Fashion of Roaring Twenties and the Sixties

Fashion of the Roaring Twenties and The Sixties Fashion is the style prevalent at a given time. It usually refers to costume or clothing style. Everybody has to wear clothes, making fashion a part of everyday life. The way someone dresses says a lot about his or her personality, age, culture and experience. At times of economic or social change, fashion often changed. The 1920s and the 1960s are big eras were economic and social change were happening. They are both largely known for their fashion.The 1920s was also known as the Roaring Twenties due to the period’s social, artistic, and cultural energy. The twenties were right after the end of World War One and right before the Great Depression. The era was notable for inventions and discoveries, industrial growth, increased consumer demand and significant changes in lifestyle (â€Å"roaring twenties†). During the twenties, the economy of the United States evolved from a wartime economy to a peacetime economy. The Eighte enth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale, import and export of alcohol in attempt to help the social problems.Passing the nineteenth amendment gave women the political equality they had been fighting for. The twenties were also known as the Jazz Age because jazz music grew in popularity. â€Å"During the 1920s jazz music flourished, the flapper redefined modern womanhood, Art Deco peaked, and the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ended the era, as the Great Depression set in† (â€Å"roaring twenties†). The Roaring Twenties were trying to break from traditions of the Victorian way of life. Since the 1920s was a time of celebration, there were many fads.Young women’s fashion of the 1920s was both a trend and a social statement. They were labeled ‘flappers’ by the older generations. â€Å"Flapper† was a popular slang for a very young prostitute or a lively mid-teenage girl. â€Å"The image of flappers were young women who went to jazz clubs at n ight where they danced provocatively, smoked cigarettes through long holders, and dated freely, perhaps indiscriminately. They rode bicycles, drove cars, and openly drank alcohol, a defiant act in the American period of Prohibition† (â€Å"flapper†). They were seen as rude and self-assertive for their behavior. The ‘new’ woman was less invested in social service than the Progressive generations, and in tune with the capitalistic spirit of the era, she was eager to compete and to find personal fulfillment† (â€Å"roaring twenties†). Flappers as a social group were separate from other 1920s groups; their behavior was bizarre at the time. They challenged women’s traditional public roles, supporting voting and women’s rights. Some flappers weren’t into the politics. â€Å"Older suffragettes, who fought for the right for women to vote, viewed flappers as vapid and in some ways unworthy of the enfranchisement they had worked so hard to win† (â€Å"flapper†).In addition to their strange behavior, they were known for their style. Flapper style made girls look young and boyish. They had a chin-length bob hairstyle and wore straight waist dresses with a hemline above the knee. The risen hemline allowed flashing of the legs when a girl danced. They also removed the corset from female fashion. Until the 1920s, cosmetics were not accepted in American society because of its association with prostitution but flappers made cosmetics popular. High heels also came into style, 2-3 inches high.Writers and illustrators in the United States popularized the flapper look through their works, making flappers appealing and independent. Even though the flapper look and lifestyle were popular at the time, it could not last through the Wall Street Crash or the Great Depression. Another popular era for fashion was the 1960s, more commonly called The Sixties. The sixties was a movement escaping from the conservative w ays of the fifties and eventually resulted in revolutionary ways of thinking and real changes in the culture of American life (Goodwin).The Civil Rights Movement played a major role of changes in society in the 1960s, starting with Martin Luther King Jr. In 1961, John F. Kennedy was elected president, becoming the youngest president to ever hold office. The Vietnam War was a major event in the 1960s that absorbed a lot of national attention. The draft took place followed by anti-war outlook. The National Organization of Women questioned the unequal treatment of women in the society. The hippie movement arose as a result of young people not content with the generation ahead of them. The sixties was a decade that broke many fashion traditions, mirroring social movements during the period† (â€Å"fashion†). The sixties were the age of youth, who wanted change. The changes they were looking for affected education, values, lifestyles, laws and entertainment (Goodwin). There were so many young people in the sixties due to the post-war baby boom. The children had grown up and were becoming teenagers and young adults. These youths changed the fashion, the fads, and the politics of the decade (Goodwin).They dressed to convey rebellion. â€Å"The sixties began a decade which may well be recorded as one of the most fashion-conscious periods in recent history, challenging the 1890s and the 1920s† (â€Å"1960s fashion†). The hippie movement arose during the mid-1960s. Hippies didn’t focus on what others thought, they believed in ‘equality for all’. Hippie characteristics comprised of listening to rock, accepting sexual revolution and the use of drugs such as marijuana and LSD to explore alternative states of consciousness (â€Å"hippie†).Hippies were pacifists, the belief that any violence is unjustifiable, under any circumstances, and that all arguments should be settled by peaceful meanings. They participated civil ri ghts marches and anti-Vietnam War protests. â€Å"The late 1960 produced a style categorized of people whom promoted sexual liberation and favored a type of politics reflecting ‘peace, love and freedom’† (â€Å"fashion†). By 1965, hippies had become an established social group in the United States. By 1968, the hippie look was in style. Hippie’s way of dress and grooming was one way of expressing their thought of independence.Both genders wore bell-bottomed jeans, tie-dyed shirts, headbands and sandals. Women often went barefoot and braless. Teenage girls often wore fringed buckskin vests, flowing long dress, Mexican peasant blouses, gypsy-style skirts, scarves, and bangles (â€Å"fashion†). Fabrics frequently consisted of animal or paisley prints. Both men and women grew their hair out long, including men’s facial hair. Further trends included love beads, peace signs, body piercing and tattoo body art. Hippies wore clothes that they f elt communicated themselves and their individualism. Hippies repelled the post war ugliness in the world and turned the attention of fashion stalwarts towards as much natural beauty as possible† (Borade). The 1920s and the 1960s style of fashion appears to be very diverse. When observing each era’s attire they portray different looks. In the twenties, they wore dark colors opposed to the sixties where they wore very bright colors and patterns. Flappers wore tight, short dresses while hippies wore loose, floor length dresses. Flappers popularized make-up, wearing very drastic blush and lipstick. Hippies wanted to be natural so they didn’t wear any make-up.Although they seemed completely different, their motives behind their eccentric fashion were the same. They were both rebelling against the norm and trying to prove their independence. Fashion is a way of expressing personality and independence. Every person has their own sense of style and they show that through the way they dress. Everyday people get dressed, choosing clothes that they like and illustrate them best. Clothes are talked about, thought about and worn daily. Each era has a different fashion that shows up in clothes, attitude, personality and behavior.

The Negative Effects of Tobacco

The nicotine can be consumed by chewing tobacco apart from smoking and sniffing . The article provides insight into the hazards of chewing tobacco . If you believe that only smoking is injurious, certainly not. Any form of nicotine consumption is injurious. Tobacco is bad for health, no matter in what form you take it the ill effects are always there. Tobacco are leaves of plant that are used in dried form, they are high in nicotine and consequently addictive in nature. Tobacco can be taken in the form of: Chewing Snuff Smoking. The high content of nicotine makes it very addictive, once a person gets addicted to smoking, chewing or sniffing it becomes difficult to leave it. At times efforts fail and person goes back to taking tobacco. Chewing of Tobacco Chewing tobacco also known as smokeless tobacco is equally bad as smoking. It is a myth that chewing is not as harmful as smoking. Chewing tobacco is made of tobacco, nicotine, sweeteners and chemicals. The continuous chewing process gives a constant high to the person. This high leads gives temporary relief from stress and anxiety. Small temporary relief leads the person to use it frequently and before the person realizes he is addicted. Effects of Chewing tobacco leads to numerous side effects, which can be internal or external. The main harmful effects of tobacco are Erodes Tooth The ingredients of tobacco consist of gravels, sand, and other harmful chemicals that erode the enamel of tooth. Continuous chewing leads to early loss of tooth. Early Decay Of Tooth Chewing leaves small particles in tooth that forms bacteria and plaque, it harms enamel and gums, which leads to decay of tooth. Gum slump Chewing leads to decomposing of gums, the gums get infected and the grip on tooth loosens which exposes the sensitive area of tooth. Bad Breadth There is nothing as bad as bad breadth of a person, they are major turn off for people around them. The long-term habit of chewing and spitting is unacceptable and looks indecent. Affects Eating Habit Eating habit of people who chews tobacco tends to be unhealthy, continuous chewing affects the taste bud and the sensitivity of them decreases. This leads to an increase in intake of more salt, sugar and spices in food as he feels a bland taste in his mouth. The above effects of tobacco is just the beginning of trouble for people who chew, it has more deep rooted and life threatening effects. Chewing of tobacco has major or near to fatal effect on addicted people. The major areas where they proved to be fatal are: Damage to tongue, jaw and lips Lung Cancer Oral Cancer Damage to tongue, jaw and lips As mentioned above chewing leads to the early decay of tooth, bad breadth, damaged gums and falling of tooth. The addiction of tobacco affects the area around the mouth. The tongue and jaws face the following problems: Dis-coloring of lips and lip cancer Sore Throat Difficulty in movement of jaws and tongue Rashes or irritation on tongue Burning sensation on lips and tongue Oral Cancer Continuous chewing process leaves infectious juices on tooth and lips. These develop in white patches that can be considered as an early symptom of oral cancer. People who indulge in tobacco chewing have higher risk of oral cancer to people who take alcohol. The most infected area in oral cancer is the tongue and the area below the tongue. The cancer slowly spreads to cheeks and throat. Though it can attack any part lips, tongue, upper and lower mouth, the cheeks, or gums and esophagus. It is very important to go for early diagnosis as soon as one feels suspicious. Lung Cancer Chewing tobacco leads to oral cancer but it is not the end of it can spread the disease in lungs and linings of stomach. Reports show that 90% of lung cancers are cases of people who either smoke or chew tobacco. Destructive agents termed as carcinogens in tobacco injure the cells in the lungs. Over a period of time, these spoiled cells may develop into lung cancer. Dipping tobacco is a way to take nicotine into your system without smoking. It is in essence a smokeless tobacco. You do not chew on it, but rather a small pinch of the tobacco is placed between your gums and lips. While the dip tobacco sits in your mouth, your body produces saliva. This saliva takes nicotine into the arteries of the blood stream, giving the same effect as smoking a cigarette would. Often, excess saliva is produced which the user will spit out. Is It Chewing Tobacco? Many smokers wonder whether dipping or chewing tobacco is a better alternative to smoking. Others wonder if they are the same thing or not. Dipping tobacco is often confused with chewing tobacco. In fact, many people call dip â€Å"chew,† which is a common term used to describe chewing tobacco. It is not the same thing, however. The tobacco derivatives in chewing tobacco are entirely different than the derivatives in dip. Also, dip is not chewed, whereas chewing tobacco must be chewed to release all of the nicotine. Canadian Dip Versus American Dip. Both Canadian and American tobacco manufacturers make dip, but in different amounts and sizes. The Canadian tins are much smaller than the American tins. In fact, Canadian tins, which are fifteen grams, are less than half the size of the thirty-four gram American variety. Also, in Canada, users must pay quite a bit more for dip than users in the States. The United States tends to have a wider variety of dipping tobacco flavors than Canadian markets, and new flavors are usually released in the US first because of tobacco de-normalization laws in Canada. According to the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 23. 9 percent of people in the United States over the age of 12 were current cigarette smokers in 2008. However, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports that cigarette smoking is responsible for 440,000 deaths each year. MedlinePlus reports that both cigarettes (smoking tobacco) and chewing (smokeless) tobacco are bad for your health, and cause multiple and often fatal health problems. Cardiovascular Disease One negative effect that tobacco and nicotine addiction has on the health of the body is cardiovascular disease. AHA reports that cigarette smokers are two to three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who do not smoke. Also according to AHA, of the 440,000 deaths each year caused by cigarette smoking, 135,000 are due to smoking-related cardiovascular diseases. Nicotine in tobacco products causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and a narrowing of the arteries. Carbon monoxide that is inhaled when tobacco is smoked decreases the amount of oxygen carried by the blood to feed the body's tissues. The AHA reports that carbon monoxide and nicotine damages the artery walls, which leads to the deposition of fat and narrowing of arteries, which further increases blood pressure. Damaged vessels and high blood pressure are all risk factors for heart failure. Furthermore, smoking tobacco causes the blood to clot more easily, which may cause a heart attack or stroke. see survivor stories & chat online with our oncology info specialists Cancer Another negative effect caused by smoking or chewing tobacco is cancer. MedlinePlus reports that cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer cases in the United States. According to the American Lung Association (ALA) cigarette smoke contains 69 chemicals that are known to cause cancer. Smokeless tobacco is also a known cause of cancer, and is the leading cause of cancer in the mouth. Lung Disease A third negative effect of tobacco is lung disease, caused by the cigarette smoking. The ALA reports that smoking cigarettes are responsible for 80 to 90 percent of COPD (including emphysema and chronic bronchitis) deaths. Emphysema is a condition where the tissue in the lungs becomes stretched out and lacks the elasticity of normal lung tissue. This prevents breathing air from efficiently transferring oxygen into the blood stream. Long-term swelling of the tissue in the airways and an overproduction of mucus characterize chronic bronchitis. Both the swelling and the mucus make it difficult to breath, causing even normal activity to be difficult. Thus, tobacco and nicotine invariably lead to heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease. Even though these are very real threats, million of Americans find that nicotine addiction is hard to break.

Imperial Rome and Mauryan/Gupta India Essay

The most significant difference between Imperial Rome and Mauryan/Gupta India was the structure of their governments, yet both empires were heavily influenced by religion and both had similar causes of their eventual downfalls. Imperial Rome and Maurya India were both run as centralized systems of bureaucracy because it kept their empires strong and more organized. The Gupta India, however, was decentralized and maintained their strong central government with an emperor and by strictly enforcing the caste system and other Hindu beliefs. Not having a centralized government made it increasingly difficult to keep the empire strong and clear of invasions from neighboring regions. However, Rome, contained an empire and a senate, which allowed lower class people to be apart of and have a say in their written law code. Religion played a large role in Imperial Rome and Mauryan/Gupta India. The Gupta’s government was organized mostly by the caste system because of their lack of centralization and dependence on religious beliefs to set laws. Confucian and Buddhist ideas also were spreading around India at the time. In Rome, Christianity was taking over. Emperor Constantine created the new capital, Constantinople, and segregated the empire in two halves. He used his great influence to spread the word of Christianity. Imperial Rome and India fell because of disorganization and chaos within their empires. They both went through political discontinuity, problems with their taxes, over-expansion, and political corruption. When Constantine divided Rome into two empires, he claimed all of the eastern side, causing the western side to lose any previous power and economic prosperity. This led to disorder within all of the Roman Empire. Because India was uncentralized, it was difficult to keep the empire correlated and steady, leading them to subsidize. As both empires continued to expand, the military had trouble keeping their borders under control, giving neighboring countries easy access to attack and conquer.

Getting married and the change of my life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Getting married and the change of my life - Essay Example In order to have a successful marriage, I will need to find a job and put my future wife’s needs before my own. One of the duties of being a husband is providing for a wife. Although I could not understand this fully when I was younger, I realized the importance that education would play in my life and, more specifically, enhance my chances of finding a loyal and devoted wife. This is why I came to study in the United States because of the higher level of education that was on offer. Not only did my time in college teach me valuable skills like hard work and perseverance, but I now also have the ability to locate a high-paying job that will allow me to take care of my wife more than adequately. Another reason why a job is important is because my wife will give birth to a baby in the not too distant future. This will bring a whole new set of challenges, but I am confident that the skills that I have acquired will help me be the best father that I can be. Another way that I will have a successful marriage is by putting my wife’s needs before my own. Not only is my future wife my cousin, but she is younger than I (she is 20 while I am 23). This means that she will be my responsibility when we are married. In traditional Saudi weddings, the role of the husband is clear: to provide and care for a wife more than oneself. Although this places a lot of pressure on my shoulders, my life will also become less stressful because I will have someone to support me. This will be very important to me because I will be trying to look for a job and also playing the role of a young father, so I will need all the help that I can get. Some people dread marriage because of all the challenges that inevitably come with it, but I look forward to getting married because it will make my life better in so many ways. For one, my wife and I will be able to help each other when we face difficulties. However, if my wife and I are going to have a

Jazz in America Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Jazz in America - Essay Example Even the politicians acclaimed a great value of the American jazz when in 1987 the Joint Houses of Congress issued a resolution, which positioned â€Å"jazz an American National Treasure† (Jazz in America). In the 20s of 20th-century jazz was a symbol of a cultural struggle among the traditionalists and innovators of music. During the WW II, there were numerous changes in the culture of the Americans. At that time new forms of jazz occurred. The intellectual potential of the modern Americans required transformations of a common jazz. For centuries the slaves wanted to embody their fight against their master in their dances and later in music. The older styles of jazz in America are currently followed and admired by the contemporaries. American jazz is an open creative field for developments of innovative ideas and styles. It cannot be denied that the older styles of jazz are more inspiring and authentic than the modern ones. Nevertheless, there are a lot of people around the world, who are in love with this enchanting music. To find something interesting and peculiar in the old style of music is very important. Initially, the American jazz was developed in the New Orleans as music for men. There is an important contribution made by the Creoles and the Caribbean people in the beginning of jazz development. Jazz was extending its limits and now this music is for everybody, for men and women, for white and black skinned people.

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide Research Paper

Charlotte Beers at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide - Research Paper Example Moreover, the analysis will seek to analyze the means by which Beers and her team members engaged in a creative process for developing division which will be elaborated upon. Finally, the analysis will consider whether or not Beers and her team effectively communicated the buy-in for all respective compliments of the question. Through such analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a higher level of inference with respect to some of the best practices for business leadership and management as well as some of the key pitfalls that might exist with regards to a new CEO/leader seeking to affect key changes within an existing firm/organization. With respect to what Beers was attending to accomplish as CEO of the firm in question, it can definitively be stated that she sought to reengage a level of success and profitability that had been experienced in years past. As the case study defined, Ogilvy & Mather was once a market leader and exhibited best practices that s erved to promote its vision and name throughout the market (Starr, 2011). However, in the recent past, this level of profitability had diminished and the firm was no longer a market leader with respect to the specialty upon which it was founded. Crafting a new vision for an existing firm is oftentimes dangerous process. This is due to the fact that even though the current vision might not be effective, it is oftentimes not the fault of the vision itself; rather, it is the fault of the level of implementation that patient is experiencing. This was very much the case with regards to Beers and the way in which her team sought to extrapolate and redefine the existing vision of Olgilvy and Mather Worldwide. Similarly, as a function of crafting this particular approach, she and her team went through a series of steps through which they assess the current vision and sought to approach whether or not it could continue to be relevant within the current environment. This was a highly effectiv e approach due to the fact that it helped the team to realize some of the existing strengths that the firm still could leverage without fundamentally shifting the focus that had previously defined such a level of success within the past. Moreover, with regards to analysis of the actual process through which Beers and her team came to analyze and craft the redefined vision, it is the understanding of this author that this particular approach was both enlightened and highly effective (Mink, 2011). Rather than merely coming into the scene and demanding a rapid level of change to increase profitability, the CEO instead sought to engage stakeholders within the firm and encourage their input into improving the process as a whole. Realizing that she had a certain disadvantage in understanding the situation, Beers leveraged the expertise of her team in helping to craft the vision that would seek to promote the future profitability and survival of the brand in the future. Lastly, the questio n of whether or not Beers and 13 were able to effectively communicate the buy-in for this project to the respective stakeholders in middle and lower management within the firm comes into a degree of question. Whereas the process through which stakeholder buy-in within upper management was leveraged as a means of furthering the best interests of the business entity highly was highly effective, the communication necessarily broke down after this

Human Anotomy and Physiology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human Anotomy and Physiology - Case Study Example The spine is made up of approximately 33 individual vertebrae; seven cervical, twelve thoracic, five lumbar, five sacral, and four coccygeal. In our 70 year old subject, this number is closer to 27 since the five individual bones of the sacrum have long since entirely fused into one unit. Similarly, the fused individual components of the coccyx can probably be considered as two bones. One of the first structures to appear during embryogenesis, the spine develops from the mesoderm layer and shares a common origin with the skin, muscles, and gonads. It continues to develop throughout infancy and puberty. Each vertebra of the spine is composed of minerals and protein. Calcium is the predominant mineral, with several others. Collagen and cartilaginous structures form the protein matrix of the bones. Calcium salts such as calcium phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite are embedded in a collagen matrix containing osteocytes and vascular tissues. The vertebrae are mostly compacted bone, which supports the weight bearing function of these structures. Our post-menopausal subject is losing bone mass at a rate of about 1% per year (see Calcium). The spine is interdependent with the paraspinal muscle groups (longissimus, multifidus, and rotatores).

Work is a theatre and every business is a stage. Discuss Outline

Work is a theatre and every business is a stage. Discuss - Outline Example e the reader with a discussion and analysis of this particular quote and the impacts and ramifications that it has with regards to the business world and the individual employee. Moreover, marketing theory and social psychological theory will be used a means of helping the reader to come to the understanding that even though certain processes and decisions may seem as second nature, there are theories and powerful matrices of â€Å"choice†/†behavior† that effect the way in which a person behaves within any given business engagement. Through understanding these â€Å"roles†, the reader can come to a more informed understanding with regards to the fact that theory plays a defining role in helping to shape these interactions and define these engagements. Whereas all of the theories that have been put forward area useful with regards to understanding human action, they must also be understood in terms of motivating roles that constrain and nearly require individuals to behave in certain predisposed manner. Although it is most certainly true that people have a free will and can exercise their own rational choice with regards to what roles they fulfill and what level of engagement they offer, the theories and approaches that have thus far been put forward provide help to underscore the fact that even decisions that are seemingly made â€Å"independently† are in fact constrained by powerful choice mechanisms that lie nearly outside the control of the individual within the business environment. By engaging with such a reality and understanding these dynamics more closely, the business leader can more effectively target their approach to appeal to these core determinants. Smith, W. K., Gonin, M., & Besharov, M. L. (2013). Managing Social-Business Tensions: A Review and Research Agenda for Social Enterprise.  Business Ethics Quarterly,  23(3), 407-442.

Compare and critically analyse the UK marketing strategies of Dominos Essay - 2

Compare and critically analyse the UK marketing strategies of Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut - Essay Example The company has over 650 stores in the UK, as well as 350 restaurants and 300 delivery stores. Pizza Hut is still a giant among the pizza chains but has been quite disappointed with the second-quarter results in the U.S market. According to a report by (Munarriz, 2014), Pizza Hut’s revenue has climbed by 10.5 percent to $446.6 million, fueled by a 7.7 percent spike in the restaurant sales. The essay is a comparison and a critical analysis of the marketing strategies utilized by Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut to achieve competitive advantage in the UK market. The company has an effective strategy towards developing the different sizes of products ranging from small to medium and large. (Dominos, n.d.), agrees that such a strategy is useful in covering the interests of most of the company’s customer base. Also, the idea to develop different types of pizzas is effective in promoting its products and catering for the different tastes of customers. For instance, their range of products includes varieties such as Mexican Green Wave Pizza, Country Special Pizza, Seventh Heaven Pizza, Zesty Chicken pizza, and Grand Supreme Pizza among other popular pizzas. Since not every client visiting the restaurant might be interested in buying pizza, the management has a good move to counter the loophole and now offers extra food items such as Stuffed Garlic Bread Sticks, Calzone pockets, Pasta Italiano, and Taco Indiana. Domino’s pricing strategy in the marketing mix is also effective and targeted towards the lower middle-class as well as the middle-class income group (Dominos, n.d.). In fact, Domino’s delivery price is proven to be slightly below that of Pizza hut in its traditional restaurants. The move by the company to develop a consistent and uniform pricing policy is satisfactory and beneficial towards encouraging repeat customers. The price factor, though lower than that of Pizza Hut, appears to be troublesome and a contributory factor to its

The gendering of people and nations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The gendering of people and nations - Essay Example The policies of Woodrow Wilson were centered around the promotion of progressive American ideals and reforms. Liberalism was the belief in basic human rights such as the right to freedom of religion and free speech. The United States also promoted the system of democracy to ensure that vestiges of colonial rule were eliminated, in favor of political institutions that promoted active participation by the people in the formation and functioning of Governments. The development of the Truman doctrine and the Marshall Plan, as well as American leadership in the development of the United Nations and NATO are all means by which America has sought to enhance the levels of support it receives from other international countries for its democratic principles. During the first world war, President Woodrow Wilson opposed the German submarine warfare against commerce as a â€Å"war against all nations† and clearly articulated the objectives that must be sought to be attained – â€Å"our motive will not be revenge or the victorious assertion of the physical might of the nation, but only the vindication of right, of human right, of which we are only a single champion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 1 This clearly sets out the direction in which American foreign policy was to be headed; it was to focus upon the propagation of basic human rights across the world, since America was the sole champion of such rights and the progressive reforms taking place in the country were also to be echoed in foreign relations. When the preservation of such principles have entailed the United States entering into war, it has been adequate as a propellant, for instance during the first world war, when the motive behind entering the war was to resist German imperial ism and to make the war a safer place for democracy to thrive. One example of implementation of American values and principles on civil rights may be noted in the representation of women in the new international organizations

The Role of Business Communication Essay Example for Free

The Role of Business Communication Essay The role of business communication to the profitability of the organization Communication is an integral part of an organization. Communication is required not only for good human relations but also for a successful business. Communication seeks to fulfill the basic functions such as to inform, to persuade and to promote goodwill. Communication involves sharing information, ideas, thoughts, opinions and plans between various parts of an organization. Therefore just giving directives without expecting a response is naive as it requires the attachment of some meaning to the message sent or received. In a large organization communicating effectively still proves to be a difficult task as communication sometimes takes place over a number of channels and so retaining the basic meaning is literally challenging. Communication seeks to inform individuals so that they are more aware of what is necessary in order to perform a task or to function within the organization. Information such as work ethics, production, benefits, safety regulations and training are just some of the things that employees are informed of maintain successful operation of the organizations. This will also help in the decision making process as employees will act on the best information available to them. Likewise, communication helps in persuading individuals to perform at a level that they would not ordinarily do. Managers often use open communication to influence others to perform the tasks required to achieve organizational goals. This open communication allows individuals to freely share mutual experiences, preferences, likes and dislikes. It also enables managers to create a climate for motivation, that is, a manager’s ability to influence the desired behaviour for performance depends on his ability to effectively communicate with his direct reports and staff at all levels. Communication also enables people to learn how they are doing at their jobs and how performance is being measured, as this is the heart of employee performance appraisals. Communication is necessary to attain managerial function. One such function is promoting good will. Many companies dedicate a whole department for this purpose while others just has one individual. Companies tend to be vigilant this area due to the tax benefits as well as a means of advertising as this goodwill helps in protecting their corporate image. By doing so they advertise a lot, give a way grant, gifts and other benefits to needy persons and shelters in and around their communities as well as on a national scale. For example Bank of Nova Scotia, Sandals and Courts just to name a few. Many managers have come to realize that having an open and effective communication can help in accomplishing organizational goals and objectives. Employees who are properly informed and are able to express themselves without having to go through the chain of command will be more motivated to produce. Both organizational and personal goals can be achieved.

Problems of Conducting Research Into the Causes of Stress Essay Example for Free

Problems of Conducting Research Into the Causes of Stress Essay One problem when conducting research into the causes of stress is the generalisation of the sample, if the sample is restricted; this has limitations in terms of generalising the results to the total population. In the study by Johansson, a sample of only 24 workers was used and from a specific job type. This sample is unreflective of all job types and is too small to be applicable to the general population. Conclusions made may only be relevant to this sample. However it could be argued that the factors that cause stress in jobs such as deadlines and the dependence of others on you are common in all types of jobs and therefore using a sample of the specific job type becomes less restricted and applicable to other people in jobs with common stressors. A second problem when conducting research into causes of stress is the validity of measurements. Validity refers to whether the results measure what they are supposed to measure and this is often affected by the research method. The self report method is often questioned in terms of validity as participants have the ability to give socially desirable answers and steer away from the truth. In the study by Kanner, questionnaires were posted out to participants and a Hassles and uplifts scale was asked to be completed every month for 9 months and the Berkman life events scale after 10 months. This study, due to the use of self report lacks in validity, as researches are unsure as to whether data obtained reflects the true opinions of participants, which is an issue when trying to apply to everyday life. However the self report method is useful, despite it lacking in validity. It gives participants the freedom to write about their own subjective feelings and due to stress being individually perceived differently, it is useful in tailoring treatment to individuals to meet their needs. A third problem is reductionism, studies often reduce many factors that cause an individual stress to one factor, such as in the case of Johansson study, it was concluded work was the source of stress. However individual factors such as personality could play a role, researchers do not know that stress prone individuals are more likely to be in a high risk job. By failing to take into account other factors, resources and time may be used in the wrong area. However reductionism is useful as it does pinpoint an area that causes stress and allows in-depth research to be carried out to help participants.

Survival Outcome Neonates Early Sepsis Health And Social Care Essay

Survival Outcome Neonates Early Sepsis Health And Social Care Essay A Retrospective Comparative Study on the Survival Outcome of Neoates with Early -Onset Sepsis with Sclerema Given Fresh Frozen Plasma at Davao Medical Centern Nursery-A One Year Review Objectives: To determine and compare the survival outcome of patients with early onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema given fresh frozen plasma plus standard therapy of neonatal sepsis to those who were only given standard therapy alone. Fresh Frozen plasma contains immunologic factors which is deficient in a neonate. This study would help us validate the role of FFP transfusion in a sick neonate with sclerema. Design: Cohort Study design Setting: Tertiary care hospital Participants:All neonates presenting with clinical signs of neonatal sepsis with sclerema admitteded at Davao Medical Center nursery for the year 2008. Results and Conclusion: INTRODUCTION Neonatal sepsis is a clinical syndrome of bacteremia characterized by systemic signs and symptoms of infection in the first month of life1. It has taken so many lives of newborn babies. The mortality rate continuously increases especially in the third world countries like the Philippines so that early recognition, diagnosis and treatment of infection is important because it is largely a preventable disease. Neonatal Sepsis can be divided into two main classes depending on the onset of symptoms related to sepsis- early-onset and late-onset neonatal sepsis2. Early onset is mainly due to antepartum infections vertically transmitted while late-onset is the combination of the former and nosocomial infection. The incidence of neonatal sepsis varies from one institution to another with higher rates in developing countries. In the United States , the incidence of a culture-proven sepsis is approximately 2 per 1000 livebirths and increases to 25 per 1000 livebirths in infants with birthweight less than 1500 grams3. It is considered to be a major cause of fatality during the first month of life contributing to 13-15% of all neonatal deaths with highest rates seen in premature infants and in small for gestational age infants. The mortality rate in neonatal sepsis may be as high as 50% for infants who are not treated3. A local study conducted at MCU-FDTMF Hospital nursery found the incidence of neonatal septicemia to be 9.6 %4 as compared to other studies at UP PGH which is 5.5%. At Davao Medical Center the incidence and the case fatality rate of neonatal sepsis for the year 2008 are about 5/1000 livebirths and 1.3% respectively5. Considering the nonspecificity of the early clinical signs of neonatal sepsis and the neonates relative state of immunosuppression, early diagnosis and treatment is of utmost important. The mainstay of treatment is antibiotic. Supportive management is geared towards thermoregulation to prevent hypothermia or hyperthermia, ensuring good ventilation/oxygenation to vital tissues, provision of optimal nutrition preferably with enteral feeding or TPN, prevention of hypoglycemia and electrolyte imbalance by administration of parenteral fluids and vasopressors for hypotension. Adjunctive therapy includes fresh frozen plasma transfusion, exchange transfusion, immunoglobulin therapy, granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte transfusion. Sclerema is the uniform hardening of the skin and subcutaneous tissues to the extent that the skin could not be pitted nor picked up or pinched into a fold6.It is considered as a sign of a potentially fatal underlying disease process like neonatal sepsis especially gram- negative sepsis. Neonatal septicemia is invariably fatal when associated with sclerema7. Its reported mortality rates range from 67-88% with death occurring hours to days after onset8. Although literature about the benefits of Fresh Frozen Plasma transfusion in septic neonates with sclerema is scarce, our experienced at SPMC nursery suggests improved outcome from neonatal sepsis with sclerema when given FFP. We do not give FFP to septic neonates without sclerema. We are doing this study to validate if indeed our perception is correct and if this practice is valid. The study will be limited to comparison of septic patients with sclerema only. This preselects the most seriously ill patients. By limiting the study to early onset neonatal sepsis, opportunistic infections from less virulent pathogens like candida and staphylococcus epidermides are likely to be excluded and infection is most likely vertically transmitted and not nosocomial. This is to limit the varaiables due to etiologic agents that may affect outcome and interpretation of the result. Review of Related Literature The defense system of the human body consists of three components: physical , cellular and humoral. Neonates are particularly deficient in all three so that a more aggressive management is mandatory to improve survival outcome when neonates develop septicemia. The physical and chemical barriers to infection in the human body are present in the newborn but are functionally deficient. The skin of a preterm infant is only a few cell-layers thick and is poorly cornified hence can easily be damaged paving the way for infection. The protective fatty acid production is also low making them more vulnerable. At 23 weeks gestational age the fetus possesses T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, monocytes, polymorphonuclear cells and the capacity to synthesize all known immune factors. The ability of the T and B lymphocytes to produce cytokines is less in comparison to adults, however neonates are capable of generating appropriate adaptive immune responses. Langerhans cells are important in local infection and are present in the neonate at 18 weeks gestation. Phagocytes from preterm neonates show normal activity when suspended in normal adult serum, however neonatal serum is deficient in immunoglobulin and complement so there is a marked reduction in adherence and chemotaxis. The neonatal neutrophil or polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell, which is vital for effective killing of bacteria is deficient in chemotaxis and killing capacity. Also neonatal PMNs are less deformable therefore they are less able to move through the extracellular matrix of tissues to reach the site of inflammation and infection. The limited ability of neonate for phagocytosis and killing of bacteria is further impaired when the infant is clinically ill. Lastly neutrophil reserves are easily depleted because of the diminished response of the bone marrow especially in the premature infant. The neonate is capable of synthesizing IgM in utero at 10 weeks gestation, however IgM levels are generally low at birth unless the infant was exposed to an infectious agent during the pregnancy, thereby stimulating increased IgM production. During pregnancy IgG is transported actively and passively across the placenta from about the 20th week of gestation and at full term the neonates IgG levels are higher than his mothers levels. The IgG in an infants plasma has a half-life of about three weeks.Until the infant is able to generate his own IgG, IgM and IgA there is a period of postnatal hypogammaglobulinemia. In a preterm neonate of 26 weeks gestation the plasma IgG levels are markedly lower and diminish to ineffective levels very quickly, increasing the risk of infection. Complement protein production can be detected as early as 6 weeks gestation; however the concentration of the various components of the complement system widely varies among individual neonates. While some infants have had complement levels comparable with those in adults, deficiencies appear to be greater in the alternative pathway than in the classic pathway. The terminal cytotoxic components of the complement cascade that leads to killing of organisms, especially gram-negative bacteria are deficient. The deficiency is more marked in preterm infants. Mature complement activity is not reached until infants are aged 6-10 months. Neonatal sera have reduced opsonic deficiency against GBS, E. coli, and S pneumoniae because of decreased levels of fibronectin, a serum protein that assists with neutrophil adherence and has opsonic properties. Most common organisms causing early- onset neonatal sepsis include group B streptococci, gram -negative enteric organisms like E. coli. Listeria monocytogenes and Klebsiella are also a common isolates. Less common organisms include staphylococcus, other streptococci, anaerobes, and Haemophilus influenza9. The host-defence mechanism of neonates are immature. They have a markedly decrease levels of C3, Cy properdin and factor B which are very important in the alternative pathway of complement. Levels of IgM and IgA are also low at birth. Although IgG levels may be normal in term neonates, it is low in preterm infants. These relative deficiency of the neonates immune system complicated by low birthweight and decreasing age of gestation makes them more susceptible to life threatening infections10. Sadana,et al mentioned that the incomplete development of the host defense system of the neonate is largely responsible for the high mortality in neonatal sepsis11.In his study an increase in the levels of IgG, IgM, IgA andC3 was noted after exchange transfusion.Exchange transfusion offers removal of bacteria and toxins, improves oxygenation and perfusion as well as decreases hemorrhagic complications. The relative immunodeficiency state and susceptibility to sepsis and complications is the impetus for exploring treatment modalities other than antibiotics. There was an increase in the levels of IgG antibodies in septicemia patients with coagulase negative staphylococcus after FFP administration in the study made by Krediet, et al12 The neonate being deficient in both humoral and cellular immunity is more vulnerable to infection. There are literature that suggests the usage of Fresh Frozen Plasma in patients with neonatal sepsis to compensate for the immunologic deficiencies. FFP improves neonatal chemotaxis, provides humoral or cellular factors13 and increases the levels of immunoglobulin such as IgG, IgA and IgM. FFP remains the only approved source of factors V,XI, protein C, protein S and plasminogen14 and basically all the clotting factors. Others would say that FFP transfusion in neonatal sepsis is good because it increases levels of IgG, IgA and IgM15 that will increase chances of survival. FFP contains immunoglobulins anc complement factors16. Fresh frozen plasma, the plasma separated from a unit of whole blood and frozen at -18 oC within 8 hours of collection. It is a platelet-poor plasma17.Each bag has a volume of 175 to 250 ml and contains between 1 and 2 units of each coagulation factor per ml and 400 to 800 mg fibrinogen. It contains fibrinolytic and complement factors. It carries the same risks of viral transmission as other blood components and can cause allergic reactions and fluid overload. Indications for fresh frozen plasma, once used routinely in the support of critically ill-infants and children, have become more specific as evolving evidence has confirmed or disproved the efficacy of plasma in various circumstances. Fresh frozen plasma is currently indicated to treat the coagulopathies of massive hemorrhage, liver failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation and sepsis18. In an infant the fat has a higher saturated- to-unsaturated fatty acid ratio compared to adult fat and thus a higher melting point. Prematurity, hypothermia and shock and anatomic abnormalities have been postulated to further increase this ratio,possibly as a result of enzymatic alteration allowing precipitation of fatty acid crystals within the lipocytes. This condition has been suggested to result in the dramatic clinical findings in the affected skin. Xray diffraction techniques have confirmed that infants with sclerema have an increase in saturated fats and that the crystals within the fat cells are composed of triglycerides. The exact incidence of sclerema neonatorum is unknown . All studies describe SN as extremely rare. The number of reported case in recent years have declined, probably as a result of a better neonatal care. Because sclerema neonatorum invariably is associated with serious underlying disease process, the mortality rate is high. In different series, the reported mortality rates range from 67-88%, with death occuring hours to days after onset. If the underlying disease is treated successfuly, the skin softens and returns to normal. Sclerema neonatorum shows a slight male preponderance, with an estimated male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1. Sclerema neonatorum is a disease confined to the newborn period. It can present at birth, but onset within the first week of life is more common. The oldest reported infant presented with Pseudomonas septicemia is 106 days old. According to literature one half of the affected infants are premature, , and the others are full term but have a serious underlying disease. They are often of low birth weight and have cyanosis and low apgar scores.In one series, 75% of the mothers were healthy, while 25% had preeclampsia, placenta previa, or infection. Labor is usually normal and the delivery is spontaneous and nontraumatic. Physical findings appear suddenly, first on the thighs and on the buttocks and then spreading rapidly often affecting all parts of the body except the palms and the soles and the genitalia. The involved skin is pale, waxy, and firm to palpation. The skin cannot be pitted or pinched up because it is bound to the underlying tissues. The affected infant often dispalys flexion contractures at the elbows, knees and hips, temperature instability, restricted respiration, difficulty in feeding and decrease in spontaneous movement.17 Recognition and the prompt institution of therapy specific to the underlying disease process are mandatory such as antibiotics, steroids, exchange transfusions and FFP transfusion. Definition of Terms Neonatal sepsis- It is a clinical syndrome of bacteremia characterized by systemic signs and symptoms of infection in the first month of life. Neonatal sepsis encompasses systemic infections of the newborn including septicemia, meningitis, pneumonia, arthritis, osteomyelitis and urinary tract infection of the newborn19. Associated factors for early onset neonatal sepsis include lowbirthweight, PROM, foul smelling liquor, multiple vaginal examinations and maternal fever20 Early onset neonatal sepsis- It usually presents within the first 48 hours of life. In severe cases, the neonate may be symptomatic in utero, (fetal tachycardia, poor beat to beat variability) or within the first few hours after birth. The source of the infection is generally in the maternal genital, gastrointestinal, urinary tract . Clinically neonates usually present with respiratory distress and pneumonia. Presence of some perinatal risk factors has been associated with an increased risk of early onset sepsis. Frozen Frozen Plasma It is the plasma removed from a unit of whole blood and frozen at or below 55 degrees Fahrenheit within 8 hours of collection. It contains all the coagulation factors in normal amounts and is free of red cells, leukocytes and platelets. It is not a concentrate of clotting factors. Sclerema Neonatorum- It is derived from the Greek word sclerosmeaning hard. It is considered best as a sign of a potentially fatal underlying disease process in the newborn period. Physical findings appear suddenly first on the thighs and buttocks and then spreading rapidly, often affecting all parts of the body except the palms, soles and genitalia. The involved skin is pale, waxy and firm to palpation. The skin cannot be pitted or pinched up because it is bound to the underlying tissues.It can present at birth but onset within the first week of life is more common. Associated underlying conditions include septicemia, pneumonia, hypothermia, metabolic acidosis, respiratory distress syndrome, congenital heart defects, gastroenteritis and intestinal obstruction. Clinical Signs of Neonatal Sepsis: (At least 2 clinical signs supported by laboratory findings) 1.sclerema 2.hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia 3.temperature instability 4.tachypnea/respiratory distress 5.Apnea 6.Poor perfusion Laboratory findings: 1..I/T ratio> 0.2 2.leukopenia 3.Neutropenia 4.Thrombocytopenia Research Question Will FFP transfusion improves the survival outcome of the sick neonates with early onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema given the standard therapy plus FFP? Is the use of FFP justifiable in the treatment of neonatal sepsis with sclerema in terms of cost and survival outcome? Significance of the study Many studies have been done to improve the survival outcome of neonates with septicemia. The progress in terms of the available adjuctive therapies in the treatment of neonatal sepsis entail a higher cost which is an issue to our marginalized patients who cannot afford such expensive add on treatment hence inspired the researcher to study fresh frozen plasma transfusion which is much more affordable and readily available to the neonates with septicemia particularly with sclerema. FFP contains immunologic factors helping the immunologically deficient neonate in fighting serious infections. This study aims to evaluate the effects of FFP transfusion in the subset of neonates with high case fatality rate. They are the candidates that would benefit from the terminal cytotoxic complement with the coagulation cascade that FFP may provide. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY General Objective: To determine and compare the survival outcome of patients with early- onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema given the standard therapy (antibiotic + supportive care ) plus fresh frozen plasma to those with early -onset neonatal sepsis given only the standard therapy (antibiotic + supportive care ) at Southern Philippines Medical Center- Nursery for the year 2008 . Specific Objectives: Determine the incidence of sclerema in early onset neonatal sepsis in SPMC. Determine the rate of early onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema in SPMC. Determine the mortality rate of neonates with early onset sepsis with sclerema. Identify the possible the maternal fetal/neonatal factors related to early neonatal sepsis with sclerema Compare the outcome 1.resolution of sclerema Chapter 2 METHODOLOGY Study Design This paper will be an observational descriptive and comparative study on the survival outcome of patients with neonatal sepsis with sclerema admitted at Southern Philippines Medical Center for the year 2008 using a Cohort study design. Population This study will include all neonates with early-onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema admitted at Southern Philippines Medical Center -Nursery for the year 2008. Inclusion criteria: All neonates admitted at Southern Philippines Medical Center -Nursery who presents with the clinical signs of early- onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema. Exclusion criteria: 1.All neonates presenting with clinical signs of neonatal sepsis with sclerema occurring beyond 48 hours of life. 2. All non-institutional deliveries presenting with early onset neonatal sepsis with sclerema. 3. All neonates admitted at the NICU with obvious congenital anomalies like syndromic features, cleft lip and palate etc. Data Collection Data will be collected by the researcher through a retrospective chart review. The researcher will scan and evaluate each chart of the patient with neonatal sepsis for the presence of sclerema in the progress notes. A data sheet will be use for each patient.Research consultant will be asked for validation of diagnosis. Independent variable -Fresh Frozen Plasma transfusion Dependent variable- survival outcome of neonates with early onset sepsis with sclerema Sample Size: All neonates admitted at Southern Philippines Medical Center-Nursery who fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the year 2008 will be used as a sample in this study. Data Analysis: correlation coefficient and odds ratio will be used to summarize the data for the comparative part. Means and standard deviation for the descriptive part and percentage and rates as per standard definition. Ethical Consideration The approval of the hospital research committee and the ethics committee will be sought before the conduct of the study. No identification data or marks will be placed in each patient included in the study. The data will be kept by the researcher for 5 years. Table 1.Patient clinical profile Name: AGA___SGA___LGA___ Age: Weight: AOG: Sex: Medical record number: length of stay in the hospital: Date of admission : Date of discharge: Diagnosis upon admission: Final diagnosis: OUTCOME: [ ] died [ ]survived [ ] HAMA [ ] transferred [ ]transout to blue area Cause of death: Age at onset of sepsis(hours) Age at onset of sclerema(hours) Antibiotics Ampicillin/Gentamycin Cefotaxime/Amikacin Piperacillin + Tazobactam/Amikacin Meropenem Cefepime Neonatal risk factors Birthweight 1.VLBW 2.LBW 3.normal weight 4.LGA APGAR SCORE (5 minute) 0-3 4-6 7-10 Ballard Scoring 34-37 >37 Comorbidities Neonatal pneumonia Meconium aspiration Intubation Pulmonary hypertension Pneumothorax Others (specify) MATERNAL RISK FACTORS Premature labor and delivery Prolong Rupture of membrane Antenatal Steroid Chorioamnionitis Manipulative Operative Delivery Maternal infection within 2 weeks of delivery UTI RTI Preeclampsia/eclampsia Placenta previa/ abruptio Others (specify) SCLEREMA Hours first noted FFP transfusion Yes /hours before transfusion No Resolution of sclerema post FFP Yes- number of hours first noted resolution No- OUTCOME Died Survived COMPLICATIONS NOTED Table 2. ANTIBIOTICS Standard care+FFP Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % Ampicillin+Gentamycin Cefotaxime +Amikacin Piptazo+Amikacin Meropenem Cefepime Total Table 2.BIRTHWEIGHT Standard care+FFP Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % VLBW LBW AGA LGA Total Table 3. APGAR SCORE(5 MINUTE) Standard care+FFP Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % 0-3 4-6 7-10 Total Table 4. BALLARDS SCORE Standard care+FFP Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % 34-37 weeks >37 weeks Total Table 5. Comorbidities Standard care+FFP Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % Neonatal pneumonia Meconium aspiration Intubation Pulmonary hypertension Pneumothorax Others (specify) Total Table 6. Maternal Risk Factors Antibiotic+Standard care+ FFP Antibiotic +Standard care Total No. % No. % No. % Preterm labor/delivery RBOW Antenatal Steroid Chorioamnionitis Operative Delivery Maternal infection UTI RTI Preeclampsia/eclampsia Placenta previa /abruptio Others (specify) Total Table 7. Onset and Resolution of Sclerema Antibiotic+Standard care+ FFP Antibiotic +Standard care only Onset resolution Total time of sclerema Table 8. Outcome Survived Dead Total No. % No. % No. % Antibiotic+Standard care+ FFP Antibiotic +Standard care Total Conceptual framework: Babies admitted at DMC nursery 2008 No sepsis Compare results Sepsis with sclerema Antibiotic+Standard care+ FFP Antibiotic +Standard care Sepsis without sclerema Early-onset neonatal sepsis COST/BUDGET: COUPON BOND.P.400.00 PRINTINGP700.00 RESEARCH MATERIALS ..1,000.00 ______________________ P 2,100.00 TIME TABLE (May 2009- December 2010) May PRESENTATION TO RESEARCH COMMITTEE AND ETHICS June -October DATA GATHERING November PRESENTATION OF RESULTS December SUBMISSION OF HARD COPIES

TOURISTS :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many definitions for the word â€Å"tourist.†Ã‚  Ã‚   The known definition of a tourist is a person that travels for pleasure and isn’t born in the place they travel to.   To some people, the tourists that come to Nantucket may be very annoying, rude, dirty, and smelly and they are not native to the island. While others may think they are nice, friendly, and very generous people that just weren’t born here, I tend to disgree. Just think of the many day-trippers who flock, like seagulls, to the Tavern and don’t leave a tip after treating the hardworking waitress in a rude manner, with their screaming kids whining and belching, and the horny husband who pinches her derriere as she walks away.    To back up the definition of the word that I agree with, I have provided some other examples based on occurences I have been involved with or seen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A tourist, in my opinion, is a person who is very rude, hostile, pushy, urgent, always rushing, and ignorant when it comes to directions and locations. Since tourists aren’t born and live in the place they are visiting, they can’t see all the landmarks and interesting sites there is to see.   They are always rushing to fit as much as they can into one day’s events before they go back to where they live.   They stop you every few minutes while standing in front of The Hub to ask where Main Street is. This also ties into â€Å"being rude† because they don’t ask in a polite way usually, and they rarely say â€Å"Thank You.† They can’t be bothered with slow people.   I worked at D&B Car Wash last summer and I got a lot of rude customers everyday.   I would ask them what wash they would like, since we have three kinds, and they would throw the money at me telling me to just give them a wash.   They were ob viously in a hurry to do something.   Most of the time they didn’t even know how to drive their car in properly, and they would get it stuck, then get upset and start screaming and saying they were going to sue the Car Wash if any damage happened to their car. Then the manager would come out and a whole fiasco would begin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many distinctive features a tourist has or uses that allows others to be able to identify them.

Hypocrisy of Mr. Garner and Mr. Bodwin in Toni Morrisons Beloved Essay

The Hypocrisy of Mr. Garner and Mr. Bodwin in Toni Morrison's Beloved   In Toni Morrison's novel Beloved, both Mr. Garner and Mr. Bodwin are presented initially as decent men, with views on the black race that differ from all the rest of the white men in the book. The readers first impression of each of these men is favorable. With further reading and thought however, the reader notices more and more details that tend to change their initial impression. By the end of the book both men seem to have lost their appeal. Even though there is very little said against Mr. Garner, and even less against Mr. Bodwin, it seems that Morrison was trying to cause very mixed opinions about each one of these characters. In the end, Mr. Garner seems no less racist than his fellow slave owners, and Mr. Bodwin, though opposed to slavery also appears to be much more racist than he lets on.   Mr. Garner is the owner of Sweet Home, the plantation where Sethe, her family, and others had been slaves before their escape. He is singled out from the rest of the white men right away. When his character is first introduced the narrator speaks of him fighting with other farmers about his slaves being men. "Now at Sweet Home, my niggers is men every one of em. Bought em thataway, raised em thataway. Men every one" he had told other farmers (Morrison 10). With this comment Mr. Garner was fishing for the reaction he loved to hear, "I wouldn't have no nigger men round my wife.", to which he'd retaliate "neither would I, neither would I"(11).   On the surface Mr. Garner is presented as a very admirable man. He "ran a special kind of slavery", Baby Suggs had thought, "treating them as paid labor" (140).   The way... ...s than noble. Both men seem to put on a mightier-than-thou air when in public, and try to appear as non-racist as possible. Yet Mr. Garner owns slaves, an obviously racist act, even if he does allow them more than other slave owners would. And Mr. Bodwin who claims to be against slavery, and has fought to end it, displays in his own house a figure that embodies slavery. It appears that the only difference between other slave owners and Mr. Garner, is that they don't try and hide their racism or pretend they're better than anyone else. Mr. Bodwin does not own slaves, and does not believe in the practice, but he is still racist as we can see from the figure in his house. Which of these is better? Who can say? But most people aren't fond of hipocrits. Works Cited Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Markham, Ontario: Penguin Books Canada Limited, 1987

Richard Connells The Most Dangerous Game Essay -- Richard Connell Mos

Richard Connell's The Most Dangerous Game In Richard Connell's short story, "The Most Dangerous Game';, the use of literary devices, found blended with other literary devices, gives the story an inner meaning. The blending of literary devices effectively expresses the intentions of Connell to present contrast between the antagonist and protagonist points of view. As a result, the reader can gain insight on the good and evil sides of the story to enhance the purpose of his interpretation. "The Most Dangerous Game'; by Richard Connell presents literary devices such as foreshadowing, setting, and irony which reveal the underlying meaning of the story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Connell's use of foreshadowing creates an atmosphere of mystery and a hesitant feeling of not knowing what events will occur. For instance, Zaroff "has ceased [hunting]'; because all the animals "had become too easy'; to chase; but one animal has a certain characteristic of being "able to reason'; which rekindles his passion for the thrill of the hunt (68). The vague statement at which Zaroff makes at Rainsford obviously hints toward humans as being the animal of reason because referring to the statement Rainsford makes in the early stages of the story, he asserts that animals do not feel or think. Now that Rainsford conceives the idea that Zaroff hunts humans, it provides Rainsford with a frustrating mental reaction of fear and anger because Zaroff openly declares that he poaches humans for amusement and yet Rainsford feels the anxiety of dying in his sick game. Equally important, while Zaroff hunts strategically, "[his] brain against [Rainsford]'; (71), "it sent a shudder of cold horror'; in the flowing veins of Rainsford because of the fear that he will "lose [his] nerve'; (73). Immediately, when Rainsford enters the repulsive jungle, he knows that the strategy for staying alive becomes not only physically, but by remaining mentally strong and not losing his nerves. For this reason, by staying on objective and visualizing his goal of achieving victory over Zaroff; Rainsford will not have to worry about weakness from hunger because he will be full of hope and optimism for the rest of his life. Connell utilizes foreshadowing in a way that other authors do not compare because when he uses an event that contains foreshadowing, he does not state it candidly but blends foreshadowing into story like the ... ...ting, and irony essential to the effect of the story, Connell utilizes his command of these literary devices to relate to the everyday life of the reader. Throughout the story, Zaroff exclaims that when he murders animals, it does not excite him which leads him to kill humans. The wrongful action which Zaroff commits demonstrates the way the world behaves today, specifically the hunting world. For this reason in the hunting world of today, people kill animals for either game or for enjoyment; but what perverse mind enjoys that slaughter of creatures? The violence of today exists all around where people call home or gather to socialize with other people. For example, when people leave their home to watch movies; people mostly watch violent or action movies for their exciting content. As soon as the movie ends, people come away from the theater with sadistic images which begins the desensitization from violence. The world today must recognize this event that happens to often to the population of the world today because when people view violent movies frequently and feel nothing, people become like Zaroff and kill animals or people because movies do not provide enough exhilaration.

Air Traffic Controller

Air Traffic Controller Essay Air Traffic Controller is an occupation were you work with pilots and guide them safely from the time they push back to when they park at the gate. Being an Air Traffic Controller is a difficult job, they have a big responsibility which is to keep everyone safe in the skies. They are responsible for the safety, separation and sequencing of aircraft. I was told that in the tower that this is a job where you have to be alert to all of the surroundings, weather and pilots doing what they are supposed to be doing. This job is not like some people say it is.It’s not easy; this job takes a lot of training and a lot of patience with the pilots. In ATC you have three positions: the first is â€Å"Clearance Delivery† is when the pilot calls the tower to request his clearance to their destination. The pilot calls clearance and he’d say the type of aircraft they are flying, were his parked at and their destination. For example: â€Å"Vieques 89 2 requesting clearance to Boriquen† then the controller tells the pilot: â€Å"Vieques 892 you are cleared to Boriquen via the assigned route and gives them an assigned transponder code. The Boriquen airport is the name for Aguadilla airport or in the aviation language BQN is the three letter identifier. In Luis Munoz Marin international airport the larger companies like Delta, JetBlue, United and others have a service they pay for. It’s a third party company that gives them the clearance information in a short computer message that is sent to the aircraft when the pilot requests a clearance without ever having to talk to the clearance controller. After this happens the pilots contact ground control. Ground control is one of the most difficult positions in this type of work.Ground control is the controller the pilot calls to ask for their clearance for pushback and taxi. The pilot does this â€Å"Delta 422 requesting clearance to pushback and the gate number they are parked at†, and then the controller tells the pilot â€Å"Delta 422 cleared to push (the direction he is going) and to call when ready to taxi†. Once they are call that they are ready the ground controller will issue instructions on how to get to the runway. Ex â€Å"Taxi to runway 10 via Hotel 6 right turn on Hotel and hold short of runway 10†.Also the controller has the responsibility of sequencing aircraft correctly and all other movements in the FAA controlled areas. Also the controller is responsible for issuing taxi instructions to arriving aircraft as well. For example the pilot calls ground and says: â€Å"Delta 597on H9 Requesting taxi to the gate†, The Ground Controller responds â€Å"Delta 597 take N3 and right on to N to the assigned gate†. Ground control is not an easy job and is not an easy position to train on, this position when you train on it could get a little difficult and busy.But is a process that every controller has to go thr ough because an Air Traffic Controller has to work any of the assigned positions when they receive their certificate, and the next position is Local Tower. Local Tower is when and a pilot calls and request clearance for landing or for takeoff. When they are going to takeoff they call the tower and say: â€Å"Delta 422 holding short of runway 10 ready for takeoff† and then the controller working the tower position will tell the pilot if he is cleared to takeoff â€Å"Delta 422 you are cleared for takeoff† or the controller might say â€Å"Delta 422 line up and wait†.Then when the airplane is out and climbing the tower calls the aircraft and says: â€Å"Delta 422 contact departure†. Tower has the responsibility of every airplane coming in and going out of the airport. Tower has the responsibility of all of the airplanes in their airspace and it’s their responsibility of any aircraft flying around or inside the controlled airspace. This line of work i s not for everybody and the people that currently work them are sometimes stressed and tired.I like this profession because I enjoy working with pilots and the aviation community as a whole. My favorite position is Tower, because I can work with airplanes. I like this position because at times it can get a busy and you have to be on top of everything that is going on. In conclusion all of the positions are good as long as you can do something you love and truly have passion for. The only thing I have to say is I can’t wait to work in ATC.

Love for Cooking Essay

Goal: In this paper I tried to open to different ideas to cooking opposed to giving directions about how to cook. I tried to provide each reason with two examples to give readers a better understanding about what food can really be about. Evaluation: I feel like I did good on the overview on covering all the basics on cooking to where it’s understandable and relateable opposed to writing is as a recipe or directions list that most people would think cooking is about. Cooking a satisfying dish has three aspects. The first aspect that is usually the most important is eating with the eyes. An example is how the dish is plated, how it smells, and how appealing and appetizing it looks to the eye. Another example that compares to the first example is that if food is plated sloppy or looks and smells unappetizing, it generally doesn’t catch peoples attention. A second aspect that relates to the first aspect is using fresh ingredients. Using fresh ingredients means a healthier meal, and also getting natural vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and ect. Another example is using fresh food opposed to processed food, because everyone wants to knows what they’re eating. One last aspect is making the dish taste fantastic. A dish that tastes good has people eating more of it, even though it might not be good for them to over-stuff. Another reason is people asking for the recipe or asking the chef to prepare their meals boost confidence in the chef knowing she made a good meal for everyone. One thing that will always remain is that feeling of providing something delicious for the community that has them cominging back and a sense of happiness and successfullnes in a chef.

Disadvantages of Wearing a Bra

Title: Disadvantages of wearing a bra Why do women wear bras? Is it to enhance the percieved shape of a woman's breast, minimize or enlarge her perceived breast size, restrain breast movement during an activity, or is it to overcome sagging? Most bras are designed to be form-fitting, to lift the breast of the chest wall if they sag and to retain their movement. All these are advantages of wearing a bra but it has it's disadvantages that can even lead to health issues in the life of women today. Wearing a bra can increase the process of sagging of the breast as well as give rise to many health issues. Sagging of the breast is one major concern in our society today. However, it is a natural, inevitable process that happens to all women at some point. The most notable sagging happens with the process called breast involution which occurs when the milk-making system inside the breast shrinks because it's not needed anymore, but breasts can start sagging a little at any age, because they do not have muscles in them. They have ligaments and connective tissue. When gravity pulls the breasts down, those ligaments and the skin can stretch, and so the breast then sags. This depends on the elasticity of your skin and of your ligaments, as determined by your genes and diet, and also on normal aging processes. Obviously large breasts will sag easier since the gravity is pulling them down more.

The Hunters: Moonsong Chapter Nine

Where r u? Elena texted impatiently. Stefan was supposed to meet her at her dorm room more than twenty minutes ago. Surely his study group was over by now? She was starving. She paced around the room, occasional y glancing at the dark tree branches beyond the windows. It wasn't like Stefan to be late. She checked her phone. It was too soon to try to reach him again. Outside, something dark moved, and she gasped. Then she shook her head. It was just the branches of the trees out there, waving in the breeze. She moved closer, trying to see past the reflections on the glass. Their room was on the third floor; there wouldn't be anyone sitting that high up. At least not anyone human. Elena shuddered. â€Å"Elena,† said a cool, clear voice from outside. With a squeak that sounded like a frightened rabbit, Elena jerked backward, pressing one hand to her pounding heart. After a moment, she stepped up to the window and threw it open. â€Å"Damon,† she said. â€Å"You scared me to death. What are you doing out there?† There was a flash of white teeth in the shadows. A mocking tone rang through his answer. â€Å"Waiting for you to invite me into your room, of course.† â€Å"You don't need an invitation,† Elena said. â€Å"You helped me move in.† â€Å"I know,† Damon said, smiling. â€Å"I'm being a gentleman.† Elena hesitated. She trusted Damon, of course she did, but this seemed so intimate. Damon outside in the dark, Elena alone in her bedroom, neither of her roommates around. He'd been in her room at home, but Aunt Judith and Robert had been just down the hal . She wondered if Stefan would mind her being alone here with Damon, but she shook off the thought. He trusted Elena, that was what mattered. â€Å"Elena,† Damon's voice was soft but insistent. â€Å"Let me in before I fal .† Rol ing her eyes, she said, â€Å"You'd never fal . And if you did, you'd fly. But you can come in anyway.† With a soft whoosh, faster than her eye could fol ow, Damon was suddenly beside her. She had to step back a pace. Eyes and hair as dark as night, pale luminous skin, perfectly cut features. He even smel ed good. His lips looked so soft†¦. Elena caught herself leaning toward him, her own lips parting, and pul ed away. â€Å"Stop it,† she said. â€Å"I'm not doing anything,† Damon said innocently. When Elena arched a skeptical eyebrow at him, he shrugged and shot her a brief, bril iant smile. There, Elena thought. That's why Stefan might mind Damon being here. â€Å"Oh, al right. I'm only teasing you.† He looked around the room and quirked an eyebrow of his own. â€Å"Why, Elena,† he said, â€Å"I'm almost disappointed. You and your friends are running so true to type here.† Elena fol owed his eyes. Bonnie's side of the room was a mess, a tumble of stuffed animals, rejected outfits, and Dalcrest paraphernalia. In contrast, Meredith's area was rigidly tidy, books lined up alphabetical y, a single silver pen on the desk next to her slim silver laptop, her bed neatly draped in a silk duvet in subtly patterned gray and white. Her dresser and closet were closed, but inside, Elena knew, Meredith's clothes would be organized by type, color, and season. Damon was right: just by looking at their parts of the room, you could tel that Meredith was rational, sophisticated, careful y control ed, and private, while Bonnie was fluffy, fun-loving, and disorganized. What about Elena's own things? What did they say about her? She looked over her part of the room with a critical eye. Framed art prints from her favorite exhibits, her silver brush and comb lined up on her dresser, deep-blue sheets that she knew set off her eyes and hair. Someone who held on to what she liked and didn't change easily? Someone who was very aware of what suited her? She wasn't sure. Damon smiled at her again, without the mocking edge this time. â€Å"Don't give it a second's thought, princess,† he said affectionately. â€Å"You're more than your possessions.† â€Å"Thanks,† Elena said shortly. â€Å"So, did you just drop in my window to say hel o?† He reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. They were standing very close together, and Elena backed away a little. â€Å"I thought maybe, now that you're a col ege girl, we could go out tonight and have some fun.† â€Å"Fun?† Elena said, stil distracted by his mouth. â€Å"What kind of fun?† â€Å"Oh, you know,† he said, â€Å"just a little dinner, a few drinks. Friend stuff. Nothing too daring.† â€Å"Right,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"It sounds nice. But I can't tonight. Stefan and I are going out to dinner.† â€Å"Of course,† Damon said. He gave her a firm little nod and what was so obviously supposed to be a supportive smile that she had to stifle a giggle. Supportive, friendly, and unassuming were not natural looks on Damon's face. He was trying so very hard to be her friend even though they al knew there was more than that between them. Since he had died and come back, he had been trying to change his relationships with Stefan and with her, she knew, to be with them in a way he never had before. It couldn't be easy on poor Damon, trying to be good. He was out of practice. Elena's phone chimed. She read the text from Stefan: I'm sorry. The study group's running late. I think it'll be at least another hour. Meet later? â€Å"Problem?† Damon was watching her, the same innocent, friendly smile on his face, and affection for him washed over Elena. Damon was her friend. Why shouldn't she go out with him? â€Å"Change of plans,† she said briskly. â€Å"We'l go out, but just for a little while. I need to be back here to meet Stefan in an hour.† She texted Stefan quickly to let him know she was going to grab some food and looked up to see a triumphant smile on Damon's face as he reached to take her arm. Bonnie walked across campus, practical y skipping in time to the happy tune in her head. A date with Zander, la la la la la. It was about time, too. She'd been eagerly anticipating seeing Zander again al week, and although they'd talked on the phone, she hadn't laid eyes on him around campus at al , even though of course she'd been looking. At last she was about to see him. La la la la la. Lovely, gorgeous Zander. She had on jeans and a sort of silvery, draping top that at least made it look like she might have some cleavage. It was a good outfit, she thought, understated enough for just hanging out but also a little bit special. Just in case they decided to go out clubbing or something at the last minute. Zander hadn't told her what he'd planned, just asked her to meet him outside the science building. La la la la la, she hummed. Bonnie's footsteps slowed, and the tune in her head died off as she saw flickering lights il uminating a group of people up ahead. They were gathered in the courtyard in front of one of the dorms. Approaching, she realized it was a group of girls holding candles. The wavering light from the candles sent shadows across their serious faces. Propped against the wal of the dorm were three blown-up photos, two girls and a guy. Al across the grass in front of them were heaped flowers, letters, and teddy bears. Hesitant to break the silence, Bonnie touched the arm of one of the girls. â€Å"What's going on?† she whispered. â€Å"It's a candlelight vigil for the missing people,† the girl whispered back. Missing people? Bonnie scanned the faces in the photographs. Young, smiling, about her age. â€Å"Are they al students here?† she asked, horrified. â€Å"What happened to them?† â€Å"Nobody knows,† the girl said, her gaze serious. â€Å"They just vanished. You didn't hear about this?† Bonnie's stomach dropped. She knew that a girl was attacked – or something – on the quad the first night, but she hadn't known about any disappearances. No wonder her gut instinct had warned her to be scared walking across campus the other day. She could have been in danger. â€Å"No,† she said slowly. â€Å"I didn't hear anything.† She dropped her eyes and bowed her head, silent as she sent out a fervent hope that these three happy-looking people would be found, safe and sound. In the distance, a siren began to wail. â€Å"Something's happened.† â€Å"Do you think someone was attacked?† A babble of frightened voices rose as the sirens got closer. A girl near Bonnie began to sob, a hurt, scared sound. â€Å"Al right, what's the trouble here?† said a new, authoritative voice, and Bonnie looked up to see two campus police officers shouldering their way through the crowd. â€Å"We †¦ uh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The girl who had spoken to Bonnie gestured at the photos and flowers against the wal . â€Å"We were having a vigil. For the missing people.† â€Å"What are those sirens for?† another girl asked, her voice rising. â€Å"Nothing to worry about,† said the officer, but his face softened as he looked at the sobbing girl. Bonnie realized with a slight shock that he wasn't much older than she was. â€Å"Miss?† he said to the crying girl. â€Å"We'l help you get home.† His partner looked around at the crowd. â€Å"It's time to break things up and head inside,† he said sternly. â€Å"Stick together and be careful.† â€Å"I thought you said there was nothing to worry about,† said another girl angrily. â€Å"What aren't you tel ing us?† â€Å"There's nothing you don't know already,† the man said patiently. â€Å"People are missing. You can never be too careful.† If there's nothing to worry about, why do we have to be careful? Bonnie wondered, but she bit back the words and hurried away down the path, toward the science building where Zander had suggested they meet. The idea of trying to have a vision, to see if she could learn anything about the missing people, nudged at Bonnie's mind, but she pushed it away. She hated that. She hated the loss of control when she slid into one of her visions. It was unlikely to work, anyway. Her visions had always been about people she knew, about immediate problems facing them. She didn't know any of the missing people. She bit her lip and walked faster. The excitement about her date had fizzled out, and she didn't feel safe now. But at least if she got to Zander, she wouldn't be alone. When she arrived at the science building, though, Zander wasn't there. Bonnie hesitated and looked around nervously. This corner of campus seemed to be deserted. She tried the door of the science building, but it was locked. Wellof course it was – there weren't any classes this late. Bonnie shook the handle of the front door in frustration. She reached into her bag, then groaned as she realized she'd left her phone back in her room. Suddenly, she felt very exposed. The campus police had said to stick together, not to wander around alone at night, but here she was, al by herself. A cool breeze ruffled her hair and she shivered. It was getting awful y dark. â€Å"Bonnie. Psst, Bonnie!† Zander's voice. But where was he? Bonnie saw nothing but the dark quad, streetlights throwing little circles of light on the paths. Above her, leaves rustled in the wind. â€Å"Bonnie! Up here.† Looking up, she final y spotted Zander on the roof, peering down over the side at her, his pale hair almost glowing in the moonlight. â€Å"What're you doing up there?† she cal ed to him, confused. â€Å"Come on up,† he invited, pointing to the fire-escape ladder on the side of the building. It was lowered to just a couple of feet above the ground. â€Å"Real y?† said Bonnie dubiously. She walked over to the fire escape. She could make it onto the ladder, she was pretty sure, but she was going to look clumsy and awkward scrambling up on it. And what if she got caught? She hadn't actual y read the campus regulations thoroughly, but wouldn't climbing the fire escape up to the roof of a closed building be against the rules? â€Å"Come on, Bonnie,† Zander cal ed. His feet clanging loudly against the iron steps, he ran down the fire escape, shimmied down the ladder, and leaped to the ground, landing catlike on his feet beside her. He went down on one knee and held his hands out together. â€Å"I'l boost you up so you'l be able to reach.† Bonnie swal owed, then stepped up onto Zander's hands and stretched for the ladder. Once she swung her leg up onto the bottom rung, it was a piece of cake, although the slightly rusty metal was rough against her hands. She spared a moment to thank al the powers of the universe that she had decided to wear jeans rather than a skirt tonight. Zander trailed behind her up the fire escape from one landing to another until final y they arrived on the roof. â€Å"Are we al owed to be up here?† Bonnie asked nervously. â€Å"Well,† Zander said slowly, â€Å"probably not. But I come up here al the time, and no one's ever told me not to.† He smiled that warm, wonderful smile at her and added, â€Å"This is one of my favorite places.† It was a nice view, Bonnie had to admit that. Below them, the campus stretched, leafy and green and mysterious. If anyone else had brought her up here, though, she would have complained about the rusty fire escape and the concrete roof, suggested that maybe a date should involve going somewhere. This was a date, wasn't it? She froze momentarily in a panic, trying to recal exactly what Zander had said when he suggested meeting here. She didn't remember the words themselves, but they definitely had a date-y feel to them: she wasn't a kid anymore, she knew when she was being asked out. And Zander was so cute, it was worth making an effort. â€Å"It's pretty up here,† she said lamely and then, looking around at the flat dirty concrete, â€Å"I mean being so high up.† â€Å"We're closer to the stars,† Zander said, and took her hand. â€Å"Come on over here.† His hand was warm and strong, and Bonnie held on to it tightly. He was right, the stars were beautiful. It was cool to be able to see them more clearly, here above the trees. He led her over to the corner of the roof, where a ratty old army blanket was spread out with a pizza box and some cans of soda. â€Å"Al the comforts of home,† he said. Then, quietly, â€Å"I know this isn't a very fancy date, Bonnie, but I wanted to share this with you. I thought you would appreciate what's special about being up here.† â€Å"I absolutely do,† Bonnie said, flattered. A secret little cheer went up inside her: Hurray! Zander definitely knows we're on a date! Pretty soon Bonnie found herself tucked up against Zander's side, his arm around her shoulders, eating hot, greasily delicious pizza and looking at the stars. â€Å"I come up here alone a lot,† Zander told her. â€Å"One time last year I just lay here and watched a big fat ful moon get swal owed up by the earth's shadow in an eclipse. It was nearly pitch black without the light of the ful moon, but I could stil see its dark red shape in the sky.† â€Å"The Vikings thought eclipses were caused by two wolves, one who wanted to eat the sun, and one who wanted to eat the moon,† Bonnie said idly. â€Å"I forget which one wanted to eat the moon, but whenever either a solar or a lunar eclipse happened, people were supposed to make a lot of noise to scare the wolf away.† Zander looked down at her. â€Å"That's a random piece of information to know.† But he smiled as he said it. Bonnie wriggled with delight under the sheer force of his smile. â€Å"I'm interested in mythology,† she said. â€Å"Druid and Celtic, mostly, but myths and stories in general. The Druids were into the moon, too: they had a whole astrology based on the lunar calendar.† She sat up straighter, enjoying the admiring look on Zander's face. â€Å"Like, right now, from late August to late September, we're in the month of the Artist Moon. But in a couple of weeks, we'l be in the month of the Dying Moon.† â€Å"What does that mean?† Zander asked. He was very close to her, gazing straight into her eyes. â€Å"Well, it means it's a time of endings,† Bonnie said. â€Å"It's al about dying and sleep. The Druid year begins again after Hal oween.† â€Å"Hmm.† Zander was stil watching her intently. â€Å"How do you know so much, Bonnie McCul ough?† A little smile played around his mouth. â€Å"Um, my ancestors were Druids and Celtics,† Bonnie said, feeling stupid. â€Å"My grandmother told me we were descended from Druid priestesses, and that's why I see things sometimes. My grandmother does, too.† â€Å"Interesting,† Zander said softly. His tone grew lighter. â€Å"So you see things, do you?† â€Å"I real y do,† Bonnie said, seriously, staring back at him. She hadn't meant to tel him that. She didn't want to weird him out, not on their first date, but she also didn't want to lie to him. So blue. Zander's eyes were as deep as the sea, and she was fal ing farther and farther into them. There was nothing above her, nothing below, she was ceaselessly, gently fal ing. With a wrench, Bonnie pul ed her eyes away from Zander's. â€Å"Sorry,† she said, shaking her head. â€Å"That was weird. I think I almost fel asleep for a minute.† â€Å"Don't worry about it,† Zander said, but his face looked stiff and strange. Then he flashed that warm, enchanting smile again and got to his feet. â€Å"Come on, I want to show you something.† Bonnie stood slowly. She felt a little strange stil , and she pressed her hand briefly against her forehead. â€Å"Over here,† Zander said, tugging her by the other hand. He led her to the corner of the roof and stepped up onto the narrow ledge running around it. â€Å"Zander,† Bonnie said, horrified. â€Å"Come down! You might fal !† â€Å"We won't fal ,† Zander said, smiling down at her. â€Å"Climb on up.† â€Å"Are you crazy?† Bonnie said. She'd never liked heights much. She remembered crossing a high, high bridge once with Damon and Elena. They'd had to if they were going to save Stefan, but she never would have been able to do it, except Damon had used his Power and convinced her she was an acrobat, a tightrope walker to whom heights were nothing. When he'd released her from his Power, after they crossed the bridge, her retroactive fear had been nauseating. Stil , she'd made it across that bridge, hadn't she? And she had promised herself she would be more confident, stronger, now that she was in col ege. She looked up at Zander, who was smiling at her, sweetly, eagerly, his hand extended. She took it and let him help her climb onto the ledge. â€Å"Oh,† she said, once she was up there. The ground swam dizzyingly far below her, and she yanked her eyes away from it. â€Å"Oh. No, this is not a good idea.† â€Å"Trust me,† Zander said, and took her other hand so that he was holding on to her securely. â€Å"I won't let you fal .† Bonnie looked into his blue, blue eyes again and felt comforted. There was something so candid and straightforward in his gaze. â€Å"What should I do?† she asked, and was proud when her voice was steady. â€Å"Close your eyes,† Zander said, and when she'd done that, â€Å"and pick your right foot up off the ledge.† â€Å"What?† Bonnie asked, and almost opened her eyes again. â€Å"Trust me,† Zander said again, and this time there was a rich undercurrent of laughter in his voice. Hesitantly, Bonnie lifted her foot. Just then, the wind picked up, and Bonnie felt like it was about to scoop her off the ledge and throw her into the sky like a kite whose string had snapped. She tightened her grip on Zander's hands. â€Å"It's al right,† he said soothingly. â€Å"It's amazing, Bonnie, I promise. Just let yourself be. Life isn't worth living if you don't take risks.† Inhaling deeply and then letting the breath out, Bonnie forced herself to relax. The wind was blowing her curls everywhere, whistling in her ears, tugging at her clothes and her raised leg. As she relaxed into it, she felt almost as if she was being lifted, gently, into the sky, the air al around supporting her. It was like flying. Bonnie realized she was laughing with sheer delight and opened her eyes, gazing straight into Zander's. He was laughing, too, and holding on to her tightly, anchoring her to the earth as she almost flew. She had never been so conscious of the blood thrumming through her veins, of each nerve catching the sensations of the air around her. She had never felt so alive.