Remodeling HR at Home Depot Essay

Abstract Home Depot went through many changes as a result of new CEO Frank Blake and Vice President of Human Resources, Tim Crow. The culture inherited by both Executives from their predecessors went through a transformation process for the business to thrive once again. Blake and Crow justified laying off 1,200 workers as a result of their vision to enhance Home Depot’s position in the market and to go back to the organizations foundations embedded by founders Arthur Blank and Bernard Marcus. Specifically, a closer look at the Human Resources function in the organization was focused on in order to align an HR strategy with the business model. This paper will discuss the strategic initiatives taken by Blake and Crow and how they created a sustainable competitive advantage at Home Depot by focusing on strategic HR. Further, this paper will examine John Kotter’s Eight-step Change Model, the Organization and People Strategy, the â€Å"outside-in† HR approach, and Lepak and S nell’s HR Model. Organizational change became a necessity at Home Depot when the business failed to increase shareholder value and rivals were outperforming the company. Change at Home Depot started at the top with new CEO Frank Blake and Vice President of Human Resources, Tim Crow. Specifically, Blake and Crow transformed the way Human Resources contributed to the organizations success. Blake and Crow’s approach is comparable to a change model put forth by John Kotter—the Eight-steps Change Model. This model focuses on driving organizational changes through analysis, management, and communication. The first step in Kotter’s model is to establish a sense of urgency (Esther & Green, 2009). That is, looking at conditions within the organization to see where adjustments are needed. In Home Depot’s case, HR and its strategic role needed some attention; hence it was analyzed and modified to meet business needs. In the second step, Kotter’s suggestion is to find groups of people who can work together (Esther & Green, 2009). At Home Depot, the Store manager and HR manager were not working â€Å"together†. There seemed to be a barrier as one HR manager, overwhelmed with tasks, could not produce at the highest level. The third step in the Eight-step Change Model elaborates on creating a vision (Esther & Green, 2009). Both Blake and Crow had a vision when they took office. What is more, both Executives wanted to go  back to Home Depot’s core principles to see what changes should be made for the business to out-perform its rivals. Moving forward, the fourth and fifth steps in Kotter’s model talk about the importance of communication (fourth step) and empowering the vision onto others (fifth step) (Esther & Green, 2009). This step at Home Depot was critical—Tim Crow communicated his vision to Frank Blake and others in the company and drove them to change the way HR performed in the organization by eliminating positions that were not efficient. Step six in Kotter’s model recommends creating short-term goals (Esther & Green, 2009). Blake and Crow set realistic short-term goals and shared why taking away an HR manager from each store would be a beneficial move. That is, the Store managers gained 3 HR Generalist instead of one HR manager (Mello, 2010). Step seven in Kotter’s model rewards employees for promoting the chang e and step eight defends the organization’s position on how the new change leads to corporate success (Esther & Green, 2009). Home Depot has taken initiatives discussed later in this paper to carry out steps seven and eight. By using John Kotter’s Change Model, Home Depot went from not having an effective Human Resources presence to employing an operational HR strategy. Right now, Home Depot’s current state of HR is embedded with the company’s overall corporate strategy. The organization has HR professionals who are true business partners, something Tim Crow planned and worked towards during the Human Resources Planning (HRP) stage. Moreover, Crow has taken a strategic approach, one that compares to the Organization and People Strategy. The strategy focuses on three key areas: Reward and Recognition, Talent Management, and Organizational Effectiveness (Armstrong, 2011). Reward and Recognition programs at HD consist of the following: Success Sharing for stores that achieve sales targets (paid out $63 million in 2007), Homer Badges for employees who exemplify company values, and the Product Knowledge Recognition program to reward learning initiatives (Crow, 2008). As far as the Talent Management aspect of the strategy, Home Depot has a Master Trade Specialist program in place that hired 3,000 trade specialists who are licensed electricians and plumbers (Crow, 2008). What is more, the company has HR managers who are more involved than their predecessors with Store managers and the company has its own insourced call center to address employee concerns. To accomplish the third component of the Organization and People Strategy—Organizational Effectiveness, Home  Depot has the Aprons on the Floor program, action based training modules, and an Aware Line telephone service for individuals to call and comment on particular situations (Crow, 2008). Before Blake and Crow took over Home Depot, it was led by former CEO Robert Nardelli and his regime. Nardelli and his choice of Executives turned the Home Depot culture upside down. That is, company officers were at the top, employees in the middle, and customers on the bottom of the pyramid. It took Crow’s strategic mindset to turn the pyramid back to its original position. Further, Blake played a significant role by making employee morale and career development a strategic priority (Crow, 2008). Blake and Crow did not turn the corporation around overnight. Instead, it was an ongoing process that needed commitment from everyone in the company. The reduction in force was the first step. The layoffs assisted Home Depot to take an â€Å"outside-in† approach to focus on strategic HR. This type of approach starts with analyzing the customer, competitor, and other challenges faced by the business (Armstrong, 2011). Further, the â€Å"outside-in† approach tackles ineff ective HR practices that should be revisited and aligned with corporate strategies. To integrate corporate and HR strategies, Home Depot replaced Human Resources managers from each store with additional Sales Associates (Mello, 2010). As Home Depot moves forward with strategic HR in the organization, the focus is on both the technical and managerial strategies. Technical strategies deal with the mathematical and behavioral methods of forecasting HR needs while managerial strategies consist of ways decision-makers tackle human resource issues (Reilly & Williams, 2006). Examples of technical strategies at Home Depot are the reduction of 1,200 human resource positions and establishing fresh roles for new HR teams. From a managerial standpoint, instead of having one Human Resource manager inundated with tasks, the three new Human Resources Generalist each are responsible for one function only—staffing and development, associate relations, and performance management (Mello, 2010). Both technical and managerial HR strategies are helping create a sustainable competitive advantage at Home Depot. When Crow decided to eliminate positio ns, resistance was inevitable. However, the cuts were an advantage to HR at Home Depot because organizational resources were not being allocated in the most efficient way. The trade-off of having a Human Resources manager in each store was the lack of manpower on the floor and that meant shifting  away from selling merchandise. By eliminating the HR manager position and creating regional HR teams, the organization went back to focusing on its core competence of providing customer service and increasing sales. Revenue growth at Home Depot suggests HR regional teams are better than one Human Resource manager in each store. Further, Home Depot’s reasoning behind changing the function of Human Resources can be examined closely by using the Lepak and Snell Model. Lepak and Snell have four quadrants in their model which classify Human Resources configurations. Right now, Home Depot appears to fall under the second quadrant. That is, the focus is on Job-based Employment and the company has Productivity Based HR (Mello, 2010). However, Home Depot is striving to reach Quadrant I: Knowledge-based Employment and Commitment-Based HR by having programs such as the Master Trade Specialist and a robust HR system in place. Overtime, Home Depot can drive their HR strategy to reach Quadrant I to get the most out of th eir business objectives. Conclusion: Home Depot is an example of how strategic HR can influence growth, productivity, and success in an organization. It starts with the willingness of the organization’s leaders to drive change. When Black and Crow eliminated 1,200 employees, the move was alarming to current workers and others in the industry. However, to revamp the HR strategy, layoffs were a necessity. By using theories similar to Kotter’s Eight-step Change Model, the People and Organization strategy, the HR â€Å"outside-in† approach, and Lepak and Snell’s HR Model, Blake and Crow turned around Home Depot’s culture to focus on customer service—its core business competence. Further, the company now has HR business partners who act as liaisons to Store managers to have an effective HR presence in stores. Home Depot is headed in the right direction as a result of its strategic HR focus. References Armstrong, M. (2011). Armstrong’s handbook of strategic human resource management. London: Kogan Page. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login.aspx? direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=390442&site=ehost-live&scope=site Crow, T. (2008). Home REMODEL. Workforce Management, 87(12), 1-1,24,26,28. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/docview/219795604?accountid=11091 Esther, C., & Green, M. (2009). Making Sense of change Management. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page. Mello, J.A. (2010). Strategic Human Resource Management, Third Edition. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Reilly, P. A., & Williams, T. (2006). Strategic HR : Building the capability to deliver. Aldershot: Gower. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy.library.georgetown.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=269752&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Poe essay

Tuesday Great literature is often influenced by the lives of those who write it. Edgar Allan Poe is a clear example of a life influencing art. Two tragic events or afflictions from Edgar Allan Poe's life that influence much of his writing are violent death and the use of alcohol. Each of these reflects into two stories each. The first tragic event would be violent death. This affliction comes up in many of his pieces of writing, especially in â€Å"The Raven† and â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†. Examples from the poem â€Å"The Raven† that illustrate a heartbreaking death would be the loss ofLenore, of course. Text support is the line â€Å"And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor† On many occasions Poe mentions the loss of his beloved Lenore. The violent, tragic roll comes into place when the raven says his sorrow and despair will go away nevermore. In â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart†, the narrator loves this old man; however he stalks h im for 8 nights and murders him. After the murder, he buries the old man's body beneath the floor boards. These 2 tragic deaths express his feelings about how every woman he loved died a bloody, unfortunate, scary death due to tuberculosis.The Tell-Tale Heart† is a great candidate for the second tragic event or affliction as well, being the use of alcohol. It doesn't make much sense that the narrator would kill somebody he loved, right? If you notice, he mentions his â€Å"disease†, referring to alcoholism. The abuse of alcohol made him go mad. The second example out of text would be â€Å"The Black Cat†. The narrator refers to the term â€Å"fiend intemperance† When he is overtaken with alcohol, he becomes more and more irritable and moody†¦ so he killed his cat that loved him the more he hated it.In real life, Poe was known to use lcohol, which made him go insane. He became very irritable and crazy while under the influence and that definitely chang ed him for the worse. As you can see, Edgar Allan Poe incorporated many factors of his life and real dilemmas into his writing. Maybe that's why he was such a great writer, because it was how he expressed his true feelings. Some people play sports, some people draw, some people have other hobbies to express themselves, Poe wrote. Poe's stories and poems were indeed fiction, but definitely have a little bit of a realistic edge to them. poe essay By agullo

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Production styles - Essay Example The late 1950s and early 1960s witnessed shifts in these production styles. With the gradual emergence of rock and roll in the late 1950s and early 1960s there was a corresponding loosening of cultural standards. In this way the music of this period increasingly incorporated sexual themes and innuendos. In terms of instrumentation, production styles increasingly came to incorporate guitars as the primary carrier of rhythm and melody. ‘Down in Mexico’. This song emerged at a transitional time for music. With 1950s style productions gradually being phased out for 1960s modes of production. In this way this song retains the 1950s instrumentation style, with the use of brass instruments as the major production method. Still, guitar and bass are incorporated to an increasing extent in this track. Perhaps a more notable element of this track is the increasing emphasis its places on darker themes. While the track retains much of the 1950s cultural standards, there is a distinct shift in tone from the light-hearted naivetà © that was reminiscent of the 50s, to the 1960s increasing willingness to incorporate darker and more challenging themes. landscape in the 1950s and 1960s. From an overarching perspective, it appears that rock music became more homogenized in the 1960s, although the difference depends on what categories one uses. The 1950s witnessed a disparate array of music styles. Rhythm and blues, country, doo-wop, jazz, and soul music also existed as major styles during this period. In this way there was considerable disparity in terms of the popular music landscape, as a dominant music genre had not yet emerged. As the 1960s occurred many of these disparate music styles merged under singular genres. For instance, rhythm and blues increasingly became associated with rock music. Additionally, rock music incorporated many influences from country music. In this

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Views on Stealing Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Views on Stealing Africa - Essay Example e is owned by Glencore International Plc, a public company listed in London and Hongkong, registered in Jersey and head quartered in Switzerland (Stealing Africa). The company has consistently evaded corporate tax in Zambia by claiming losses in business. This has been through artificial inflation of operational costs and even under valuing the mined copper. The copper is sold to Switzerland at below market price. Therefore, the company has managed to pay minimal taxes while reaping huge benefits. Despite Zambia having a third of the world’s copper supply, she is still among the poorest countries in the world. Between 60-70% of Zambians live on less than $1 a day and the unemployment rate is staggering 80%. The money from copper bypasses the needy Zambians and only helps Switzerland, home of the company. The situation obtaining here can only be described as catastrophic and dire. The organizations that are mentioned here are the ‘World Bank’ (WB) and the ‘International Monetary Fund’ (IMF). It was as because of the recommendations of the structural adjustment programme that the Zambian government embarked on privatization lending to sale of the mine to Glencore (Stealing Africa). What they did was simply a disservice to Zambian. Privatization opened the door for flow of cash out from Zambia. This being a private company its bottom line is profit and making money. Politics and business are intertwined hence frequent interactions. The government is responsible for the economic policies that will guide how trade and business is conducted. Business cannot thrive in a vacuum where there is no regulation or order (Stealing Africa). In the Zambian situation, the policy of privatization did not at all help the citizens. There is still abject poverty since unemployment rate is unbelievable. Why all this? It is because the fund for empowering the citizens is whisked away to the mother country. Even the tax paid is not low one since the product has been

Data summry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Intro to Cultural Anthropology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Difference between the mission and vision statement.strategic Essay

Difference between the mission and vision statement.strategic management - Essay Example The main difference between the mission and vision statement is that the mission statement provides a guidelines of what the company seeks to achieve in the present as an organization while the vision statement illustrates the goals of the firm for the future. A company I once work for had the most deceptive and fraudulent mission statement I had ever seen. The company claimed that one of its values was taking care of the employees in order to improve their quality of life and of their families. The reason that the company lied in this statement was because this company was very abusive towards its employees. The firm would steal hours from the workers payroll by paying them fewer hours than they worked, they would pay the workers two to three weeks late every pay cycle, and the firm did not honor a bonus system that offered to the employees when they started to work for the firm. The actions of the managers, administrative team, and owners of the company were opposite of what the mi ssion statement claimed. DQ2 I went to the corporate website of the global coffeehouse company Starbucks Cafe. The company has a corporate responsibility program in place that affected various aspects of their operations. One of the most intriguing aspects of the firm’s CSR plan was the sourcing of materials initiatives. The company in order to help our poor communities across the world only purchases fair trade coffee. Fair trade coffee is a system that guarantees poor farmers across the world a minimum price for coffee of $1.26 per pound which is twice the going rate for wholesale coffee across the world. Another aspect of the firm social responsibility commitment which I liked was their emphasis on hiring a diverse workforce. The firm also had good initiatives in place to protect the environment such as a recycling program. One aspect of their social responsibility initiatives that I did not like was the fact that the company does not have a mechanism in place to collect m oney for philanthropy causes. Considering the high profit margins the company enjoys the firm could easily donate 1% of their revenues or more to help fight hunger in places such as Africa, India, and South America. DQ3 The four major components of the strategic management process are environmental scanning, strategy formation, strategy implementation, and strategy evaluation. Environmental scanning is important because it allows the manager the opportunity to collect sufficient information in order to determine the relation between the company, the market, and its potential alternative solutions. I believe that the second step (strategy formation) is the most important step or component in the strategic management process. If a manager chooses the wrong strategy the subsequent steps won’t matter because the failure of the strategic initiative is inevitable. Take for example a company that decides after two years in business that the best strategic formation is too expand the company. The firm invests all the money it has on expanding without proper environmental scanning and without analyzing the financial consequences of the decision. Due to the bad plan the company realizes that now they are producing more goods than what the market seeks. Suddenly a firm that was doing well goes into financial troubles due to a bad strategic formation. 4. I agree with you that the mission statements of companies have a more detail description than the vision statement of a company. Based on the research that I made on the subject the reason that this occurs is because of the timeline perspective. The mission statement attempts to provide the people who read it an overview of the business as it is in the short term. People want to know what the company is all about and is seeking to do and realize. The visions statement is different because the vision statement provides an overview of what the company is seeking to achieve in the future. 5. I agree with a lot of the points you mentioned in your response. I believe that a people’

Noonans point of view for the Anti-abortion Essay Example for Free

Noonans point of view for the Anti-abortion Essay Noonans is an extreme anti-abortionist. He believed that once conceived, the being was recognized as human because he/she had humans potential. The criterion for humanity, thus, was simple and all embracing: if you are conceived by human parents, you are human. He believes in four pro-choice criteria for human being. The first criterion is viability. Viability is the point in time in which a fetus lived attached to its mother determines the fate. Notion of viability is that fetus is depended on its mother in order to live, and if this dependence is taken through abortion, then it is actually a right of life taken from a living human being. The second view is experience. Experience as defined through Noonan is, A being who has had experience, has lived and suffered, who posses memories, is more human than one who has not Here he points out the stage of fetus when it can be responsive to touch and can feel the environment around him/her. He compares this stage of fetus to of an adult who has aphasia has lost his or her memories- his or her experience: Noonan asks rhetorically if this means the humanity of the adult has been erased. In this argument Noonan is implying that if there is an absences of experiences during fetus stage of human life, we can not deprive the fetus of his/her right to life. The third case is sentiment. Sentiment in this case means that if the fetus dies, it wont receive the same grief as for a living child because it hasnt been named or had personality. Noonan views this while contrasting different races among human kind. He portrays his feelings that if one human being is of different skin color or of different sex, we wont say that his/her life lost is not grief able. Why isnt then a fetus is given the same human respect he/she deserved. The last of these criterias is social visibility. They argument says that the fetus hasnt been socially perceived as human: it cannot communicate like humans. Noonans views for this argument is as follows. He says that humanity does not depend on social recognition, although the failure to recognize this fact has led it to destruction of lives. These are the Noonans point of view towards the abortion.

The Sport And Recreation Environment Physical Education Essay

The Sport And Recreation Environment Physical Education Essay This report as part of the ISRM Higher Professional Diploma in Sport and Recreational Management has been undertaken to both explore and look at the role sport plays in society, in particular how sport and leisure has developed in the last twenty years. It will also provide an explanation to the variations to the structure of the sport and recreational sector with an insight to the roles and functions of key organisations, organisations such as Clubmark, Inclusive Fitness Initiative and the English Federation of Disability Sport. In addition it will review the leisure industry as one of the fastest growing industries in the world, fed by an expansion of peoples leisure time and spending. It will also provide awareness regarding the various schemes that have been put in place by local and central government to help accommodate people from all backgrounds, gender, race and ability. 2.0 Overview In recent years the UK leisure industry has grown and become wide-ranging in terms of ownership, with a substantial input from commercial, charitable, public and voluntary sector providers. Leisure now accounts for almost 30% of total consumer spending, and has grown in significance to such an extent that a specialist government department has been established called the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to oversee and drive forward sport sector programmes and projects. Projects include the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games and support the bid to bring the 2018 World Cup to England. Their main objective is to improve the quality of life for all through cultural and sporting activities, to support the pursuit of excellence and to champion the tourism, creative and leisure industries. (DCMS 2011) This is achieved by providing advice for Ministers to enable them to drive forward sport sector programmes and projects, and work with the sports delivery Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs). The bodies include, Sport England, UK Sport and UK Anti-Doping. In addition the DCMS also support initiatives to promote equality in sport and works closely with the HM Revenue Customs (HMRC) and the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) to promote the Community Armature Sports Club which offer tax relief to local amateur sports clubs. The majority of sports that take place in society are structured and controlled by a number of contributing factors, these include Your location and environment Occupation Disposable Income Marital status Age Mobility Time Overview Continued The above factors surround that of an individual but more often than not both the environment and society we occupy dictate what sport we become most interested in. The rational being affordability, some sports tend to be out of the reach for some people especially those living in less lucrative areas. However Government strategies have changed over the last 10 years, they have now come to realise the health benefits to the nation in terms of both reduced costs to the National Health Service and lost time and its effects on the economy and production. The realisation has meant that sport has become affordable and available to more people. The objective is to encourage service users to take part in as much physical activity as possible taking into account, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, social inclusion and deprivation. 3.0 The Growth of the Leisure Sector The leisure structure has changed radically over the last ten years, there has been an intense shift in leisure development, basic sports and leisure facilities are no longer always the first choice of entertainment activities. Over the last decade the commercial leisure industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the UK property market. This growth has been underpinned by the dramatic growth in leisure spend and fuelled by a select number of leisure activities, particularly multiplex cinemas and the health and fitness industry. New attractions have also emerged that combine a mix of leisure and retail uses and draw visitors from a much wider catchment area. Examples include the Trafford Centre Manchester and Liverpool One. The leisure market has been the subject of some profound changes over recent years. The mix of social and economic conditions which prevailed in the late 1990s has triggered the arrival of a much more mobile and astute customer seeking not just value for money, but also increased choice in terms of leisure environments and experiences i.e. Chill Factor and Crosby Boating Lake Arena. 3.1 Factors that have helped contribute to Growth Improved standards of living. Increased sponsorship deals from televised sport Support from Advisory Sports Council and Independent Sports Council Education surrounding academic qualifications in sport Sport England, Clubmark and Inclusive Fitness to support people with disabilities Private company buy in and investment Local government realising the impact that sport and activity can have on a persons health and wellbeing. Local government investment in new facilities that they provide for local people. 3.2 Expected Market Changes. Obesity is an on-going problem and as such is predicted to increase in the future, this is likely to provide be an increase in GP exercise referrals to face this problem. This will increase both the revenue and participation within the leisure environment. With no likelihood of an end to the obesity problem the leisure industry will continue to be provided with a convenient supply of customers long into the future. Initiatives such as Fit for the Future aim to reduce the number of overweight people in the future by encouraging them to join a health and fitness club.   In support of this the Fitness Industry Association (FIA) has lobbied for tax concessions for individuals spending on health clubs. The argument being that a healthier lifestyle will reduce obesity and overweight-related treatments for The National Health Service (NHS). Over the last decade the mortality rate has increased, government statistics indicate the number of people aged over 55 by the end of 2010 will have increased. As the proportion and number of both time-rich and cash-rich customers increase the leisure industry will seize the opportunity and take advantage on the opportunities this will provide. The government, through Sport England and other regional bodies, are investing money into schools, community sports, elite sports, coaching provision and training for PE teachers. It is anticipated that job opportunities will increase in sport development and coaching. Hosting the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have far-reaching effects on community regeneration, with a predicted 70,000 new jobs (including voluntary positions) and  £17billion investment in sports and facilities. 4.0 Participation in Sport A survey conducted by Sport England under Active People Survey, returned the following results. The fourth year of the survey, Active People Survey 4, started in October 2009 and ran continuously for 12 months until the middle of October 2010. The full year results were published on 16 December 2010.   Key highlights from Active People Survey 4: During 2009/10, 6.938 million adults (aged 16 and over) participated in sport three times a week for 30 minutes at moderate intensity (16.5% of the adult population in England). This is 123,000 more adult participants than the 2007/08 baseline. Compared with Active People Survey 2, sports participation among non-white adults has increased by 64,100, from 722,800 (16.1%) to 786,900 (17.3%). Since 2007/08, participation in athletics (including running and jogging) has grown by 263,400 to 1.876 million adults (4.5%) in 2009/10. Cycling has grown from 1.767 million adults (4.3%) in 2007/8 to 1.866 million adults (4.4%) in 2009/10, an increase of 99,200 participants. The Wolfenden report In October 1957, the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR) appointed an independent Committee led by Chairman Sir John Wolfenden to examine general position of sport in England and to recommend what action should be taken by statutory and voluntary bodies if sports were to play their full part in promoting the general welfare of the community. The decision to set up this Committee was made because of a general and growing feeling that some new initiative was required if sport was to be enabled to expand and develop to meet the present-day requirements. The C.C.P.R. itself works only in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, however the Scottish Council of Physical Recreation were happy to co-operate which made it possible for the inquiry to cover the whole of the United Kingdom. Sport Development Sport Development plays and essential role in the development sport activities available to young people. More than a decade ago the opportunities within the school curriculum were extremely limited and usually only covered basic PE or football. The culture has now changed within schools and they now encourage pupils to participate in a wide range of sporting activities, such as rugby, netball, hockey and swimming. The education systems has also embraced the changes offering academic opportunities to pupils within this subject. Local Government Sports Development officers work closely with schools to provide them with the necessary skills to engage alternative sports, in most cases their skills are provided free of charge. Sports Development are particularly involved with children at primary school age, at this stage the education system lacks resources in terms of PE staff to allow specialist sporting activities to take place. The Sports Development team also assist Teachers to arrange special events, such as school galas etc. They also maintain a balance to ensure that the pupils who are less capable at achieving high sporting standards still have the same opportunities. In addition Sports Development play an important role by both bringing groups of people together all ages and providing the necessary expertise to support funding applications via, Clubmark, Sport England and the National Lottery. Clubmark Clubmark is a multi-sport accreditation introduced in 2002 by Sport England to support amateur clubs with junior participants. Clubmark is designed to help sports clubs develop through proper planning and by making sure that proper procedures are in place to cover all eventualities. The aim is to empower parents when selecting a club for their children. When clubs achieve their own sports Award, they will also receive Clubmark which  allows parents to easily recognise quality clubs, whatever the sport, because of the one cross-sport quality kite mark. The Clubmark accreditation is only awarded to clubs that comply with the following four standards: Duty of care and safety Quality of coaching and competition Fairness of opportunity (equity) Club management The benefits from achieving accreditation can include, increased membership benefiting from the raised profile on the Clubmark database and parent confidence. It will also provide the necessary support for developing coaches and volunteers within the qualifying clubs. Social Exclusion Social exclusion has been defined by the Department of International Development (DFID) as a process by which certain groups are systematically disadvantaged because they are discriminated against on the basis of their ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, caste, descent, gender, age, disability, HIV status, migrant status or where they live. To address the issues the Government formed a Task Force in 1997 to identify the people most at risk. In 2006 the Task for was closed down and transferred to the Social Exclusion Unit, It is smaller than its predecessor and sits within the Cabinet Office. It concentrates on preventative policies for hard to reach children and families deemed to have been immune from the governments drives against social exclusion to date. Policy Action Team 10 (PAT 10) In 1997 the New Labour Government assembled the Social Exclusion Unit better known as the SEU. The unit was tasked with reporting on how to develop an integrated and workable method to deal with the problems of the worst housing estates and the report was also to include crime, drugs, unemployment, breakdowns in community and poor schools. The report titles Bringing Britain Together produced findings that led to the setup of a number of policy action teams, the team was known as PAT 10. The belief and outcome was that if youths were to take part in more sporting activities that youth crime figures would drop, this theory has now become the business focus for Sport Development. Inclusive Fitness The Inclusive Fitness Initiative (IFI) has been established to support the fitness industry to become more inclusive, serving the needs of both disabled and non-disabled people alike. IFI has been working in collaboration with the fitness equipment manufacturers i.e. Lifefitness and Profitness for more than eight years to ensure that the equipment available on the market is as inclusive as possible. The accredited equipment is intended for all users and is not specifically targeted at disabled people.  Ã‚  IFI has worked together with the industry to design a list of fitness equipment, the only list of its kind in the world.  Ã‚   In order to ensure that as many disabled people as possible can benefit from both a cardiovascular and resistance based workout, the IFI recommends a minimum package of fitness equipment is installed (please note that wherever possible, this minimum should be exceeded).   This minimum package includes the following key pieces to ensure a full body workout can be achieved by a wide range of users: Treadmill Upright and/or recumbent cycle Upper body ergometer Leg curl Leg extension/leg press Upper body resistance equipment including chest press, row, shoulder press and lat pull-down or equivalent upper body multi-station Package of small equipment Child Protection In 2001, the Child Protection in Sport Unit was launched and jointly-funded by Sport England and the NSPCC. The units responsibility is to help children play sport, stay safe, enjoy and achieve, It has set out Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport which national governing bodies and  County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) are required to adopt in line with their statutory responsibilities, and best practice. There are three levels of achievement: Preliminary, Intermediate Advanced. To qualify for the intermediate and advanced levels, organisations need to show commitment and action in keeping children and young people safe. The tiered standards give parents, staff and volunteers confidence that the overall sporting experience for young people is being actively monitored, and that safety and welfare issues are taken seriously.

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy

Principles and Influences of Gastronomy Gastronomy is the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine. Modern gastronomy has its roots in several French texts published in the 1800s, but the idea of relating food, science, society, and the arts has been around much longer. True gastronomy is a demanding multidisciplinary art examining food itself along with its context, presentation, freshness, and history. While commonly associated with gourmets and gluttony, gastronomy is actually its own discipline, although some gourmets are certainly gastronomes, as are some gluttons. The principle of gastronomy is that food is a science, in addition to an art form. By understanding how all of the senses contribute to an experience, a gastronome can more completely understand what is happening when a consumer claims to dislike or enjoy a particular food item. Gastronomy also examines the sociological implications of food, along with integrating other social science disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, and philosophy. The role of food in the fine arts such as performance art, painting, and sculpture is also examined, as part of a closer look at the role of food in society in general. INFLUENCE ON NATIONAL FOOD CULTURE People mostly connect to their cultural or ethnic group through food patterns. For Immigrants food now become the means of retaining their cultural identity. Each and every individual have different cultural backgrounds and have different eating habits. The ingredients, methods of preparation, preservation techniques, and types of food eaten at different meals are different among cultures. The areas and the climate factors in which families live- and geographical location where their ancestors originated also influence food likes and dislikes. These food preferences result in varieties of food choices within a different cultural or regional group. Food items themselves have meaning and some cultural identity attached to them. For example in many Western countries a box of chocolates would be viewed as an appropriate gift while in other countries chocolates might be a less appropriate gift. Different nations or countries are frequently associated with certain foods. For example, many people associate Italy with pizza and pasta but Italians eat many other foods, and types of pasta dishes are popular throughout Italy. Methods of preparation and types of food also vary by regions and culture of a nation. Some families in the United States prefer to eat meat and potatoes, but in some families meat and potatoes are not eaten on a regular basis, nor even preferred, by many in the United States, so would not be labelled as a national cuisine. Grits, a coarsely ground corn that is boiled, is eaten in the southern United States. A package of grits is only available in the largest supermarkets in the upper Midwest and its difficult to find even in large Midwestern supermarkets a long time ago. This may be called as the geographical effect. Regional food habits also exist in nations and countries but they also change by time. As people travel from place to place food habits and preferences are imported and exported. Families move to other nations, countries or places bringing their food preferences with them. They follow their old recipes with new ingredients available at different places or experiment with new recipes, incorporating ingredients to match their own tastes. In addition, food itself is imported from other countries. Nevertheless, what is considered edible or even a delicacy in some parts of the world might be considered inedible in other parts. Although most of the times food is selected with some attention to physical need, the values or beliefs by which society attaches to potential food items and define what families within a cultural group will eat. For example, both plant and animal sources may contribute to meeting nutritional requirements for protein; soybeans, beef, horsemeat, and dog meat are all adequate protein sources. Yet, due to the some values and beliefs attached to these protein sources, they are not considered in all societies. Moreover, even when the foods perceived to be undesirable are available, they are not eaten by people who have a strong emotional reaction against those potential food item. CULTURE AND RELIGION Types and food associated to British culture: British cuisine encompasses the cooking traditions of the British Isles. It reflects the cultural influence of the colonial era as well as post-war immigrations. British cuisine boasts of a rich variety of sumptuous dishes from its different regions. Staple foods include chicken, beef, pork, lamb and fish, served with potatoes and other vegetables. The most popular dishes are fish and chips, sandwiches, trifles, pies and roast As the result of both globalization and global environmental change food systems face dramatic transformations. Change in global environment influence the physical and socioeconomic conditions that underpin terrestrial and marine food systems., Globalization is also responsible for transforming the production and storage of food, , access to and consumption of food, and the quality and safety measures associated with food and eating habits. Both processes also have direct effects on agricultural production, livelihoods, and the agricultural economies as well. More important, both processes can take place at the same time and interacting to create dynamic conditions that influence vulnerability to both rapid and gradual environmental changes. Global environmental change affects food systems through the loss of productive farmland, depletion of traditional seed stocks, loss of biodiversity, and changing climate conditions, including increasing frequency of extreme climatic events such as droughts and floods. Globalization-related changes include liberalization of trade in agriculture products, reduction of domestic subsidies and supports for agricultural production, expansion of the role of multinational corporations and supermarkets in food production and distribution, shifts toward urban and industrial land uses, and the growing influence of consumer movements in matters such as use of GMO technologies. Food is an important part of religious observance and spiritual ritual of many faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. The role of food in cultural practices and religious beliefs is complex and varies among individuals and communities. Any introduction to such a diverse and complex topic will not be able to include everything. Instead, here is a sample of some ways in which various religious groups include food a vital part of their faith. Understanding the role of food in cultural and religious practice is an important part of showing respect and responding to needs of people from a range of religious communities. However, it is important to void assumptions about persons culture and beliefs. The various faiths of Christianity include Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The regulations governing food and drink differ from one of the next, including some faiths that dont advocate any restrictions. Though todays avant-garde chefs are sometimes accused of turning their kitchens into scientific laboratories, theres no doubt that when a piece of meat is heated, the reaction that takes place is a chemical one. Science and cooking are processes that go hand-in-hand, now more than ever before. The link between science and cuisine is nothing new. Disciplines such as chemistry, physics, biology and botany have always been closely related to cooking. Debates about the existence of science-based cuisine or the controversy over the terms molecular gastronomy and molecular cuisine; have made the subject a topical one. To analyze it, we need to consider the approach adopted by certain chefs and other experts who want to know why things happen. Technology has dramatically improved and reshaped every part of our lives. It has hardly left any aspect of our existence untouched. It has revolutionized the way we work, entertain ourselves and even the things we eat. The food industry has increasingly developed by adopting more advanced technologies that can deliver us healthier, fresher and more varied food. Currently, the marketplace offers a vast variety of foods we can choose from, at a better quality and lower prices than in the past. By introducing new technologies, businesses can offer better products and services in increasingly larger quantities and thus, satisfy a wider range of clients. The same holds true for the companies in the food industry. Advanced technologies are used in all the stages of food production. The first step is to help evaluate and improve the quality of the raw ingredients used. Next, theyre used in the preparation stage, where they aid at shipping and handling the materials. The last stage of processing food will make use of methods like conservation and separation, potentially adding new ingredients to create the final product. The science of molecular gastronomy has given us knowledge about why foods do what they do, under what circumstances, and how. And it has fascinated us by busting myths such as these: Oil added to boiling water prevents pasta from sticking to the pan (it doesnt) The consistency of an egg that makes it hard The expression nouvelle cuisine has been used several times in the course of the history of cooking, particularly in France in the middle of the eighteenth century. It was introduced to subordinate the practice of cooking to principles of chemistry that were to be established by Lavoisier later on. People had mixed feelings about it: for instance, Voltaire wrote I must say that my stomach does not at all agree with the nouvelle cuisine.' Today nouvelle cuisine refers to a trend of opinion that appeared in France in the 1960s. At the time, it caught on rapidly and was a great international success. Yet, as it got tangled up in its contradiction, it stopped being fashionable, and nowadays it has a negative connotation. In spite of that, it was an innovative and quite important movement, which brought about a revolution within the grande cuisine whose lessons are still present in the grand chefs minds. http://www.enotes.com/nouvelle-cuisine-reference/nouvelle-cuisine Michael Symons (1999) recent analysis of Australian neo-global cuisine is an example of gastronomy studies at work in tourism contexts. The critical examination of this review of a current gastronomic debate of particular relevance to the tourism industry (Symons 1999:333) will ease the understanding of gastronomic terms of tourism issue. These terms are of a fundamental importance in any further development of research on gastronomic tourism. Culture in general means the attitudes and behaviour that are characteristic of a particular social group or organization. Its an environment to cultivate or build oneself ethically, socially and in all other aspects that lead an all over human development. Every culture is a combination of some good and bad features. All in one, culture means a way of life. Every geographical body has its own custom viz. culture. People of different nations are recognized by their culture. One should be proud on its impressive traditions. It is the responsibility of all citizens to preserve their own ethnicity. Indian culture is richly known in other parts of the world since the ancient age. Its  multi-diverse flavour has been consistently unique in its very own way. Manners, traditions, living and trading patterns etc. are one of the graceful components of Indian culture. The most important feature of Indian culture is its values. These values are deeply rooted within the heart, mind, body and soul of its dwellers. Western culture, considered as the most advanced culture on globe, has started surmounting its flavour on Indian roots. Western culture has always shown its influence on Indian society. This could be for the multiple reasons like fascination, dreamy autonomy etc., which are somehow absent in Indian culture. Western culture conveys and promotes the ideas and values of advanced civilization across people of India. There are ample of good things found in the western culture, which every Indian should proudly learn and adopt. But what about the negative influences of the western culture? Every package comes with pros and cons. Indians should definitely use the culture strain before getting diluted under the flow of any cultural influence. The leading reasons for such impact are pursuit of wealth and power of Western media. Source Used Symons, M. (1998) The Pudding that took a Thousand Cooks: The story of cooking in civilisation and daily life, Melbourne: Viking

The Road Essay -- Literary Analysis, McCarthy

Why do you think McCarthy has chosen not to give his characters names? How do the generic labels of â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† affect the way you /readers relate to them? While reading The Road, a novel written by Cormac McCarthy, I was jerked from the warmth, comfort, and safety of my home and thrown into a cold, dark, and desolate world, walking alongside â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy†. McCarthy composes his work so graphically that readers are drawn right into the story. I believe Cormac McCarthy wanted the figures in this book to be universal, so that the reader could imagine him/her self as â€Å"the boy† or â€Å"the man† at any given moment, and to be able to feel as they do. To do this McCarthy did not designate the characters in his book with names, and because of this, I was able to connect with â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† on a personal level and envision myself uniting with them in their chilling journey. As the reader, I was deeply overwhelmed with many mixed emotions such as compassion, sadness, happiness, disgust, remorse, and fear. I have pity for the characters in the book The Road, because â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† have to pass day to day struggling to survive in a frigid bleak world where food is scarce â€Å"They squatted in the road and ate rice and cold beans they’d cooked days ago.† â€Å"Already beginning to ferment.†(McCarthy 29). The landscape is blackened, and mankind is almost extinct â€Å"The mummied dead everywhere.†(McCarthy 24). As I read on I noticed myself connecting more deeply with the characters. When the boy’s mother takes her own life, I was deeply saddened and my heart broke for â€Å"the boy† simply because his mom, someone he cherished and loved so much, had given up on hope and faith and deserted him. I just wan... ..., I jumped in the bed got as close to my husband as possible and eventually drifted off to sleep. When I finished reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, I was astonished at how deep I was able to connect with the characters and the fact that this book touched me as deeply as it did. It also made me think what if†¦? In reality if this were to happen would I have the courage and strength of â€Å"the man† and â€Å"the boy† or would I be like the mother as McCarthy states it â€Å" †¦a faithless slut†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (57), who has taken death as a new lover. Over all I personally believe that this novel was absolutely fantastic, even though I had nightmares for a few nights after I had completed the book. This just goes to show what a great writer McCarthy is, he touches his readers so deeply they even dream about his work. I would defiantly pick up this book and read it again just for fun.

My Reason :: Personal Narrative Moving Essays

My Reason The process of ending up where I did was a long one. I came to this town merely by chance, not knowing what to expect, or who I would meet. I didn’t have dreams of going to a cool mountain town, or a small city to attend college; I just fell into it not knowing where I would end up. I had good reasoning, coming from a small town, I had good expectations from my prior visits, and I fit into the college life making friends very easily. After months of searching, this is where I ended up. I grew up in a tourist town at the foot of the Rocky Mountain National Park called Estes Park. It is a beautiful mountainous town with an elevation of six thousand feet. (Estes Park is very similar to Flagstaff.) It was a wonderful place to grow up, but by the time we moved from Estes Park, I was ready to go. The town had just grown to be too small for me. From there, at the age of fourteen, I moved down to a much bigger city called Fort Collins. This is where I lived and established a new life for the next five years ahead of me. When my senior year came, and it was time to begin the process of sending in my applications for college, and I was not ready. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life at that point. My mother would pressure me everyday to start looking into colleges (In-state and out), and applying to the ones I liked. My parents had told me of some pretty places they had traveled through in Connecticut, Arizona, Washington, and Colorado. Taking their word for it, I applied to a few. In December, I had finally made a decision. I wanted to go to school in California. San Diego State had become my school of choice. It had a beautiful campus, it wasn’t too big of a school, and it was very close to where my Father wanted to retire. I soon found out that I was too late. San Diego, and most California schools, had their application deadline back in November. So I had to start looking in a different direction. My stepfather decided that he wanted to help out. I had been leaning towards Arizona State University or Northern Arizona University mainly because of my sister.

Essay --

Genocides of the World: Armenia â€Å"Armed roundups began on the evening of April 24, 1915, as 300 Armenian political leaders, educators, writers, clergy and dignitaries in Constantinople (present day Istanbul) were taken from their homes, briefly jailed and tortured, then hanged or shot (United Human Rights Council).† That was the ending of some of the thousands upon thousands of lives lost during the Armenian genocide. Some say this genocide never was an actual genocide, but when that many people die I don’t know how it can’t be considered one. Some of the deaths where slow and dragged on until the victim’s body could no longer take it, while others where quick and easy. This is the Armenian Genocide. We decide our future, and we must not let anger get the best of us. The Ottoman Empire was angered by the Armenians, and now is responsible for the horrible attacks and murders towards the Armenian people. Now, all they can do is pretend it didn’t happen. At its peak, The Ottoman Empire consisted of most of Southeast Europe, North Africa, and almost all of the Middle East (United Human Ri...

Excerpt from Ignor Stravinsky Essay

In this passage, Stravinsky discusses orchestra conductors, making observations and conclusions concerning their true necessity. He seemingly has carefully studied conductors’ behavior and effectively conveys his view to the reader. To present his point of view clearly, Stravinsky makes use of diction, satirical statements, and comparisons. Stravinsky manipulates his diction throughout the passage. He often uses quotations to place emphasis on certain words. His placement of quotes around the words â€Å"great† and â€Å"style† encourage the reader to look into the word for added meaning. Throughout, Stravinsky’s overall diction and statements seem rather rash and bold. He does not hesitate to present his feelings about the subject. For instance, he boldly states that â€Å"the incidence of ego disease is naturally high to begin with.† In doing so he presents the reader with the feeling of confidence. In turn, the reader doesn’t question Stravinsky’s overall knowledge of the subject matter. Also this creates a sense of informality. Throughout the passage, it seems as though Stravinsky is simply conversing with his audience. He uses parentheses and dashes within statements to create somewhat of an aside with the reader as in lines 9 and 31-34. Using this technique makes the reade r feel more comfortable and therefore better relate to the ideas being presented. Stravinsky also employs satire to attack the necessity of conductors in orchestras. Opening, Stravinsky states that conductors’ careers are not dependant on music ability, â€Å"but on the society women (including critics).† Through this statement, Stravinsky communicates that a career dependent on the ideas of women contradicts a career in music. Continuing, he speaks of ego as a natural trait in all men, and as an uncontrollable disease. In this, Stravinsky attacks how the conductors are merely concerned with their status rather than the quality of the music they render. The quotations around the words â€Å"great† and â€Å"style† also serve to create a satirical emphasis on the words’ accompanying connotations. For instance, conductors are often revered as great but for various reasons. According to Stravinsky, this status is not acquired through the creation of â€Å"great† music, but through making the former seem to be true. Also the conductor’s â€Å"style,†Ã‚  according to Stravinsky, is not a genuine technique in conducting, but merely a series of fabricated gestures that make them unique from other conductors. Several comparisons to conducting also serve to express Stravinsky’s overall point of view and desired message. First, he relates conducting directly to politics. He regards conducting as â€Å"more for the making of careers and exploiting personalities.† Conductors must manipulate people just as politicians do; they must be a â€Å"complete angler.† Through the manifestation of the relationship between politics and conducting, Stravinsky depicts conducting as a dishonest and manipulative affair. Stravinsky then speaks of conductors’ ego and relates it to a disease, a â€Å"disease that grows like a tropical weed under the sun of a pandering public.† This comparison demonstrates how conductors’ egos control their actions and provide the social faà §ade of â€Å"greatness.† Stravinsky relates conductors to actors as well. He mentions that conductors must play a role to appear great. Also expressed in the passage is that most audiences know very little about the music being performed, therefore allowing the conductor to merely show the audience how to feel and react. In conclusion, Stravinsky attacks the actual necessity and overall role of orchestra conductors. Throughout he effectively uses distinct rhetorical devices and language and, in turn, successfully conveys his inclusive perception of them.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

The Adoration of Jenna Fox- Essay Would your conscience be clear knowing that you illegally modified someone to save their life? This choice was made by parents Claire and Mathew Fox. The Adoration of Jenna Fox tells the story of a parent’s hard decision to genetically modify their daughter Jenna with BioGel. With this major decision, comes many side effects, including the loss of most her memory, therefore she questions what it is to be human. This essay discusses the effect on not only Jenna, but her parents, her grandmother Lily and her new friend Allys.Jenna develops anger towards her parents, not for their decision to her modify, but the fact they lied to her. In Details (130), Jenna asks her parents â€Å"Why didn’t you tell me? The minute I woke up? Didn’t I deserve to know? † This series of short rhetorical questions release a lot of Jenna’s feelings of being confused and angry. She also answers her own questions because she doesn’t w ant to hear the answer. When her parents won’t discuss what happened, Jenna starts digging to find answers. In Denied (134), Jenna says: â€Å"The pieces speak, but there are not enough.Yet† Jenna says this to herself to reassure her that she will eventually belong in society. This line also contains hidden meanings including the fact that she cannot understand the events that occurred. Similarly, the line; â€Å"Uploaded? You uploaded my brain? † (Father -117) also uses rhetorical questions. The use of the word â€Å"you† once again, shows her anger towards her parents in a direct manner. It makes them feel bad for their lies and the secrets they kept, therefore Jenna starts to question humanity and what are human qualities.Throughout the book, Jenna questions whether her parents’ decision was right or wrong- not legally, but morally. She constantly asks herself whether the choice to modify her was for her or her parents’ benefit, or whethe r she was just a lab pet for her father’s experiments. In Lily (126), Lily and Jenna have one of their first real conversations; â€Å"’I said good-bye. I grieved. Then a few hours later, your parents told me what they had done. ’ ’And you thought it was wrong? ’ ’I’m not like your parents.I think there are worse things than dying. ’† Jenna is very surprised of Lily’s honesty and starts to appreciate their relationship. Lily is obviously against the Fox’s decision to modify Jenna and believes that Jenna has the right to know. This leaves Jenna to believe that her parents’ decision was for their benefit only. As Lily and Jenna’s relationship strengthens, Jenna is more open to listen to Lily’s onion and what she has to say. One example of this is from The Greenhouse (142). â€Å"’I’m sorry,’ she says. But I’m not sorry I told you. It just isn’t right. à ¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  This is another example of the Fox’s wrong decisions and how Lily and Jenna’s relationship tightens. By this time, Jenna becomes certain that modifying her was for her parents’ benefit and in Control; Jenna confronts her parents to find they are only making excuses. Another bad choice is expressed in Backup (189). ‘I know, Father’. I sit down in the chair opposite him. ‘There’s those three people in the closet, too. Now that’s what I call a disability. † Jenna says this in a sarcastic way. This is when Jenna starts to build anger towards her parents because they are continuing to lie and make excuses. She is at the point where she doesn’t trust her parents and believes that have done everything wrong. Jenna starts to take action against her parents in A Plan (239), and with the help of Lily, they free the minds of Kara, Locke and herself. By this time, Jenna believes that Claire and Mathew have broken any relationship they ever had with her.With the Fox’s decision, they didn’t hesitate to break the law to save their daughter- but at what consequences. An example of this is in Father (121). â€Å"I’m illegal aren’t I? That’s why we live here. We’re hiding out†. Jenna questions bio-medical ethics and the nature of the soul. She not only questions whether bio-engineering legally right, but morally. As soon as Jenna’s parents’ modified her, they pushed their relationship. In Day One/ New Jenna, the following paragraph discusses moral ethics. â€Å"Does that make you an authority on everything?What about a soul, Father? When you were busy implanting all your neural chips, did you think about that? Did you snip my soul from my old body too? Where did you put it? Show me! Where? Where in all this groundbreaking technology did you insert my soul? † This shows one of the consequences of her parents’ decision. Jen na hates them for lying and their choice to modify her. She starts to realise that there’s more to being human and that the choice to engineer her has taken away all humanity within.Similarly, the line; â€Å"At least with the FSEB’s current point system in place, right? † (Viewpoint 200) expresses Allys’ view towards bio-engineering. Both Allys and Jenna question whether the FSEB can regulate humanity and whether it considers emotions from the soul. In conclusion, Claire and Mathew Fox’s decision to modify Jenna had many consequences including the destruction of relationships. Jenna believes that her modification was only for her parents’ benefit and it was humanely wrong. This is expressed through Jenna, Lily, Allys and Claire and Mathew Fox.

Mass Media Influence on the Society Proposal Essay

In the last 50 years, the influence of the media on the society has grown exponentially with the advance of technology. Mass media is a major force in modern culture, particularly in America. All lot of times they refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and creates the culture. If you look in the past, first there was the post offices and telegram, and then they build the radio, newspaper and magazines, later television and now internet. Mass media is all about communication whether spoken, written or broadcast that reaches a large audience. This includes movies, magazines, radio, television, advertising, the internet and so forth. But how is mass media influencing our society. This question is what drives me to writing this proposal. To do this research I will be using Internet, e-books and other researches done on this topic to really understand this subject and based on the result of my analysis I will present my findings and conclusion on the questions. Read more:Â  Essay About Media Influences on Society Research Question How is mass media influencing our society? Sub Questions: 1. How does mass media influence work? 2. What are the effects of media? 3. What kind of impact does mass media have on our youth? Introduction If you ask around most of the people will tell you that media is really influencing people. But how is mass media really influencing our way of living. Before discussing the influence of mass media on society it is important to point out the 3 basic functions of mass media. The basic function of media is to provide entertainment, education and news/ information. The most important function of media is to provide news and information to the masses. That is why the present era is known as the information age. People need news or information for different reasons, on one hand it can be used to socialize and on the other to make decisions and formulate opinions. Entertainment would be the other function where it is mostly used to amuse in present day hectic environment. Educating the masses about their rights, moral, social and religious obligations is another important function of mass media. Due to globalization a huge number of people depend on communication and information to stay connected to the world and their daily activities like education, work, health care, socialization and travel. If you look at a common person he or she wakes up each morning and checks newspaper or television news which he or she uses for basing their decisions.

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 20. Tracker

Each vampire strode out of the forest with a wild expression on their face while their brilliant bright red eyes glittered. The three of them came closer together once they saw how many of us there were. The female had long red curly hair and a catlike appearance. The two males were both tall and built. As they came closer to my family I could understand their chaotic thoughts – our family was large for our kind and civilized compared to most other nomads. I knew what these kind of vampires looked like already, so their torn clothes, disheveled hair and bare feet were not something that would take me off guard. All of their thoughts were thinking in sync with each other. How many vampires are there? They were all shocked as they made their way towards us. Our numbers were an unpleasant surprise to them. They drifted ever closer to us with extreme caution. Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper walked toward the approaching vampires to greet them, leaving only a short distance between us. I stationed myself securely in front of Bella. The visitors were cautiously looking around, mentally tabulating their chances of winning if a fight were to ensue. Once they began closing ranks with my family I began to listen carefully to their thoughts, making sure none of them sensed Bella for what she was ?C a human. Their eyes aren't red†¦ but†¦ How weird. The vampire named Laurent thought. As they descended upon us I had already figured out their names. Each one of them was thinking about the other in turn. The vampire named Victoria was looking anxiously between Laurent and the other male vampire, James. She didn't like the idea that James had to put Laurent in the front ?C to seem the leader of their coven but she was also grateful that he did because if there was an attack Laurent would be killed first and not her precious James. Her eyes darted in our direction. Why are they huddled around that one girl? Victoria thought. As she continued to look in our direction I concentrated on her thoughts alone. She was unknowingly absorbing the signs of the subtle differences between our kind and Bella's. Bella was the only human in a sea of vampires. The scent had not hit her yet. I began concentrating on the others thoughts also. James was a particularly vicious vampire. He was constantly gloating about how superior he was in his mind. James had caught sight of the many scars on Jaspers skin. Look at all of those battle scars. I'll keep my eye on him. He is the real danger of this coven. James was thinking strategy. I just don't understand why so many would gather together like this. Laurent thought. My family and the visitors finally met. â€Å"We thought we heard a game,† Laurent said lazily. â€Å"I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James.† He gestured toward the others. Carlisle looked completely at ease as he spoke. â€Å"I'm Carlisle,† he began in a hollow voice. â€Å"This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Esme and Alice, Edward and Bella.† He pointed to each grouping as he spoke. The new comers still hadn't caught scent of Bella but James was peering around me to her. He was noticing that her cheeks were tinged lightly with a pinkish glow and how her eyes were a dark chocolate brown. He stepped closer, unintentionally, to get a better look. â€Å"Do you have room for a few more players?† Laurent asked cordially. â€Å"Actually, we were just finishing up. But we'd certainly be interested another time. Are you planning to stay in the area for long?† Carlisle said in faux enthusiasm, though Laurent hadn't noticed. How long do they plan to be in the area? It's doubtful they would be able to stay here for long. Victoria looked at us incredulously. â€Å"We're headed north, in fact, but we were curious to see who was in the neighborhood. We haven't run into any company in a long time.† Laurent replied amicably. There is something about the dark haired girl. James continued to look at her. His eyes wondered to mine as he continued to think strategically. He doesn't seem like too much for a threat. He thought scathingly. I didn't let my expression change ?C the less he knew about me and my ability, the better. Jasper could feel the extreme hostility emitting from James so he used his gift to calm him down, along with sending waves of calm to the other vampires. James' thoughts returned to the conversation once he heard Carlisle's response. â€Å"No, this region is usually empty except for us and the occasional visitor, like yourselves.† Carlisle explained. Except for them? All three thought simultaneously. Jasper was truly talented. His continuous calm had changed the atmosphere into a more controllable situation. â€Å"What's your hunting range?† Laurent inquired. â€Å"The Olympic Range here, up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There's another permanent settlement like ours up near Denali.† Carlisle explained. A permanent residence? They all thought together. They never leave? How is that possible? Laurent thought in astonishment before voicing his question. â€Å"Permanent? How do you manage that?† he asked, intrigued. This could be our opportunity to get Bella away from here. Be ready to move her away from them. Carlisle directed his thoughts to me. â€Å"Why don't you come back to our home with us and we can talk comfortably?† Carlisle invited. â€Å"It's a rather long story,† he explained. Home? Victoria and James thought together and then exchanged incredulous looks. â€Å"That sounds very interesting, and welcome.† Laurent smiled while choosing his words carefully. â€Å"We've been on the hunt all the way down from Ontario, and we haven't had the chance to clean up in a while.† I wonder what it is like to be so clean and dressed so nicely all the time, Laurent wondered. â€Å"Please don't take offense, but we'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from hunting in this immediate area. We have to stay inconspicuous, you understand.† Carlisle asked politely. â€Å"Of course,† Laurent nodded. â€Å"We certainly won't encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway,† he laughed while picturing his last prey and the kill. What? You idiot! Why would you agree to that? James roared in apparent displeasure. I could feel Bella shaking and I tried to hide her obvious human tendencies from the visitors. The constant deluge of thoughts had me struggling trying to keep up with everything. I focused on the threat and Carlisle. Get ready to get her out of here! Carlisle ordered me. â€Å"We'll show you the way if you'd like to run with us ?C Emmett and Alice, you can go with Edward and Bella to get the Jeep,† Carlisle said as casually as possible while inconspicuously directing Emmett and Alice of what to do. I could hear the wind from a mile away before it hit us. Alice looked at me frantically for a fraction of a second as she realized this, too, and her vision of us escaping unscathed shifted abruptly. I saw it flash and in that second I realized what was going to happen. The wind was only a second away and I was prepared. Suddenly the wind blew Bella's hair off her neck and sent her fragrance soaring towards the other vampires. James turned to face her as many thoughts went running through his head. I was preparing to protect Bella. Her scent had been punctuated by the moisture in the air, just like always. A howling rush of anxious thoughts came flowing out of my families minds as they realized the danger. Ummm†¦what a delicious scent, he thought hungrily. His nostrils flared to bring her scent deeper into his lungs, he crouched down, preparing to spring. His eyes narrowed while coming closer to Bella. I was a step ahead of him and so was my family because they had caught her scent strongly on the wind before he did. He was not going to lay a single finger on Bella. My protective side took over and a ferocious snarl ripped up my throat menacingly towards James. I met his gaze unflinchingly and he was suddenly very still like a dog who's hunting a rabbit, ready to attack. â€Å"What's this?† Laurent exclaimed in surprise. Why are they protecting her? She is just a human and an exceptionally frail one at that! This is going to be harder than my last hunt. James thought in a sinister way, determined to seize her at the first opportunity. His thoughts continued on a visual basis as I saw that he would pick victims who were harder to catch and track them down – delighting in the hunt. He continued to dwell on his satisfying memories of his obsession. The harder the kill, the more thrilling he found it. A sickening jolt ran through my stomach as I realized that if we didn't kill him now that he would continue to hunt Bella until she was dead. I shifted simultaneously with each movement he was planning to make. â€Å"She's with us,† Carlisle claimed quickly, almost in a threat. The scent didn't register with Laurent or Victoria for a few seconds longer. When it finally registered with them the scent was obviously not as strong to them as it was to James. â€Å"You brought a snack?† Laurent had a smile spread across his face as he took a step forward, ignoring everyone's protective stance. He was resisting the temptation much easier than James. A small horrified gasp exited Bella's lips. Another growl ripped up my throat, harsher than before. My teeth were showing and it sent a jolt of unease down Laurent's spine. He stepped back. â€Å"I said she's with us,† Carlisle looked tense and protective. â€Å"But she's human,† Laurent protested with a quizzical look on his face, slightly taken aback. Maybe this is how they stay inconspicuous†¦keeping a human as a pet? â€Å"Yes,† Emmett replied while stepping towards James. Laurent knew better than to become aggressive when there were so many vampires protecting Bella. He caught sight of Jasper who had his hands clenched so tightly that his scars shown pearly white. He looked quickly away and towards James while giving him a dark look. What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed? He thought. James slowly pulled out of his crouch but his thoughts and eyes were still on Bella. No matter what happened now, he was going to hunt her. Tonight ?C she will be mine, James thought excitedly. This should make for a much more interesting sport, he continued and it was obvious that our presence made the hunt considerably more interesting. I refused to move from my protective stance, remaining forcibly in his way. Jasper's waves of calm were working on the other two vampires but not on James. He seemed completely unaffected, like his body overrode it for the mere thought of a hunt as intriguing as this one would be. This one should be fun; I bet James is already making plans. Victoria thought while failing extravagantly to hide the excitement of the hunt on her face. â€Å"It appears we have a lot to learn about each other,† Laurent spoke smoothly, trying to placate the situation. â€Å"Indeed,† Carlisle's voice was relatively calm. I don't understand the fascination. â€Å"But we'd like to accept your invitation.† Laurent's eyes darted toward Bella and me and then quickly away. Good†¦Good, keep talking. This should help me out, James thought while his face lit up with a feverous fanatical glow. â€Å"And, of course, we will not harm the human girl. We won't hunt in your range, as I said.† Laurent added. James threw him a disgruntled look. Well that doesn't help me out at all, he thought angrily. Or†¦maybe this will bring them into a false sense of security and they will let their guard down, James continued to plan in his head. Carlisle studied Laurent's expression for several seconds. He seems to be handling this relatively well. I don't think inviting them over will hurt anything, Carlisle contemplated. â€Å"We'll show you the way. Jasper, Rosalie, Esme?† he called. All three of them moved forward blocking Bella from their view. Alice bounded up next to Bella while Emmett walked backwards to us, never letting James out of his sight, knowing that I could see everything he saw. I'm coming with you, Edward. I won't let anything happen to Bella, Emmett thought protectively. We need to leave now, Alice thought urgently. â€Å"Let's go, Bella.† I commanded. Bella didn't move; her eyes were wide in terror and shock. I grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her towards the jeep. Emmett and Alice stayed behind me, protecting both of us from any form of attack they might try to come at us with, all of us working as a seamless team. We don't have much time, Edward. James will be after Bella shortly. Carlisle won't be able to stall them for long. Alice looked upset. My impatience of her slow human pace was unbearable so by the time we reached the forest edge I threw Bella on my back as gentle as I could without slowing down and then I ran for it. Emmett and Alice were struggling to keep up with me; I was flying through the forest in a fury trying to get Bella away from the danger. I knew that this whole experience was jarring for Bella but the most important thing right now was for her to be safe. When we arrived next to the jeep I opened the door to the backseat and practically threw her in as the rest of us hurried into the Jeep. The key was protruding from the ignition already and I turned it quickly while the engine roared to life. â€Å"Strap her in,† I ordered Emmett who was already in the backseat. We have to go ?C now! Alice shouted from her head. She was already sitting in the passenger's seat looking extremely anxious. Her thoughts were unnecessary because I was already spinning the Jeep around to face the mountain road. Hurry, he's close. Alice's eyes were wide with terror for Bella. I was muttering ferociously while several profanities come through my lips, words that I would never use in front of a lady. Emmett and Alice were on full alert, constantly updating me in their thoughts at what was going on around us. I can't hear or see anything. Emmett informed me urgently. He lost Bella's scent once we took off in the Jeep, she explained to me, relaxing slightly. I watched Bella in the review mirror and through Emmett's eyes. She was bouncing up and down on the seat, her eyes wide. I suddenly wished Jasper had come along with us to keep her calm. Go south, they will split up but the prospects of them finding us are slim. Oh, she paused in thought, looks like they aren't planning to leave so quickly after everything after all. I wonder what they are going to do, Alice tried to look further in the future but there were too many decisions that hadn't been decided yet. I turned south on the main road. â€Å"Where are we going?† Bella finally spoke with a squeak. No one answered her. Just tell her, Alice commanded. I shook my head slightly. Emmett realized we were having one of our private conversations and understood what I was answering. â€Å"Dammit, Edward! Where are you taking me?† Bella shouted this time, looking horrified. I looked in the review mirror at her slightly crest fallen face and it broke my resolve. â€Å"We have to get you away from here ?C far away ?C now.† I said hastily. I pressed the accelerator down harder at my words while the Jeep's speed reached a hundred and five miles an hour. â€Å"Turn around! You have to take me home!† she vehemently exclaimed. This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her where we were going because I knew that she would demand what I couldn't give her. I looked in the review mirror again to see her face. She was fighting with the harness, tearing at the straps with tears welling up in her eyes. â€Å"Emmett,† I called. Emmett looked down at her while she was angrily grasping at the straps. Jeez, she is in a fury. Emmett thought. He brought his hands to her wrists and held them tightly in his grasp. Bella looked in the review mirror with pure anguish in her eyes. â€Å"No! Edward! No, you can't do this,† she cried out. When she begged and pleaded with me like this it broke my heart. I returned her gaze in the mirror. â€Å"I have to, Bella, now please be quiet.† I implored. She was stubborn, as always. â€Å"I won't! You have to take me back ?C Charlie will call the FBI! They'll be all over your family ?C Carlisle and Esme! They'll have to leave, to hide forever!† She shouted with a tragic expression displayed on her face. Of course Bella was being selfless. It was just in her nature to care about everyone else when her life was in danger. This was nothing to our family – the FBI ?C it's happened before with Jasper and Emmett. â€Å"Calm down, Bella.† I commanded. â€Å"We've been there before,† I was almost crying with exasperation. â€Å"Not over me, you don't! You're not ruining everything over me!† she began struggling under Emmett's hold. Edward, what do you want me to do? I don't want to hurt her but she is going to hurt herself with all of her struggling. Emmett thoughts became worried immediately. â€Å"Edward, pull over,† Alice directed. Bella has a good plan if you will just listen to her. I gave Alice a grave look while pressing the gas down even harder, showing her that I wasn't even going to slow down, let alone pull over. â€Å"Edward, let's just talk this through,† she continued. He's not following us; he actually has no idea where we went. Now pull over, she inclined her head toward the roads shoulder. â€Å"You don't understand,† I yelled in frustration. Alice had no idea that James was a tracker – that when he hunted his prey he never gave up and always conquered. I couldn't bring Bella back to Forks, he would find her and she would be in danger again. If she were to die, I would too. â€Å"He's a tracker, Alice, did you see that? He's a tracker!† I shouted. Crap! Emmett looked grim. â€Å"Pull over, Edward.† Do it now! We have to talk about this now! We are in this together and we all have to make the decisions together. That includes Bella! Alice raised her eyebrows like she was daring me to disagree with her. I looked down at the speedometer as the Jeep had reached one-twenty. â€Å"Do it, Edward,† Alice said to me in a bossy disapproving voice while glaring at me. She needed to understand, I had to explain to her but I didn't want to say this in front of Bella. I didn't want her to be more terrorized than she already was. I looked into the review mirror again as I saw Bella's encouraging eyes telling me to pull over. Her heart was hammering loudly in her chest and her scent was circling all of us in the Jeep, emphasizing her human frailness. I closed my eyes for a fraction of a second, hoping when I opened them again that this would all be over with. I couldn't stop, I must keep going! â€Å"Listen to me, Alice,† I gave her a reproachful look. â€Å"I saw his mind. Tracking is his passion, his obsession ?C and he wants her, Alice ?C her, specifically. He begins the hunt tonight.† â€Å"He doesn't know where ?C† Alice began but I cut her off. â€Å"How long do you think it will take him to cross her scent in town? His plan was already set before the words were out of Laurent's mouth.† I heard a faint gasp come from Bella's lips and I looked quickly in the review mirror to see her lips parted in pure horror. â€Å"Charlie! You can't leave him there! You can't leave him!† she shouted and began thrashing against Emmett and the harness with nothing but pure worry in her expression. â€Å"She's right,† Alice said while she looked to the future and then she looked at me in horror. I quickly dived into her mind, her vision was devastating. Bella! She will be so hurt and broken I don't know if we could fix her if Charlie is killed. We have to stop him ?C now! At the thought of what this could do to her I automatically slowed down. I didn't want her to die, but I could protect her from him†¦ but I couldn't protect her from the agony, the grief that she would have to suffer if her father was killed. It would be torture to see her in such pain or worse, if she finally took the blame off herself and realized it was entirely my fault and refused to let me comfort her. Alice could almost see my brain hard at work. â€Å"Let's just look at our options for a minute,† she said coaxingly, knowing that I was deep in thought about our options. The Jeep slowed as I took my foot off the accelerator slowly and the speedometer showed the Jeep slowing down to ninety miles an hour. In Alice's vision James would give Victoria the first kill ?C Charlie. Victoria was his mate and they were extremely vicious together, feeding off of each other's ruthlessness. She would display Charlie's dead body to try and coax us back ?C and it would work! I slammed the brakes while pulling into the shoulder. I felt horribly powerless. The car behind me screeched to a halt too and honked their horn. I saw Bella slam back into the seat and I was instantly nervous I had done something to hurt her but she looked unscathed. I turned to look at Alice. â€Å"There are no options,† I howled. To bring her back when that monster was hunting her ?C I just couldn't bare it if something were to happen. My brain was in limbo. â€Å"I'm not leaving Charlie!† Bella yelled louder than I had ever heard but I ignored her. â€Å"We have to take her back,† Emmett said quietly. â€Å"No,† I said with authority. â€Å"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her,† Emmett promised. â€Å"He'll wait,† I explained. We'll beat him at his own game then! â€Å"I can wait, too.† Emmett said while grinning widely. â€Å"You didn't see ?C you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakeable. We'd have to kill him.† I shouted. And this is a problem because? â€Å"That's an option,† he replied unperturbed. I was becoming angrier because I knew I was going to lose this argument. â€Å"And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too.† Three against seven? Please! â€Å"There are enough of us.† â€Å"There's another option,† Alice replied quietly. She saw what Bella was planning in her head and the only way she saw this plan was if it was a possibility. This made me angrier than before. â€Å"There ?C is ?C no ?C other ?C option!† I shouted. I could see the shock on Bella and Emmett's face in the mirror. I turned to look at Alice. She has a good plan and you know it! Alice barked in her head. I continued to stare at her with deepest dislike. If she doesn't convince James that she is no longer in Forks than he will let Victoria kill Charlie. You can't let that happen. What would Carlisle say? I continued to glare at her and her logic. â€Å"Does anyone want to hear my plan?† Bella asked. â€Å"No,† I growled because I already knew her plan and disagreed with it. I've had enough of this! Alice glared at me so menacingly I almost thought she was going to burn holes through me. â€Å"Listen,† Bella pleaded desperately. â€Å"You take me back.† â€Å"No,† I cut in. I turned to look at her and now she was glaring at me. â€Å"You take me back,† she continued anyway. â€Å"I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie won't call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned place you want.† Wow! I like her style. She fights dirty! Emmett looked surprised. Just let her do this, Edward. Alice continued to glare at me. â€Å"It's not a bad idea, really.† Emmett allowed. â€Å"It might work ?C and we simply can't leave her father unprotected. You know that,† Alice replied in a I told you so tone. Everyone's eyes were on me. I took in a deep breath. â€Å"It's too dangerous ?C I don't want him within a hundred miles of her.† â€Å"Edward, he's not getting through us,† Emmett said confidently. I wish I were as confident as he was. I looked at Alice because she started flitting through the future again. Ah, yes, the future is getting clearer. I see†¦ â€Å"I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone.† â€Å"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen,† Emmett said. â€Å"I demand that you take me home.† Bella said firmly. My brain was swelling with the onslaught of information ?C the past events, the present and the future. Bringing my fingers to my temples and squeezing my eyes shut while trying to dispel all thoughts was useless but I tried anyway. â€Å"Please,† Bella whispered a cry. I knew I had to do what was best for Bella all around, not what was just best for me. I decided a compromise would be the best I could deal with. â€Å"You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep.† I conceded. The engine roared to life as I turned the key. I whipped the truck around while listening to everyone's thoughts. I knew this was going to happen, Alice thought smugly. Yes! We get to fight! Hell yes! Emmett rejoiced. â€Å"Emmett?† Bella said. I looked in the mirror and she was looking down at her hands. â€Å"Oh, sorry.† Emmett said while letting go of her wrists. This is the most exciting thing since mine and Jasper's trip to Africa. I hope Edward always keeps Bella around, everything is always so interesting! Emmett continued to think happy thoughts the whole way back to Forks. While everyone else was silent I was working plans in my head. â€Å"This is how it's going to happen,† I began to explain our strategy. â€Å"When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes.† I gave Bella a dark look in the mirror to let her know I wasn't going to change my mind on this point. â€Å"Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle.† What? No fight! â€Å"No way,† Emmett interrupted. â€Å"I'm with you.† I sighed. â€Å"Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone.† I explained. You aren't going to ruin this for me. â€Å"Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you,† Emmett said with authority. A growl almost escaped my lips. â€Å"If the tracker is there,† I frowned, â€Å"we keep driving.† No worries! â€Å"We're going to make it there before him,† Alice said with confidence. Oh no you don't, Edward, I'm staying with her. She thought when I planned to send her home.†What are we going to do with the Jeep?† Alice asked to provoke me. I gritted my teeth as I spoke. â€Å"You're driving it home.† No way! â€Å"No, I'm not!† she said coolly. Tonight I just couldn't help myself, a stream of profanities come through my lips, but low enough I was sure Bella couldn't hear them. Would she think of me as a gentleman after this? What a dumb thing to be thinking about in such a crucial moment, I thought to myself. â€Å"We can all fit in my truck,† Bella said quietly. I ignored her, she wasn't helping my cause. â€Å"I think you should let me go alone,† Bella said even more quietly, purposely provoking me. I clenched my teeth and breathed through them slowly. â€Å"Bella, please just do this my way, just this once.† â€Å"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile,† she continued like she hadn't heard me. â€Å"If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious.† Why does she continually worry about me when she should be worried about herself? Beautiful, selfless, warm, trusting human†¦why do you do this to me? I roared internally. â€Å"That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters.† I told her. I could see her rebuttal churning in her eyes before she spoke. â€Å"Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are.† Where on earth did this creature come from? Emmett wondered. â€Å"Edward, listen to her,† he urged. â€Å"I think she's right,† Emmett said, positively delighted. Hum, she has a point. â€Å"Yes, she is,† Alice agreed. They already convinced me to come back to Forks and bring her back to the vampire who hunted her and now they expect me to stay behind! â€Å"I can't do that.† I barked. It was true, it was almost physically impossible for me to leave her now. â€Å"Emmett should stay, too. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett.† She continued. You have got to be kidding me! She's turning on me now! â€Å"What?† Emmett's eyes narrowed in her direction. I'll placate him. Don't worry. â€Å"You'll get a better crack at him if you stay,† Alice suggested. The way they were planning was driving me insane. I had to put my foot down at some point. â€Å"You think I should let her go alone?† I said incredulously. Do you think I'm an idiot? â€Å"Of course not. Jasper and I will take her.† Duh. I felt like I was being beaten down. They were making sense and I knew it, but I just couldn't stand the pain if something was to happen to her and I wasn't there to protect her. â€Å"I can't do that.† I repeated. Bella spoke up, â€Å"Hang out here for a week ?C† I looked at her in the mirror and she could see my I don't think so expression and amended â€Å"- a few days. Let Charlie see you haven't kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home.† It will work. Really. Alice thought to me. â€Å"Meet you where?† I conceded, curiosity getting the best of me. â€Å"Phoenix.† She said matter-of-factly. â€Å"No. He'll hear that's where you're going,† I said impatiently. Oh! Great plan†¦Alice thought seeing what Bella would say before she spoke again. â€Å"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going.† Interesting, always interesting. â€Å"She's diabolical,† Emmett began to chuckle and I ignored him. â€Å"And if that doesn't work?† I muttered. â€Å"There are several million people in Phoenix,† she informed me like that settled it. How did our conversation end up like this ?C here, in Forks embracing danger? We should be a hundred miles away by now! â€Å"It's not that hard to find a phone book,† I said grimly. â€Å"I won't go home,† she said happily. This is entertaining, really. Emmett thought with another chuckle in his head. I wanted to roll my eyes at her or shake some sense into her. Maybe she had lost her mind with the stress of the ordeal. â€Å"Oh?† I asked, utterly perplexed. â€Å"I'm quite old enough to get my own place,† she smiled at me in the mirror. It won't come to that. Don't worry. â€Å"Edward, we'll be with her,† Alice winked at me. Everyone had lost their minds. A sadistic vampire was hunting Bella and everyone had turned it into a big joke! â€Å"What are you going to do in Phoenix?† I rebuked. If I have time, shop. She thought but pretended that she didn't think that when she looked at me and replied, â€Å"Stay indoors.† I threw her a disgruntled look. With Jasper gone Edward and I can track this James down and kill him! â€Å"I kind of like it.† Emmett grinned stupidly. I glared at him. â€Å"Shut up, Emmett,† I commanded and I meant that for his thoughts too. It didn't stop him. â€Å"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt ?C she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  we can hack him up into little pieces and burn him! Emmett finished in his thoughts with another wide grin spreading across his face at the thought. I saw the bright orange streetlights as they grew brighter and larger as Forks loomed into view. We had finally arrived back in town and I was suddenly anxious that our plan won't work. The streets were empty and it felt like it was an ominous sign. Alice could see the grim expression on my face. She'll be fine, Edward, I've seen it. Alice thought calmy. â€Å"Bella,† I began while Alice and Emmett became alert immediately, gazing raptly out the windows. â€Å"If you let anything happen to yourself ?C anything at all ?C I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?† I said softly. I heard her loud gulp. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. I looked at Alice who turned back to me. â€Å"Can Jasper handle this?† He cares for Bella, too. â€Å"Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, very well, all things considered.† I raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Can you handle this?† I asked. I have fewer problems handling it then you do. I'd never hurt Bella. How dare you. Alice thought while a growl ripped up her throat and she pulled back her lips to show her gleaming teeth. Coming from Alice, the very tiny Alice, made me smile despite the events of this evening. â€Å"But keep your opinions to yourself,† I said harshly, knowing that the knowledge of her visions would be too much for Bella to handle. You mean the one where I think you should change her into a vampire so she can live with us forever? She thought with great smugness. I grimaced while pulling into Bella's driveway, looking out at the dark grounds surrounding her house. A lump formed in my throat at the thought of what had to happen next.