne bit the heads off a bat and Jim morrison exposed himself and I doubt all they sung about was love me do and twist and shout the lyrics esuculated from â€Å"in benefit of mr. ite† to Prince saying incest is ok or when twisted sister said to shoot them down with a _______ gun then Venom advising â€Å"Welcome to my sacrifice Plunge the dagger in her breast† then ice-t saying to kill police or when blackie lawless is acting out sex with a saw . The lyrics are what sells albums Eminem and 2pac both are one of the most successful rap artists ever and yet there lyrics call for killing cops homophobia and songs against women. In a song Eminem or marshall mathers once said that there would be the same amounts of drug addicts and murders without me something I Doubt. The more famous the artist the more influence they have charles manson said that the Beatles were prophets . Going back in time there was a time when music was a time where music was an extra part of life which was recreational and now we hang on every last word of our favorite artist say swag which was reintroduced by T.  I jay-y as well as justin bieber and it is still around and dont forget YOLO which was created by drake but it seems though as it is dying out but hats, shirts and bracelets were made and this is where it begins to push the limits when people live their live based upon these word which in a way is no different than Charles Manson. Or when Wiz Khalifa is so open about his weed addiction and so many of my former friends started because of him or even earlier when Dr. dre started and when people take pills because eminem did it or acid because the beatles were cool. hen people say pop music artist does this it becomes a religion like following like how a good christian would follow the teachings of jesus they are following the ideals of pop stars and became the center of everything as John Lennon once said†Were more popular than Jesus now† or when Kendrick Lamar Says†Depending on what you expecting, Im sure its bigger than your religion†After this course I’m wondering where is the responsibility of these Musicians who control the public when are they saying not to listen to them but they want to be heard so if you do go to F.  Y. E and pick up a Marshall mathers lp the responsibility is given to the parents as there is a little text box saying parental advisory for us to have to w orry about those things itself proves that Pop music has gone too far as you wouldnt let your child listen to Eminem or Ozzy And you would not let your parents hear you listening to them I think thats the limit when it starts to on Prentice Hall, 2006.

Ethnic Identity Construction Essay Example for Free

Ethnic Identity Construction Essay Abstract The point of this paper is to help the reader grasp the different aspects of human identity construction with regards to ones race and/or ethnicity. This is a topic that is incredibly important to all races of people regardless of economic class or whatever else is seemingly more important. It is quite impossible to go throughout life without forming an idea of who you are or where you have come whether you care to make it a part of your daily life, have no choice or acknowledge it when it is convenient; without that knowledge I find it difficult to fully make the most of life. Through the readings from the semester and class discussions I have come to the conclusion that White ethnics choose to either assert their ethnicities thickly or thinly, or they chose to incorporate it into their lives symbolically. Blacks on the other side of the spectrum lack choice in their racial identity because their race is visible and so it is assigned to them. Asians have both the ability to choose to assert their specific ethnicities but they are racially assigned. The issue with racial and ethnic construction is that it is born of social construction-what others believe of your race to be true. This can make the identity construction process much more difficult depending upon your racial or ethnic background. Regardless, I find this to be an important part of the identity construction journey. How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone. These words were spoken by the infamous French fashion designer, Gabrielle â€Å"Coco† Chanel. In America today, these words could not ring truer in the subject of identity. â€Å"Who am I? †, â€Å"Where do I come from? † All questions of self reflection which undoubtedly each individual asks themselves on a daily basis. These questions are not elaborate in structure but hold a great deal of weight to them and contain countless answers. White ethnics face the decision of whether or not to include their ethnicities into their identity construction; their racial invisibility gives them the choice to identify. Racial minorities self define differently from those of the white majority-there often is no choice. There are many different facets of identity construction that create the varying formulas with which Black Americans must create their racial identity. The blatant visibility of race for Blacks creates many of the difficulties that they face in the United States varying from the generalized stereotypes, entry into the coveted middle class of America. These are some of the factors that determine whether or not a positive Black identity is being formed. Lastly, Asian Americans, have found themselves in that strange middle ground of identity construction; their struggle is not exactly like that of Black Americans but they are also not easily accepted like the dominant white group. The unique factors that help Asian Americans shape their identity are the same ones that make it difficult for others outside of their race to define them. It is with this unusual combination that Asian Americans have been given the convenient ability to choose to assert their specific ethnicities and to assimilate like white ethnics while still feeling the effects of racial constraint and having their race assigned to them like Black Americans. White Ethnic Identity Construction Today we look at the possible ways the white racial group define themselves; how they appear to others of their same race as well as to non-whites and the impact of American societal expectations on the self, ultimately creating a portrait of how white ethnics construct their ethnic identity throughout the generations and the evolution of ethnic value over time. It is all too common to hear an individual say â€Å"I don’t care what people think of me† or â€Å"Their opinion doesn’t matter,† although that may be their thought process, little do they know that it is the interaction with other human beings that helps form each person’s sense of self and that every person’s opinion of you matters a great deal. â€Å"Identity cannot exist apart from a group†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gans, 1991, p. 430). Each person bounces their personality off of other people and it is from their reactions to us that we base our identities on. This idea is called â€Å"The Looking Glass Self† developed by Charles Cooley. Cooley argues that every time we interact with another person, we see ourselves in a mirror that they hold up to us and our reflections shape our sense of self (Butler-Sweet, 2011, Sep. 20). Essentially our self definitions are based on how others see us. We cannot escape it, the society that we live in is based on interaction with other people and humans, by nature are visual; we judge first by what we see. This is why race is the defining factor in American society but mainly for non-whites. The white race in America is dominate, however, it is not dominate because of the race itself but because of the culture that was formed from it. This idea of â€Å"whiteness† stems from European ideals where historically white ethnics had the most education and were Christians opposed to the non-Christians who were also not white. When Europeans came over to America they brought these ideals with them and used them as a foundation for the new culture they were creating that placed large emphasis on church, family, and accumulating wealth and with that social status (Zack, 1998, p. 61). These ideals were the foundation of American culture and since this culture was created by whites, American became synonymous with white, white became the norm and therefore transparent. If you are white in America it is highly unlikely that you will notice your race on a daily basis unless you are placed in a situation where you are surrounded by non-whites and forced into awareness. It is a definite advantage to have your race be invisible to everyone; when you are accustomed to seeing something, you do not think about it. That being said, according to the â€Å"Looking Glass Self†, hardly anyone, white or non-white will reflect a white person’s whiteness to them. Having race viewed as insignificant in a white individual’s identity. Due impart, to the diminished importance of race to white identity construction, ethnicity among white ethnics is a choice. White ethnics can decide if they want their ethnicity to be a part of what shapes their identity and if they do chose to assert an ethnicity they chose once again if they want to assert it thickly or thinly. Growing up in Connecticut, I know that there is not as wide a variety of ethnicities as there could be among white ethnics but in a few of the less suburban areas in Connecticut, namely New Britain, certain white ethnics choose to thickly assert their ethnicity. In New Britain there is a large population of Polish white ethnics; they speak the language and have ethnic markets and restaurants. They choose to incorporate their ethnicity into their everyday lives and associate with those of that same ethnicity. On the flip side, in my suburban hometown of Farmington, Connecticut, there were a decent amount of Polish people who attended my high school however, most choose to thinly assert their ethnicity mostly by only claiming their ethnicity when it came to soccer or eating polish food during the holidays. The importance of ethnicity to white ethnics is often asserted thinly if at all. The amount of emphasis placed on the value of ethnic identity among whites is not the same as it has been in times past; the emphasis has now been placed on American culture and what is considered valuable. If white ethnics choose to include their ethnicity in their identity today, it would most likely be symbol of what once was. When Europeans first came to America from whichever country, their original ethnic background was everything. The language, food, traditions, clothing and music was a constant influence on their everyday lives as first generation Americans. Community ties to people of your same ethnicity were incredibly important as it was an extension of your immediate family. Being the â€Å"new kids on the block† so to speak, was what kept these ethnic communities very tightly knit however, each generation after began to slowly back away from those original ties and started to assimilate into the dominate American culture. The acculturation process starts in second generation white ethnics where original ethnic traditions that they grew up with become not as important because now, fitting in to the dominate culture is the way to progress. The third generation white ethnic, has fully assimilated into American culture and has little interest in their ethnicity because by now they have figured out that in being a white ethnic, they fit into the dominate culture and ethnicity is not necessary. It may not necessarily be a hindrance to their economic, intellectual or social success, but it also is not a part of them that they feel needs to be asserted; it is at this point, that ethnic symbolism begins to show up (Gans, 1991, p. 430). Through intermarriage and acculturation, third generation white ethnics and beyond often know little about their ethnicity or by now ethnicities. Sometimes there are so many ethnicities to choose from, from either parent that a white ethnic will simply pick out the stereotypes of a certain ethnicity in their genetic arsenal that they feel they can identify most with as a way of feeling ethnic of their ethnic identity. Physical traits are often used as the indicator for which ethnicity a white ethnic will chose to identify with; one of my closest friends is Luxembourgian, German, Scandinavian, Swedish, Norwegian, and Scottish. Despite the fact that her last name itself is German, she chooses to associate her fair skin, blonde hair and blue eyes with her Scandinavian and Swedish ethnicities; this is probably in large part due to her mother’s family who’s history holds more interest to her as well as people who look the most like her. She uses her physical features as symbols of her ethnicity, nothing more. It is often that if one side of the family is more vocal about a certain ethnicity or ethnicities within the family that as a result, the children will associate more with that ethnicity or ethnicities (Waters, 1998, p.60). The majority of white ethnics are of the upper middle class in American society because the race is not a constraint for them and so they have access to jobs and to education that non-whites may not have. This American culture or â€Å"whiteness† by itself leads to a sense of monotony to some white ethnics and so the symbolic ethnicity comes into play as a way to liven things and bring back a since of individuality; to not be â€Å"just American† (Waters, 1998, p. 90). Non-whites in America maintain their ethnicity and embrace it because they are not given as equal a chance to assimilate into the dominate culture and without that opportunity, they are cut off from the jobs, that would provide money to become educated and progress in the American way and therefore stay very rooted in their original culture and maintain a strong sense of community which many white ethnics do not have. The constraints of white ethnic identity are few. The invisibility of whiteness gives white ethnics a definite upper hand and even further so, when it comes to their ethnicity they can make the choice. The possibilities for white ethnic identity and furthermore, their identity as a whole would seem to be very flexible. They lack only, it would seem when it comes to the sense of community. In the American culture, as it has evolved into today, the majority population’s focus is on wealth and social status and so nothing else comes to matter. White ethnics as a whole suffer little if any because, being the dominant race and culture; it is rare to find any door closed; the invisibility of their race gives them an unseen advantage which racial minorities do not have. Black Racial Identity Construction. As mentioned previously in discussing white ethnic identity construction, Cooley’s Looking Glass self was a prime factor in how identity is shaped, particularly for Black Americans. The mirror that is continuously held up to each Black person is a constant reminder that their race is a large part of how others define them. Unlike the dominant White group, race is nowhere close to being invisible for Blacks. W. E. B DuBois applies the basic idea of Cooley’s looking glass self, most specifically to the Black minority group with this concept of a â€Å"double consciousness† (Butler-Sweet, 2011, Nov. 3). Much like the looking glass, the double consciousness stresses that you will never be able to truly see yourself if you are of the Black minority group because others will see your race first and automatically reflect a negative image. If this double consciousness continues it can create, what Cornell West calls a Nihilistic threat; internalizing the negative impressions of your racial group and therefore yourself. Beverly Daniel Tatum points out in her book â€Å"‘Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? ’† that young children do not view racial differences as an issue but rather as a topic of curiosity, however, as the child reaches, what she calls, the â€Å"encounter stage† around adolescence race becomes very noticeable and if parents are not careful, their child will internalize all of the negative connotations of what it is to be Black (p. 55). The rest of that child’s life they will be reminded daily of their race, not necessarily in demeaning racial slurs, but in indirect forms of racism and prejudices. Unlike their White counterparts, Black Americans do not have the privilege of letting their race be invisible in society. Being the dominant group, White is expected and accepted-their race is invisible but as a minority group, Blacks do not have the choice of blending in; race is not only an assigned part of one’s identity if you are Black but it is thickly assigned which creates the boundaries and sense of separateness among the different racial groups. Identifying oneself as Black is essential for a member of the Black minority group if they wish to avoid self conflict. Wishing that you were not Black or attempting to be something other than Black only exasperates the issue. This negative view has to do with prejudices which transformed into stereotypes about Black Americans and translated into the negative Black identity which Black adolescents begin to form and even take with them into adulthood. Ones view of what it means to be Black can be fuelled primarily through stereotypes which can lead to a disdain of your own race. This could be expressed in a need to be the opposite of all those stereotypes, which was manifested as the Black kid not sitting at the all Black table (Tatum, 1997, p. 67). He refused to associate himself with those of his race because of the stereotypes that were reflected through â€Å"the looking glass. † This can at times be rectified later in life through exposure to positive examples of Black peoples, particularly those who are college educated. According to the double consciousness, the fact that you are Black is already assigned and therefore asserting it further, is unnecessary. The idea that having a positive Black identity is contingent upon putting your race first is redundant because it is already visible to everyone you come in contact with. It is as if you are a book and your race is the plastic covering around it; people cannot open the book because the plastic is sealed so tightly around it. In order for there to be a positive black identity all that is necessary is a full acceptance of your race and the positive aspects of it. The presence of positive Black role models in the life of a Black youth early on encourages a positive Black identity and expels most of the widely spread negative stereotypes. (Tatum, 1997, p.55). With largely widespread negative views on Black Americans as a whole and stereotypes being perpetuated regularly it is easy for a Black person to feel victimized; caged into a role even. The most readily available images of Black people in the media are often those that portray blacks in dire, downtrodden striates or extreme poverty. Sadly, this generalized portrait of Black Americans is overly, the dramatized and filled with gang violence, illegal drug sale, and so on. This type of life has been glorified in popular music; rappers especially speak of having been poor and having to live in the projects-the only way to survive being crime. Whatever is most commonly projected will be the easiest to accept as your only choice if you are Black. Lack of funding in lower income communities, the majority of which are populated by Black Americans, create low grade schools decreasing the ability or even the possibility for Black minorities to go on to higher education. America is a country built on capitalism; if one group cannot keep up with the dominant group financially they will fall back. Only 30% of Black Americans are impoverished but as a whole, are widely accepted as poor because of the media’s attention on densely populated, majority black communities (Butler-Sweet, 2011, Nov. 10). When this negative view becomes the norm, it is hard for Black youth to see much else, which is often why the minority of Blacks who rise above the negative stereotypes their racial identity is questioned by others of their same race. Since the idea of a middle class and the suburbs is a social class largely dominated by the dominant white group, some would find Black Americans as a part of that middle class to be an oddity. It is automatically assumed that because the White race is dominate in American society that they would have the jobs, the wealth, education and ability to enter seamlessly into the middle class realm and above. However, racial prejudices and stereotypes have made it so that it is quite uncommon to find a Black family in a predominantly White suburb; the symbol of the middle class. Somehow, through hard work, sacrifice or well-off parents, Blacks have managed to go on to higher education and thereafter; higher paying jobs, earning them a spot in the middle class. Unfortunately, this kind of success among Black people of the middle class does not sit well with those that live below it. It is the truest statement to say that personally, growing up in a largely White suburb, endured an intense inquisition about my racial affiliation from my Black peers who were bused in from Hartford. I was told that I â€Å"dressed White†, â€Å"talked White†, and many a time that I was in fact White or an â€Å"Oreo† as they would put it. Many of my White friends would joke around with me that I was not Black. There is nothing more offensive than being told, in so many words, that because your parents were educated, held well paying jobs, bought a house in the suburbs and educated you in a majority White school system, that you were no longer Black; worse even, being scrutinized and ignored by people of your own race because of a difference in social class. Tatum speaks of the same issues in her book, she even states how important it is for young Black people in predominantly White communities to connect with other Black peers to share experiences and increase awareness of daily life outside of the suburbs (Tatum, 1997, p.69-70). One would think that coming to a university with a larger community of Blacks than in my high school would open doors, but sadly I find that the divide is almost completely the same. The Black friends I have made since attending the University of Connecticut have been ones that share a similar background as myself; rarely do non-suburban Black people and I become friends and it is not for lack of effort on my part. I would like to think that I keep a positive attitude towards both Whites and Blacks but because of the stereotypes so deeply ingrained in many of us, it is difficult to lay them down and redirect our way of thinking. It is this reason, among others why other racial and sometimes ethnic minorities have difficulty being accept in America, Asian Ethnic and Racial Identity Construction The entrance into America for Asians is considered to be the first wave of immigration. This wave is relatively recent beginning in the early 19th century with the Chinese who immediately moved out west where the work they were given was largely agricultural. Like all immigrants coming into the United States, the Chinese, Japanese and later other groups like Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese, among others, all faced discrimination from the dominate White group. When the Chinese first entered they were very hardworking and skilled while working on the transcontinental railroad but having not been in America long enough and having so many Chinese coming in their seemingly flawless work ethic was viewed as a threat by their fellow White workers. After the Chinese Exclusion Act was put into action in 1882, Japanese immigrants began to make their way into America but the same thing happened to them. Their advanced skills in agriculture were considered a threat to the Whites. They were taking their jobs and since farmland is not something that goes away, the Japanese were able to establish themselves a little better than the Chinese (Butler-Sweet, 2011, Nov. 28). The manner in which the group entered into the United States is the reason why their history is so important to their formation of a positive Asian American identify. The entrance of the various Asian groups into the United States and the acceptance of them were bound to be a bit difficult. The size of the group was large enough to be considered a threat to the dominant white group and because they had a tendency to settle down together, making it difficult for them to assimilate into American culture. The second wave of Asian Immigration is a part of present day America and this idea of being threatened by the skillfulness of Asians is still something that the dominant group feels and makes a point to mention often. In the first wave of immigration, the Chinese and Japanese succeeded because the work they found in the United States involved the use of skills they had already cultivated in their specific countries and so the excelled. Here in this second wave it is the same thing; whatever the Asian group is good at in their places of origin are the skills they will take with them when immigrating and that is why this idea of the Model Minority Myth has been created (Monk, 1996, p. 31). Asian American’s ability to succeed so effortlessly it seems, in large part can be attributed to the fact that much like the dominant White group, Asian Americans have the ability to assert their specific ethnicities. Similar to Black Americans, Asian Americans have an assigned race; when it comes to their ethnicities, which hold more value to them than their race, it is of greater significance to how they identify. However, non-Asian groups tend to lump every Asian ethnicity under one â€Å"Pan Asian† label but Asian Americans refuse to accept this (Kibria, 2002, p. 73-74). Instead of agreeing with the reflection they see from other people about their race, as mentioned previously in regards to Cooley’s â€Å"Looking Glass Self†, Asian Americans place a great amount of emphasis on their specific country of origin and its traditions and cultures in order to define themselves. In the first wave of immigration, Asian Americans would settle in closely knit communities with their specific ethnic group; in those communities, they would all help each other out making it easier to survive in America. Even today, there are large communities of Asian Americans who choose to live close to each other to keep that sense of having a culture and traditions that separate them from everyone else. Having these tightly knit communities makes it easier for Asian Americans to succeed because they have a constant support group and people to fall back on if they need it (Monk, 1996, p. 37-38). Being in such constant close contact with those who share your culture background and infuse it into daily life definitely helps with forming a positive Asian American identity, regardless of outside influences. Some of the dominant White group believes that if given the chance, over time Asian Americans could have the potential to fully assimilate to American culture and become ultimately â€Å"white. † This idea of racial ethnogenesis is that the later generations of Asian Americans as well as incoming groups of Asians will simply begin to blend into American culture to the point that they will just embrace the racial category they have been placed in and forget about their ethnic background (Kibria , 2002, p. 14). What would this do for the identity construction of Asian Americans? Would their full assimilation into American culture really improve their quality of life anymore? The identity construction of Asian Americans would be so unlike every other identity if they simply assimilated completely into American culture. Letting go of cultural ties and accepting the general name for people of your same race will not improve the quality of life significantly because their race is still visible. Again, culture is a choice, race is not. Although Asian Americans are capable of choosing their ethnic identity and asserting it like the White ethnics, they also share the disadvantage of being assigned to their race like Black Americans because their race like Blacks is very visible. Since their race is visible it creates this aspect of constraint which makes it difficult for people to not see your race and therefore puts limits on how people will treat you or what jobs you can attain. Regardless of the success Asian Americans have in academics and achieving higher paying jobs, there is still a â€Å"glass ceiling† they have to deal with (Monk, 1996, p. 42). The visibility of their race keeps them from being hired as corporate CEOs or being in leadership positions in general. Excelling most commonly in mathematics and sciences often places Asian Americans in behind the scenes type of work that pays well but does not require them to be out in the open as public figures in the corporation. The added factor of an accent for more recent immigrants can also serve as additional restriction to entering into the higher echelons of business (Monk, 1996, p. 43). The positive connotations that come with being Asian American as well as the negative can have an adverse affect in identity construction. Being considered to be a â€Å"Model Minority† definitely can create some hostility especially for second and third generation Asian Americans. When non-Asians assume that you get A’s in school and that you are inherently good at mathematics it becomes a burden (Kibria, 2002, p. 87). Just the same, negative stereotypes about the foods that different Asian American cultures eat or assuming that because certain physical features are similar among the different ethnic groups, they are all the same, can create negative feelings about being Asian American and that is not good for the development of a healthy ethnic or racial identity. The saying â€Å"Asian Invasion† (Monk, 1996, p. 44) is very common I personally even have used it in jest and so have some of my Asian friends; I assumed that its use was okay. Generally, my second generation Asian friends will use this term when talking about either the Asian students who are studying abroad on campus, or in regards to first generation Asian Americans. This makes me wonder if my friends have assimilated enough into the dominant white culture that they no longer can see themselves associating with the incoming Asians. It is hard to determine whether the statement is meant as a joke or a commentary against ethnic Asians. Conclusion Having explained the different forms of identity construction through the examples of White ethnics, Black Americans and Asian Americans it has been made clear that identity construction cannot be viewed the same for a ethnicities and races. White ethnic identity comes in many different shapes sizes and forms ranging from symbolic, non-exisistent, or thinly asserted to a large part of how one identifies or thickly asserted. The option to pick and chose which part of your heritage you prefer over another or not at all is how white ethnics construct their identities. The majority of white ethnics who choose the route of symbolic ethnicity opposed to asserting either thinly or thickly a certain ethnicity is often because the dominant American culture has become of greater value to their identity than anything else and choosing an ethnic symbol to place on themselves is what will separate them from the rest of their fellow white ethnics or bring them closer to someone who holds the same ethnic symbol. Just the same, the constant pressures placed on Black Americans to play multiple roles are a difficult task. Shaping a positive identity of any kind is difficult but to shape a positive Black identity in America holds a certain amount of extra weight to it. Black Americans struggle trying to advance themselves because of the constant racial stereotypes reverberating in the background. If you do manage to elevate into the higher ranks of American life your racial loyalty will then be questioned. Is it possible that over time these stereotypes will dissipate or is there a reason they are kept alive? The unique combination of both ethnic choice and racial constraint makes Asian American identity construction the most interesting form of identity construction so far. Since the first wave of immigration into the second one, Asian Americans have dealt with a slew of racial injustices in America but they have also gained a great deal of merit mostly for being the â€Å"ideal† so to speak. Being hard workers and keeping close ethnic ties have made Asian Americans competition for White ethnics. In the future, whether or not they will completely assimilate or not is questionable and what toll it will take on their identity construction. Having the option to choose a part of your identity which no one can see will never outweigh your racial assignment. What is it, or is it possible to have a truly positive White ethnic or Black or Asian racial identity in America? The constant changes in society make it impossible to know.

Futures and Options Essay

Futures and Options Essay The agreement to buy and sell such commodities is made through contracts to bring in legality in trading as it involves cash payments margins, delivery of goods and scope for profit maximisation. The emergence of contract systems eventually led to trading in contracts whereby a middlemen stands in between buyers and sellers. The active trading in such contracts brought standardisation which in turn led to the development of futures contracts. A future contract is a standardised, binding agreement to make or take delivery of a specified quantity and grade of a commodity at an established point in future at an agreed upon price. The organization of merchants involved in the trading these commodities evolved into an organisation that standardised the contracts and trading practises and came to be known as The Futures Exchange such as the New York Board of Trade (NYBOT) and the London International Financial Futures Exchange. One essential objective of the exchange is to provide the dealers with all necessary information with regard to price volatility i.e. the magnitude of price movement in either direction. Note that it measures price risk and volatility but does not remove or eliminate risks. The exchange provides the benchmark for the determination of price by making price margins mandatory for effective fair trading. Future transactions do not require full advance payments for the commodity (just the margin), the buyer of a futures contract which increases in value (or the seller of futures contract which decreases in value) can realize a profit which can be substantial in relation to the commitment of capital. Brazil today is the world largest producer of coffee. Considering this figures, it is not surprising to note that it has attracted considerable amount of speculation and ever increasing susceptibility to price volatility. Coffee production has direct linkage with weather besides many other factors such as world coffee prices. A coffee drink manufacturer will buy coffee beans from a coffee producer at an agreed price if he/she expects to have drastic climatic changes which will result in coffee being expensive at a future date. A sudden drop in the production in future will cut supply and make it more expensive. the buyer can, therefore, avoid unnecessary risk by buying a futures contract that will guarantee him delivery of coffee at a future date at a price fixed now. However, it must also be noted that he/she will suffer loss if the future current/spot price of coffee beans were to fall drastically due to improved production and competitions. Take an example of Brazil The Brazilian Crop was initially expected to produce about 50 million bags of coffee. Seasonal disturbances such as rain, harvest delays and quality problem caused production to fall to 33.5 million bags. Due to severe drought in Viet Nam coffee production dropped by almost 1 million bags. These shortages of coffee output distort the supply level which leads to a global rise in prices. So what roles does the future markets play in the production and selling of coffee? Taking these points into account the next chapter looks at the Indian and world coffee markets and the role future market plays in its pricing. In the analysis, I have made use of some articles from the Times of India newspaper and other websites. It is logical to state that at times of shortage prices tend to go up due to higher demand and which in turn puts pressure on sellers to sell their product at a lower price. We know from our analysis before that a buyer will resort to futures contract if he expects the prices to go up in future. However considering that the production too has been low the chances of producing the required amount to meet the demand is less which adds to speculation in the market. The report also suggests one source as saying that it is better to pay penalty and cancel a contract rather than to loose significant amount of money by fulfilling it. Note that sometimes the whole idea of futures contract is not meet the obligation in terms of delivering the commodity but to profit from the speculation that these uncertainties give rise to. The world coffee production in 2003/2004 was estimated to be around 105.3 million 60 kilogram bags down nearly 2 percent from forecast made in June and down 15 percent from the 2002/03 season. Factors such as lower production contribute to great extent the price determination. For the year 2004/2005 it was widely believed that Brazilian coffee production to be around 33-35 million bags but due to substandard weather and low level of investment the production is likely to be below 30 million bags. This drop in production is likely to cut the supply level and Brazil being the world largest producers, any drop in its output will affect the world supply and thereby raise the price. These uncertainties lead to prices going up in the futures markets. It has long been felt that some traders hold stocks to push the prices up and then sell it to make supernatural profits. Lets look at the graphical representation of prices of Robusta class of coffee as determined at the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) to assess the trends in the market. The graph below shows that since November 2004 Robusta coffee prices have increased at a slow and steady pace. However, a report that appeared on the Economic Times suggests that volatility in the world prices over the last few days have affected trading in coffee in the markets. The ICO in its Coffee Market Report seems to suggest that the downturn in mid-April caused a slight fall of 3.19 percent in the monthly average of the ICO Composite Indicator Price which dropped from 101.44 cents/lb in March to98.20 cents/lb in April. It also suggests that this has been due to high level of activity from various investment funds. Comparing the results put forward by the ICO to the recent reports in the Economic Times newspaper (24/05/2005) the volatility in the world prices have triggered a bullish trend in the Indian markets which explains why trading in the coffee auctions markets have suffered. Estimates shows that there was a 40 percent drop in the overall quantum sold when compared to the previous ICTA auction. The beginning of the year showed a significant climb in the moving averages between January and mid-March and then a significant drop till the mid of April. One of the least complex ways to use a moving average is to simply look at the slope a rising slope indicates that the market is in an uptrend and falling slope indicates a downward trend in the market. Moving Averages is a statistical technique for smoothing price movement in order to identify the trends more easily. It is equally important to understand that moving averages are sensitive to the number of days used to calculate the average i.e. the more days that are used; the less sensitive is the average. Some experts are of the view that MA can be a critical factor in decision making. For e.g. traders can make use of one or more MA to determine buy or sell decisions i.e.to use a slow MA together with a fast MA. A slow moving average can be calculated by taking more days opening or closing prices and fast moving average by taking fewer days prices. In a more elaborate way, what it means is that you must buy when the faster MA goes above the slower one and sell when the faster MA goes below the slower one [or] buy when prices are above both fast and slow MA and sell when prices are below both MA. The chart below is a graphical example of how a Moving Average looks like as of 05/27/2005. The Red Line (price line) is above the moving average so the trend is up indicating that the market is bullish and also the fast moving average (dark blue) is above the slow moving average (light blue). Volume of7078.00 suggests the measure of trading activity during the selected period of time. It refers to the number of futures contract that are either bought or sold during that period. Open Interests, on the other hand, measures the number of futures contract that remains open at a particular point in time, usually at the closing of trade. In the next chapter, I have looked at India as a producer of Coffee. India is relatively new into the coffee future markets and has performed exceedingly well. However, due to the speculative nature of the futures market and also bureaucratic hurdles have led to decrease in contract sales and increased price and non-competitiveness in the global coffee market. The two principal species of coffee grown in India are Robusta and Arabica. Trading in coffee futures was introduced only recently and prices are extensively depended on the coffee trading in the New York and London futures markets as it has considerable influence on the world coffee prices. These prices are notoriously volatile and varies considerably due to factors such as weather forecast, size of the coffee stock worldwide and speculations in the futures markets The Indian coffee production and physical trade is worth over $ 430 million annually. The production of Indian coffee is greatly influenced by world prices particularly since it is the second largest actively traded commodity in the world market. The Coffee Futures Exchange India Limited was formed under the supervision of Forwards Markets Commission to look into all trading practices affecting coffee prices. The main objectives are To provide hedging opportunity against coffee price risk. To ensure guaranteed delivery of coffee. To provide a price discovery mechanism for future period up to 18 months at any given point of time. Besides these it is important to look at the mechanism COFEI uses to ensure that market participants follows the rules in ensure financial integrity. Factors such as margins, Price limits for trading, daily marking-to-market of all trades and sufficient capital including guarantee funds ensures that proper procedures are followed when a contract is bought and sold. In India, coffee has been categorized into 4 different types with each having different margins for smooth and efficient trading. The table next page gives a snapshot view of how coffee in India is traded and in particular the different class of coffee whether raw or clean. The coffee industry, in general, has seen surge in prices by almost 40 percent. Exports in recent times have been hit quiet badly. Reports on the Financial Express newspaper suggest that export have suffered especially due to the price non-competitiveness in the world markets. India exported nearly 225,000 tonnes of coffee last year with majority (50 %) of it going to Europe. Indias coffee production and exports for the year 2005-06 (October-September) are forecast to increase by 5% and 29%, respectively. The anticipated rise in coffee export is against the backdrop of almost 26% decline in the current year (2004-05/Oct-Sep). Coffee exports are expected to fall to an eight-year low of 169,980 tonne, or 2.83 million 60-kilogram bags, in the current year ending Sept 30, from 229,320 tonne, or 3.82 million bags, a year earlier. India, the worlds fifth-biggest coffee exporter is set to witness decline as farmers and traders are withholding beans on expectations of higher prices. One of the biggest problems facing the traders in the Indian coffee industry is the time difference between India and the New York and London trading centres. Indian traders were now finding it difficult to hedge their risk. The local exchange functioned only till 5pm when the LIFFE and NYBOT and other European markets functioned till over 11.30 pm IST.

Organizational Behavior Essay -- Human Resources HR

Organizational Behavior This essay answers the following three questions: 1)Â  Compare Mr. Meyerson’s leadership style versus Mr. Perot’s based on the Michigan and Ohio state behavioral theories of leadership. 2) Utilizing Fiedler’s Contingency Theory of leadership, explain how either Meyerson’s or Perot’s style might be most appropriate based on specific characteristics of the situation at Perot Systems. 3) Evaluate the situation at Perot Systems from the point of view of the discussion on New Leadership. Employee centered supervisors are those who place strong emphasis on their concerned with getting the work done. Sometimes, the more general terms human relations oriented and task oriented are used to describe these alternative leader behaviors. Consideration and initiating structure are highly considerate leader is sensitive to people’s feelings, and much like the employee centered leader, tries to make things pleasant for his or her followers. In contrast, a leader high in initiating structure is more concerned with defining task requirements and other aspects of the work agenda; he or she might be seen as similar to a production-centered supervision. Meyerson’s concern was emphasis on profit at the expense of people. He believed that technology, customers, the market, and what people in organizations wanted from their work had all changed his previous times at EDS. Meyerson wanted to move Perot Systems toward a co...

Father of the Bride Speech with Humor, Sentiment, and Love

Father of the Bride Speech with Humor, Sentiment, and Love (Stand up, mobile phone in hand)† Well thank you vicar it is a bit inconvenient at the moment I am just about to start the speeches." I’m afraid there's been a bit of a hiccup in the proceedings; the vicar has just phoned to say that we have to do the registry signing all over again. It appears that the groom’s pen wouldn’t work so he borrowed the vicar’s. He was still having problems so the vicar said. "Put your weight on it†(To the bride) I’m afraid that you are now Mrs. 179 lbs. I'm only going to speak for a couple of minutes because of my throat. If I go on too long my wife has threatened to cut it. I've tried to memorize this speech, which isn't easy when you have the memory retention of a goldfish. So forgive me if I resort to my notes every five seconds. When the happy couple announced that they were going to get married, I asked them what that entailed for me and my daughter said that I would have to give her away. To those of you who know me well, that came as a bit of a shock as I am not used to giving things away. Selling maybe, but giving away, I ask you. However, I did a deal with the groom, your tickets for a Wimbledon tennis match for my daughter. I hope you’ll agree that he came out best. My wife and I would like to welcome the groom's parents and all relatives and friends of both families to this very happy occasion. There are also several people who I. wish could have been here but aren't and hopefully they are keeping an eye on proceedings from afar. I would like to thank the beautiful bridesmaids for looking after the bride, the vicar for a lovely service, his boss for the great improvement in the weather and the staff at the h... ...u in the bar after the speeches. (Be very careful with this joke. It backfired on me. My sister-in-law, who I love dearly, was dressed all in scarlet!) Anyway, I would like to finish off, by giving a few words of advice, to the newly weds. You must always consider the words of Oscar Wilde. "Women are meant to be loved, not understood.† Marriage will bring to you main things—loyalty, self restraint, obedience, a sense of fair play, and a whole host of other virutes that you wouldn't need had you remained single. Put the seat down after you. And remember those two invaluable words â€Å"Yes dear.†. And finally some musical adiue. (Play the first couple of verses of Bobby Vee’s version of â€Å"Take Good Care of My Baby†) And now, at long last, I hear you say, it gives the great pleasure to propose the toast of long life and happiness to the bride and groom. Father of the Bride Speech with Humor, Sentiment, and Love Father of the Bride Speech with Humor, Sentiment, and Love (Stand up, mobile phone in hand)† Well thank you vicar it is a bit inconvenient at the moment I am just about to start the speeches." I’m afraid there's been a bit of a hiccup in the proceedings; the vicar has just phoned to say that we have to do the registry signing all over again. It appears that the groom’s pen wouldn’t work so he borrowed the vicar’s. He was still having problems so the vicar said. "Put your weight on it†(To the bride) I’m afraid that you are now Mrs. 179 lbs. I'm only going to speak for a couple of minutes because of my throat. If I go on too long my wife has threatened to cut it. I've tried to memorize this speech, which isn't easy when you have the memory retention of a goldfish. So forgive me if I resort to my notes every five seconds. When the happy couple announced that they were going to get married, I asked them what that entailed for me and my daughter said that I would have to give her away. To those of you who know me well, that came as a bit of a shock as I am not used to giving things away. Selling maybe, but giving away, I ask you. However, I did a deal with the groom, your tickets for a Wimbledon tennis match for my daughter. I hope you’ll agree that he came out best. My wife and I would like to welcome the groom's parents and all relatives and friends of both families to this very happy occasion. There are also several people who I. wish could have been here but aren't and hopefully they are keeping an eye on proceedings from afar. I would like to thank the beautiful bridesmaids for looking after the bride, the vicar for a lovely service, his boss for the great improvement in the weather and the staff at the h... ...u in the bar after the speeches. (Be very careful with this joke. It backfired on me. My sister-in-law, who I love dearly, was dressed all in scarlet!) Anyway, I would like to finish off, by giving a few words of advice, to the newly weds. You must always consider the words of Oscar Wilde. "Women are meant to be loved, not understood.† Marriage will bring to you main things—loyalty, self restraint, obedience, a sense of fair play, and a whole host of other virutes that you wouldn't need had you remained single. Put the seat down after you. And remember those two invaluable words â€Å"Yes dear.†. And finally some musical adiue. (Play the first couple of verses of Bobby Vee’s version of â€Å"Take Good Care of My Baby†) And now, at long last, I hear you say, it gives the great pleasure to propose the toast of long life and happiness to the bride and groom.

Explain the process that you went through to create and market your band, you must use specific media vocabulary

In this term, we have been studying media. During this time, we have created a band as our ‘product'. My band has been targeted at teenagers and young adults. The image I aimed create for my band, was a ‘bad-boy' or ‘gangster' image. The name I have given to my band was ‘Bad Behaviour', this portrays the image given, – that they behave badly, bringing across a gangster similarity. Their profile also puts across their image, because of their; age, where they grew up, their style, and the way they speak (street talk). The words which detonate their band name, such as trouble, and sexy, also depict their ‘bad – boy', ‘gangster' image. Having decided on an image, and created a ‘product', I took steps to create and gain publicity for my band. To start off I created a leaflet, advertising a gig where the band would be performing, including where and when it would be. I made my leaflet colourful, so that it stood out to passers by, our second step was to gain publicity for the band. To do this, I thought of a stunt for my band, I decided to have them pull up outside the gates of Walton Prison in Liverpool, and perform some of their tracks. Later, we wrote some newspaper reports publicising the facts of the incident, which was all good free publicity. We created reviews, commenting on their new single that they were bringing out, which would also create publicity, as it would be placed in a popular teen magazine such as ‘smash hits', so this might tempt people to go out and buy their debut single. Our final publicity stunt was to get our band on a local radio station. We worked in groups and pretended to interview our band. This would gain publicity as well, because listeners to that radio station would hear about the band and their music, using recommendations from the radio dj, and from the image the band put across from their first, to last publicity stunts, which may get the band their first fans. My band has recorded their debut single, my review reflects this. The review reinforces the image of my band because it refers to bands that play the similar music, who also have influenced my band. This is where their influences originally grew from. The image that my band puts across is a ‘bad – boy' image which their influential bands, like So Solid crew, and Blazin' Squad also have. After creating and marketing my band, I am aware that famous bands don't just appear with their fame and money, they have to earn it. They take careful steps in order to ensure that they are a success. A lot of hard work is needed in order to complete these steps. It is very important to work towards a specific target audience, because peoples taste in music differs as they get older. This means that you would need to include ranges of different types of music in your single, which would be incredibly difficult to achieve music that a majority of people all like.

Comparison: Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Sonnet

Compare and Contrast Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare In this essay I am going to highlight the comparisons and contrasts between William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 and also give my opinions. A similarity between the two poems is that they are both about a man’s love for a woman. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Meaning that the woman that Shakespeare loves in Sonnet 18 is ‘more lovely’ than a ‘summer’s day’ and she is just right for him, as summer can sometimes be too hot. In Sonnet 130, it’s also about Shakespeare’s love for a woman.And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. This shows that Shakespeare still loves the woman that the poem is about. Even though in the rest of the poem Shakespeare highlights all of her bad points. My Mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red tha n her lips red; This means that the woman’ s eyes in this poem are nowhere near as bright as the sun and her lips aren’t as red as coral, but even though she has her bad points, Shakespeare still loves her. This shows that Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 are similar in the way they are both about Shakespeare’s love for a woman.Another comparison between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in both the poems Shakespeare uses metaphors to describe the two women in the poems. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Here, Shakespeare compares the woman to a summers day and says that she is ‘more lovely and more temperate’ meaning that the woman is not too hot or not too cold. Shakespeare also uses metaphors in Sonnet 130. If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; This compares the woman’s skin in Sonnet 130 to the colour of snow.This shows that a comparison between Sonnet 18 and Sonn et 130 is that they both do use metaphors. Another comparison of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is, in the sonnets, the women aren’t named. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, Shakespeare calls the woman he talks about ‘thee’ and in Sonnet 130 the woman is also anonymous. My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun; In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare calls the woman ‘his mistress’. This shows that another comparison between the two poems is that the women in both of them are anonymous.One of the differences between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18, Shakespeare highlights the woman’s beauty, but in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare highlights the woman’s faults. But thy eternal summer shall not fade, Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, Here, in Sonnet 18, Shakespeare is saying that the woman’s beauty never fades whereas summer fades a fter a while. In Sonnet 130 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s bad points. Coral is far more red than her lips’ red; Here Shakespeare is saying that the woman’s lips aren’t red like coral, which to Shakespeare is a bad thing, which he highlights.This proves that a difference between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18 he highlights the woman’s good features, whereas in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s bad features. Another difference between the two sonnets is that in Sonnet 18 Shakespeare pays the woman lots of complements, whereas in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare insults the woman. So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. This is a complement from Sonnet 18, which means, as long as people can see and as long as she is alive she will be beautiful and full of life.In Sonnet 130 though, Shakespeare insults the woman. And in some perfumes is there more de light Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. This insult from Sonnet 130 is saying that perfumes smell a lot better than his wife’s breath. This shows that a difference between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 is that in Sonnet 18 Shakespeare complements the woman, whereas in Sonnet 130, Shakespeare insults the woman. My view is that these two sonnets are both love poems. I think in Sonnet 130 Shakespeare insults and highlights the woman’s bad points, but he still loves the woman he talks about.And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. This means that in Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130, even though all of the woman’s bad points he still loves her. In Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 Shakespeare highlights the woman’s good points and says how beautiful she is. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: This shows one of the complements that Shakespeare pays the woman in Sonnet 18. This shows that both the sonnets are love poems. In this essay I have highlighted similarities and differences between Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and Sonnet 130 and gave my opinion of them.

2012: It’s the End of the World Essay

If you had only one more day to live, how would you want to spend it? Who would you want to spend it with? There are currently 6,773,643,360 people in the world, of course give or take a few, and in a mere 3 years and seven months, every single one of those people may be faced with that same question. Forty-Four months, 1,309 days, 31,416 hours; no matter how you look at it, that’s all you have left, as some would say. Many people have heard of the ancient Mayans, and know that they reigned thousands of years ago. What they may not know is one little invention of theirs could impact the lifespan of every human being today and future. â€Å"The Mayans started their calendar on August 11, 3114 BC, and they conclude it on December 21st 2012 (Greyl 80). † There are many who believe this day will be the end, as we know it; all living creatures will cease to exist. There are possible theories on how the world will end, some scientific and mathematical, and others based on astrology, but no matter the theory, there is a chance you and I will perish with the other six billion humans in 2012. Unnerving? Yes. Realistic? See more: Beowulf essay essay Maybe. This Apocalyptic theory provides scientific evidence to support it, yet scholars are unlikely to believe it. Everything has a beginning and an end but no matter how many facts or possibilities presented, people are going to be unwilling to accept the apocalypse of 2012. End of the world theories have been around for ages; they have come and gone with perhaps some cause for fright, but obviously nothing too damaging. Apocalypse theories are terrifying yet captivating; there are numerous books on the matter, and even the movie business has felt it is something to pay attention to. With all of this information available, people are aware of it, yet they still are not accepting. Apocalypse theories are enticing to humans because we are conscious of the fact we could die at any moment. Humans are selfish by nature, so they are interested in anything that could cause them discomfort or pain. We also like to be in the know, so it would be convenient to be aware of what was going to happen everyday. We would like to have the opportunity to control our lives or try to change the issues upsetting us. Why do you think people pay for fortunetellers and psychics? Any knowledge we can get about the future, the better off we are. This being said, it is clear that people are interested in the theory, yet unwilling to accept it as true. It is my belief the people who are most likely to believe this phenomenon are religious, and believe in The Bible’s Armageddon, the final battle between God and Satin. I will go into more detail about this theory later, but simply those who know The Bible and follow God believe the world will end eventually. They just might not believe the Apocalypse of 2012 because no one, not even Jesus, is supposed to know the date the world will end. On the other end of the spectrum there are the people who find it highly unlikely for the world to end anytime soon, as their thinking is based more on a scientific level. They believe the world was formed through the big bang, and think the only way the world can end is through another universal mishap. Which there are scientific explanations, but the fact is, people just don’t want to believe the world is going to end. Besides, it’s too big of a risk to start planning your life around it. What if the world didn’t end, and you had spent all of you money, quit your job, and ruined all of your relationships? There have been many end of the world prophecies; the entire Y2K fiasco proved to be nothing serious that it is just easier to ignore these predications. I suppose scholars are so unwilling to believe the 2012 apocalypse is because they feel like the little evidence there is, is not concrete. People are basing this off of a civilization that lived about 3,000 years ago and who had no technology to be able to predict some event like this. Simply put, the Mayans put too much religion into their prophecies to be able to make it scientific enough for scholars to take seriously. The prospect of Apocalypse 2012 ultimately serves as a projective test for anyone who contemplates it. The ones most open to post-2012 reality are those who have the least to lose in the coming upheaval. (Lawrence 75). † â€Å"But I think doomsday has a profound if unspeakable allure for those who are unhappy with themselves, their society, their Maker. Accepting that doomsday is imminent provides the believer with immense satisfaction—that he or she possesses the most important knowledge in the world and that all other pursuits are trivial or misguided. It’s a form of vicarious revenge that anyone can take on life’s unfairness (Lawrence 213). †

The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 15

As soon as Elena spoke Caleb's name, the person on the cliff began to pul back out of their line of sight. After a moment of hesitation, Matt took off running pel -mel up the path toward where they'd seen him. It should have been sil y, Elena thought, the way they al reacted as if they'd been threatened. Anyone had a right to hike the trails at Hot Springs, and Caleb – if it was Caleb – hadn't done anything but peer down over the edge of the cliff at them. But nevertheless, there had been something ominous about the figure hovering so watchful y above them, and their reaction didn't feel sil y. Bonnie gasped and her body relaxed as she came out of the trance. â€Å"What happened?† she asked. â€Å"Oh, gosh, not again.† â€Å"Do you remember anything?† Elena said. Bonnie shook her head mournful y. â€Å"You said, ‘He wants you, Elena,'† said Celia, examining Bonnie with a clinical y enthusiastic glint in her eye. â€Å"You don't remember who you were talking about?† â€Å"I guess if he wanted Elena, it could have been anyone,† Bonnie said, her eyes narrowing. Elena stared at her. Had there been an uncharacteristic catty edge to Bonnie's tone? But Bonnie grinned rueful y back at her, and Elena decided the comment had just been a joke. A few minutes later, Matt came back down the path, shaking his head. â€Å"Whoever it was just vanished,† he said, his forehead crinkled in confusion. â€Å"I couldn't see anyone on the trail in either direction.† â€Å"Do you think he's a werewolf, like Tyler was?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"You're not the first person who's asked me that,† Elena said, glancing at Stefan. â€Å"I just don't know. I don't think so, though. Caleb seems total y nice and normal. Remember how wolfy Tyler was even before he became a werewolf? Those big white teeth and his sort of animalness? Caleb's not like that.† â€Å"Then why would he spy on us?† â€Å"I don't know,† Elena said again, frustrated. She couldn't think about this now. Her mind was stil swimming with the question: Could Damon be alive? What did Caleb matter, compared to that? â€Å"Maybe he was just hiking. I'm not even sure it was Caleb. It could have been some other guy with curly blond hair instead. Just a random hiker who got scared off when Matt went charging up the hil toward him.† Their discussion went in circles until eventual y Alaric took Meredith off to the hospital to have a doctor check out her ankle. The rest of them adjourned to the top of the fal s to gather up the picnic stuff. They al nibbled at the chips and brownies and fruit, and Matt made himself a hot dog on the hibachi gril , but the joy had gone out of the day. When Elena's phone rang, it was a welcome relief. â€Å"Hey, Aunt Judith,† she said, forcing a cheerful note into her voice. â€Å"Hi,† Aunt Judith said hurriedly. â€Å"Listen, I have to go to the auditorium to help do al the girls' hair and makeup, and Robert already wil have to leave work early to get to the recital on time. Would you do me a favor and pick up some flowers for Margaret on your way over? Something sweet and bal erinaish, if you know what I mean.† â€Å"No problem,† Elena said. â€Å"I know exactly what you mean. I'l see you there.† She wanted to forget for a while: forget mystery hikers and near-drownings and her constant alternating feelings of hope and despair about the appearance of Damon's name. Watching her little sister twirl around in a tutu sounded just about right. â€Å"Terrific,† said Aunt Judith. â€Å"Thank you. Wel , if you are al the way up at Hot Springs, you'd better start heading home soon.† â€Å"Okay, Aunt Judith,† Elena said. â€Å"I'l get going now.† They said good-bye, and Elena hung up and started gathering her things together. â€Å"Stefan, can I take your car?† she asked. â€Å"I need to get to Margaret's dance recital. You can give him a ride back, right, Matt? I'l cal you guys later and we'l work on figuring this out.† Stefan got to his feet. â€Å"I'l come with you.† â€Å"What?† said Elena. â€Å"No, you need to stay with Celia and get to the hospital to take care of Meredith, too.† Stefan took her arm. â€Å"Don't go, then. You shouldn't be alone now. None of us are safe. There's something out there hunting us, and we need to al stick together. If we don't let each other out of our sight, then we can al protect one another.† His leaf green eyes were clear and ful of anxiety and love, and Elena felt a pang of regret as she tugged her arm gently out of his grasp. â€Å"I need to go,† she said quietly. â€Å"If I spend al my time being scared and hiding, then the Guardians might as wel have let me stay dead. I need to be with my family and live as normal a life as I can.† She kissed him gently, lingering for a moment against the softness of his lips. â€Å"And you know they haven't targeted me yet,† she said. â€Å"Nothing's spel ed out my name. But I promise I'l be careful.† Stefan's eyes were hard. â€Å"What about what Bonnie said?† he argued. â€Å"That he wants you? What if that means Caleb? He's hanging around at your house, Elena! He could come after you at any time!† â€Å"Wel , I'm not going to be there. I'l be at a dance recital with my family beside me,† Elena pointed out. â€Å"Nothing wil happen to me today. It's not my turn yet, is it?† â€Å"Elena, don't be stupid!† Stefan snapped. â€Å"You're in danger.† Elena bristled. Stupid? Stefan, no matter how stressed or anxious, had never treated her with less than total respect. â€Å"Excuse me?† Stefan reached for her. â€Å"Elena,† he said. â€Å"Let me come with you. I'l stay with you until nightfal and then keep watch outside your house tonight.† â€Å"It's real y not necessary,† Elena said. â€Å"Protect Meredith and Celia instead. They're the ones who need you.† Stefan's face fel , and he looked so devastated that she relented a little, adding, â€Å"Please don't worry, Stefan. I'l be careful, and I'l see you al tomorrow.† His jaw clenched, but he said nothing more, and she turned to make her way down the trail, not looking back. Once they were back at the boardinghouse, Stefan couldn't relax. He couldn't remember ever, in al his long life, feeling so edgy and uncomfortable in his own body. He itched and ached with anxiety. It was as if his skin were fitted too tightly over his bones, and he moved irritably, tapping his fingers against the table, cracking his neck, shrugging his shoulders, shifting back and forth in his chair. He wants you, Elena. What the hel did that mean? He wants you. And the sight of that dark, hulking figure up on the cliff, a shadow blotting out the sun, those golden curls shining like a halo above the figure's head†¦ Stefan knew he should be with Elena. Al he wanted to do was to protect her. But she had dismissed him, had – metaphorical y, at least – patted him on the head and told him to stay, faithful guard dog that he was, and watch over someone else. To keep someone else safe. No matter that she was clearly in danger, that someone – some he – wanted her. Stil she didn't want Stefan to be with her right now. What did Elena want? Now that Stefan stopped to think about it, it seemed that Elena wanted a host of incompatible things. To have Stefan as her loyal knight. Which he would always, always be, he asserted to himself, clenching his fist tightly. But she also wanted to hold on to the memories of Damon, and to keep that part of her she had shared with him private and pristine, separate from everyone else, even from Stefan. And she wanted so much more, too: to be the savior of her friends, of her town, of her world. To be loved and admired. To be in control. And to be a normal girl again. Wel , that normal life she had lived had been destroyed forever when she met Stefan, when he made the choice to let her into his world. He knew it was his fault, al of it, everything that fol owed after that, but he couldn't be sorry that she was with him now. He loved her too much to have any room for regret. She was the center of his world, but at the same time, he knew it wasn't the same for her. A hole inside him gaped with longing, and he moved restlessly in his chair. His canine teeth lengthened in his mouth. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt so†¦ wrong. He couldn't get the image of Caleb out of his head, looking down at them from the top of the cliff, as if checking to see whether whatever violence he'd hoped to cause had come to pass. â€Å"More tea, Stefan?† Mrs. Flowers asked him softly, breaking into his furious thoughts. She was leaning forward over a little table with the teapot, her wide blue eyes watching him from behind her glasses. Her face was so compassionate that he wondered what she could see in him. This elderly, wise woman always seemed to perceive so much more than anyone else; perhaps she could tel how he was feeling now. He realized she was stil waiting politely for his answer, the teapot suspended in one hand, and he nodded automatical y. â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Flowers,† he said, offering forth his cup, which was stil half-ful of cold tea. He didn't real y like the taste of normal human drinks; he hadn't for a long time now, but sometimes drinking them made him fit in, made the others relax a bit more around him. When he didn't eat or drink at al , he could sense Elena's friends prickling, the hairs on the back of their necks rising, as some subconscious voice in them noted that he was not like them, adding it to al the other little differences he couldn't control, and thereby concluding he was wrong. Mrs. Flowers fil ed his cup and sat back, satisfied. Picking up her knitting – something pink and fluffy – she smiled. â€Å"It's so nice to have al you young people gathered together here,† she commented. â€Å"Such a lovely group of children.† Glancing at the others, Stefan had to wonder whether Mrs. Flowers was being gently sarcastic. Alaric and Meredith had returned from the hospital, where her injury had been diagnosed as a mild sprain and taped up by the emergency room nurse. Meredith's usual y serene face was tight, probably at least partial y because of the pain and her irritation at knowing she'd have to stay off her foot for a couple of days. And partial y, Stefan suspected, because of where she was sitting. For some reason, when Alaric had helped her hobble into the living room and over to the couch, he had parked her directly next to Celia. Stefan didn't consider himself an expert on romance – after al , he'd lived for hundreds of years and fal en in love only twice, and his romance with Katherine had been a disaster – but even he couldn't miss the tension between Meredith and Celia. He wasn't sure whether Alaric was as oblivious to it as he seemed or whether he was pretending obliviousness in the hope that the situation would blow over. Celia had changed into an elegant white sundress and sat flipping through a journal titled Forensic Anthropology, looking cool and composed. Meredith was, in contrast, unusual y grimy and smudged, her beautiful features and smooth olive skin marred by tiredness and pain. Alaric had taken a chair next to the couch. Celia, ignoring Meredith, leaned across her toward Alaric. â€Å"I think you might find this interesting,† she said to him. â€Å"It's an article on the dental patterns in mummified bodies found on an island quite near Unmei no Shima.† Meredith shot Celia a nasty look. â€Å"Oh, yes,† she said quietly. â€Å"Teeth, how fascinating.† Celia's mouth flattened into a line, but she didn't reply. Alaric took the magazine with a polite murmur of interest, and Meredith frowned. Stefan frowned, too. Al the tension humming between Meredith, Celia, and Alaric – and now that he was watching, he could tel that Alaric knew exactly what was going on between the two young women and was flattered, irritated, and anxious in equal parts – was interfering with Stefan's Powers. While he'd sat and sipped his first cup of tea, reluctantly fol owing Elena's command to â€Å"stay,† Stefan had been sending out tendrils of Power, trying to sense whether Elena had made it home, whether anything had stopped her on her way. Whether Caleb had stopped her. But he hadn't been able to find her, even with his senses extended to their utmost. Once or twice, he'd caught what felt like a fleeting impression of what might be the very specific sound, scent, and aura that unmistakably meant Elena, but then it slipped away from him. He'd blamed the fact that he couldn't locate her on his weakening Powers, but now it was clear to him what was keeping him from finding her. Al the emotion in this room: the pounding hearts, the flushes of anger, the acrid scent of jealousy. Stefan pul ed himself back, tried to quel the rage rising within him. These people – his friends, he reminded himself – were not purposely interfering. They couldn't help their emotions. He took a swig of his rapidly cooling tea, trying to relax before he lost control, and winced at the taste. Tea wasn't what he was craving, he realized. He needed to get out to the forest soon and hunt. He needed blood. No, he needed to find out exactly what Caleb Smal wood was up to. He stood up so abruptly, so violently, the chair rocked unsteadily beneath him. â€Å"Stefan?† Matt asked in an alarmed voice. â€Å"What is it?† Bonnie's eyes were enormous. Stefan glanced around the circle of distracted faces, now al watching him. â€Å"I have to go.† Then he turned on his heels and ran.