Stella McCartney free essay sample

Stella McCartney is a long-life vegetarian and an animal rights activist, which is evident in her designs as she does not use any leather or fur in her designs. Stella’s style is elegant and feminine, but her style also involves power dressing, with womens suits, stiff jackets and feminine lingerie. Her designs focus heavily on emphasising strong prints such as leopard and floral. There is a feminine, schoolgirl touch to her designs, as she includes loveheart prints and lips. Many of her designs, such as in the Spring 2014 collection, have very stiff structures, and the general silhouette for most designs, is pointed stiff shoulders, with a straight dress or pants, like one long rectangle. Some designs have an hourglass silhouette, as the skirt is fuller and the waist is thin, with stiff shoulders. In this collection, she uses deep mustards and dark browns, pale creams, and reds for the floral designs, subtle pinks and yellows, bright oranges, and blacks with dark greens and blues. We will write a custom essay sample on Stella McCartney or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Stella has used fake leathers, knitted wool, cotton/polyester, and satins in this collection. There is a range of textures used in this collection. The fake leathers would have a rubbery texture and the print used on them would create a bumpy surface, while the floral cotton/polyester designs would be a soft and smooth texture. The garments with prints would be smooth with a rough surface where the print is, while her designs with applique and beads would be rough and bumpy. Her designs are ‘ready to wear’ garments for women, childrens clothing, and lingerie. Her lingerie is very feminine and petite. The underwear and bras are centred around intricate floral lace that is very sheer and delicate. Stella uses mainly satin and lace in designing her lingerie range, and some designs, such as the bedwear, are made from cotton and polyester. Many of her lingerie designs, are solid colours such as light pinks, apple greens and oranges, while others are shades such as pale metallic aquas. She of course uses blacks and whites in her sexier lingerie and bedwear. The textures used in these designs include a rough texture for the lace designs, and a smooth texture in the designs made from satin. The bed wear lingerie would have a smooth cotton texture. 3. Internal Factors: Expertise: Stella made her first jacket at age 16, on her sewing machine at home and at age 19, she became an intern for Christian Lacroix, and started building her skills working for her fathers Savile Row Tailor for a few years. She graduated from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, and had her first graduation collection after finishing fashion design at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Her collection was modeled by friends and supermodels at the graduation runway show. Stella gained many of her expertise whilst working at French fashion house ‘Chloe’ and later gained a partnership with ‘Gucci’ where she launched her own fashion house. Facilities: In the start, Stella only had her sewing machine as a youngster, but by the age 19 she was working in a studio for Christian Lacroix, which meant she had access too much more equipment and space such as industrial sewing machines, overlockers, fabric cutters and higher quality appliances such as irons and scissors. She launched her own fashion house under her name in a joint venture with Gucci. She currently works with the NRDC(Natural Resources Defence Council), and importing fabric from mills in italy. Stella is based in Haywards Heath, UK which she works from and has people working for her. She operates in 17 freestanding stores in Paris’ Palais Royal, Barcelona’s Passeig de Gracia, Milan, Rome, Miama, Manhattan’s Soho, and LA’s West Hollywood. She currently distributes to over 50 countries in speciality shops and department stores Financial: Stella was born into the family of Beatles Bassist Paul McCartney, so she was already in a great financial situation. Her financial situation boomed when she made front page news for her graduation collection, and sold the entire collection to Tokio, a London Boutique. In 2001, the companies sales rose to 19 per cent. Stella McCartneys company;s profits increased 0. 5 per cent to ? 2. 9 million, which the companys total sales rose to ? 21 Million. As Stella McCartneys brand expands worldwide, her financial situation. Stella lives in a townhouse in West London, which she is selling for ? 2. 9 million, however it seems this price is too high, as she had to lower the price to ? 2. 5 million, because of the lack of buyers. External: Economic: Stella McCartney has taken a very strong ecological stance against the use of animal products in her fashion. Being brought up as a vegetarian, she is strongly against using leather and fur, and killing animals for the sake of fashion. Stella believes in ethical production of her materials, and she joined the Ethical Trading Initiative. She believes that in order to produce sustainable and ethical fashion, there must be an improvement in the way the textile industry manufactures fabrics. Stella teamed up with organisations like the National Resources Defense Council on its Clean by Design Program, which deals with working with people making the products, such as the textile mills. Stella doesn’t make her own fabrics, so she is limited in the organic ranges on the market. She tries to use organic fabrics and low-impact dyes, but many of the dyes dont achieve the desired result. Stella produced her own perfume, and has a strong ecological stance against testing on animals, which means she had to pair up with a company which was also not against testing on animals. Many of stellas stores are also wind powered, which also clearly represents her strong will to save the environment. Political: Through Stellas clothing, she has a strong political statement against issues like animal cruelty, slave labour and protecting the environment. Stella shows her views on these topics by using organic fabrics, not made in sweatshops, and does not use leather or any other animal products. Political relationships between European countries such an Italy remain stable which assists in her production and marketing of her Products. Political relations between the countries she has stores in are stable such as China. Social: There are many societal impacts on Stella. Her range of clothing targets people in society that believe in sustainable clothing and ethical treatment of animals and people. She targets very feminine women who enjoy luxurious items, without the guilt of knowing an animals been harmed, or the environments been damaged. She uses fake leather and fur to appeal to her target audience, and also uses natural and sustainable fabrics to further target women who share the same beliefs and ethics as her. She gives women the chance to feel good wearing her organic clothing. She also provides an alternative, as some people feel that in order to wear organic and sustainable clothing, there is only the option of baggy hemp fashion. Stella has shown that there is a way to be both stylish and sustainable and has appealed to a wide variety of young and old women. Technological: Technology has had a huge impact on Stella’s fashion career. She recently partnered up with Adidas, and has created a voluminous Run jacket that keeps you outside and training even in the harshest weather. This jacket has a built in Climaproof weather protection which acts as a barrier in storm conditions. Body temperature is optimised with increased breathability. New fabrics such Techfit are used in this outfit. Techfit is a body hugging tricot fabric with polyurethane tape that contour the body. This fabric helps to retain posture and supports muscles, making it the perfect workout outfit. New technology is also used on the shoes, such as an open-cell shock absorber, and ‘Sprintframe’ technology which is structure that allow for a lighter, stronger shoe which maintains optimum stability. The use of the internet has had a big impact on Stella’s Fashion line as she is able to globally sell products and display designs, gaining international success. Stella works with cutting edge sports performance technology in the manufacture of the adidas line. 4. Stella is often influenced by current trends in society, such as her use of pastel pinks in her Winter 2014 line. This trend has influenced her designs heavily, as the notion of girliness is apparent throughout this collection. She incorporates pastel colours, coupled with feminine flower patterns to create the look of this trend in society. The trend of ‘vintage’ in younger women has affected stella, and this trend is apparent also in the feminine flower designs that represent the vintage look. An obvious trend that is a big part of stellas collections is the use of fake leather and fur, and not testing on or using animals in anyway. The idea of having sustainable clothing that lasts is also a big trend as people become more educated on the use and manufacture of certain unsustainable fabrics and our accumulating land fills. This trend however does affect Stella’s variety of fabric she can use. In her Spring 2014 line, she uses fabrics that have leopard prints on them and look like leather, however the fabric used is a fake leather and no animals were harmed in the manufacture. Stella’s use of sustainable fabrics has also set a trend in the fashion world for other designers to start thinking about the consequences of their manufacture on the natural environment. Her perfume, is strictly no animal testing, which appeals to a wide variety of women, and further setting a trend in the perfume industry to stop testing on animals. Stella has also incorporated a historical trend in her spring 2014 line. She has been influenced by the ‘power dressing’ trend for women in the 80’s, and has created a design that is a women’s suit, will fuller shoulders and a masculine look to it to create the notion of independence. The trend of a straight dress, like a rectangle, in womens dresses in the 90’s has been an influence for some of Stella’s dress designs in her Spring 2014 line. She has combined the trend of the ‘independent business women’ by having a sharp geometrical silhouette that represents assertiveness and independence. The recent trend of using new technologically advanced fibres and fabrics has influenced Stella’s adidas range. She uses cutting edge fabrics such as lycra and spandex to give her designs high performance and high elasticity, whilst making it durable.

The History of the Sony Walkman

The History of the Sony Walkman According to Sony, In 1979, an empire in personal portable entertainment was created with the ingenious foresight of Sony Founder and Chief Advisor, the late Masaru Ibuka, and Sony Founder and Honorary Chairman Akio Morita. It began with the invention of the first cassette Walkman TPS-L2 that forever changed the way consumers listen to music. The developers of the first Sony Walkman were Kozo Ohsone, general manager of the Sony Tape Recorder Business Division, and his staff, under the auspices and suggestions of Ibuka and Morita. Introduction of Cassette Tapes, a New Medium In 1963, Philips Electronics designed a new sound recording medium - the cassette tape. Philips patented the new technology in 1965 and made it available free of charge to manufacturers all over the world. Sony and other companies began designing new compact and portable tape recorders and players to take advantage of the cassette tapes smaller size. Sony Pressman Sony Walkman In 1978, Masaru Ibuka requested that Kozo Ohsone, general manager of the Tape Recorder Business Division, begin work on a stereo version of the Pressman, the small, monaural tape recorder that Sony had launched in 1977. Akio Moritas Reaction to the Modified Pressman This is the product that will satisfy those young people who want to listen to music all day. Theyll take it everywhere with them, and they wont care about record functions. If we put a playback-only headphone stereo like this on the market, itll be a hit. - Akio Morita, February 1979, Sony Headquarters Sony invented the compact and extremely lightweight H-AIR MDR3 headphones for their new cassette player. At that time, headphones weighed on average between 300 to 400 grams, the H-AIR headphones weighed just 50 grams with comparable sound quality. The name Walkman was a natural progression from Pressman. The Launch of the Sony Walkman On June 22, 1979, the Sony Walkman was launched in Tokyo. Journalists were treated to an unusual press conference. They were taken to Yoyogi (a major park in Tokyo) and given a Walkman to wear. According to Sony, The journalists listened to an explanation of the Walkman in stereo, while Sony staff members carried out various demonstrations of the product. The tape the journalists were listening to asked them to look at certain demonstrations, including a young man and woman listening to a Walkman while riding on a tandem bicycle. By 1995, total production of Walkman units reached 150 million and over 300 different Walkman models have been produced to date.

Atomic Bomb

During wartime, horrible atrocities against all of humanity must be dealt with.  Ã‚   Crimes against humanity, as never witnessed before, and hopefully to never be seen again, occurred during the course of World War II.  Ã‚   America has always, and most likely will always place a high value on American lives.  Ã‚   In order to protect these lives and to insure that the world is safe for democracy, American leaders had to make a very tough decision, whether or not to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.  Ã‚   This act would essentially trade Japanese lives for American lives.  Ã‚   The Japanese were responsible for hundreds of thousands of American casualties in the Pacific, including the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor.  Ã‚   With Japanese forces showing no signs of surrender, American leaders made a decision.  Ã‚   This decision essentially changed the history of warfare forever.    An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power from an atom.   This powe r comes when the matter inside of the atoms is transformed into energy.   The process by which this is done is known as fission.   The only two atoms suitable for fission are the uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239.   Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and causes it to split apart.   When the nucleus is split, a large amount of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released.   These neutrons strike other atoms, which causes more energy to be released.   If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes the atomic bomb to have its destructive power.    The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type.   In this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device similar to the barrel of an artillery shell.   One piece is placed at one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest.   The other subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel.   A conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass.   When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first subcritical mass.   The resulting combination causes the two subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass.   When this supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction is caused.   This type of atomic bomb was used on Hiroshima, and given the nickname â€Å"Little Boy† after Franklin D. Roosevelt.    The second type of atomic bomb is an implosion bomb.   In this type a subcritical mass, which is in the shape of a ball, is placed in the center of the weapon.   This subcritical mass is surrounded in a spherical arrangement of conventional explosives.   When the fuse is triggered all of the conventional explosives explode at the same time.    This causes the subcritical mass to be compressed into a smaller volume, thus creating a supercritical mass to be formed.   After this supercritical mass is obtained, a self-sustained chain reaction takes place and causes the atomic explosion.   This type of atomic bomb was used on Nagasaki, and given the nickname â€Å"Fat Man† after Winston Churchill.    The blast from an atomic bomb’s explosion will last for only one-half to one second, but in this amount of time a great deal of damage is done.   A fireball is created by the blast, which consists mainly of dust and gasses.   The dust produced in this fireball has no substantial effect on humans or their environment.   However, as the gasses expand a blast wave is produced.   As this blast wave moves, it creates static overpressure.   This static overpressure then in turn creates dynamic pressure.   The static overpressure has the power to crush buildings.   The dynamic pressure creates winds , which have the power to blow down trees.   The blast pressure and fireball together only last for approximately eleven seconds, but because it contains fifty percent of the atomic bomb’s latent energy a great deal of destruction occurs.    In Hiroshima, the blast from the atomic bomb was measured to be about four and a half to six and seven tenths tons of pressure per square meter, while in Nagasaki the blast was measured to be about six to eight tons of pressure per square meter.   Because of this dramatic change in the pressure most of the cities were destroyed.   The static overpressure in Hiroshima destroyed between sixty-two and ninety thousand buildings, while in Nagasaki all of the buildings within three thousand feet of the center of the blast were completely destroyed.   The static overpressure created a dynamic pressure that had winds up to four hundred miles per hour.   These winds caused minor scratches, lacerations, or compound fractures, which came about when people and glass fragments were projected through the air.   By combining the results of the static overpressure and the dynamic pressure one can begin to see what damage was caused by the atomic bomb’s blast.    The thermal radiation produced by an atomic bomb explosion will account for thirty-five percent of the atomic bomb’s damage.   Thermal radiation can come in one of three forms: ultraviolet radiation, visible radiation, or infrared radiation.   The ultraviolet radiation is absorbed so rapidly by air particles that it has no substantial effect on people.   However, the visible and infrared radiation creates an enormous amount of heat to be produced, approximately ten million degrees Celsius at the hypocenter.   This heat has two main effects.   The first is known as flash burns.   The flash of thermal radiation produces these flash burns right after the explosion.   Flash burns can be either first-degree burns (bad sun burns), secon d-degree burns (blisters, infections, and scars), or third-degree burns (destroyed skin tissue).   The second type is known as flame burns.   These are burns that come from one of two different types of fires, which are created when flammable materials are ignited by the thermal radiation.   The first type is called firestorms.   A firestorm is violent, has raging winds, and has extremely high temperatures; but fortunately it does not spread very rapidly.   The second type is called a conflagration.   A conflagration is when the fire spreads in a front.   The thermal radiation produced by the atomic bomb’s explosion will account for most of the deaths or injuries.    In Hiroshima and Nagasaki the thermal radiation accounted for approximately twenty to thirty percent of the deaths or injuries from the atomic bomb’s explosion.   Those that were at a distance of two and one half miles from the hypocenter received first degree burns.   Those that were a t a distance of two and one quarter miles from the hypocenter received second degree burns.   Those that were at a distance of one half of a mile from the hypocenter received third degree burns.   Ninety-five percent of the burns created from the thermal radiation were by flash burns, and only five percent of the burns were by flame burns.   The reason for this low number of flame burns is that only two to ten percent of the buildings caught on fire.   By combining the damage from both the flash and flame burns one can begin to see the effects that an atomic bomb’s thermal radiation had.   Approximately sixty thousand in Hiroshima, and approximately forty-one thousand people were either killed or injured from the thermal radiation.    The final effect that an atomic bomb caused is the nuclear radiation produced from the fission process.   The nuclear radiation comes in the form of either Gamma rays or Beta particles.   Gamma rays are electromagnetic radiation originating in the atomic nuclei, physically identical to x-rays.   They can enter into living tissue extremely easily.   Beta particles are negatively charged particles, identical to an electron moving at a high velocity.   These forms of nuclear radiation are measured in rads (radiation-absorbed-dose), which is defined as the absorption of five ten millionths joule per gram of absorbing material.   During the initial nuclear radiation mostly Gamma rays are emitted from the fireball.   This period of initial nuclear radiation lasts for approximately one minute.   During the residual nuclear period (fallout) the Beta particles and more of the Gamma rays are emitted.   The residual radiation has two stages: early fallout and delayed fallout.   In early fallout, the heavy and highly radioactive particles fall back to the earth, usually within the first twenty-four hours.   In delayed fallout, the tiny and often invisible particles fall back to the earth, and usually last from a couple of days to several years.   The nuclear radiation from the atomic bomb’s explosion was not the main cause of death, but it did still have serious results.    In Hiroshima, the initial nuclear radiation was spread over a distance of approximately fifty-three hundredths of a kilometer.   In Nagasaki, the initial nuclear radiation only spread one and six thousandths of a kilometer.   The reason why the nuclear radiation was not the main caused of deaths or injuries was that the atomic bomb was detonated so high in the atmosphere; approximately five hundred and seventy meters in Hiroshima, and approximately five hundred and ten meters in Nagasaki.   Even without causing many deaths the nuclear radiation probably caused the most serious effects.   Those with definite proof were those of increased rates of cataracts, leukemia, cancer of the thyroid, cancer of the breast, cancer of the lungs, cancer of the stomach, and mental retardation of babies.   Those that had substantial but not definite proof were those of tumors of the esophagus, tumors of the colon, tumors of the salivary glands, and tumors of the urinary tract organs.   Those that had no definite or substantial proof were those of increased rates of birth mortality, birth defects, infertility, and susceptibility towards illnesses. Plagiarism Detection > Plagiarism Detection >The blast, the thermal radiation, or the nuclear radiation from an atomic bomb explosion will have severe effects on both humans and on the environment in which they live in.   The only two cities that have ever experienced having an atomic bomb being exploded on them were the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.   In Hiroshima, the casualties have been estimated between seventy-five and eighty thousand. In Nagasaki, the total number killed was estimated at more that thirty-five thousand.   The total number severely injured was even greater than forty thousand.In the 50 years since the first atomic explosion, the promises and perils of nuclear science have touched nearly every aspect of our culture and politics.   The scientific development surrounding the A-bomb has been a pivotal point in the worlds history, launching us into the Atomic Age.   We came close to nuclear inhalation during the cold war, but its benefits have been much greater.   We have turned nuclear power into a reliable source of energy, and it has provided us with many technological advances.   In the future we can look forward to using the technology discovered during the Manhattan Project to create even better sources of energy.   We are only at the beginning of the Atomic Age, and there are endless possibilities for the future.

Special Topics in international Business Assignment

Special Topics in international Business - Assignment Example (Aswathappa, 2006). Trade barriers greatly affect the decisions on international businesses as they impose restrictions on international trade in specific country or economic region. Thus, the company willing to export goods to a foreign market where trade barriers are high may find this business strategy inevitable because of high costs incurred in result of trade barriers (Aswathappa, 2006). Globalisation has created both opportunities and challenges for the international business. Some of the major opportunities are: opportunity to reach global market and to increase significantly revenues, opportunity to reach economies of scales, to reduce manufacturing costs by otsourcing production facilities to other countries, opportunities to gain access to technical expertise and technical know-how, opportunity to reach global resources that are not available or expensive in home country risks (Wild & Wild, 2011). Thus, for example, the UAE-based airline company, the Emirates Group, was founded in 1985. Nowadays, the company provides passenger, postal and cargo carriage services across the world (Wild & Wild, 2011). Globalisation allowed the company to expand significantly the number of destinations up to 100, to achieve economies of scales, to develop additional sources of revenue, etc. However, globalisation poses substantial challenges for international business as well. While the international companies gain access to global markets, they simultaneously face with fierce competition on behalf of both local and international companies. Another significant challenge is associated with the fact that companies need to work in different countries with different cultures. The companies that have no previous experience in international business it might be quite difficult to adjust to the cultural differences. With the development of IT operations the

Adenauers Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Adenauers Foreign Policy - Essay Example n, anticommunist foreign policy for which Davison & Speier (1957) has expressed their opinion in the following words: "To a generation living with the memories of World War II, into which another German chancellor had plunged the world less than twenty years earlier, Adenauer has been the symbol of sobriety and moderation. His firm adherence to the principles underlying Western civilisation is beyond doubt, and his policies bear no trace of Hitler's nihilism and hybrid". (Davison & Speier, 1957, p. 2) And obviously both Adenauer and Brandt acquire this political characteristic that despite being chancellors of their eras, they only concern about ways to unite the broken Germany, not by aggression but by political diplomacy.Adenauer performed a historic role for confronting various challenging issues just after the Second World War. All his foreign policies lead him towards a single solution i.e., a united Europe and that is what he dreamt about throughout his life. Not only dreamt bu t also implemented his visions in the form of practical solution by developing certain policies, that remained successful in uniting both the East and West of the Germany. The best thing about Adenauer's regime was he did not receive resistance from a large communist minority. However, he received several obstructions on the basis of the opposition he received from the German Social Democratic party. Adenauer's Foreign Policy - German Sovereignty Adenauer felt the need to develop his own foreign policy in the late 1940s when he saw the German policies been threatened by France. At this stage he felt a real need to devise a new set of foreign policies but due to the restriction imposed upon him he was unable to do so. The only option he found open was to secure German sovereignty, and this could only be achieved by integrating FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) to Western Europe. Adenauer recovered Germany by effective foreign and domestic policy thereby standardising the German currency rate in 1948. It was in 1950s when Adenauer succeeded in recognising his new state's entry into Western institutions. In this context the first move he made was the acceptance of the partnership of those nations who at times were Germany's greatest opponents. France was at the top of the list. This was the first step towards establishment of a secure foreign policy that defended German sovereignty. Dissolving the Ruhr Authority Adenauer contributed towards gaining rights of the Ruhr's authority and was able to acquire freedom to the FRG thereby alleviating all provisions and statutes against European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). According to Schwarz (1995) "The economy of Western Europe had to be regarded as an interdependent system and could not prosper without the Ruhr. In his view it followed from this that a forced suppression of the German economy was in no-one's interests. Drawing on his experiences stretching back over almost three decades, he maintained that the establishment of a bloc-free Germany would be unwise, too. He pleaded for a reconstruction of the German economy; this meant that the Ruhr should be internationalised and linked closely with the Western European economic system". (Schwarz, 1995, p. 40) So, the foremost achievement of Adenauer was the independence of Ruhr authority, which without him

Anita Desai Essay Example for Free

Anita Desai Essay The main characters who struck me the most are Uma and her brother Arun; to them are dedicated the two parts of the novel. Personally I think they have a lot of things in common and I’m not only considering the fact that they belong to the same close-knit family: they are somehow subjected to a reality from which they both want to escape. Uma is the plainest character of the novel, I think: she always obeys her parents and makes everything they want her to do. This is not completely a negative point but, reading the first pages of the book, I admit that I would like to react for her to the commandments of her MamaPapa, as they are often mentioned†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Go to the cook†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Prepare the packet for your brother†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Write a letter†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦but how can she manage to do all these things together?! In my opinion Uma is also naà ¯ve, she seems to be somehow tied by a sense of duty to her parents, especially after the failure of her two arranged marriages, and what about the dowry she has squandered?! as her father reminds her. The only â€Å"pause† of her life is given by the visits of Mira-masi, a particular woman who deeply fascinates Uma for the stories she tells her: she represents a ray of hope into the life of the girl, although her parents don’t approve the complicity created between them. Arun, whose birth was really longed for, is sent to the USA where he attends the college: being the only son of the family he has the honour of receiving a good education and he has also the possibility to live far from the oppressing reality of his homeland. But his life remains very unhappy: also the family to which he lives while in America is a sort of weight for him. The second part of the novel seems to me a long digression about food, I think that the food itself is the only reason for a link between Arun and the new family, Mrs Patton in particular. I think both brother and sister are oppressed voices who want to live in peace and to escape from the world they live in, although they aren’t able to rebel against it. For this very reason I would like them to write to each other, what does not happen in the novel. Dear Arun, Maybe for the first time in my life I admit that I’m very sad but what troubles me the most is the fact that I’m not able to find a way out†¦ Our cousin Anamika is dead. Everybody here is trying to give an explanation but†¦what for, she won’t ever come back and there are no acceptable explanations for her death†¦ I absolutely can’t imagine that the urn in front of me contains her ashes†¦she is dead†¦ but I’m dead too. Her awe for the family led her towards death, but what about me? I will stay forever with MamaPapa, I can’t abandon them, they are†¦my life! When mama grips my hand I know, I feel that there is something strong between us and I can’t, I can’t leave†¦ MamaPapa is calling me†¦I have to go. I don’t know if I will ever send this letter to you: perhaps I will burn it. Uma Dear Uma, A new semester at the college is beginning and my stay with the Pattons is over. I’m happy because I can leave this strange family: it wasn’t my place, I didn’t feel comfortable with them, I felt oppressed and obliged to be part of it, maybe only because I felt sorry for Mrs Patton and I didn’t want to disappoint her. This is the reason why I gave her the presents you sent me (but please don’t reveal anything to MamaPapa!): I didn’t want her to be worried about me when I silently walked out of her life. Arun Alice Bravin 5 H Liceo Scientifico â€Å"M. Grigoletti† Pordenone Anita Desai â€Å"FASTING, FEASTING† The novel by Anita Desai appeared insipid to my eyes. If I were asked to collect all the emotions that the book has stirred in my heart, I would find myself in anguishing troubles, for I’m quite numb to it as well I am frustrated by each work of art dominated by a sense of heaviness. The characters are imbued with, or even better, they are emblems of this heaviness which reveals itself mainly in the temperament of Uma, who is the best-built character of the novel. Anita Desai succeeded in the enterprise of creating a character without personality, a woman deprived of her soul. She is the designated victim who is doomed to endure the burden of life, symbolized first of all by her parents. Uma doesn’t strike my sensibility: I don’t feel pity for her, nor would I establish a sort of sympathetic relationship with her; her ineptitude doesn’t arouse my anger, nor would I shake her out of the status of torpor she experiences. I am quite interested in one of the psychological aspects of Uma, that of repression. Uma is not free to be what she wants to be, to do what she wants to do, so she is utterly repressed in her passions, in her feelings, in her personality; this last dimension is completely neglected to her. These inner forces run inside her veins and arteries, like water permeating through the cracks of a rock and when temperatures gets colder, it becomes ice and causes the explosion of the rock. The same happens inside Uma and the implosion is disguised as a sort of disease. Convulsions, nausea which leads to vomit, suffered cries, these moments are the most involving – and at the same time disturbing – moments and situations of the novel. I would have appreciated if Anita Desai had developed this edge of the prism of Uma. Sigmund Freud stated that mental patients are like diamonds, whose structure is based on its corners. In these lines the diamond would break in case it fell on the ground. Uma is like that. Her body seems possessed by a demoniac spirit, her limbs, her bowels are rocked by the unique act of rebellion which is allowed to her. I wonder why the writer has snobbed this issue, which probably assumes a religious and philosophical value and is strictly connected to Indian culture. The heaviness that haunts the book is expressed even by the settings. Concerning this point I would like to recall the image of Uma and her aunt who leave together on a spiritual trip. The bus they catch is incredibly crowded: this episode evokes the image of mingled noises and smells within the dusty and sandy air of India. The writer enables us to appreciate each aspect of the setting – thanks to her detailed language – so that the reader manages to broaden his sensorial perceptions and is caught by the use of synaesthesia. ( The description of the believers bathing in the Gange becomes meaningful in this sense ). Before starting reading the book I thought it would be quite precious for me in order to learn more about the Indian world, even appreciating it by means of the parallel Anita Desai draws with Northern America. But I was wrong: â€Å"Fasting, feasting † doesn’t seem so representative of India: the impression I get is that of a character – Uma – who might be possibly Irish or even Italian. Westerners share the same common imagery about India and this common imagery is banal and dominated by prejudices. The book is ambiguous, in the sense that neither supports this statement, nor deny it. The same ambiguity lies in the second part of the novel – that dedicated to Arun – which takes place in the United Stated of America. Anita Desai gives us tenets and traits of the American Society coming in the story of an American family. Here there aren’t crowded busses or temples, but televisions, junk food, couches, barbecues, baseball matches and people who enjoy all these objects and events. The same dusty air is breathed by Arun when he goes back home walking on the boundaries of the street. The same atmosphere of heaviness which degenerates into disease. For these very reasons I state that Uma and her story are not so â€Å"Indian†. Moreover, I have some perplexities about the last chapter – really shorter than the first one – which doesn’t find a proper literary justification. It is a sort of appendix, even if only almost at the end of the book there’s the precise reference to the tile â€Å"Fasting, feasting† and is embodied by the bulimic girl. Alessandra Crimi 5 H Liceo Scientifico â€Å"M. Grigoletti† Pordenone Anita Desai – Fasting, Feasting Fasting, Feasting is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Thanks to the brilliant descriptions and the elegant narration the reader has the opportunity to create an imaginary but precise setting were characters develop during the story. I think that this novel is like a mirror because it gives the opportunity to reflect, in both meanings of the word. We can reflect ourselves in the protagonists (mirror-like effect) and we can reflect, think, about the different values and importance that people from different societies give to ideals they believe in. In my opinion the rhythm of the narration is sometimes too slow, but I can understand that it is due to the fact that, once again, it mirrors the context where the story takes place. In India, in fact, there is no frenetic life, no stress, no anxiety of living and for this very reason people can pay attention to little events that we probably ignore. When the father asks for his drink, it seems to me that everyone in the family has to stop and be there for this event; when a guest arrives unexpectedly, all the attention is directed to him; even the choice of one kind of food rather than another seems to be one of the most important problems of the day. . The character of Mumdad is what emotionally touched me most, maybe because to a certain extent I can detect in them some traits my parents have. The image of Mumdad on the swing describes their indissoluble bond. Mumdad are a unique person/entity made up of two different souls. These two souls are always at unison, they never take opposite decisions, they argue but they always find a compromise, they are, in a word, complementary. I always admired this ability to build little by little a life together even if, for a child, sometimes it’s not so easy to accept their decision, or rather, their impositions. Uma is my favourite character. In some parts of the novel I felt really involved in her problems, in her thoughts and desires. She loves school even if she isn’t able to get good marks; she loves learning, she wants to try again, to spend another year at school, she’s sure she will improve. She suffers when Mumdad decide she should give up her studies. She suffers when she understands she is not as beautiful, intelligent as her sister Aruna, and so she is considered a lesser woman. Uma suffers silently, she accepts her condition of inferiority, yet she is always looking for a moment of glory that, unfortunately, never comes. She is like the most humble flower that grows up silently, that is trampled from the gardener that gave her birth, because a rose is blooming next to the humble flower and he must be there to praise the perfection and beauty of the rose. I’m not saying that I reflect myself in Uma , absolutely not, on the contrary, I’m saying that all my life I have been an Aruna, and I didn’t know about it. I’m an only child, there is no Uma in my family, but thanks to the juxtaposition of the two characters I have understood that I have always been loved and pampered and nursed and highly considered and I don’t really know if I deserve all this. This book has really been a great opportunity for me, it has made me reflect on my values and on the meaning of my â€Å"little† life: too often we don’t realise what is around us. But now I want stop talking about me. I would love to write a few lines about arranged marriages. In our Western society, marriage is generally viewed as a value strongly linked with the concept of freedom, the freedom to choose the person with whom we would like to spend all our life. We have this great opportunity and we often waste it. We are free to love a person for his peculiarities and not for his money and often people choose the partner for his richness, we get married and then we divorce and kids are treated as merchandise, we often get married for reasons that sometimes are far away from love and we claim to judge a society where parents choose a spouse for their children. I think that Western people are more contradictory than what they want to admit and perhaps less happy. Perhaps it is this very feeling that leads plenty of us to judge other cultures. DA PIEVE LUCIA 5 H Liceo scientifico â€Å"M. Grigoletti† Anita Desai â€Å"Fasting,Feasting† This is the first book by Anita Desai I have ever read. Her observations are astute whether they are on living conditions in India or USA. Anita Desai uses her words perfectly to convey exactly what she feels,but even if it could seem a contradiction,I think that the problem with the book is its dry, clinical approach in chronicling the lives of the characters, the book lacks passion. I was always on the outside, looking into the lives of people. The book offers few chances of getting involved with the characters ,in fact while reading the book I didn’t feel the compulsion of finishing it quickly. The part I liked better is the first half of the book that deals with life in a small, slow town in India, with rigid parents and well-drafted routines. The †Indian half† is more detailed than the other half which deals with the rule-less† life in suburban USA. In the first half there is a partly successful, proud father, who goes through life, with set patterns and no passion. A mother who goes along with her husband, doing what is supposedly right and expected of her, curbing and killing all her innate desires. Three children. The eldest, Uma, clumsy . The middle daughter Aruna, pretty, ambitious and smart, but eventually also a victim of her choices. The last, a son, Arun, on whom the parents put all their dreams and energies. All of them, along with members of their extended family, go through some form of deprivation (of will, of fun, of passion and of love). I think that a merit of this book is the way it highlights the Indian traditions, cultures and mostly the place of a woman in an Indian family. I liked the character of Uma in the book because she is both willing to take a chance with life and at the same time dedicated to her family.She takes whatever happens to her life with such grace that she does not give me a chance to cry for her. I like her inner strength. The story in itself is told from the perspective of the protagonist, Uma, who starts out as a wideeyed child at a convent who shows an enthusiasm for education but with the birth of her brother Arun, Uma takes on the role of nanny. Here, one encounters the distinct preference parents have for the male child. Desai next explores the conventional belief that ties a womans worth to her physical appearance. A woman who lacks beauty is often rushed into the first marital offer she receives, only to pay a heavy price later on. Desai shows the challenges a single woman faces regardless of how successful she is. By contrast, Umas cousin is portrayed as the ultimate success because she is able to marry well thanks to her looks. She makes the reader wonder how happy she truly is, when she eventually takes her own life. Uma is the main character in the first half of the novel. She is a clumsy, uncoordinated woman who finds it difficult to succeed in almost everything she does she fails in school, cant cook, spills food and drink and cant find anyone worthwhile to get married to. Her father feels that Uma is incapable of fending for herself, as she is too clumsy, uncoordinated and proves a failure in almost everything she does.Uma fails in school, in the kitchen and she even fails to find anyone worthwhile to get married to. The father asks Uma to interrupt her studies in the Christian convent when he find out she not doing very well at school. He feels that it was a waste of time and money to provide Uma an education ;he has other plans for her.She will look after her baby brother Arun and take care of the household while her mother rests after giving birth. Uma’s life is constantly planned by her father.Uma cannot resist her father’s oppressive patriarchal ideology, as she is afraid of the consequences that would befall her if she angered the colonial characteristics of her father. Uma’s entertainment comes in the form of her cousin, Ramu. When Ramu is around, Uma feels at ease. But the father feels that Ramu is a bad influence on Uma. He does not want Uma to be influenced by other men who are capable of brainwashing her to resist the demands of his patriarchal nature.

Compare and Contrast: Passage 1: Description of Tom, Passage 2: Gatsby

Compare and Contrast: Passage 1: Description of Tom, Passage 2: Gatsby seen The first passage is a description of Tom. He is portrayed as strongly built: "It was a body capable of enormous leverage-a cruel body." He also seems to be a brutal an supercilious man. Words as "arrogant", "sturdy", "gruff" and "husky" create a mood around him which is quite unpleasant. This description is very objective and we get a clear picture of what Tom looks like. We are also given a description of Tom's voice as being "...a gruff, husky tenor..." The other passage is not really a description of Mr Gatsby, but rather an occasion which he fits into. The description we are given about Gatsby is much more unclear than that of Tom. The night makes the atmosphere more mysterious around Gatsby. Here words as "night", "trembling", "silhouette" and "dark" set the theme of the passage. There is a clear contrast in the themes between the two passages. In the first one 'day' or 'light' can be said to be a theme in comparison to the 'night' or 'darkness' in the other. Even though the description of Tom is quite objective, the sunshine and clearness has a high symbolic importance to the passage and makes it more of a contrast to the other passage. This sunshine could be there because Tom is an antagonist in the novel, thus his description should not be complicated as, for example Gatsby's. Thereby he is connected to unambiguousness, whereas Gatsby is connected to darkness and implying that his character will be revealed later on. The sunshine which is connected to Tom could mean that his character is exposed and open for everyone to look at. This could be connected to that his characteristics are those of a fascist prototype... ...asting themes are day and night and the tone and the techniques are based around these themes. The techniques are quite different in the two passages; in Toms there are many negative words and his body is personified as "cruel". In Gatsby's passage there are more words connected to obscurity and Gatsby is not at all illustrated negatively. The techniques create two contrasting moods in the two passages. Tom's passage is more simple and it is not as interesting to read as Gatsby's passage. Tom's passage is almost unpleasant to read because one could almost think he is a monster by his account. The tone in Gatsby's passage is more calm. The presence of the night makes everything more subjective and abstract. A potential effect of this is that the reader will feel more comfortable with this passage. Things connected to the night are usually more interesting.

Basic approaches to the study of cultural diversity Essay

With rapid scientific and technological progress, advanced means of communication and transport, more and more people travel abroad, and the range of purposes they tend to achieve, enlarged as well. Many people now travel to share organizational and business experience, study abroad to come back home, many people travel just to see and study cultural background of other countries, some of them come to other countries with peace missions. Unfortunately, political and economical conditions in many countries of the world make many people move abroad as immigrants or refugees. But, regardless of the travel purposes, the notions of cultural contact and cultural shock are relevant for all categories of travelers. (Hoerder) Before examining this phenomenon it’s necessary to give a strict definition of it. At first, it’s necessary to mention that there are some titles to define this phenomenon: â€Å"cross cultural relations†, â€Å"between society culture-contact†, â€Å"cross-cultural interaction† etc. Here is the definition of this phenomenon provided by Bochner: â€Å"between society culture-contact refers to individuals who travel beyond their countries of origin for a particular purpose and for a specified period of time, and the relationships they establish with members of the host society†. (1986, p. 23) There are also some necessary terms used to describe these relations, for instance â€Å"sojourner†. This term is used to refer to â€Å"culture travellers, indicating that they are temporary visitors intending to return home after achieving their aims†. (1986, p. 33) On the contrary, people of the visited society are called â€Å"host-society members†. It’s evident that changing society background in any case demands some contact on personal level, when the representatives of various societies interact. From the part of sojourner it demands much effort to integrate into unusual social and cultural patterns. This may cause stress, especially in the case of immediate and unexpected transition, and this condition is defined by the specialists as â€Å"culture shock†. (Bochner) Cultural identity conflicts are usually called intractable, and thus they are not possible to be resolved through the traditional approaches. The frames of the individual identity are extremely influenced by the cultural identity and cultural surrounding. The differences in culture often become the ground for the cultural conflict, as the difference in cultural ideas and preferences may be taken by the other side as not simply an outrageous idea, but ridiculous and unreal understanding of the world. For the better cultural communication it may be suggested, that the attitudes towards other cultures should be more tolerate. The cultural ideas and beliefs expressed by the representatives of the other culture should not be taken as unreal or unacceptable. Differences in culture between people will always exist, and thus for the more effective communication it is important to understand and accept the significance of the traditions, which are valued by the other culture, as well as try to better explain the traditions into which the newcomer would wish to assimilate. However, and what is more important, it is not allowed to break the cultural identity of the person; the difference in cultural views does not mean they are wrong. The issue of cultural identity was always urgent, and with the growing opportunities for migration, this issue will not soon lose the necessity of being discussed. However, it is important to understand one thing in relation to cultural conflicts: the differences between cultures should not and won’t be erased; they should be treated with tolerance. There are some concepts and approaches used to investigate the nature of this phenomenon. They are as follows: regional comparison, holocultural analysis, controlled comparison, and coding. Regional comparison was worked out by Driver and Kroeber. This approach lies in determination of cultural classification and then making assumptions about the processes of interconnection in the limits of one region of culture. Holocultural analysis is also called worldwide cross-cultural analysis. He was worked out by Tylor, Sumner, Keller and Murdock. Levinson describes it as a study â€Å"designed to test or develop a proposition through the statistical analysis of data on a sample of ten or more

Bloodlines Chapter Twenty-One

MIXING WHAT I NEEDED TO was easy. Getting it to where I needed took a couple of days. I first had to pay attention to what kind of shampoo Laurel used in the PE showers. The school provided shampoo and conditioner, of course, but she wouldn't trust her precious hair with anything so commonplace. Once I knew her brand, I hunted it down at a local beauty supply store and emptied its expensive contents down the drain. I filled bottles with my homemade concoction instead. The next step was switching it with Laurel's own bottle. I recruited Kristin for this. Her locker was next to Laurel's in PE, and she was more than willing to help me out. Part of it was that she shared our dislike of Laurel. But also, ever since I'd saved her from the tattoo reaction, Kristin had made it clear that she was indebted to me and had my back in whatever I needed. I didn't like the idea of her owing me, but her assistance did come in handy. She found a moment when Laurel looked away from her unlocked locker and covertly made the switch. We then simply had to wait for the next time Laurel used the shampoo to see the results of my handiwork. Meanwhile, my other lab experiment wasn't receiving quite the reaction I'd expected. Ms. Terwilliger accepted my report but not the amulet. â€Å"I have no use for it,† she remarked, glancing up from the papers I'd handed her. â€Å"Well†¦ I certainly don't either, ma'am.† She set the papers down. â€Å"This is all true? You followed every step precisely? I'd certainly have no way of knowing if you'd, ah, fudged some of the details.† I shook my head. â€Å"Nope. I followed every step.† â€Å"Well, then. It looks like you have yourself a fire-making charm.† â€Å"Ma'am,† I said, by way of protest. She grinned. â€Å"What do the directions say? Throw it and recite the last incantation? Do you know it?† ‘†Into flame, into flame,'† I said promptly. After having typed the spell initially for her notes and then re-creating it, it was hard not to have picked it all up. According to the book – which was an English translation of a Latin text – the language didn't matter so long as the words' meaning was clear. â€Å"Well, there you go. Give it a try one of these days and see what happens. Just don't light any school property on fire. Because that's not safe.† I held up the amulet by the string. â€Å"But this isn't real. This is nonsense. It's a bunch of junk thrown together in a bag.† She shrugged. â€Å"Who are we to question the ancients?† I stared, trying to figure out if she was joking. I'd known she was eccentric from day one, but she'd still always come across as a serious scholar. â€Å"You can't believe that. Magic like this†¦ it's not real.† Without thinking, I added, â€Å"Even if it was, ma'am, it's not for humans to mess around with powers like that.† Ms. Terwilliger was silent for several moments. â€Å"You truly believe that?† I fingered the cross around my neck. â€Å"It's how I was raised.† â€Å"Understood. Well, then, you may do what you like with the amulet. Throw it away, donate it, experiment with it. Regardless, this report's what I need for my book. Thank you for putting in the time – as always, you've done more than was required.† I put the amulet in my purse when I left, not really sure what to do. It was useless†¦ and yet, it had also cost me a lot of time. I was disappointed it wasn't going to have a more meaningful purpose in her research. All that effort gone to waste. The last of my projects showed development the next day, however. In AP Chemistry, Greg Slade and some of his friends scurried into class just as the bell rang. Our teacher gave them a warning look, but they didn't even notice. Slade was preening over his eagle tattoo, baring it for everyone to see. The ink was gleaming silver again. Next to him, one of his friends was also proudly showing off another silver tattoo. It was a pair of stylized crossed daggers, which was only slightly less tacky than the eagle. This was the same friend who had been worrying earlier this week that he wouldn't be able to get a tattoo. Apparently, things had worked out with the supplier. Interesting. Part of holding off on reporting to the Alchemists had been to see if Nevermore would replenish what I'd stolen. â€Å"It's amazing,† Slade's friend said. â€Å"The rush.† â€Å"I know.† Slade gave him a fist bump. â€Å"Just in time for tomorrow.† Trey was watching them, his expression dark. â€Å"What's tomorrow?† I whispered to him. He eyed them contemptuously for a few more moments before turning back to me. â€Å"Do you live under a rock? It's our first home game.† â€Å"Of course,† I said. My high school experience wouldn't be complete without the quintessential football hype. â€Å"A lot of good it'll do me,† he muttered. â€Å"Your bandages are off,† I pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, but Coach is still making me take it easy. Plus, I'm kind of deadweight now.† He nodded toward Slade and his friend. â€Å"How come they don't get in trouble for those? They're not making any effort to hide them. This school has no discipline anymore. We're practically in anarchy.† I smiled. â€Å"Practically.† â€Å"Your brother should be on the team, you know. I've seen him in PE. He could be a star athlete if he bothered trying out for anything.† â€Å"He doesn't like drawing attention to himself,† I explained. â€Å"But he'll probably go watch the game.† â€Å"Are you going to go to the game?† â€Å"Probably not.† Trey arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Hot date?† â€Å"No! But I'm just†¦ well, not into watching sports. And I feel like I should stay with Jill.† â€Å"You won't even go to cheer me on?† â€Å"You don't need my cheers.† Trey gave me a disappointed look as a response. â€Å"Maybe it's just as well,† he said. â€Å"Since you really wouldn't get to see me performing to my full level of awesomeness.† â€Å"That is a shame,† I agreed. â€Å"Oh, stop with the sarcasm already.† He sighed. â€Å"My dad's going to be the most upset. There are family expectations.† Well, that was something I could relate to. â€Å"Is he a football player too?† â€Å"Nah, it's less about football itself than keeping yourself in peak physical shape. Excelling. Ready to be called upon in a moment's notice. Being the best on the team's been a way to keep him proud – until these tattoos started.† â€Å"You're good without any tattoo help. He should still be proud,† I said. â€Å"You don't know my father.† â€Å"No, but I think I know someone just like him.† I smiled. â€Å"You know, maybe I do need to go to a football game after all.† Trey simply smiled back, and class started. The day passed calmly, but Jill ran up to me as soon as I entered the locker room for PE. â€Å"I heard from Lia! She asked if I could come by tonight. She's had regular practices with the other models but thought I could use a special session of my own since I don't have any experience. Of course, the thing is, I†¦ you know, need a ride. Do you think†¦ I mean, could you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"It's what I'm here for.† â€Å"Thank you, Sydney!† She threw her arms around me, much to my astonishment. â€Å"I know you don't have any reason to help me after everything I've done, but – â€Å" â€Å"It's fine, it's fine,† I said, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder. I took a steadying breath. Think of it as Jill hugging me. Not as a vampire hugging me. â€Å"I'm glad to help.† â€Å"Would you two like to be alone?† sneered Laurel, striding in with her entourage. â€Å"I always knew there was something weird about your family.† Jill and I split apart, and she blushed, which only made them laugh more. â€Å"God, I hate them,† she said when they were out of earshot. â€Å"I really want to get them back.† â€Å"Patience,† I murmured. â€Å"They'll get what's coming to them someday.† Eyeing Laurel's locker, I thought that â€Å"someday† might come sooner rather than later. Jill shook her head in amazement. â€Å"I don't know how you can be so forgiving, Sydney. Everything just rolls right off of you.† I smiled, wondering what Jill would think if she knew the truth – that I wasn't quite as â€Å"forgiving† as I appeared. And not just when it came to Laurel. If Jill wanted to think of me that way, so be it. Of course, my facade as a kindly, turn-the-other-cheek person was shattered when Laurel's shriek's filled the locker room at the end of class an hour later. It was almost a repeat of the ice incident. Laurel came tearing out of the shower, wrapped in a towel. She ran to the mirror in horror, holding her hair up to it. â€Å"What's wrong?† asked one of her friends. â€Å"Can't you see it?† cried Laurel. â€Å"There's something wrong†¦ it doesn't feel right. It's oil†¦ or I don't know!† She took out a blow dryer and dried a section while the rest of us watched with interest. After a few minutes, the long strands were dry, but it was hard to tell. It really was like her hair was coated in oil or grease, like she hadn't washed it in weeks. That normally gleaming, bouncy hair now hung in lank, ugly coils. The color was also off a little. The bright, flaming red now had a sickly yellow hue. â€Å"It smells weird too,† she exclaimed. â€Å"Wash it again,† suggested another friend. Laurel did that, but it wasn't going to help. Even when she figured out that her shampoo was causing the problem, the stuff I'd made wasn't going to come out of her hair easily. Water would continue fueling the reaction, and it was going to take many, many scrubbings before she fixed the problem. Jill gave me astonished look. â€Å"Sydney?† she whispered, a million questions in my name. â€Å"Patience,† I assured her. â€Å"This is just the first act.† That evening, I drove Jill down to Lia DiStefano's boutique. Eddie went with us, of course. Lia was only a few years older than me and nearly a foot shorter. Despite her tiny size, there was something big and forceful about her personality as she confronted us. The shop was filled with elegant gowns and dresses, though she herself was dressed ultra-casual, in ripped jeans and an oversized peasant blouse. She flipped on the closed sign on her door and then confronted us with hands on her hips. â€Å"So, Jillian Melrose,† she began. â€Å"We have less than two weeks to turn you into a model.† Her eyes fell on me. â€Å"And you're going to help.† â€Å"Me?† I exclaimed. â€Å"I'm just the ride.† â€Å"Not if you want your sister to shine in my show.† She stared back up at Jill, the difference in their heights almost comical. â€Å"You have to eat, drink, and breathe modeling if you're going to pull this off. And you have to do it all – in these.† With a flourish, Lia grabbed a nearby shoe box and produced a pair of glittery purple shoes with heels that had to be at least five inches high. Jill and I stared. â€Å"Isn't she tall enough already?† I asked at last. Lia snorted and thrust the shoes at Jill. â€Å"These aren't for the show. But once you master these, you'll be ready for anything.† Jill took them gingerly, holding them up to study them. The heels reminded me of the silver stakes Eddie and Rose used to kill Strigoi. If Jill really wanted to be prepared for any situation, she could just keep these around. Self-conscious of our scrutiny, she finally kicked off her brown flats and fastened the many elaborate straps of the purple shoes. Once they were on, she slowly straightened up – and nearly fell over. I hastily jumped to catch her. Lia nodded in approval. â€Å"See? This is what I was talking about. Sisterly teamwork. It's up to you to make sure she doesn't fall and break her neck before my show.† Jill shot me a look of panic that I suspect was reflected on my own face. I started to suggest that Eddie be Jill's spotter, but he had discreetly moved off to the side of the shop to watch and seemed to have escaped Lia's notice. Apparently, his protective services had limits. While Jill simply attempted not to topple over, I helped Lia clear space in the store's center. Lia then spent the next hour or so demonstrating how to properly walk for fashion, with emphasis on posture and stride in order to display clothing to its best effect. Most of those fine details were lost on Jill, though, who struggled to simply walk across the room without falling. Grace and beauty weren't concerns as much as staying upright. Nonetheless, when I glanced over at Eddie, he was watching Jill with a rapt look on his face, as though every step she were taking was pure magic. Catching my eye, he immediately resumed his wary, protective guardian face. I did my best to offer Jill words of encouragement – and yes, stop her from falling and breaking her neck. Halfway through the session, we heard a knock at the glass door. Lia started to scowl and then recognized the face on the other side of the door. She brightened and went to unlock it. â€Å"Mr. Donahue,† she said, letting Lee in. â€Å"Come to see how your starlet's doing?† Lee smiled, his gray eyes instantly seeking out Jill. Jill met his gaze, grinning just as widely. Lee hadn't been around at the last feeding, and although they talked constantly on the phone and IM, I knew she had been pining to see him. A glance at Eddie's face showed me he wasn't nearly as delighted by Lee's presence. â€Å"I already know how she's doing,† said Lee. â€Å"She's perfect.† Lia snorted. â€Å"I wouldn't go that far.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, inspiration striking me. â€Å"Lee, do you want to be in charge of keeping Jill from breaking her neck? I need to run an errand.† Unsurprisingly, Lee was more than willing, and I knew I didn't need to fear for her safety with Eddie on watch. I left them, hurrying two streets over to Nevermore. Ever since I'd heard Slade and his friends confirm the tattooists were in business again, I'd wanted to pay an in-person trip. Not a covert one, though. My stolen goods had already yielded their evidence. Except for the clear liquid, I had identified all the other substances in the vials. All the metallics were exact matches for Alchemist compounds, meaning these people either had an Alchemist connection or were stealing. Either way, my case got stronger and stronger. I just hoped it'd be enough to redeem me and keep Zoe out of here, particularly since the clock was ticking on her arrival. We were almost a week away from when my father had said she'd be replacing me. My plan was to see how willing Nevermore was to give me a tattoo. I wanted to know what warnings (if any) they gave out and how easy it was in the first place. Adrian's conversation hadn't yielded much info, but probably his on-fire-biker-skelet-on-with-a-parrot tattoo request hadn't done much to help his credibility. I was armed with cash today, which I hoped would get me somewhere. As it was, I never needed to flash any. As soon as I walked in, the guy behind the counter – the same one Adrian had spoken to – looked relieved. â€Å"Thank God,† he said. â€Å"Please tell me you have more. These kids are driving me crazy. When we got into this†¦ I had no idea it was gonna get this big. The money's good, but Christ. It's crazy to keep up with.† I kept my confusion off of my face, wondering what in the world he was talking about. He was acting as though I was in on his scheme here, which made no sense. But then his eyes flashed to my cheek, and suddenly, I understood. My lily tattoo. It was uncovered, since school was over. And I knew then, with absolute certainty, that whomever he was working with to get his supplies was also an Alchemist. He'd assumed my tattoo made me an ally. â€Å"I don't have anything with me,† I said. His face fell. â€Å"But the demand – â€Å" â€Å"You lost the other batch,† I said haughtily. â€Å"You let it get stolen right out from underneath you. Do you know how much trouble we go to in order to get that?† â€Å"I already explained that to your friend!† he exclaimed. â€Å"He said he understood. He said he'd taken care of the problem and that we didn't have to worry anymore.† There was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. â€Å"Yeah, well, he doesn't speak for all of us, and we're not sure we want to continue. You were compromised.† â€Å"We're careful,† he argued. â€Å"That theft wasn't our fault! Now, come on. You have to help us. Didn't he tell you? There's a huge demand for tomorrow because those private school kids have a game. If we can deliver, we'll make double the money.† I gave him my best icy smile. â€Å"We'll discuss it among ourselves and get back to you.† With that, I turned around and began to leave. â€Å"Wait,† he called. I spared him a haughty glance. â€Å"Can you make that person stop calling?† â€Å"What person?† I asked, wondering if he meant some persistent Amberwood student. â€Å"The one with the weird voice who keeps asking if any tall, pale people are showing up around here. Ones that look like vampires. I figured it was someone you knew.† Tall, pale people? I didn't like the sound of that but kept my face blank. â€Å"Sorry. Don't know what you're talking about. Must have been a prank.† I left, making a mental note to investigate that further. If someone was inquiring about people who looked like vampires, that was a problem. It wasn't, however, the immediate problem. My mind raced as I processed what else the tattooist had told me. There was an Alchemist supplying Nevermore. In some ways, that shouldn't be a surprise. How else were they going to get ahold of vampire blood and all the metals necessary for their tattoos? And apparently, this rogue Alchemist had â€Å"taken care of the problem† that led to the theft of their supplies. When had my father called saying I was being pulled because of Keith's reports? Right after I'd broken into Nevermore. I knew who the rogue Alchemist was. And I knew that I had been â€Å"the problem.† Keith had taken care of me, making moves to get me out of Palm Springs and bring in someone new and inexperienced who wouldn't interfere with his illicit tattoo operation. It was why he'd wanted Zoe in the first place. I was aghast. I didn't have a great opinion of Keith Darnell, not by any means. But never, never had I thought he'd stoop to this level. He was an immoral person, but he'd still been raised with the same principles I had about humans and vampires. For him to abandon those beliefs and expose innocents to the dire side effects of vampire blood for his own material gain†¦ well, it was more than a betrayal of the Alchemists. It was a betrayal of the whole human race. My hand was on my cell phone, ready to call Stanton. That's all it would take. One call with the kind of news I had, and Alchemists would swoop in on Palm Springs – and on Keith. But what if there was no hard evidence to connect Keith? It was possible another Alchemist might go in and play the same game I had, getting the tattooist to think that they were part of Keith's team. Keith was the one I wanted to bust, however. I wanted to ensure that there was no way he could slip out of this. I made my decision, and rather than the Alchemists, I called Adrian. When I arrived back at Lia's shop, I found the training session winding down. Lia was giving Jill some last-minute instructions while Eddie and Lee lingered nearby. Eddie took one look at my face and instantly knew something was wrong. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"Nothing,† I said blandly. â€Å"Just a problem I'm going to fix soon. Lee, would you mind taking Jill and Eddie back to the school? I have a couple errands I need to run.† Eddie frowned. â€Å"Are you okay? Do you need someone to protect you?† â€Å"I'll have someone.† I reconsidered, seeing as I was about to meet up with Adrian. â€Å"Well, kind of. Anyway, I'm not in trouble. Your job's to keep an eye on Jill, remember? Thanks, Lee,† I added, seeing him nod. A thought suddenly struck me. â€Å"Wait†¦ I thought this was one of the days you had a night class. Are we keeping you†¦ or†¦ well, what days do you have class?† I hadn't thought much about it, only noticing that some days Lee was around and other days he was in Los Angeles. But in looking back, there was no real pattern. I saw realization light Eddie's face as well. â€Å"That's true,† he said, eyeing Lee suspiciously. â€Å"What kind of schedule are you on?† Lee opened his mouth, and I sensed a ready story coming. Then he stopped and cast an anxious look at Jill, who was still talking to Lia. His face fell. â€Å"Please don't tell her,† he whispered. â€Å"Tell her what?† I asked, keeping my voice low as well. â€Å"I'm not in college. I mean – I was. But not this semester. I wanted some time off but†¦ didn't want to disappoint my dad. So, I told him I was just going part-time, which is why I was around more.† â€Å"What do you do in LA during all that time, then?† asked Eddie. That was an excellent question, I realized. â€Å"I still have friends there, and I need to keep my cover.† Lee sighed. â€Å"It's stupid, I know. Please – let me be the one to tell her. I wanted so badly to impress her and to prove myself to her. She's wonderful. She just caught me at a bad time.† Eddie and I exchanged glances. â€Å"I won't tell,† I said. â€Å"But you really should let her know. I mean, I guess there's no harm done†¦ but you shouldn't have that kind of lie between you.† Lee looked miserable. â€Å"I know. Thank you.† When he stepped aside, Eddie shook his head at me. â€Å"I don't like him lying. Not at all.† â€Å"Lee trying to save face is the least weird thing going on here,† I said. I found out then that Jill could walk from one side of the store to the other and back without falling over. It wasn't pretty, but it was a start. She was still a long ways from looking anything like the runway models I saw on TV, but considering she hadn't been able to stand in the shoes at first, I supposed she'd made considerable progress. She started to take off the heels, but Lia stopped her. â€Å"No. I told you. You have to wear these shoes all the time. Practice, practice, practice. Wear them home. Wear them everywhere.† She turned to me. â€Å"And you – â€Å" â€Å"I know. Make sure she doesn't break her neck,† I said. â€Å"She's not going to be able to wear those all the time, though. Our school has a dress code.† â€Å"What if they were in a different color?† asked Lia. â€Å"I don't think it's just the color,† Jill said apologetically. â€Å"I think it's the stiletto part. But I promise to wear them outside of class and practice in our room.† That was good enough for Lia, and after a few more words of advice, she sent us on our way. We promised to practice and come back in two days. I told Jill I'd meet up with her later, but I don't know if she heard. She was so caught up in the idea of Lee driving her home that pretty much everything else went past her. I drove over to Clarence's and was met at the door by Adrian. â€Å"Wow,† I said, impressed at his initiative. â€Å"I didn't expect you to be ready so quickly.† â€Å"I'm not,† he said. â€Å"I need you to see something right now.† I frowned. â€Å"Okay.† Adrian led me deeper into the house, beyond where I normally went, which made me nervous. â€Å"Are you sure this can't wait? This thing we've got to do is kind of urgent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So is this. How did Clarence seem the last time you saw him?† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"But health-wise?† I thought about it. â€Å"Well, I know he's been tired. But usually he seemed okay.† â€Å"Yeah, well, he's not ‘okay' now. It's gone beyond just tired. He's weak, dizzy, and confined to his bed.† We reached a closed wooden door, and Adrian stopped. â€Å"Do you know what caused it?† I asked, alarmed. I'd been worried about the complications of a sick Moroi but hadn't expected to deal with it so soon. â€Å"I have a pretty good idea,† said Adrian, with surprising fierceness. â€Å"Your boy Keith.† â€Å"Stop saying stuff like that. He's not ‘my boy,'† I exclaimed. â€Å"He's ruining my life!† Adrian opened the door, revealing a large, ornate canopied bed. Walking into a Moroi bedroom wasn't something I was comfortable with, but Adrian's commanding look was too powerful. I followed him in and gasped when I saw Clarence lying on the bed. â€Å"Not just yours,† said Adrian, pointing at the old man. Clarence's eyes fluttered at the sound of our voices and then closed again as he shifted into sleep. It wasn't his eyes that held my attention, though. It was the pale, sickly pallor of his skin – that, and the bloody wound on Clarence's neck. It was small, made with just one prick, like it had come from a surgical instrument. Adrian looked at me expectantly. â€Å"Well, Sage? Do you have any idea why Keith would be draining Clarence's blood?† I swallowed, scarcely able to believe what I was seeing. Here was the last piece. I knew that Keith had been supplying the tattooists, and now I knew where Keith was getting his â€Å"supplies.† â€Å"Yes,† I said at last, my voice small. â€Å"I have a very good idea.†

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Leadership Profile on Oprah Winfrey Research Paper

Leadership Profile on Oprah Winfrey - Research Paper Example    As an experienced person in human resource, human resource development is a key role that leaders in the human resource are required to partake. Looking at how Oprah manages to be the transformational leader, the idea is to ensure that there is the development of crucial skills as required in the department and to inspire hope, as well as motivation from within, and towards the success of any organization for which I get to work. Throughout her shows, Oprah is known to bring about transformation through touching stories and her own story is frequently featured in the show to inspire viewers. The above is one of the main aspects that have seen her become a renowned leader even on TV, where she applies novel ways to come up with means of changing lives by using her show and TV in general as a platform to air controversial issues (Jennerz 41). It is on her show that she brought warring families to make peace with one another and even sought closure for them in regard to the source of their misery. Her communication skills are exceptional on many levels as seen in how she manages to bring eloquence and even contain herself in spite of tear-jerking testimonies. This also brings up her ability to bring out the stories that different characters may have gone through in that she is not afraid to tackle the issues head-on. Contextually, her ethos, pathos, and logos in communication depict a confident character worthy of emulation by anyone is the human resource. By being a notable figure in media and mass communication, and having vested interests in offering assistance to mankind, she commands respect as she has a reputation to preserve (Lussier and Christopher 352). Besides this, she does support her concepts or any form of communication that she makes through factual representation, either by having experts present or through statistical records. In her entire career as a media personality, communication has played a key role in her transformational leadership a ccomplishments in that it is thanks to her skills that she has gained critical acclaim. A look at this indicates that she has co-authored books, and it is her character that has sparked interest in these books among the public. It is also her communication skills that have seen her ranked as an influential figure to the extent of being philanthropic to support her image, as well as seek the intervention of other leaders in worthy causes such as her case this year in Zurich, where she condemned racism (Hall). Thanks to Oprah’s character and skills, it is noteworthy that eloquence and vested interest in the needs of people is one of the top requirements if at all one seeks to be successful, communication is a crucial skill.  Ã‚  

Personal and Professional Footprint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal and Professional Footprint - Essay Example In fact, according to the results, we would require at least 4.2 planets if all people in the world were living my lifestyle. I was shocked by this because I have always regarded my life as modest and not too demanding in terms of natural resources. Of the four carbon footprint tests that I toot, two of them indicated that my carbon footprint is above national average. For instance, my housing footprint was 31.31 while the national average is only 28.36. My goods and services footprint is 67.78 compared to the national average of 62.06. I not only find these statistics as relevant but I also find them shocking and this means that I need to review my lifestyle. The industry has a number of processes and equipment that are associated with carbon footprint. This is caused by the number and type of machines, materials and processes that professionals in this industry have to use in order to be able to do their work. For instance, biologists have to use a number of chemicals for the various experiments they carry out. These chemicals have a number of negative impacts on the environment either directly or indirectly (Matthew, 2012). For instance, the chemical are removed from their natural places of existence and this has a negative impact on the environment. At the same time, the residues from these chemicals after they have been used in the laboratories also have a negative impact on the environment if the disposal is not done the right way. The other issue is the machinery that is used in the industry. This machinery consumes a lot of electricity and this definitely has an impact on the environment especially when the power source is not a renewable source. Electronic microscopes and other such machinery can consume a lot of power every year thus expanding the carbon footprint on the planet. At the same time, the manufacturing of these machinery and other laboratory equipment raging from the simple items as