“Harrison Bergeron” Versus “2081” Essay

There are many similarities between Kurt Vonnegut’s short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† and Chandler Tuttle’s short film adaptation â€Å"2081†. Obviously the same basic idea and theme are prevalent throughout both the stories. They are both set in the future where everyone is made equal by being forced to wear handicaps where they might show strength. Both of the stories involve the same characters in the same settings under mostly the same circumstances. The short film adaptation may vary a little bit in some of the details but for the most part both of the stories are exactly the same. In the beginning of â€Å"2081† the narration of the story is exactly the same as the beginning of Harrison Bergeron. Chandler Tuttle took it word for word straight from the short story. There are many differences between â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† and â€Å"2081† but they are mostly small details and do not change the story much. The first difference that I noticed when I watched â€Å"2081† was that instead of wearing bags filled with lead balls around their necks, the characters wore futuristic computer devices with a flashing display on them. The next subtle detail that I noticed was when George, one of the main characters, heard a loud noise coming through his earpiece in the beginning, it was Hazel who had suggested that it had sounded like a milk bottle being stuck by a ball peen hammer instead of George. One of the bigger differences between the two stories is the conversation between George and Hazel in the beginning of the story. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† when Hazel suggests to George that he rest his handicap weights on the pillows for a while, George responds by saying that he doesn’t mind them because he has worn them f or so long that he’s become accustomed to them. He then proceeds to explain to Hazel that if he tried to get away with it then other people would try to get away with it as well, and that would lead to everyone being against each other again and eventually to the dark ages. Hazel resounds that she would hate it if that were the case. However in the short film â€Å"2081† when Hazel suggests that George rest his weights for a while, George responds only implying that he himself would not be equal to Hazel to which she responds she would hate that. Also in the short story Harrison is arrested at age fourteen and escapes at age fourteen but in the short film the story takes place six  years after Harrison was arrested. The final main difference between â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† and â€Å"2081† is the â€Å"bomb†. In the short film adaptation when Harrison escapes from jail and bursts into the ballet he claims that he has a bomb stored under the theater and the detonator in hand. When the H-G men cut off the broadcast to the incident, Harrison presses the detonator button, revealing to the audience that the bomb was in fact a device that sent out the television broadcast once again. In the short story there is never any mention of any such device. There are many differences and many similarities between the short story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† and the short film â€Å"2081†. However, throughout both stories the same theme remains prevalent throughout the entire stories conveying to the audience the same message, showing the beauty and necessity of diversity.

About Myself Essay

My academic career was not at all a bed of roses and as I am about to remind all the history of it then I am feeling very much nostalgic. The first hurdle which I can remember was appeared when I was in standard 1. At that time my mother had faced a severe accident. She was in bed for a whole year. At that time I was a kid and I was completely dependent on her so I was in severe distress. I had to study with the help of my father but he was also unable to give much time for me as the other responsibilities were on him completely.Then he decided to send me to a tutor’s house for my study. But what I should tell about that lady!!! She never used to give any time to me to complete my homework moreover her daughter used to give all her own homework to me to do. Every day in school I used get punishment for not doing the homework but as they also were aware about my home’s condition so they never used to give me any hard punishment. Gradually after a year my mom recovered an d I got back my good marks in all subjects.From then I have decided to become a tutor and decided to be polite and lovable and ideal for my every student. From the beginning of my career I was very much ambitious. I have done my schooling from Holy Child Girls’ High School till my 10th Grade and after that I have done my +2 studies from Patha Bhavan, Kolkata. Throughout my school life I was a very good student according to my teachers. After finishing my school I have done Physics Honours from Calcutta University. And finally I did my Master of Computer Application from West Bengal University of Technology.Finally before 4 years from now I have started my career as a software developer and also before that I have started my career as an online Mathematics Tutor. Right now I am enjoying both my career very much and also right now I am the head of my department of software developer and also I have achieved 4 awards for my performance as a Best Online Mathematics Tutor througho ut a particular academic year. I know it is just a start of my ambition and I have long way to go. Right now as I am trying to become an Online Mathematics Tutor for Tutor.com so my very next ambition is to become the best tutor in this company by maintaining my good work so that I can get appreciation from my students and from my company end also, because appreciation always give some boast up to do some better work. Also as a head of the software developers my next ambition in that field is to become the manager of the team. I always used to set short term ambitions and after achieving one I used to set the next because this will lead to the proper satisfaction and happiness.

Migrations: 1700-1900 Essay

Many things changed and also remained constant during the time period between 1700-1900. These changes were the long-distance migration patterns, diversity of the new immigrants, and indentured servitude becoming the main way work was conducted. Although there was a lot of change, there were however things that stayed consistent such as who migrated and their motivation for migrating. Such migrations occurred from eastern regions like Europe, Asia, and Africa, and they would migrate to western regions such as the Americas. The Slave Trade Act of 1807, and the Slave Abolition Act of 1833 put forth by the British outlawed slavery in British territory, and both heavily encouraged other European countries to stop using slavery as their main work force. Due to this indentured servitude increased in popularity. Since the colonies no longer needed African slaves to conduct their work, African populations began to decline. This helped shift towards the use of indentured servants. This new opportunity attracted a large diversity of immigrants. Many new people came to the Americas looking for a new opportunity especially from Asia. So many Asian laborers came to the US that the US had to put forth acts to keep them out. The Chinese Exclusion Act is an example, and it prohibited the immigration of  Chinese laborers into the US. Many other things also attracted immigrants to the Americas. Some would migrate to the United States due to the â€Å"American Dream† and the ability to start a new life in which anything would be possible. Some would be forced to migrate due to factors in their homeland. One such example would be the Irish potato famine which started in 1845. Many Irish emigrated to places like North America after this occurred. Also in 1848 the California Gold Rush began. This would spark a migration within the United States to expand outward from the east coast across the nation. Since essentially people from everywhere in the world at this was migrating, it put forth new long-distance migration patterns. With all of the changes in migration at the time, many things did stay the same. The majority of people migrating still came from Europe. During the Potato Famine, approximately 1,000,000 Irish emigrated to the Americas alone; many others emigrated to places like England and Australia. Also people still migrated for the same basic reasons; they either were attracted to something in a foreign land, or were detracted from something in their native land. Indentured servitude was also used before this time. This form of work just had a meteoric rise in popularity and usage during this time period which makes it so significant. There was also still the migration of Africans during this time period; however, it was not nearly as large of a migration as the previous migrations that were for slaves. Due to the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, slavery was abolished in ten states that were still in rebellion during the American Civil War. This  attracted many new Africans to the United States because of the new freedoms and the new opportunities that were now also available to Africans of the time. This also increased foreign opinion on the United States which increased migrations to North American countries such as the United States. Not all immigration occurred in the US though. Brazil continued to receive a large amount of emigrants as well. Europe, and especially Portugal underwent a demographic crisis due to the increased emigration to places like the U.S. and Brazil. People went to Brazil for the same reasons they immigrated to anywhere else too. The main reason was that Brazil still had a lot of new land to offer. The result of all of the migration was that 1850 was the start of what is known as the â€Å"Age of Mass Migration.†

Prompt 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Prompt 1 - Essay Example It used to be that when I did not know the meaning of a particular word I would go to a dictionary and read the definition. The dictionary also included other forms of the word, something about its origin, pronunciation and how it is used in a sentence. However, on the Internet when I look up a word I can look everything connected to it. I can even narrowly define that word and just follow those threads which pertain to that narrow definition. I can look up the history of the word and learn all about those who have used it in public documents, the history of those people and the world in which they lived, and the results of their use of the word. For example, looking up the word "liberty" in Google results in 84,300,000 results. The results on the first page are considered to be the most relevant by this search engine. It lists some places, some images related to the word, a Wikipedia article on the word, some places of business local to the searchers area and links to related searches, one of which is the Statue of Liberty. If I follow the link to the Statue of Liberty there are that thousands more places to go related to the Statue of Liberty. This may seem superficial and certainly if this was all anyone did with this that would be the result. However, this is not where it stops for most people. Socializing on the Internet is also a place for sharing what one finds. This can lead to a number of people conducting more searches and then sharing again. The sharing of information often prompts people to look for more, but this does not limit one to â€Å"superficial† information. The pastor of one Christian church in Hong Kong searches the Internet before writing her sermon for the week, so that she can get a number of different perspectives on her chosen Bible passage or Gospel. She then reflects upon what she has found and prays for wisdom. When she sits down to

A Streetcar Named Desire Themes Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

A Streetcar Named Desire Themes Play - Essay Example In fact, she has a feeling that their god background characterized by education, lavish life and foreign language acquisition contrast that of Stanley. He is uneducated, dirty, and she considers his companionship with her only sister inappropriate and unfortunate. Additionally, the desire for companionship by Blanche stems from solitude and excruciating thoughts of being the alone range in a hostile world (Page 417). In her quest to enhance her personal attraction and safety, she desperately finds herself seeking protection from the arms of strangers. Her struggle to seek companionship and love that she fondly misses after the tragic death of her husband, Blanche exposes herself to the world of men who would take advantage of her circumstances for self-gratification. Notably, in New Orleans, she finds her brother-in-law Stanley, who is cruel. According to her, there is no cure for harshness and the predatory nature of Stanley (Page 418). With this reality, she is determined to take Stella with her a means of getting a companionship and securing her from the husband that is ruthless and inhumane. Surprisingly, Stella appears happy and satisfied in her marriage, despite the conflicting background between her and the husband, she finds the compan ionship the best cure to life challenges irrespective of the circumstances. In addition, the director of the play demystifies the theme of loneliness using a susceptible woman, Blanche, who gets attracted to anyone she perceives to share similar or closer background. In addition, the director of the play portrays Blanche's companionship desires as the driving force that would see her leave the town to seek what she desires most-companionship. Desire is closely related to solitude, as life reality dawns, Blanche desires towards inner personal conflict and an outward desire for companionship. Loneliness causes her great pains and tribulation that tortures her soul through constantly reminding her of the death.  

The influence of great opinionated powers on international law Essay

The influence of great opinionated powers on international law - Essay Example Precisely, it has the capability to mould the jurisdiction according to its desire and enforce it to prevent any operation globally that it cannot stop without any legal procedure. Basic function of international law is to bring peace and calm around the glob. In the primitive ages when the world was not much civilized, there used to be constant wars usually for land acquisition, to strengthen an empire or an urge to conquer a vast area in order to leave a distinctive mark on the fabric of history. In those days it was easier to manage the municipal criminological affairs as compared to today's world, because the states had powers to handle the local problems. But unlike today, there lacked a system to manage peace among nations or states because the reason could be an intense sense of self esteem and great height of confidence on armies. Hence, the rulers preferred to ruin the weaker states and hold them under their empire. In this way they used to kill the peace and bust the basic human rights. As the time passed and with the development of human intellect, church began to mediate the international disputes. Particularly in the era when nations had a fashion to self govern themselves, church was the supreme power to handle international and to some extent local problems. This practice was also undertaken in ancient civilizations such as Greeks and Egyptian civilizations. Modern international law is often affirmed as a product of modern European civilization as well as Egyptian Pharaohs entered into treaties of alliance, peace extraditions, and the treatment of envoys with neighboring kings as early as the 14th century. But they could not make an adjustment with European law by all means. As a result the purpose of peace remained disputed. As Becker (2006, p.149) says, "International law is the product of special civilization of the Europe and forms a highly artificial system of which principles were not understood by civilizations differently civilized" Concept Of Sovereignty Further consolidations brought the international law to a phase where the idea of sovereignty came into existence. It was considered that peace was the major ingredient for the survival and progress. So in 15th century a new trend evolved, and that was, representatives of all the nations were gathered under one roof and every issue was resolved on the basis of treaties and debates rather than wars or by the use of powers. So in other words the trend of domestic law was reshaped into a broad spectrum or in modern sense international law. In the 14th and 15th centuries there was a modification that rather than self governing the states used to send their representative that reflects the problems of state in front of the sovereign authority and then a common treaty was passed in consent with all the representatives. Their motive used to be to avoid war and bring more peace. During 14th and 15th centuries the practice of establishing resident missions started in Italy. By this time the practice of arguing in front of adversary's council or assembly had apparently become obsolete. The envoy was expected to be in constant touch with receiving sovereign and to join or oppose intrigues in order to safeguard the interests of his master. Murty (1989, p4) demonstrates, "during the following two

Children's Rights and Participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Children's Rights and Participation - Essay Example The rights which are based on this include a question of how many rights children should have and whether this is applicable within society. While there are questions of children’s rights, others are also questioning the social structure of given areas which currently protects children who don’t have the rights. The dichotomy of children’s rights then becomes the main question between those who are looking at the place of children in society and the flexibility which should be included with the rights of children. This paper will explore the association between children’s rights within society as well as how this is related to the amount of children’s rights that should be distributed. The focus of protection and security, as well as the association with the development of children both has to be considered in regards to the needs of children in school, society and in the household. While equal participation can provide children with a stronger voic e for security, there is also the need to change this according to the specific levels of development among children. Sociology of Childhood The sociology of children is one which is known as a unique phenomena in society. Children are divided into a sub – group within society, specifically because of biological differences and age. ... From this perspective, the sociological components are based only on the understanding and definitions of society, as opposed to the capabilities and rights which children should have as citizens within society (Archard, 2004: 25). This creates the main difference between children and their rights, which shows a level of injustice over children and the abilities that they don’t have in terms of acting as responsible citizens within society because of social labels. The concept of childhood is one which has altered through sociological associations throughout time. Historical records note that the ideal of childhood has changed in different cultures and in various time frames. The idea of childhood is then implied throughout time and distinguishes rights based on the social needs of a given time frame. When a child is developed in a specific way, such as through education or work, then it becomes a reflection on what is needed within society as well as how this relates to the s pecific conditions of a given region. The idea of childhood then becomes related to a social construction which is based on age, gender, biological differences and the amount of knowledge which an individual has about the world. The social makeup of a child and the demographic differences then remain the only division in society, some which changes the roles which children play within society (Archard, 2004: 25). The differences associated with children and the social role which is taken is further implied with the expected participation in which children have within society. It is known that there are multidimensional participation processes that construct the role of a child in society and the expectations that are associated with this. The

Does the way in which accounting represents the world facilitate the Essay - 1

Does the way in which accounting represents the world facilitate the control of organizations - Essay Example They way in which accounting represents the world does not always facilitate the control of organizations. Representation versus control Not every nation has adopted the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) delivered in 2001 by the IASB. Because of this, there are independent and corporate investors that have identified opportunistic tax havens across the world. The ability to utilize foreign business accounting practices as a means to shelter resources continues to cause problems with how other businesses internationally perform their strategic management functions. For instance, Singapore has amended its tax laws as it had not, until 2009, adopted global accounting standards (google.com, 2009). Previously, businesses operating in Singapore maintained the ability to act as corporate and private investor tax havens as financial reporting from businesses in this country were able to manipulate data in a methodology that would be considered illegal in countries using the IFRS. Cost accounting not measured against IFRS, internally, eliminated the need for external auditing consultants, provided opportunity for less fiscal transparency, and allowed for strategic policy formation where allocation of costs was not standardized. What this speaks to is a lack of corporate governance in countries that are not yet fully standardized in the accounting function. Especially in terms of fiscal transparency and auditing practices, the businesses required less control and managers or executives with access to costs had the ability to shuffle currency or provide tax havens for investors with clever allocation of resources. â€Å"Culture is often considered to be one of the most powerful environmental factors affecting the accounting system of a country† (Tsui & Windsor, 2001, p.144). These authors consider accounting to be a â€Å"socio-technical† activity that involves human-based resources and financial resources in a way that is inseparable (Tsui & Windsor, p.145). In collectivist cultures, there is a mentality related to tradition and group affiliation where values are consistent with securing the needs of the group. These values are common in countries like Singapore and India. Thus, there is a resistance to change regarding adoption of international accounting standards that change the scope and policy formation related to resource utilization and fiscal transparency to the rest of the world. â€Å"Differences in accounting practices are manifestations of nationally different cultural systems† (Askary, Pounder & Yazdifar, 2008, p.145). Thus, businesses operating in one collectivist nation might have more focus on expansion whilst an individualistic country such as the United Kingdom might have more focus on developing more cost control by building a culture of lean production philosophy. In this situation, the method of accounting would differ, as would most assuredly those management systems in place in terms of c ontrol. In the individualistic culture that has adopted international standards, the implementation of new technologies to facilitate cost control and inventory control might be organisation-wide, such as new enterprise resource

Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests - Essay Example The essay "Andy Warhol and His Screen Tests" investigates Screen Tests directed by Andy Warhol. Warhol's screen tests capture a variety of items created through different media including painting, hand drawing, printmaking, silk screening, films, photographs and sculpture. Part of his screen tests was computer-generated especially towards his death, following the integration of computer into the American film and media production. Regardless, Warhol’s works have been the focus of several retrospective exhibitions, publications, documentaries and feature films. This paper examines the connection between Andy Warhol’s screenshots and the pop culture between 1960s and 1980s. The important connections between Warhol’s screenshots and the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s pop life experiences have led to their resurfacing in the current century, perhaps more than they appeared in the second-half of the 20th century when they were created. In the 1970, for instance, the artist pu lled out 472 shots that he had captured between 1964 and 1966 alongside his footages of various art works from public galleries. However, between 1995 and 2007, different galleries have had their hands on these important artistic items and released them to the public for viewing for the first time in many decades as a celebration of the massive contributions Warhol made in the American visual art industry. Part of the Warhol’s earliest screenshots from films such as Kiss, Eat, and Sleep and Empire captured in the early 1960s.

Hobsons Choice Essay Example for Free

Hobsons Choice Essay Maggie is the eldest of Hobsons three daughters. Of the three she is the most intelligent and most valuable to Hobson. She has a very hardened appearance and almost mothers the other three, Hobson, Vicky and Alice. In the beginning of the book, she works in Hobsons shoe shop along with her two sisters. She is a great sales woman and because of this, she is very valuable to Hobson, Hobson himself says Maggies to useful to part with. Brighouse has written Maggie into the play to be very forcefully and dominant. She does not let a customer go out of the shop without making a purchase. This happened when Albert Prosser came into see Alice, his girlfriend. Maggie turned to him and exclaimed This is a shop, you know. Were not here to let people go out without buying. These qualities make Maggie a very successful businessperson. It is these qualities that make Maggie so important to her father, Hobson. If Maggie were to leave then the business would cease and Hobson would be in a very big mess. I think Maggie struggles when it comes to love and marriage, which inevitably creates problems for her. I do not think she knows how to express her feelings properly without hurting others feelings. She does not think courting should be carried out before marriage. Maggie states Courtings like that my lass. All glitter and no use to anybody. I think this is why Will Mossop is so surprised when Maggie asks him to marry her. They had not courted at all before Maggies proposal. I think Brighouse has made Maggies character seem even stranger by this as it was very unusual for a proposal to come from a woman in those days. I think she has this problem because she is so dominant and strong. In the shop she is so used to getting her way first time round that she expects it to happen every time. Will Mossop does eventually agree to marry her but only after some persuasion. Maggies knows her father inside out. She knows that Hobson drinks a lot of alcohol. The book starts with a conversation between Maggie, Alice and Vicky. Vicky asks Maggie if Hobson has had breakfast yet and Maggie replies Breakfast! With a Masons meeting last night? Every time Hobson goes out, he is always late back and has always had too much to drink. This irritates Maggie as he is always late for dinner and results in her nagging her farther. Maggie can be rude in the way she teats people. Just before she proposes to Will, she says its a pity youre a natural fool at all else. She also treats her sisters in a horrid way. Its as if she is jealous of something they have that she does not. I think Brighouse wants the audience to see Maggie as a strong minded, dominant character and portrays her as such by making her an important lead in the story. She is the centre hub upon which all the other characters depend to interact in the story. She is a key character who plays a very large role in the first act.

Effect of Estrogen on Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts

Effect of Estrogen on Osteoclasts and Osteoblasts Osteoporosis is a disease that afflicts many people, especially women. This disease is very debilitating and is characterized by excessive bone loss which results in severe fractures. There are two types of osteoporosis: Type I and Type II. Type I is the more severe type and is prevalent in post-menopausal women. There have been numerous hypothesis and studies as to the cause of osteoporosis and its relation to menopause (Riggs, 2002). The findings suggest that estrogen plays a major role. Estrogen receptors have been identified in bone and are involved in the production and maintenance of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts (Eriksen, 1988; Girasole, 1992). Osteoclasts function in bone resorption, and osteoblasts function in synthesizing new bone, hence these two cell types have opposite effects on bone (Saladin, 2010). Studies have shown that a decrease in estrogen levels in post-menopausal women is the primary cause of this reduction in bone density (Girasole 1992; Menolagas, 2002). Estrogen is a steroid hormone that has many different functions. It is primarily involved in sexual differentiation and maturation, but also has some less obvious effects including thermoregulation and the maintenance of bone mineral deposition. Estrogen is a lipophilic hormone and therefore is capable of diffusing through the cell membrane and binding its two intracellular receptors, ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² There are three female sex hormones: estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and estriol (E3), however, estrogen is the common name used to refer to all three, though estradiol is the main form of estrogen (Carlsten, 2005). Estrogen is mainly synthesized in the ovaries, though its synthesis is not limited to the ovaries. Some peripheral tissues, such as adipose tissue, are capable of producing estrogen by way of steroid precursors (Nelson, 2001; Simpson 1981). Synthesis of estrogen involves many different precursors the first of which is cholesterol. Cholesterol is converted in the ovarian follicle to pregnenolone which can be converted to 17ÃŽ ±-hydroxypregnenolone. 17 ÃŽ ±-hydroxypregnenolone is then converted to dehydroepiandrosterone which is converted to androstenedione which undergoes a conversion to the androgen, testosterone. Aromatase then converts testosterone to esradiol (E2). Estradiol is then secreted from the follicle and can either act on its target tissue or undergo another conversion to estrone (E1) and estriol (E3) which takes place in the liver. Estrogen has two main receptors ( ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ²) that mediate its primary effects. These receptors belong to the nuclear receptor family and are transcription factors that are regulated by ligands (Carleson, 2005). Estrogen receptors require numerous coregulatory proteins that have cell-specific expressions. These cell specific expressions delineate some of the specific actions of estrogen in its various target tissues (Heldring, 2007).The two estrogen receptors maintain some highly conserved regions such as their DNA binding domains; both ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² bind the same DNA response elements. Other domains are not at all conserved, such as the amino-terminal which exhibits significant variability in sequence as well as in length. The ligand-binding domain is located at the C-terminal and is a multifunctional domain. Both the N-terminal and the C-terminal contain activation functions, AF-1 and Af-2, respectively. These activation functions, work to activate transcription by recru iting coregulatory proteins to the DNA-binding domain. Though ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² are fairly homologous, they are actually derived from separate genes which are located on separate chromosomes. ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² also give very different splice variants (Heldring, 2007). ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ² regularaly act as antagonists of each other when expressed in the same cells; hence, estrogen signaling functions as a balance between these two contradictory receptors (Carleson, 2005). It appears as if ERÃŽ ² works to inhibit the effect of ERÃŽ ± by not only altering the recruitment of transcription factors essential for of ERÃŽ ±-dependent transcription, but also by increasing the degredation of ERÃŽ ± by way of ERÃŽ ²2, a splice variant of ERÃŽ ² (Heldring, 2007). Estrogen receptors have been found in many non-reproductive tissues including bone. This fact lends credence to the theory of estrogens involvement in the maintenance of bone. Estrogen Signaling There are a few distinct pathways that are involved in estrogen signaling. Three of these signaling pathways are ligand-dependent, the fourth is ligand-independent. The first ligand-dependent pathway is the classical or direct pathway (Fig. 1a.) in which the ligand (usually estradiol) binds the receptor and this ligand receptor complex then dimerizes with another ligand-receptor complex in order to bind estrogen response elements in the promoters of target genes (Carleston, 2005). The second ligand-dependent pathway is referred to as the tethered pathway (Fig. 1b.). The tethered pathway involves protein-protein interactions with transcription factors. These interactions occur after the receptor has been activated by the ligand. Hence, the receptor activates transcription by an indirect DNA binding mechanism (Carleston, 2005). The non-genomic pathway (Fig 1c.) is also ligand-dependent but is not as well understood as the previous two. It is known that the receptor is activated by the ligand, which then initiates a signaling cascade resulting in the activation of second messenger systems (Heldring, 2007). Studies have shown that the activation of these second messenger systems display some common effects including an increase in the production of cAMP levels as well as the activation of the MAPK pathway (Lim, 2006). This activation of second messenger systems ultimately leads to a rapid physiological response without involving gene regulation (Heldring, 2007). The fourth signaling pathway is ligand-independent (Fig.1d.) and involves activation by way of other signaling pathways such as that of Growth Hormone which ultimately leads to the activation of gene regulation. This activation of gene regulation occurs due to the activation of protein kinases that work to phosphorylate the estrogen receptor. This phosphorylation causes receptor dimerization which allows the receptors to then bind the DNA and activate gene transcription (Carleson, 2005; Heldring, 2007). a.) The direct ligand dependent pathway in which the ligand directly binds the receptor which dimerizes and binds the DNA promoter region. b.) The tethered pathway is indirect and involves protein interactions with transcription factors that allow for the binding of the transcription factor to the promoter region c.) The non-genomic pathway involvs activation by the ligand which then can cause a signal transduction pathway resulting in activation of second-messenger systems. d.) The ligand-independent pathwayin which activation occurs by other signalling pathways (i.e. GH) and eventually leads to activation of gene transcription. Source: Heldring, Pike, Andersson et al. Estrogen Receptors: How do they signal and What are Their Targets. Physiol. Rev. 87: 905-931. 2007. Estrogen and Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a disease that is characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density and hence an increase in the frequency of bone fractures (Though osteoporosis is often associated with post-menopausal women, the disease is not necessarily limited by gender. Osteoporosis was separated into two classes in 1983 by Riggs and Melton. The two types of osteoporosis (Type I and Type II) differ in regions of bone mineral density, patterns of fracture, causal mechanisms and hormonal changes. Type I osteoporosis is the more severe form of osteoporosis, however, type II is more common especially in the elderly (70+) (Riggs, 2003). Type I Osteoporosis is prevalent in post-menopausal women. It usually arises within 20 years after menopause and is associated with excessive cancellous bone loss. Fractures occur at sites that are rich in cancellous bone. Type I osteoporosis is associated with an increase in osteoclast function and a decrease in osteoblast function. This is thought to be due to a decrease in the levels of estrogen present in post-menopausal women (Girasole, 1992; Ribot, 1997). Osteoporosis has been found to occur in men also; primarily elderly men. The underlying explanation for osteoporosis is that the sex steroids play a role in the remodeling process of bones. Hence, when ovarian function ceases due to menopause in women, estrogen levels decrease and bone remodeling is therefore disrupted in a deleterious fashion. Osteoporosis in men is associated with a loss of androgens which is generally due to either castration or aging (Manolagas, 2002). Type II osteoporosis is prevalent in both men and women and can occur at any age, though it is more often associated with the elderly (above age 70). Type II osteoporosis is characterized by the loss of trabecular bone. It is generally due to aging effects such as hyperparathyroidism and impaired bone formation, and also a decrease in vitamin D and PTH levels. There is some speculation as to whether or not Type II osteoporosis may also be due to late effects of decreased estrogen levels (Riggs, 2003). Evidence for estrogens involvement in osteoporosis and its actions on maintaining bone mass can be seen in the study conducted by Riggs et al. which involved 36 women with vertebral fractures due to type I osteoporosis. These women all displayed a high bone turnover rate. The women with type I osteoporosis were compared with 36 normal women (women who did not exhibit Type I osteoporosis) after they were given small amounts of the sex steroids: estradiol, estrone, and testosterone. Blood and urine samples were continuously taken (about every 24 hours) and analyzed to reveal that the levels of the sex steroids were equally apparent in both groups of women. However, the amount of all bone biochemical markers (involved in bone turnover) appeared higher in the osteoporotic women. Though the experiment did not detect a difference in the sex steroid concentrations between the two groups of women, post-experimental power calculations were done to show that there are differences between the t wo groups when ÃŽ ± = .05 and 1-ÃŽ ² = 0.8. The differences for serum estrone, estradiol and testosterone were as follows: 6.3%, 9.9%, and 4.4%, respectively. Some of the women with osteoporosis then underwent another study in which they were split into two groups. One group of osteoporotic women received one-years worth of treatment with transdermal estrogen while the other group of osteoporotic women received a years worth of treatment with a placebo. The women who underwent estrogen treatment displayed a remarkably larger decrease in bone turnover markers than the women treated with the placebo (Riggs, 2002). Osteoclasts, Osteoblasts and the Estrogen Connection Osteoclasts are cells involved in maintaing bone homeostasis and are located on the bone surface in the anterior portion where they work to digest old bone (Manolagas, 2002). Osteoclasts are derived from macrophages, and are very large multinuclear cells formed from the fusion of multiple stem cells (Saladin, 2010). Osteoclasts function in digesting bone; hence they are involved in bone resorption. Bone resorption is a process that releases calcium back into the circulatory system by digesting bone tissue (Saladin, 2010). The function of osteoclasts is essential to the broader process of bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are also involved in maintaining bone homeostasis and are active in the process of bone remodeling. Osteoblasts are located in the posterior portion of the bone surface and work to produce new bone in the areas that underwent excavation by osteoclasts (Manolagas, 2002). Osteoblasts are derived from mesenchymal stem cells (Zallone, 2006). The mesenchymal stem cells give rise to osteogenic cells which give rise to most other bone cell types including osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are immature bone cells that are located beneath the endosteum and periosteum of the bone. Osteoblasts synthesize the components of the bone matrix. The matrix undergoes mineral deposition which causes it to harden, and hence the osteoblasts become trapped within the matrix. When osteoblasts mature, they become osteocytes which function in maintaining bone (Saladin, 2010). Osteoblasts function in making new bone. They deposit calcium salts into the bone matrix in order to make hydroxyapate which is the calcium reserve in bone. Osteoblasts fill in the cavities that were excavated by osteoclasts with new bone. Osteoblasts may be stimulated by various signals and hormones such as calcitonin and estrogen which both function in decreasing blood calcium levels and maintaining calcium levels in bone (Saladin, 2010). Estrogen receptors (ERÃŽ ± and ERÃŽ ²) as well as androgen receptors (AR) have been identified in both osteoblasts and osteoclasts and their parental cells. The presence of these receptors indicates that estrogen has a direct effect in mediating the process of bone remodeling (Eriksen, 1988; Girasole, 1992; Manolagas, 2002). Estrogen and androgens also have an indirect effect on the process of bone remodeling via the cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6) which is an important factor in the process osteoclastogenesis in bone marrow stromal cells (Carleston, 2005; Manolagas, 2002). The Study conducted by Girasole et al. has shown that estrogen has an inhibitory effect on IL-6, which results in a decrease in the production of osteoclasts. This decrease in osteoclastogenesis ultimately causes a decrease in bone resorption (Girasole, 1992). Estrogen and androgens inhibit the production of IL-6 in vitro by inhibiting Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor-necrosis factor (TNF)-ÃŽ ±. IL-1 and TNF-ÃŽ ± are involved in the synthesis of IL-6 (Ribot, 1997). Some studies suggest that estrogen has more of an effect on TNF-mediated production of IL-6, than on IL-1 mediated production (Girasole et al. 1992). The expression of the IL-6 receptor subunits, gp130 and IL-6-RÃŽ ±, are also suppressed in bone marrow stromal cells and in osteoblast progenitor cells (Manolagas, 2002). Studies done in mice have shown that when the IL-6 gene is knocked out or neutralized (via antibodies) the upregulation of colony-forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) (which osteoclasts are derived from) in bone marrow is prevented. Hence, there is not an increase in osteoclast production. The results showed that the antigen caused the estradiol-induced inhibition of bone resorption to itself be inhibited (Ribot, 1997). A decrease in estrogen (as well as androgens) also has an effect on osteoblasts. One mechanism by which osteoblasts are regulated by estrogen can be observed in bipotential stromal cells; these cells express the estrogen receptors. The bipotential stromal cells are parents to both adipocytes and osteoblasts. A study conducted by Okazaki et al. in mouse bone marrow stromal cell lines, found that estrogen works to mediate the differentiation of the parental bipolar stromal cells towards the production of osteoblasts (Okazaki, 2002). Post-menopausal women who exhibit bone loss have been observed to have an increased amount of lipid concentration in their bone marrow. Hence, a decrease in estrogen would cause an increase in adipogenesis and a decrease in osteoblastogenesis (Okazaki, 2002). This decrease in osteoblastogenesis would result in a decrease in bone formation. Estrogen Replacement Therapy A study that was conducted on post-menopausal Chinese women by Sun et al. was also useful in determining the effects of estrogen treatment for osteoporosis. These women all ranged from 41-58 years of age and had undergone menopause for more than a year. The women were split into 4 different groups. Each group received different levels of 17ÃŽ ²-estradiol (E2) gel along with a form of progesterone, either micronized progesterone (MP) or medroxyprogesterone (MPA). The progesterone was added along with the estrogen in order to prevent endometrial hyperplasia which may occur as a result of estrogen replacement therapy. The dosages differed in both progesterone type and concentration as well as in estrogen concentration. The exact dosages for each group were as follows: group 1 received 1.5 mg E2 and 100 mg MP, group 2 received 1.5 mg E2 and 2 mg MPA, group 3 received 0.75 mg E2 and 100 mg MP, and group 4 received 0.75 mg of E2 and 2 mg MPA. These dosages were administered once a day, 25 days a month for at least a year (some of the subjects were studied for two or three years). Blood and urine samples were taken from these women and monitored for bone mineral density (BMD). The results showed that after about a year of this treatment, the average increase in BMD in cancellous bone of the 4 groups ranged from 4.6%6.4%. After 36 months an increase in the BMD of the bones in the neck and the lumbar vertebrae were observed; the averages ranged from 4.3%-7.5% and 4.2%-6.2%, respectively. This study also found that the BMD in the hip (an area that is prone to fractures), had significantly higher levels than the baseline levels. The main purpose of the study was to determine an appropriate dosage of estrogen and progestin for post-menopausal Chinese women; the results of the study indicated that either 0.75 mg or 1.5 mg of E2 daily is sufficient for prevention of bone loss in Chinese women. The study suggests that hormone replacement therapy has a significant effect on bo ne, especially during the first two years of treatment (Sun, 2002). The knowledge of estrogens actions on bone and the inhibitory effect it has on osteoclastogenesis, has led to the utilization of estrogen as a treatment for osteoporosis. Estrogens ability to maintain bone mass in post-menopausal women has made estrogen replacement therapy a valuable form of treatment. This treatment utilizes the protective properties of estrogen on bone and functions in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) in post-menopausal women (Sun, 2002). Estrogens positive effects on bone are amplified during the treatment; hence, estrogen induces stimulation of osteoblastogenesis and inhibits osteoclastogenesis via IL-6 (Girasole, 1992; Okazaki, 2002). The type of estrogen administered (other than estriol) seems to have no difference in effectiveness; hence, synthetic estrogen, 17ÃŽ ²-estridiol, and equine estrogen all have equal effects on the maintenance of bone mass and all work to decrease the amount of bone turnover (Ribot, 1997). The method by which estrogen is adminis tered (i.e. transdermally, percutaneously, etc.) also does not appear to make a difference in its effectiveness. The dosages of estrogen as well as the duration of the treatment seem to be the only variables involved in determining the effectiveness of estrogen replacement therapy (Ribot., 1997). In order for estrogen replacement therapy to have a long term effect, estrogen must be administered for about 5-7 years (Cauley 1995; Ribot, 1997). Estrogen replacement therapy is also most effective if it is initiated early after menopause. A study conducted by Cauley et al. found that women who started estrogen treatment within 5 years of menopause and/or underwent treatment for 10 years or more, had the most effective and long-lasting results (Cauley 1995). Though Estrogen Replacement Therapy is a promising and effective mechanism for treatment of osteoporosis, it is associated with some serious physiological risks. Long-term usage of estrogen has been known to cause endometrial cancers. However, when estrogen is administered in conjunction with progestins, the risk of endometrial hyperplasia is significantly reduced. (Ribot, 1997; Sun, 2002). Many studies have been conducted to determine whether or not there is a relationship between estrogen and breast cancer. Some studies suggest that there is a correlation between the risk of breast cancer and use of estrogen (Lim, 2006). Other studies suggest that there is no correlation (Ribot, 1997). Though estrogen replacement therapy is associated with a few serious risks, it also has other positive physiological effects on other areas of the body, not just bone. For example, estrogen is thought to have a preventive effect on Alzheimers disease and also on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in post-m enopausal women (Ribot, 1997; Tang, 1996). The onset of type I osteoporosis is generally characterized by a loss of ovarian function which therefore results in a loss of estrogen in postmenopausal women. (Manolagas 2002). Estrogen can be used as a treatment for osteoporosis due to the presence of estrogen receptors in osteoclasts, osteoblasts and their precursors, as well as in bone marrow stromal cells (Zallone, 2006). The positive actions of estrogen on bone are mainly due to the suppressive actions of estrogen on bone resorption by osteoclasts (Okazaki, 2002). When Estrogen levels are decreased, the normal regeneration process, which involves bone resorption followed by an appropriate amount of bone formation, is disturbed (Zallone, 2006). Various in vitro studies have been conducted that demonstrate that the presence of estrogen (as well as androgens) increases the action of factors that work to inhibit the process of osteoclastogenesis (Bellido, 1995). The decrease in the production of osteoclasts due to estrogen would t herefore cause a decrease in the process of bone resorption (Okazaki 2002). Estrogen also has an effect on the production and differentiation of osteoblastic cells. However, it has the opposite effect on osteoblasts and thereby stimulates their production by shifting the mechanism of bipolar stromal cells towards the production of osteoblastic cells rather than that of adipocytes (Okazaki, 2006). Hence, estrogen works to decrease bone resorption and increase bone formation, thereby creating a protective effect on bone which can be utilized to treat such debilitating diseases as osteoporosis.

Wallace Stegners Wilderness Letter Essay -- Nature Conservation Essay

In Wallace Stegner’s â€Å"Wilderness Letter,† he is arguing that the countries wilderness and forests need to be saved. For a person to become whole, Stegner argues that the mere idea of the wild and the forests are to thank. The wilderness needs to be saved for the sake of the idea. He insinuates that anyone in America can just think of Old faithful, Mt. Rainier, or any other spectacular landform, even if they have not visited there, and brought to a calm. These thoughts he argues are what makes us as people whole. The wilderness can be used to measure against the man made world, a â€Å"scientific yardstick.† Throughout the entire piece he is arguing that the importance is not what we can actually see or touch, but what we think of and how we think of the wild. This letter is being written to inform them of what would be missing without the wilderness. Those who think fondly of the Grand Canyon or the Everglades and have never been there are merely working from the idea, but those who have been there know what it has to offer and therefore receive the calming and sobering state of mind Stegner refers to. He believes that the wilderness has helped form us and that if we allow industrialization to push through the people of our nation will have lost part of themselves; they will have lost the part of themselves that was formed by the wilderness â€Å"idea.† Once the forests are destroyed they will have nothing to look back at or to remind them of where they came from or what was, and he argues everyone need to preserve all of what we have now. In Stegner’s perception, humans are the only wild species left. Humans are the only ones who have survived genetically unchanged. They are the ones who create the technological advan... ...rt of life as it once was and the acres of land to run on are few and far between, but losing that hasn’t made people bitter. Humans make themselves bitter when they fill their days and the days of their children with activity after activity and don’t stop and take time for each other. The entire letter was written on the premise that nature should be saved for the sake of the thought, not for what it could tactilely do for people. If you are going to have a clear-cut, concise idea about what nature is, enough of one for it to be a sobering idea, you would have to be out there in it at some point. You may have a thought but you don’t know and therefore it isn’t what is holding you together as a whole. The letter has some genuine concerns for the wildlife and forests and the wilderness itself, but it is just that, a letter voicing Wallace Stegner’s concerns.

Support of the Arts :: essays papers

Support of the Arts Researchers DiMaggio and Pettit (1999), report that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has had trouble keeping support from the U.S. Congress. The House of Representatives has voted against the NEA, however, the Senate was still in favor of supporting it. The NEA has also been given a lot of trouble from Christian conservatives and Republicans who are highly against the NEA and working hard to end their federal support. Attitudes Toward the Arts DiMaggio and Pettit (1999) conducted a study by getting numerous people to complete different surveys, all having to do with support for the arts. The results were reported as fairly positive overall for attitudes toward art. There is a general agreement that the arts are beneficial and public funding for them is supported. However, there are significant differences between the opinions of people from differing backgrounds. Women are more supportive than men, younger people are more supportive than elder, African Americans are more supportive than whites, and people with more education or higher incomes are also more supportive than the less educated/lower income portion of the population (DiMaggio & Pettit, 1999). Overall, the researchers feel that examination conducted through surveys is very useful and necessary. From their survey results, they concluded that the arts have a respectable amount of support. James MacKenzie (1998) wrote a paper arguing that the arts are necessary for the full development of an individual and also to maintain culture. While some do feel that the arts are unnecessary, others still feel very strongly that without the arts, we as a society are basically committing ourselves to cultural suicide. The supporters of this theory believe that â€Å"the Arts are inherent to the existence of every soul† (MacKenzie, 1998). The fact that so many people believe this makes a strong argument for the support of the arts and fine arts education. That would clearly be beneficial to anyone in the field of art, whether teaching or creating. The article on DiMaggio and Pettit’s review (1999) and MacKenzie’s paper (1998), along with others included in this paper, contain findings that could be useful to argue that the arts are well supported and highly thought of. Therefore, the arts should be included in school curriculums and for after school clubs/activities. Attitudes Toward the Support of Art Education In his book, Schwartz (2000) argues that â€Å"art should be subsidized because it brings important educational benefits† (p.

Nature vs. Nurture and the Developing Theory of Nature via Nurture Essa

Outline Thesis: At the moment, there is no definitive answer to the question of nature vs. nurture, there is, however, compelling evidence that the theory of Nature via. Nurture could be the solution. I. Introduction A. Nature versus Nurture II. Nature vs. Nurture A. Nature: Genetic Factors 1. Nature Defined 2. Genes Defined 3. Human Genome Project B. Nurture: Environmental Factors 1. Nurture Defined 2. Biological and Social Environment C. Behavioral Genetics III. Twins A. Twins Defined B. Types of Twins 1. Identical Twins 2. Fraternal Twins C. Twin Studies 1. Definition and Validity 2. The Skeptics of Twin Studies and Their Concerns 3. Minnesota Twin Study of Twins Reared Apart 4. Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) 5. Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development (NEAD) D. Twin Stories 1. Jim Twins 2. Beth and Amy 3. Harold and Bernard Shapiro 4. Judith and Julie Swain 5. Charlie and Bill Duke IV. Nature via Nurture V. Heritability A. Definition B. Personality C. Intelligence D. Toxic Environment E. Disease and Mental Illness VI. Political and Social Ramifications A. Biological Determinism VII. Conclusion An Introduction to Nature vs. Nurture and the Developing Theory of Nature via Nurture Are we exclusively the creation of nature or the reflection of nurture? The first attempt to study nature and nurture was published by Sir Francis Galton in 1865. (Plomin, 2004) Galton wanted to know how to measure intelligence, what the components were and the degree to which it was inherited. (Santrock, 2004) He would be the first of many researchers to question the role of heredity. The first twin and adoption studies were published in 1924 by Sophie Van Senden Theis. (Plomin, ... ...nce on life events during the last half of the life span. Psychology and Aging. 5(1), 25-30. Plomin, R., Reiss, D.R., Hetherington, E.M., Howe, G.W. (1994) Nature and nurture: genetic contributions to measures of the family environment. Developmental Psychology. 30(1), 32-43. Ridley, M. (2003). What makes you who you are. Time. 161(22), 54-60. Santrock, J.W. (2004). Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Segal, N. L. (1999). Entwined lives: Twins and what they tell us about human behavior. New York: Dutton Segal, N. L. (1999). New twin studies show: The career of your dreams may be the career of your genes. Psychology Today, 32(5), 54-8. Wright, L. (1997). Twins and what they tell us about who we are. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Wyatt, J. W. (1993). Identical Twins, Emergenesis, and Environments. American Psychologist. 1294-1295. Nature vs. Nurture and the Developing Theory of Nature via Nurture Essa Outline Thesis: At the moment, there is no definitive answer to the question of nature vs. nurture, there is, however, compelling evidence that the theory of Nature via. Nurture could be the solution. I. Introduction A. Nature versus Nurture II. Nature vs. Nurture A. Nature: Genetic Factors 1. Nature Defined 2. Genes Defined 3. Human Genome Project B. Nurture: Environmental Factors 1. Nurture Defined 2. Biological and Social Environment C. Behavioral Genetics III. Twins A. Twins Defined B. Types of Twins 1. Identical Twins 2. Fraternal Twins C. Twin Studies 1. Definition and Validity 2. The Skeptics of Twin Studies and Their Concerns 3. Minnesota Twin Study of Twins Reared Apart 4. Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) 5. Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development (NEAD) D. Twin Stories 1. Jim Twins 2. Beth and Amy 3. Harold and Bernard Shapiro 4. Judith and Julie Swain 5. Charlie and Bill Duke IV. Nature via Nurture V. Heritability A. Definition B. Personality C. Intelligence D. Toxic Environment E. Disease and Mental Illness VI. Political and Social Ramifications A. Biological Determinism VII. Conclusion An Introduction to Nature vs. Nurture and the Developing Theory of Nature via Nurture Are we exclusively the creation of nature or the reflection of nurture? The first attempt to study nature and nurture was published by Sir Francis Galton in 1865. (Plomin, 2004) Galton wanted to know how to measure intelligence, what the components were and the degree to which it was inherited. (Santrock, 2004) He would be the first of many researchers to question the role of heredity. The first twin and adoption studies were published in 1924 by Sophie Van Senden Theis. (Plomin, ... ...nce on life events during the last half of the life span. Psychology and Aging. 5(1), 25-30. Plomin, R., Reiss, D.R., Hetherington, E.M., Howe, G.W. (1994) Nature and nurture: genetic contributions to measures of the family environment. Developmental Psychology. 30(1), 32-43. Ridley, M. (2003). What makes you who you are. Time. 161(22), 54-60. Santrock, J.W. (2004). Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. Segal, N. L. (1999). Entwined lives: Twins and what they tell us about human behavior. New York: Dutton Segal, N. L. (1999). New twin studies show: The career of your dreams may be the career of your genes. Psychology Today, 32(5), 54-8. Wright, L. (1997). Twins and what they tell us about who we are. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Wyatt, J. W. (1993). Identical Twins, Emergenesis, and Environments. American Psychologist. 1294-1295.

English- Standard

What does this cartoon suggest about belonging? The Image shown suggests that the talking cartoon character feels he needs to Isolate himself from the world until It Is a happy place gall that he wishes to live In. It is as if he only wishes to belong to places in which he believes are positive. II. What features of this cartoon suggest this message? The main reasons that suggest this is the text shown from the cartoon character and his body language.The cartoons speech is very negative toward belonging not Just to place but also to self. The characters body language suggests to the readers that the image is of an unhappy and negative tone. Another feature that suggests this is the shading of the building this shows us a feeling of isolation which is created by the character In the way he Is locking himself away from society and the world. Question Two: Poem l. What reflections does the poem offer on returning to the place where on grew up? Support your answer with detail from the po em.Wealth the poem there are feelings of different tones. These being negative and positive to returning to Darwin. It seems hat the author does not want to return when he say such quotes as â€Å"dragging my body behind†, this give a sense of disappointment as he uses an unwilling tone to describe what he is feeling when he arrives back in Darwin after twenty five years of leaving. The metaphor â€Å"landfill† is also used in describing his negative view, it has been said that throughout the poem that he cannot escape Darwin, it is as if he needs to belong to Darwin to survive. It fills the nose like a childhood dunked in scented tea†, Is another form of tone but in this cause takes on a positive perspective, his gives us a technique of emotive language. This technique gives the readers a better sense of what the character Is experiencing at the present time. It also shows experience past times. Question Three: Prose Extract l. How does the narrator evoke the ex perience of being at home in the landscape? In David Ireland's extract â€Å"The Chosen†, Ireland shows the way the beauty of natural sceneries can fill a girl with impressions of belonging through a keen eye of discoveries of the natural world.The extract begins by using a metaphor of â€Å"She began to love the silence†, this helps to indicate her somewhat as it seem previous fife with â€Å"silence†. The girl further begins to explore the sceneries, which leads her to finally understand nature where she experiences tranquility of the sceneries and begins to â€Å"love the silence† once again, It Is as If every step she takes excites her more and more about future discoveries. â€Å"She listened to see If she could hear the crops growing† is used to suggest her unfamiliarity of being in mother natures arms, she an discoveries.Question Four: Visual Text, Poem and Prose Extract l. In each of these texts, perceptions of belonging involve connections between people and places. Select and TWO of these texts and compare their portrayal of the connections between people and places. In the text â€Å"Darwin 1967-1992† and â€Å"The Chosen† perceptions of belonging are very much the same, both texts reveal a sense of wanting to belong to place but they also show a sense of not wanting to belong for particular reasons.In â€Å"Darwin 1967-1992†³ the main idea is to show that past experiences can connect you to a place you may not particularly want to be, in this case Darwin. It is as if the author cannot escape, as it is truly where his sense of belonging is. It is like Darwin is the only place he can be his true self. The Chosen† can be taken by an audience as wanting to belong or not wanting to belong much like â€Å"Darwin 1967-1992†. In â€Å"The Chosen† we can see she did not want to belong at first but soon grew to love the sceneries much like the author of â€Å"Darwin 1967-1992† loved Darwin as a place when he was younger.The girls opening sentence soon tells us that she wishes to connect and belong to place by the way she somewhat lets herself fall into mother natures arms. The girl seem to disconnect from the people as she says â€Å"She began to love the silence† showing that she doesn't want to hear anything form the world outside of the sceneries she is connecting herself to, Just like the author of â€Å"Darwin 1967-1993† is aiming to disconnect himself form all the experiences and people of Darwin.Essay: â€Å"Heat and Dust†- Ruth Brawler Cabala â€Å"Time and Tide†- Tim Winston Belonging is not Just defined by on specific definition but by many, this can be influenced from events people have endured in life or from views and perceptions told from others. Belonging means the feeling of acceptance, security and fulfillment, or the connection felt to people, places, communities and the world itself. These feeling can be iden tified through Ruth Brawler Cabala's novel â€Å"Heat and Dust† and Tim Window's 1997 feature article â€Å"Time and Tide†.Belonging to place is a very significant aspect to a persons feeling of being accepted and connected. In Cabala's â€Å"Heat and Dust† the narrator travels to India to reconstruct the story of Olivia and to find herself and where she belongs in Indian culture. Her first expectations of India are not what she envisioned at all she imagined India to be Just like or identical to the memoirs, prints and letters of Olive's she had received. The first view that is shown to backup the narrator's negative view of India is the loss of her watch.She uses empathic tone in the line â€Å"Not already' to suggest the expectation of things being taken. The narrator somewhat starts to forget about her first views of India and become diverted into the India culture, she does this by opening up her windows and door to let the heat and dust which brings her i nto the realization of what Indian culture is and what she wishes to do to make a connection to India and belong to India and its people.The narrator's sense of belonging to the people of India truly starts when she Joins and feels connected to the Ender La's family this is shown through the metaphor â€Å"Joined the Ender Ala line†. This use of this metaphor is to show the narrators deep and true feeling for the Ender Ala family and their culture. The narrator soon become intensely involved in Indian culture after she is introduced to how they live, eat, sleep and dress. She begins to live like the Indians by only sleeping in a small room with minimal furniture and resources. She also begins to eat traditional Indian food and wear the traditional Indian clothing.The narrator become so involved and in love with India as the days go on this can be seen in the line â€Å"l lie awake for hours: with happiness†, the use of the colon helps to add and emphasis positive tone of the narrator and show us that she is keeping with a positive state of mind. The narrator soon become pregnant to Ender Ala in a secret affair of which only they know of. The narrator makes the decision and tries an abortion to help keep her love affair secret to the Indian culture. The narrator allows Magi to proceed with the abortion until he is suddenly stopped by the narrator's rods of â€Å"l suddenly cried out, No please stop†.The narrator makes the individual choice of not to abort the baby this is seen in the line â€Å"It was absolutely clear to me now that I wanted my pregnancy'. When the narrator leaves Cabala uses evocative language such as † brilliant light† and â€Å"light steamed in† to describe the landscape that the narrator is entering after her procedure. The landscape somewhat seems to match the narrators feeling and thoughts, it is as if India is happy with her decision and accept. Notion of belonging can be questionable. The British in Cabala novel see India as Mathew of a remote outpost.They brought their own British culture with them. They lived in gated and isolated settlement which where within the Indian towns. With their culture they also brought their own fashion, foods, furnishing and religion. The British more or less didn't open themselves up to India because they where unsure and uncomfortable about the many unfamiliar sights of many things such as the weather, disease, colors, foods and insects. They did not come to see this as tourists they mention, but they come as rulers. Throughout the novel there are many ententes that give the readers a sense of the British not wanting to belong.For example they are completely opposite to the narrator who is willing to let herself open to India. They keep their windows and doors shut to make the heat and dust stay ways from them unlike the narrator who keep hers open because it helps her to connect to the Indian culture. They are also very different in the wa y that they don't try to live in the Indian culture like the narrator, they never try any of the Indian food, clothing or furnishings. People desire relationships to provide or create a sense of connection or belonging to place. Belonging to place is very important in Tim Window's article â€Å"Time and Tide†.Winston affiliate himself with the sea, the connection is so strong that he sees the sea as another home. The feeling of the sea being a home leads Winston to having a large feeling of idealization with the sea, this is very much seen when he refers to the sea as â€Å"The Big Blue†. Window's strong affiliation is also shown in the metaphor of â€Å"l grew up† this show a technique of symbolism as the sea somewhat shows a view of his growth as he grew up. Vivid imagery is also used to advocate how connecting the sea is to IM and how connected he is to the sea.Within the article we learn that Winston does not Just have a strong relationship to the sea but hi s family as well. Winston mentions many memories which he shares with his father but most important his mother. The relationship with his mother is most important through the piece as his mother soon realizes his connection to the sea and sees how it is somewhat of another nurturing mother to her son. His mother realizes him from Just her mothering and allows the sea to mother as well. The sea does not Just allow Winston to feel as if he belongs to lace but also allows him to show his sense of acceptance, and also his own sense of identity.In Ruth Brawler Cabala's â€Å"Heat and Dust† and Tim Window's â€Å"Time and Tide†, all character find themselves wanting to be involved in belonging to place or not belonging to place. Both sides are seen in â€Å"Heat and dust† where as only one is seen in â€Å"Time and Tide†. There choices much belong to their attitude and willingness to the culture or society. It is as if to truly feel a sense of belonging they ne ed to have a sense of a relationship with somebody or something from the place they are at the time.

Marketing Law and Ethics Essay

Being ethical as a marketer has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. The ‘negative’ advantages are obvious, all of which point to personal and business gain. However, to say that one must act unlawfully to be unethical would be false. The provided statement is completely factual and is particularly relevant to marketing and, more accurately, business, in the fact that â€Å"ethics are not, by definition, counterproductive to profit, but may be beneficial to profit.† Hypothetically, a marketer would need to accept the above statement as ‘bible’ in reference to the marketing mix, or rather simply, ‘the four P’s (price, product, promotion and placement). The simplistic fundamentals of marketing and business, the marketing mix is essential to the success of a business and their respective products, so it is appropriate that it also be applied to another quintessential factor of business in ethics. The first and arguably most important aspect of the marketing mix, price can pose quite a few ethical dilemmas and has done so in the past. One example of this is price collusion or price-fixing. This is where a product or service is set at an unreasonable price with knowledge that the consumer can’t afford not to purchase the product or service. One such instance of this occurred in America when leading toy chain Toys ‘R’ Us â€Å"violated federal trade laws by colluding with manufacturers to keep prices for Barbie, Mr. Potato Head and other popular toys artificially high.† While it was unlawful, it was also an unethical act as well as a form of extortion. The second factor of the marketing mix, product, is also subjected to ethical dilemmas. Planned product obsolescence is a prime example of an unethical act in relation to product. This is where there is a planned life-span of a good, producing a product so that it will wear out inside a period of time, most often beyond it’s warrantee. To say such an act is unethical is to question how much disclosure of information is truly enough. In my personal  opinion, it is a wrongful act and one that I consider unethical. On the other end of the spectrum, acting ethically and creating a reliable product would be just as beneficial to a company and it’s reputation, if not more so. Promotion can also be unethical. Attempts to persuade someone that a product is ‘needed’ by them when it quite obviously is not is wrong, especially when there are so many influential consumers in the market. Intrusive marketing is unethical as well. Alternately, promoting a product responsibly and ethically can be quite beneficial to a business, particularly when the â€Å"highest standard of moral conduct† has been reached, which makes a business appear conscious of unethical behaviour. One example of this is the Body Shop which is the benchmark in ethical business practices in Australia. Product placement is often quite deceptive. Some may consider the issue of placing products on certain ‘eye-levels’ on a shelf as well as promoting impulse buying via product placement as unethical. Such acts are generally taken for granted in today’s consumer-driven society and are not seen as a disadvantage to the consumer, though some people, particularly parents, may be more vulnerable to this unethical practice. If I were faced with an unethical dilemma in my workplace I would have to consider a variety of matters. Having done so, there is a set variety of steps that would need to be looked at taking before resolving the issue or issues. The external factors of price deception, product deception, fairness and honesty may come up as being ethical dilemmas. These issues would make consumers view my place of work in a negative way and would need to be dealt with quite thoroughly. The reputation of the workplace and that of myself amongst my peers, family and the industry would need to be taken into account when acting upon such issues. I would probably have to mention it to someone of a higher authority though and help them to decide whether it would be beneficial to act upon these matters. The external issues of bribery and, confidentiality, are two other matters  one may come across in the workplace. These are both very real and very sensitive matters that can destroy a company from the inside. I would consider taking the matter to the police if it were seriously affecting me personally or the company quite badly. I would also consider confronting the offender/s, though this is a very unlikely option. In all of the above cases, the options are quite clear though the steps that can be performed or should be vary. It depends on the situation as to whether one should keep the issues secretive and internal or the consumers should know about the company’s ethical wrong-doings. To ask this is to ask whether society would be better off if information is disclosed. On a personal level, one must consider his or her own reputation and financial and social well-being. It is a very complicated matter and one with no set procedure. The first issue I chose from the advertisements scrutinized by the Advertisement Standards Bureau was that of the Just Jeans advertisement. The ASB’s decision to uphold the complaint is one which I agree with in some respects. The violence and Health and Safety factors are quite disturbing and are justifiably held up. There is an aura of horror in the description of the advertisement which can be distressing to fragile people influenced negatively by that sort of thing. It is also quite dangerous and gratuitous. The complaint regarding portrayal of sex, sexuality and nudity is quite silly I believe. Though it might seem a bit risquà © to the untrained eye, society should have learned to gradually accept the aspect of ‘sex sells’ by now. Soap operas, billboards and even teenage reading publications use sex, nudity and sexuality to market their various products and services, it’s become a way of life and to argue against it would be to be taking on something much too dominant and widely accepted to be warranted. The Advertiser Code of Ethics is ridiculous in this sense, not taking into account the changes in our culture and the acceptance of sex, sexuality and nudity by the wider population. Having said that, I believe that industry self regulation is weak in this aspect. The wider social acceptance of the  level of gratuity an advertiser can use should be taken into account and as long as there are so few people setting so many rules, I doubt this will ever occur.

Jc Penny Essay

This is not the first time that this company has been faced with adversity. The first time was in the 1960’s when shopping went from downtown locations to more uptown locations in malls. The company transitioned to mall locations to cope with the change. This time the change did not come easy to the company. In fact this change has cost the company millions. This time JC Penney’s was faced with a challenge that they wanted to change. They wanted to transition the public’s perception of them. They no longer wanted to be viewed as an old fashioned department store. The company no longer wanted sales or clearance racks. They wanted to change the whole retail climate. They called it fair and square pricing (Baskin, 2013). This came off a lot like Wal-Mart’s always low prices campaign. This sounds like a great idea to me. However, it failed for many reasons. The main reason because it was confusing to consumers. While the other main reason being poor marketing. Many people sat in anticipation of this new campaign by JCPenney’s. There were just as many supporters in the beginning as well. When I heard of this I thought of an upscale Wal-Mart. Low prices I do not have to shop for sales anymore because these should be low prices every day. However, very shortly after this I found myself not shopping there at all. Consumers want a deal, and they do not feel that deal when they shop there anymore. It is the thrill of the hunt for consumers. Not only that but the sales ad and clearance racks used to change. They are no longer changing prices so there is no need to go daily, weekly, or even monthly. Customers may check there as a way to show case, but they are not buying. Without the sales and without the sale advertisements the company is not bringing in nearly the amount of people that were coming into the store to score the best deal. Next the advertisements they are sending out are worded poorly. They are no longer doing sales but they do mail out what they called month long value. Customers did not understand the wording of it. It was never broken down for them. Ideally they had sales, but they were not called the standard name. Therefore, customers missed out on them and they were not bringing in the clientele like a â€Å"sale† probably would have. They were not able to embrace JC Penney’s new tactic. Another problem with this campaign is that the average consumer does not know what the clothing costs. Therefore they think it should be or could be marked down. They have no idea if they were getting a good deal or not. Again the thrill of the hunt is gone, and still makes the customers confused. It was confusing to customers and that means there is a problem in marketing. When a place makes changes that could potentially be confusing marketing is the key. However, there advertisements were so irreverent that they made even less sense to begin with. They came up with a campaign after their numbers dropped called â€Å"do the math. † It was supposed to show how much easier it is to just get a low price in the beginning rather than use a coupon. This action failed for the company. The CEO Ron Johnson came out and reported later that â€Å"it was confusing† to some of their consumers (Baskin, 2013). It’s no wonder that they lost customers. They did not target other competitors about their prices just what the company was trying to do. Last but not least they attempted to open little stores inside their stores. It was a Martha Stewart collection like IKEA. Even that failed because Martha Stewart was not able to put her name on it, because she was still in litigation over her brand. So, it was still branded as JC Penney’s. Not that the name would have made much difference, but it was not thoroughly hought out within the company. Also, this is not a new tactic stores have been doing this for years. The renovation of the stores to add in this small store was costly. It has cost the company millions of dollars. It has depleted their cash, and has also caused their credit rating to drop (Baskin, 2013). This was a costly decision to make when sale s were already down. Here is the largest problem that they had they wanted become a high end store in a low end economy. If I were the CEO of JC Penney I would make quite a few changes. My first change would have been to go back to traditional wording for now. These are the words that customers are the most familiar with. I understand that some companies like to do all their changes at once because it is cheaper. However, when you are changing familiar terms it is wise to do it slowly. Or at least explain it as thoroughly as possible. Change is needed as a society, but no one likes change, because of this I feel that they should be done slowly and over a period of time. I would also have changed the price tags on their merchandise. In order to make someone feel like they are getting a deal I would change how they were priced. I would put a suggested retail price and then put â€Å"our† price on the label. This would appear to customers that they were getting a deal. Sales are because the prices are higher than what they need to be. The advertising is all about â€Å"trickery† to pull people in. In reality they were still doing sales but they were not called sales, and people did not buy into it. By changing the price tags on the items the customers are still getting the thrill of the buy. They can see what their item is going for at their competitor’s location, and impulse buy. This helps eliminate â€Å"showroom† shopping. Or leaving to check their prices somewhere else. If it is a matter of a few dollars they will not go back to purchase. However, if they can see the deal they will buy. Instead of focusing on expanding a business inside of an already expanding business I would have spent the money elsewhere. Imagine if they could have established new rules for buyers. Gone back to JC Penney’s original roots and prove their claims. It could have created new financing and lay-away policies that communicated value, and used social media to create meaningful communities of consumers who wanted to track and participate in conversations about prices. Employees could have been recruited and trained to offer a fundamentally new customer experience based on integrity. They could have changed the way Americans shop and feel they should stop. I would not have wasted money on an advertisement that was bewildering. I would have spent money marketing on calling competitors out on their prices. Sharing the news on how Penney’s was changing. How they were forward looking. Instead of making confusing ads with no sales just to avoid the word sale I wouldn’t have tried to stay away from it. Since they were still doing sales but not doing sales on certain items. Limiting the sales options were not the problem the problem was using unfamiliar wording. Measuring some of these techniques could be hard to do. Going back to traditional wording would be one way that is hard to track. However, I believe it would go hand in hand with how you would track the new price tags. That would be sales. With these new changes and advertisements I would think that sales would increase. I would not look at the actual accounting book but do a twelve month comparison on the sales on each individual store. This is time consuming and costly but I think it is the only way to see how each store is doing in comparison to how they were doing the previous month and year. During high sale times I would make sure I would have as much staff as possible on the floor to assist our customers. Maybe they do not need help but a casual conversation can lead into why they came into this department store and not the one across the way. Along with this I would like to institute team meetings once a week where department heads meet with their front line employees on all shifts. To find out their ideas and where they are hearing concerns are. Then I would have them write them up and do a teleconference with each store head to hear these ideas, questions, or concerns. I feel this is an open door policy. I would also include suggestion boxes not only in the store, but in the break room for employees so they could bring these up anonymously if they felt the need to. Also, I would work on getting the contact information to employees for everyone in charge. Change can happen and many great ideas come from the front line, because they see and do it every day. However, their voices are not often heard. To measure the effectiveness of advertising I would do a few things. I would add a survey at the end of their receipt to figure out what they thought about the advertisement. I would also add a quick questionnaire in the store that the customer could fill out. I would also make it known that there is a number they can call at any time with questions. I would make it so that they could be heard with questions and concerns. Before I launched a campaign I would have a test market so that we could see what people could recall from the add, as well as find out if there was any confusion on what may have been advertised. The sales would play a large part also in whether it was an effective campaign. A company that has been operating for 100 years is struggling. JC Penney ’s was once a fashion icon to children, young adults, and teens. Beginning in 1913 it currently operates over 1000 stores. Growing up my sister and I waited to go through their catalogue. However, in the last few years something has changed. The company didn’t look far enough ahead to the future to predict these changes. They tried to become a higher end boutique like store in an economy that could not support it. Poor marketing and too many changes has made this one booming store one of the top ten stores that are predicted to be out of business in the next year. Works Cited Baskin, J. (2013, January 2). Lessons From JC Penney’s Doomed Marketing Makeover. Retrieved May 12, 2013 , from Forbes: http://www. forbes. com/sites/jonathansalembaskin/2013/01/02/lessons-from-j-c-penneys-doomed-marketing-makeover/ Tuttle, B. (2012, June 19). More Troubles for JCPenney: Top Executive Departs Amid Sales Slump. Retrieved May 12, 2013, from Time Magazine: http://business. time. com/2012/06/19/more-troubles-for-jcpenney-top-executive-departs-amid-sales-slump/

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Eighteen

Three minutes,† Jack said, the moment he pulled the door shut. Because truly, he did not think he could last any longer than that. Not when she was dressed in her nightgown. It was an ugly thing, really, all rough and buttoned from chin to toe, but still, it was a nightgown. And she was Grace. â€Å"You will never believe what has happened,† she said. â€Å"Normally an excellent opening,† he acknowledged, â€Å"but after everything that has happened in the last two weeks, I find myself willing to believe almost anything.† He smiled and shrugged. Two pints of fine Irish ale had made him mellow. But then she told him the most amazing story. Thomas had given her a cottage and an income. Grace was now an independent woman. She was free of the dowager. Jack lit the lamp in his room, listening to her excitement. He felt a prickle of jealousy, though not because he did not think she should be receiving gifts from another man – the truth was, she'd more than earned anything the duke chose to portion off to her. Five years with the dowager – Good God, she ought to be given a title in her own right as penance for such as that. No one had done more for England. No, his jealousy was a far more basic stripe. He heard the joy in her voice, and once he'd banished the dark of the room, he saw the joy in her eyes. And quite simply, it just felt wrong that someone else had given her that. He wanted to do it. He wanted to light her eyes with exhilaration. He wanted to be the origin of her smile. â€Å"I will still have to go with you to County Cavan,† Grace was saying. â€Å"I can't stay here by myself, and I wouldn't want Amelia to be alone. This is all terribly difficult for her, you know.† She looked up at him, so he nodded in response. Truthfully, he hadn't been thinking very much of Amelia, selfish as that was. â€Å"I'm sure it will be awkward with the dowager,† Grace continued. â€Å"She was furious.† â€Å"I can imagine,† Jack murmured. â€Å"Oh, no.† Her eyes grew very wide. â€Å"This was extraordinary, even for her.† He pondered that. â€Å"I am not certain if I am sorry or relieved that I missed it.† â€Å"It was probably for the best that you were not present,† Grace replied, grimacing. â€Å"She was rather unkind.† He was about to say that it was difficult to imagine her any other way, but Grace suddenly brightened and said, â€Å"But do you know, I don't care!† She giggled then, the heady sound of someone who can't quite believe her good fortune. He smiled for her. It was infectious, her happiness. He did not intend that she should ever live apart from him, and he rather suspected that Thomas had not given her the cottage with the intention that she live there as Mrs. Jack Audley, but he understood her delight. For the first time in years, Grace had something of her own. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, but she could not quite hide her smile. â€Å"I should not be here. I didn't mean to wait up for you, but I was just so excited, and I wanted to tell you, because I knew you'd understand.† And as she stood there, her eyes shining up at him, his demons slipped away, one by one, until he was just a man, standing before the woman he loved. In this room, in this minute, it didn't matter that he was back in Ireland, that there were so many bloody reasons he should be running for the door and finding passage on the next ship to anywhere. In this room, in this minute, she was his everything. â€Å"Grace,† he said, and his hand rose to touch her cheek. She curled into it, and in that moment he knew he was lost. Whatever strength he'd thought he possessed, whatever will to do the right thing – It was gone. â€Å"Kiss me,† he whispered. Her eyes widened. â€Å"Kiss me.† She wanted to. He could see it in her eyes, feel it in the air around them. He leaned down, closer†¦but not enough so their lips touched. â€Å"Kiss me,† he said, one last time. She rose on her toes. She moved nothing else – her hands did not come up to caress him, she did not lean in, allowing her body to rest against his. She just rose on her toes until her lips brushed his. And then she backed away. â€Å"Jack?† she whispered. â€Å"I – † He almost said it. The words were right there, on his lips. I love you. But somehow he knew – he had no idea how, just that he did – if he said it then, if he gave voice to what he was certain she knew in her heart, it would scare her away. â€Å"Stay with me,† he whispered. He was through being noble. The current Duke of Wyndham could spend his life doing nothing but the right thing, but he could not be so unselfish. He kissed her hand. â€Å"I shouldn't,† she whispered. He kissed her other hand. â€Å"Oh, Jack.† He raised them both to his lips, holding them to his face, inhaling her scent. She looked at the door. â€Å"Stay with me,† he said again. And then he touched her chin, tipped her face gently up, and laid one soft kiss on her lips. â€Å"Stay.† He watched her face, saw the conflicted shadows in her eyes. Her lips trembled, and she turned away from him before she spoke. â€Å"If I – † Her voice was a whisper, shaky and unsure. â€Å"If I stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He touched her chin but did not guide her back to face him. He waited until she was ready, until she turned on her own. â€Å"If I stay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swallowed, and shut her eyes for a moment, as if summoning courage. â€Å"Can you†¦Is there a way you can make sure there is no baby?† For a moment he could not speak. Then he nodded, because yes, he could make sure there was no baby. He had spent his adult life making sure there would be no babies. But that had been with women he did not love, women he did not intend to adore and worship for the rest of their lives. This was Grace, and the idea of making a baby with her suddenly burned within him like a shining, magical dream. He could see them as a family, laughing, teasing. His own childhood had been like that – loud and boisterous, racing across fields with his cousins, fishing in streams and never catching a thing. Meals were never formal affairs; the icy gatherings at Belgrave had been as foreign to him as a Chinese banquet. He wanted all of that, and he wanted it with Grace. Only he hadn't realized just how much until this very moment. â€Å"Grace,† he said, holding her hands tightly. â€Å"It does not matter. I will marry you. I want to marry you.† She shook her head, the motion fast and jerky, almost frenzied. â€Å"No,† she said. â€Å"You can't. Not if you are the duke.† â€Å"I will.† And then, damn it all, he said it anyway. Some things were too big, too true, to keep inside. â€Å"I love you. I love you. I have never said that to another woman, and I never will. I love you, Grace Eversleigh, and I want to marry you.† She shut her eyes, looking almost pained. â€Å"Jack, you can't – â€Å" â€Å"I can. I do. I will.† â€Å"Jack – â€Å" â€Å"I am so tired of everyone telling me what I cannot do,† he burst out, letting go of her hands to stalk across the room. â€Å"Do you understand that I don't care? I don't care about the bloody dukedom and I certainly don't care about the dowager. I care about you, Grace. You.† â€Å"Jack,† she said again, â€Å"if you are the duke, you will be expected to marry a woman of high birth.† He swore under his breath. â€Å"You speak of yourself as if you were some dockside whore.† â€Å"No,† she said, trying to be patient, â€Å"I do not. I know exactly what I am. I am an impoverished young lady of impeccable but undistinguished birth. My father was a country gentleman, my mother the daughter of a country gentleman. We have no connections to the aristocracy. My mother was the second cousin to a baronet, but that is all.† He stared at her as if he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Or as if he'd heard but hadn't listened. No, Grace thought miserably. He'd listened but he hadn't heard. And sure enough, the first words from his mouth were: â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"But everyone else does,† she persisted. â€Å"And if you are the duke, there will be enough of an uproar as it is. The scandal will be amazing.† â€Å"I don't care.† â€Å"But you should.† She stopped, forcing herself to take a breath before she continued. She wanted to grab her head and press her fingers into her scalp. She wanted to make fists until her fingernails bit into her skin. Anything – anything that would eat away at this awful frustration that was pulling her inside out. Why wasn't he listening? Why couldn't he hear that – â€Å"Grace – † he began. â€Å"No!† She cut him off, perhaps more loudly than she ought, but it had to be said: â€Å"You will need to tread carefully if you wish to be accepted into society. Your wife does not have to be Amelia, but it must be someone like her. With a similar background. Otherwise – â€Å" â€Å"Are you listening to me?† he cut in. He grasped her shoulders, holding her in place until she looked up at him, directly into his eyes. â€Å"I don't care about ‘otherwise.' I don't need for society to accept me. All I need is you, whether I live in a castle, a hovel, or anything in between.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she began. He was being naive. She loved him for it, nearly wept with joy that he adored her enough to think he could so thoroughly flout convention. But he didn't know. He had not lived at Belgrave for five years. He had not traveled to London with the dowager and seen firsthand what it meant to be a member of such a family. She had. She had watched, and she had observed, and she knew exactly what was expected of the Duke of Wyndham. His duchess could not be a nobody from the neighborhood. Not if he expected anyone to take him seriously. â€Å"Jack,† she said again, trying to find the right words. â€Å"I wish – â€Å" â€Å"Do you love me?† he cut in. She froze. He was staring at her with an intensity that left her breathless, immobile. â€Å"Do you love me?† â€Å"It doesn't – â€Å" â€Å"Do†¦you†¦love me?† She closed her eyes. She didn't want to say it. If she did, she would be lost. She would never be able to resist him – his words, his lips. If she gave him this, she would lose her last defense. â€Å"Grace,† he said, cradling her face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her – once, with aching tenderness. â€Å"Do you love me?† â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Then that is all that matters.† She opened her lips to try one last time to talk sense into him, but he was already kissing her, his mouth hot and passionate on her own. â€Å"I love you,† he said, kissing her cheeks, her brows, her ears. â€Å"I love you.† â€Å"Jack,† she whispered, but her body had already begun to hum with desire. She wanted him. She wanted this. She did not know what tomorrow would bring, but at this moment she was willing to pretend that she did not care. As long as – â€Å"Promise me,† she said urgently, grasping his face firmly in her hands. â€Å"Please. Promise me that there will be no baby.† His eyes shuttered and flared, but finally he said, â€Å"I promise you I will try.† â€Å"You will try?† she echoed. Surely he would not lie about this. He would not ignore her plea and later pretend that he'd â€Å"tried.† â€Å"I will do what I know how to do. It is not completely foolproof.† She loosened her grip and showed her acquiescence by allowing her fingers to trail along his cheeks. â€Å"Thank you,† she whispered, leaning up for a kiss. â€Å"But I promise you this,† he said, sweeping her into his arms, â€Å"you will have our baby. I will marry you. No matter who I am, or what my name is, I will marry you.† But she no longer had the will to argue with him. Not now, not when he was carrying her to his bed. He laid her down atop the covers and stepped back, quickly undoing the top buttons of his shirt so he could pull it over his head. And then he was back, half beside her, half atop her, kissing her as if his life depended upon it. â€Å"My God,† he almost grunted, â€Å"this thing is ugly,† and Grace could not help but giggle as his fingers attempted to do their magic on her buttons. He let out a frustrated growl when they did not comply, and he actually grasped the two sides of her nightgown, clearly intending to wrench it apart and let the buttons fly where they might. â€Å"No, Jack, you can't!† She was laughing as she said it; she didn't know why it was so funny – surely de-flowerings were meant to be serious, life-altering affairs. But there was so much joy bubbling within her. It was difficult to keep it contained. Especially when he was trying so hard to complete such a simple task and failing so miserably. â€Å"Are you sure?† His face was almost comical in its frustration. â€Å"Because I am fairly certain that I do a service to all mankind by destroying this.† She tried not to laugh. â€Å"It's my only nightgown.† This, he appeared to find interesting. â€Å"Are you saying that if I tear it off, you will have to sleep naked for the duration of our journey?† She quickly moved his hand from her bodice. â€Å"Don't,† she warned him. â€Å"But it's so tempting.† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sat back on his heels, gazing down at her with a mixture of hunger and amusement that made her shiver. â€Å"Very well,† he said, â€Å"you do it.† She had been intending to do just that, but now, with him watching her so intently, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire, she felt almost frozen in place. How could she be so brazen as to strip before him? To peel her clothing from her body – to do it herself. There was a difference, she realized, in taking off her own clothing and allowing herself to be seduced. Slowly, fingers trembling, she reached for the top button of her nightgown. She couldn't see it; it was far too high, almost to her chin. But her fingers knew the motions, knew the buttons, and almost without thinking, she slipped one free. Jack sucked in his breath. â€Å"Another.† She obeyed. â€Å"Another.† And again. And again, until she reached the one that lay between her breasts. He reached down then, his large hands slowly spreading the two sides of her gown open. It did not reveal her to him; she'd not unbuttoned enough for that. But she felt the cool air on her skin, felt the soft tickle of his breath as he leaned down to place one kiss on the flat plane of her chest. â€Å"You are beautiful,† he whispered. And when his fingers moved this time to the buttons on her nightgown, he mastered them with no difficulty at all. He took her hand and gave it a gentle tug, indicating for her to sit up. She did, closing her eyes as the nightgown fell away. With her vision dark, she felt more keenly, and the fabric – nothing but a plain, serviceable cotton – raised shivers of sensation as it slid along her skin. Or maybe it was just that she knew he was looking at her. Was this what it had felt like for that woman? The one in the painting? She must have been a woman of some experience by the time she'd posed for Monsieur Boucher, but surely there had to be a first time for her, as well. Had she, too, closed her eyes so she could feel a man's gaze upon her body? She felt Jack's hand touching her face, the tips of his fingers softly trailing along the line of her neck to the hollow of her shoulder. He paused there, but only for a moment, and Grace sucked in her breath, waiting for the intimacy that awaited her. â€Å"Why are your eyes closed?† he murmured. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Are you afraid?† â€Å"No.† She waited. She gasped. She even jumped, just a little, when his fingers slid along the outer curve of her breast. She felt herself arching. It was strange. She'd never thought about this, never even wondered what it might be like to have a man's hands stroking her in this way, but now that the moment was upon her, she knew exactly what she wanted him to do. She wanted to feel him cupping her, holding her entirely in his palm. She wanted to feel his hand brushing against her nipples. She wanted him to touch her†¦dear God, she wanted him to touch her so badly, and it was spreading. It had moved from her breasts to her belly, to the hidden spot between her legs. She felt hot, and tingly, and searingly hungry. Hungry†¦ there. It was without a doubt the strangest and most compelling sensation. She could not ignore it. She didn't want to ignore it. She wanted to feed it, indulge it, let him teach her how to quench it. â€Å"Jack,† she moaned, and his hands moved until he was cradling both of her breasts. And then he kissed her. Her eyes flew open. His mouth was on her now, on the very tip, and she actually clasped one of her hands to her mouth, lest she scream with the pleasure of it. She hadn't imagined†¦She'd thought she'd known what she wanted, but this†¦ She hadn't known. She clutched at his head, using him for support. It was torture, and it was bliss, and she was barely able to breathe by the time he dragged his mouth back up to hers. â€Å"Grace†¦Grace†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he murmured, over and over, his voice sliding into her skin. It felt as if he was kissing her everywhere, and maybe he was – one moment it was her mouth, and next her ear, and then her neck. And his hands – they were wicked. And relentless. He never stopped moving, never stopped touching her. His hands were on her shoulders, and then her hips, and then one of them started sliding down her leg, tugging at her nightgown until it slipped off her entirely. She should have been embarrassed. She should have felt awkward. But she didn't. Not with him. Not when he was gazing down at her with such love and devotion. He loved her. He'd said he did, and she believed him, but now she felt it. The heat, the warmth. It shone from his eyes. And she understood now how a woman might find herself ruined. How could anyone resist this? How could she resist him? He stood then, breathing hard, working at the fastenings of his breeches with frantic fingers. His chest was already bare, and all she could think was – He's beautiful. How could a man be so beautiful? He'd not led a life of leisure; this, she could see. His body was lean and firm, his skin marred here and there with scars and calluses. â€Å"Were you shot?† she asked, her eyes falling on a puckered scar on his upper arm. He looked down, even as he pushed off his breeches. â€Å"A French sniper,† he confirmed. He smiled, rather lopsidedly. â€Å"I am fortunate he was not better at his craft.† It should not have been so amusing. But the statement was so†¦ him. So matter of fact, so understated and dry. She smiled in return. â€Å"I almost died, too.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Fever.† He winced. â€Å"I hate fevers.† She nodded, pinching the corners of her lips to keep from smiling. â€Å"I should hate to be shot.† He looked back at her, his eyes alight with humor. â€Å"I don't recommend it.† And then she did laugh, because it was all so ludicrous. He was standing there naked, for heaven's sake, clearly aroused, and they were discussing the relative unpleasantness of gunshot wounds and fevers. He crawled onto the bed, looming over her with a predatory expression. â€Å"Grace?† he murmured. She looked up at him and nearly melted. â€Å"Yes?† He smiled wolfishly. â€Å"I'm all better now.† And with that, there were no more words. When he kissed her this time, it was with an intensity and fervor that she knew would carry them through to completion. She felt it, too – this desire, this relentless need – and when he nudged his leg between hers, she opened to him immediately, without reservation, without fear. How long he kissed her, she couldn't possibly have known. It seemed like nothing. It seemed like forever. It felt like she had been born for this moment, with this man. As if somehow, on the day of her birth, this had all been preordained – on October the twenty-eighth, the year of our Lord 1819, she would be in Room 14 of the Queen's Arms Inn, and she would give herself to this man, John Augustus Cavendish-Audley. Nothing else could possibly have happened. This was how it was meant to be. She kissed him back with equal abandon, clutching at his shoulders, his arms, anywhere she could gain purchase. And then, just when she thought she could handle no more, his hand slipped between her legs. His touch was gentle, but still, she thought she might scream from the shock and wonder of it. â€Å"Jack,† she gasped, not because she wanted him to stop, but because there was no way she could remain silent amidst the onslaught of sensation brought forth by that simple touch. He tickled and teased, and she panted and writhed. And then she realized that he was no longer just touching her, he was inside of her, his fingers exploring her in a manner so intimate it left her breathless. She could feel herself clench around him, her muscles begging for more. She didn't know what to do, didn't know anything except that she wanted him. She wanted him, and something only he could give her. He shifted position, and his fingers moved away. His body lifted off hers, and when Grace looked up at him, he seemed to be straining against some irresistible force. He was holding himself above her, supporting himself on his forearms. Her tongue moved, preparing to say his name, but just then she felt him at her entrance, pressing gently forward. Their eyes met. â€Å"Shhh,† he murmured. â€Å"Just wait†¦I promise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'm not scared,† she whispered. His mouth moved into a lopsided smile. â€Å"I am.† She wanted to ask what he meant and why he was smiling, but he began to move forward, opening her, stretching her, and it was the strangest, most amazing thing, but he was inside of her. That one person could enter another seemed the most spectacular thing. They were joined. She could not think of any other way to describe it. â€Å"Am I hurting you?† he whispered. She shook her head. â€Å"I like it,† she whispered back. He groaned at that, and thrust forward, the sudden motion sending a wave of sensation and pressure through her. She gasped his name and grabbed his shoulders, and then she found herself in an ancient rhythm, moving with him, as one. Moving, and pulsing, and straining, and then – She shattered. She arched, she moaned, she nearly screamed. And when she finally came down and found the strength to breathe, she could not imagine how she could possibly still be alive. Surely a body could not feel that way and live to repeat it. Then, abruptly, he pulled out of her and turned away, grunting and groaning his own satisfaction. She touched his shoulder, feeling the spasms of his body. And when he cried out, she did not just hear it. She felt it, through his skin, through her body. To her heart. For a few moments he did not move, just lay there, his breathing slowly returning to normal. But then he rolled back over and gathered her into his arms. He whispered her name and kissed the top of her head. And then he did it again. And again. And when she finally fell asleep, that was what she heard in her dreams. Jack's voice. Soft, whispering her name. Jack knew the exact moment she fell asleep. He was not sure what it was – her breathing had already softened to a slow, even sigh, and her body had long since stilled. But when she fell asleep, he knew. He kissed her one last time, on her temple. And as he looked down at her peaceful face, he whispered, â€Å"I will marry you, Grace Eversleigh.† It did not matter who he was. He would not let her go.