Shift in The Last Battle of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis essays

Shift in The Last Battle of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis essays The novel The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis is a Christian allegory about the end of humankind and the Day of Judgment. It depicts how the world will end, and how human beings will be judged at the end of Time. In The Last Battle, the character of the ape Shift is an allegorical representation of the all of the worst temptations of humankind-the lust for power, greed for riches, and the desire not to take responsibility for making decisions. Shift only acts out of self-serving motivations. He does not aspire to do what is right. Shift merely wishes to fulfill his own ambitions, like Satans desire to gain control over humanity in the Bible. Shift will do anything to realize his objectives, even if his means and goals are immoral. Shift tempts good people, like the donkey Puzzle to give up their God-given free will in what they think is their own self-interest, but is really in the devil Shifts own self-interest. Shifts misdeeds underline the core message of the novel, which is that people should trust their own moral instincts, and their own soul, rather than give up their ability to make choices to other people who only seem to know better. From the beginning of the novel, Shift uses fear and the appearance of moral, divine authority to trick others. He takes advantage of the weakness and low self-esteem other creatures. Like the devil, he wishes to create his own kingdom in a good land, in service of his own aims, not of the better aspects of the human soul and goodness. Shift may seem like a good person on the surface, but really he only takes on the appearance of good people like Aslan. He seems powerful, but requires others like Puzzle to do his will-so he really has no power at all. He only has power when people give up their freedom to make their own good decisions, and when they refuse to question his demands that they act against their own nature. The function of the ape in the tale is to underline t...

ESL Conversation Lesson Points of View

ESL Conversation Lesson Points of View Points of view is an intermediate to advanced level discussion lesson that asks students to rate their opinions from one to ten (1 - strongly agree/10 - strongly disagree) on a number of controversial issues. The worksheet can be used in a number of ways, and for a number of purposes during any course. Below is a suggestion for integrating this discussion plan into your lesson. Aim: Helping students express their opinions and explain their reasoningActivity: A classroom survey on a number of controversial subjects.Level: Intermediate to advanced Outline Points of View Discussion Distribute Points of View sheet. Ask students to rate their opinions from one to ten: 1 - strongly agree/10 - strongly disagree.Divide students into small groups and ask them to discuss their responses to the statements.Listen in on the various groups and take notes on common language mistakes while students are presenting their various points of view.At the end of the group discussions, write a number of the most common mistakes on the board and ask other students to correct the mistakes.Make sure to suggest standard formulas for stating ones opinion if these formulas do not come up during the correction process (i.e. in my opinion, Do you really think that, As far as Im concerned, etc.)As a class, go through each point asking for someone who (relatively) strongly agrees to explain his or her point of view. Do the same for someone who (relatively) strongly disagrees with the statement.As a follow-up activity, ask students to write a short composition on one of the statements. Points of View Worksheet Rate your opinion from one to ten on the following statements. 1 strongly agree/10 strongly disagree Making mistakes in English is OK as long as people understand you.My friends should come from the same social background as I do.It is impossible to have a happy family life and a successful career.War is not an option for solving international disputes.Multinational global corporations are to blame for most problems in the world today.Women will never be equal to men in the workplace.Marriage is outdated. There is no need for state or church approval or recognition of a partnership.Gay marriage is wrong.The death penalty is acceptable in some cases.Celebrities earn too much money.Foreigners should not be allowed to vote.The government is responsible for making sure that all citizens of a country have at least a minimum living wage job.Quality of life will greatly improve in the future.Teachers give too much homework.Military service should be obligatory.

CHINA PROJECT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHINA PROJECT - Essay Example elatively well and this prompts the rating of this sector as zero which implies that the performance in the financial markets of China are at their optimum or rather best levels (Frankel &Wei, 2007).The fact that China is a great nation anything that occurs on its state of financial market affects the entire globe since it acts as one of the major shareholders of investments. This kind of statistics indicates that China is placing a favorable environment for global financial market. The aspect of value chain has been extensively and intensively moved into classy commodities and services and this comes after the nation has fully dominated and controlled the least cost manufacturing firm. Even though the expansion in China in the service industry as one of the best economies internationally (Frankel &Wei, 2007).The state of China has not abandoned the manufacturing sector it has instead struggled in the transformation of the sector into greater levels through the creation and enhancement of the chains and the attributed value. The increased value chain has facilitated the state of China to move forward in terms of economic growth and development. Some of the features associated with this kind of trend involve the global value chains which China has developed and expanded intensively. In this kind of rating the aspect of is given zero since it makes the manufacturing sector of China the greatest contributor of the Gross Domestic Product and the contribution is approximately 50 percent (Frankel &Wei,

Who am I Personal autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Who am I Personal autobiography - Essay Example Difficulties in my growing years molded my character when it comes to endurance which proved to be vital in a future stepping stone, the navy. There were times I felt so terrible because of disappointments to myself when I fail in an endeavor but as I looked around and saw others committing mistakes yet never giving up, I learned to encourage myself. Controlling my emotions was one of the things I learned because I have learned that being emotional could break a person. This could probably one of the things that have strongly influenced me to consider discipline and determination to be my friends and little victories, my comfort. I am family oriented and I value education for myself. Having grown in a closely-knit family, the value of it has deeply been rooted in my heart so that treasuring family members has become a part of me. I believe that family comes first in a married man’s life because there would be no other people more concerned of an individual than a bloodline. To day, there could be home cares for elders where family members could be nursed however; there would still be no better place like home and no better people to look after an aged person than a family member. Entering the navy in 1989 with the full support of my family, I knew I was taking a jump of a great distance that could either make or break me knowing the discipline the opportunity has in store for me.

An Analysis Of The Conventions The Soap Opera Genre Essay Example for Free

An Analysis Of The Conventions The Soap Opera Genre Essay In this essay I intend to explore the genre of Soap Opera and some of the conventions that determine the genre. The Soap Opera genre is defined as A serialized drama usually dealing with domestic problems. Eastenders and Coronation Street are prime examples of the Genre. Soap Operas originated in America in the late 1950s and started being shown in England in the late 1960s. Soap Operas are named after the sponsors of the shows were Soap Products. These shows were a marketing strategy to sell the soap products. The ratings for the 2 Soap Operas mentioned are constantly at the top of the list. The ratings for particular episodes in which a story line is thickening have been up to 10 million viewers watching one episode. Increasing popularity in this genre has provided a phenomenon in spin-off products such as magazines devoted to the soaps. Actors and actresses are becoming celebrities and are appearing on talk shows because of their increasing popularity. The Soap Opera Genre has its own identifiable conventions, some of which will be explored. My particular soap that I will be analyzing is Eastenders. The episode that I will be analyzing is the episode on Monday 25th of November 2002. The time this episode was on TV was 8:00pm. Eastenders has a great slot in the channel schedule. Prime time t.v. is from 7-9pm and Eastenders popularity has also come from the time it is broadcast. The episode is half an hour long. This soap opera is shown before the watershed, which means there are certain things, which cannot be shown. There is never any swearing and hardly any violence used. I selected this soap because it has been going on for over 30 years and is one of the most popular soaps in England. The story lines that are used in this episode are: Phil Mitchell wants to find out what the postcard from Lisa says. Laura and the Doctor are having a meeting to find who wrote the poison pen letters. In the scenes that I will be focusing on the conventions of character will now be explored. There are mostly characters that have a history and meaning they are more rounded characters. There are 2 or 3 stereotype characters. Phil Mitchell is a very aggressive person that few people like. When people that he doesnt like tell him what to do he gets angry and threatens them and doesnt care what trouble he can get in. When he talked to someone about a postcard that had been sent from Lisa he was very aggressive and demanded to read it. The other man said no and told him to stop interfering with his life. Phil told him maybe he would maybe he wouldnt. He does what ever he wants and doesnt care who he tramples along the way. He loves his mother and protects her. He thinks that he can control everybody in the square. He has got into trouble with the police before and is a recovering alcoholic. He has 2 children and when with them he is made to look as if he such a soft character and a loving father rather than what he is everywhere else. Different camera shots are used when filming Phil to make him look powerful and menacing. He is filmed to look as if he is more powerful than anybody else in the same room. He is one of the main characters of Eastenders and is there to cause trouble and tension in the soap. I will now analyze my chosen 5 minutes where there is tension and many conventions used. The 5 minutes that I have chosen are where some of the people from the square are having a meeting to try and find who is writing poison pen letters. As the tension builds up the scene changes to the pub breaking the tension and prolonging you from knowing what was going to come if the scene hadnt been changed. The camera shots used only show 1 or 2 peoples faces to let the viewer see the facial expression of the person. When the scene changes to the pub the camera shots change and a panning shot is used to distinguish who is in the pub. The shot stops to people having conversations in the pub. When the scene changes you can see the lighting is different. It gets darker but there is enough light to see the people and their expressions. The camera focuses in on one of the people when they have something to say. The camera at the beginning of the scene turns around showing all the people in the room but from then on the camera doesnt turn but cuts from person to person. As the scene gets to the end someone is walking in to the room hearing something that shouldnt have been heard. The camera changes back and forth from the person speaking, to the person walking into the room. Eventually when the person walks into the room the camera angle is changed and shows the person who walked into the room taller than anybody else making the rest of the people in the room feel small. The camera cuts very quickly to all the different peoples faces showing their surprise and emotion. The camera stays on the person who walked in on the people until she has finished what she has to say. Then the camera cuts back to the peoples faces. This gives the effect of the people being caught out and the person who wouldnt normally be in this situation the person who caught them out. I think that Soap Operas will be an important part in the TV industry for many years because it has domestic issues and provides entertainment for a whole variety of people and for most age groups. It will also be popular because it opens up many conversations on suggested story lines and what will happen next in the next episode. The soap opera has become more than a marketing strategy for selling soaps.

Ulysses S. Grant and the Trials of Leadership Essay -- Ulysses S Grant

Ulysses S. Grant and the Trials of Leadership On June 3, 1864, the Union and Confederate armies met on a battlefield in Cold Harbor, Virginia. The Confederates were well entrenched and prepared to mount a defensive stand. The Union soldiers on the other side of the lines were preparing for an attack that would prove to be disastrous. They knew what the outcome would be. In only 20 minutes of fighting, 7,000 Union soldiers were killed or wounded. As the Yankees prepared to go into action, many began sewing tags with their names on them into their clothes so their bodies could be identified after their deaths. One dead Union soldier was found with a small diary in his pocket. The final entry, dated June 3, 1864, read simply, "I was killed." Many men like him knew they were going to die that day, and yet they went forward anyway, and met their fates. Many people, military and civilian, questioned the intelligence of the attack, and rightfully so. But the decision was made, and the men carried it out. They carried it out because it was given by General Ulysses S. Grant, the man who was the first to continually win battles against Robert E. Lee, and the man who finally won the war for the United States. They carried it out because Grant was perhaps the most respected general ever to serve in the U.S. Army to that point. They carried it out because Grant was a leader. Grant was not always the leader that won the war and became president. He was first a failure in business, a quiet young soldier with little social life, a general whose peers criticized him and charged him with drunkenness, and later a president plagued by scandal and rumor. Ulysses S. Grant was born to Jesse and Hannah Grant on April 27, 1822, in Point P... ...y's mind. His logic in organizing supplies for the army was demonstrated early on in the Mexican War. But it seems that his intelligences only served him in wartime, making almost another intelligence of their own, that of making war. As President, he severely lacked interpersonal skills in picking and managing his cabinet. He showed little knowledge of safe money handling strategies and lost most of his savings more than once. He was a great war leader and general, and seemingly not much else but a kind man. Works Cited 1. Barber, James G. U.S. Grant: The Man and the Image. Southern Illinois University Press. Carbondale: 1985. 2. Carpenter, John A. Ulysses S. Grant. Twayne Publishers, Inc. New York: 1970. 3. Gardner, H. Creating minds. New York: Basic Books, 1993. 4. Goldhurst, Richard. Many are the Hearts. Reader's Digest Press. New York: 1975.

Are Fast Food Restaurants to Blame for Obesity?

â€Å"If ever there were a newspaper headline custom-made for Jay Leno’s monologue, this was it. Kids’ taking on McDonald’s this week, suing the company for making them fat. Isn’t that like middle-aged men suing Porsche for making them get speeding tickets? Whatever happened to personal responsibility? † David makes an excellent point as he opens his article, but then contradicts himself by telling us that he believes McDonalds is to blame for obesity in America. It is my belief that his entire article can be invalidated in just two words: personal responsibility.Each individual is responsible for the decisions that they make regarding their health or any aspect of their life for that matter. If we blame fast food restaurants for making us obese, where does the blame stop? It is even more critical for parents to recognize the need for personal responsibility, because they are not only responsible for their health, but they are responsible for teachi ng their children how to eat right and take care of themselves as they grow up. Some might argue that if fast food chains changed their portion size or labeled their products with nutritional information, that consumers would make better choices.If society is allowed to blame obesity on a fast food restaurant, then it will start a downward spiral with no end in sight. Are casinos to blame for gambling addictions? Are tobacco companies to blame for cancer? With this mindset, one can do anything they want and never accept responsibility for any of it. Personal responsibility must be reinforced if we are going to accomplish anything. The only one to blame for the decision to eat a cheeseburger, gamble away your income, or light up a cigarette is the person that makes the decision.We are seeing more and more frivolous lawsuits making their way through the courts and judges are awarding plaintiffs on even the most ridiculous suits. Yes, fast food restaurants are bad for our health, but s o are cigarettes and alcohol. Gambling is bad for our finances. Infidelity is bad for our marriages. Do we blame the tobacco companies? Do we blame the alcohol companies? How about the casinos that lure us in and take our hard earned money, or the television and movie producers that glorify cheating?Not only does this attitude have an incredibly negative affect on our health and well-being, but it takes a horrible toll on our children’s. They are learning that there is no accountability for their actions. We can already see this in the way some children behave in public. Parents are also responsible for ensuring their kids are getting a healthy diet and some form of daily exercise regimen. It is all too easy to simply say â€Å"I do not have time to cook my kids a healthy meal because I work too many hours to pay the bills. Maybe we should be asking ourselves, â€Å"Could I save enough money by cooking healthy meals instead of eating out at fast food restaurants, which woul d allow me to work fewer hours? † I was very overweight as a child and yet my parents never allowed me to have fast food. They weren’t strict enough at the dinner table and they allowed me to have too many snacks. Because I was always required to clean my plate, I often ate past being full. This lack of judgment on my parent’s part had nothing to do with any fast food restaurant. It had to do with my parent’s methods for raising and disciplining me.In all honesty, my parents were to blame for my childhood obesity. David seems to think that by forcing fast food restaurants to cut their portion sizes and label their meals with nutrition information, people will stop eating fast food. However, most grocery store junk food products are labeled and it does not stop people from purchasing them. Furthermore, reducing portion sizes would only cause consumers to spend more to satisfy their appetites. This does not solve the problem of obesity, and also adds to the continuing downfall of our economy and financial instability.If I want a large fry and they only have small, I am more apt to buy two or three smalls to get the same amount of fries. While David’s article was only about the role fast food restaurants are playing in the obesity crisis, it is indicative of a much bigger problem. Americans are blaming everyone but themselves for their actions and it needs to stop. If we do not learn to take personal responsibility over our everyday decisions, and we do not begin to educate our children to do the same, then many other problems besides obesity lie in our future.

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 9

She was in his mind. It was all around her, like astrange and perilous world. A terribly frighteningworld, but one that was full of stark beauty. Everything was angles, as if she'd fallen into theheart of a giant crystal. Everything glittered, coldand clear and sharp. There were flashes of color aslight shimmered and reflected, but for the most part it was dazzling transparency in every direction. Like the fractured ice of a glacier. Really dangerous,Maggie thought. The spikes of crystal around her had edges like swords. The place looked as if it had never known warmth or softcolor. And youlive here?she thought to Delos. Go away.Delos's answering thought came to her.on a wave of cold wind. Get out! No,Maggie said. You can't scare me. I've climbed glaciers before.It was then that she realized whatthis place reminded her of. A summit. The bareand icy top of a mountain where no plants-andcertainly no people-could survive. But didn'tanything goodever happen to you? shewondered. Didn't you ever have a friend†¦or apet†¦ or something? No friends,he said shortly. No pets. Get out of here before I hurt you. Maggie didn't answer, because even as he said itthings were changing around her. It was as if the glinting surfaces of the nearby crystals were suddenly reflecting scenes, perfect little pictures withpeople moving in them. As soon as Maggie lookedat one, it swelled up and seemed to surround her. They were his memories. She was seeing bits ofhis childhood. She saw a child who had been treated as aweapon from the time he was born. It was all aboutsome prophecy. She saw men and women gatheredaround a little boy, four years old, whose blacklashed golden eyes were wide and frightened. â€Å"No question about it,† the oldest man was saying. Delos's teacher, Maggie realized, the knowledge flowing to her because Delos knew it, and shewas in Delos's mind. â€Å"This child is one of the Wild Powers,† theteacher said, and his voice was full of awe andfear. His trembling hands smoothed out a brittlepiece of scroll. As soon asMaggie saw it she knew that the scroll was terribly old and had been keptin the Dark Kingdom for centuries, preserved hereeven when it was lost to the outside world. â€Å"Four Wild Powers,† the old man said, â€Å"who willbe needed at the millennium to save the world-or-to destroy it. The prophecy tells where they willcome from.† And he read: â€Å"One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.†, The child Delos looked around the circle of grim faces, hearing the words but not understandingthem. â€Å"‘The land of kings, long forgotten,†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ a womanwas saying. â€Å"That must be the Dark Kingdom.† â€Å"Besides, we've seen what he can do,† a big mansaid roughly. â€Å"He's a Wild Power, all right. The bluefire is in his blood. He's learned to use it too early, though; he can't control it. See?† He grabbed a small arm-the left one-and heldit up. It was twisted somehow, the fingers clawed and stiff, immobile. The little boy tried to pull his hand away, but hewas too weak. The adults ignored him. â€Å"The king wants us to find spells to hold thepower in,† the woman said. â€Å"Or he'll damage himself permanently.† â€Å"Not to mention damaging us,† the rough mansaid, and laughed harshly. The little boy sat stiff and motionless as theyhandled him like a doll. His golden eyes were dryand his small jaw was clenched with the effort notto give in to tears. That's awful,Maggie said indignantly, aiming herthought at the Delos of the present. It's a terrible way to grow up. Wasn't there anybody who cared about you? Your father? Goaway, he said. I don't need your sympathy. And your arm,Maggie said, ignoring the cold emptiness of his thought. Is that what happens toitwhen you use the blue fire? He didn't answer, not in a thought directed ather. But another memory flashed in the facets of a crystal, and Maggie found herself drawn into it. She saw a five-year-old Delos with his armwrapped in what looked like splints or a brace. Asshe looked at it, she knew it wasn't just a brace. It was made of spells and wards to confine the blue fire. â€Å"This is it,† the woman who had spoken beforewas saying to the circle of men. â€Å"We can controlhim completely.† â€Å"Are you sure? You witches are careless sometimes. You're sure he can't use it at all now?† Theman who said it was tall, with a chilly, austereface-and yellow eyes like Delos's. Your father,Maggie said wonderingly to Delos. And his name was †¦ Tormentil? But †¦She couldn't go on, but she was thinking that he didn'tlook much like a loving father. He seemed just likethe others. â€Å"Until I remove the wards, he can't use it at all.I'm sure, majesty.† The woman said the last word in an everyday tone, but Maggie felt a little shock.Hearing somebody get called majesty-it made him moreof a king, somehow. â€Å"The longer they're left on, the weaker he'll be,† the woman continued. â€Å"And hecan't take them offhimself. But I can, at any time – â€Å" â€Å"And then he'll still be useful as a weapon?† â€Å"Yes. But blood has to run before he can use the blue fire.† The king said brusquely, â€Å"Show me.† The woman murmured a few words and strippedthe brace off the boy's arm. She took a knife fromher belt and with a quick, casual motion, like Maggie's grandmother guttinga salmon, opened a gash on his wrist. Five-year-old Delos didn't flinch or make asound. His golden eyes were fixed on his father's faceas blood dripped onto the floor. â€Å"I don't think this is a good idea,† the old teachersaid. â€Å"The blue fire isn't meant to be used like this,and it damages his arm every time he does it= â€Å"Now,† the king interrupted, ignoring him andspeaking to the child for the first time. â€Å"Show mehow strong you are, son. Turn the blue fire on †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He glanced up deliberately at the teacher. â€Å"Let'ssay-him.† â€Å"Majesty!† The old man gasped, backing againstthe wall. The golden eyes were wide and afraid. â€Å"Do it!† the king said sharply, and when the littleboy shook his head mutely, he closed his hand onone small shoulder. Maggie could see his fingerstighten painfully. â€Å"Do what I tell you. Now!† Delos turned his wide golden eyes on the old man, who was now shrinking and babbling, his trembling hands held up as if to ward off a blow. The king changed his grip, lifted the boy's arm. â€Å"Now, brat! Now!† Blue fire erupted. It poured in a continuousstream like the water from a high-power fire hose.It struck the old man and spreadeagled him againstthe wall, his eyes and mouth open with horror. Andthen there was no old man. There was only a shad owy silhouette made of ashes. â€Å"Interesting,† the king said, dropping the boy'sarm. His anger had disappeared as quicklyasithad come. â€Å"Actually, I thought there would bemore power. I thought it might take out the wall.† â€Å"Give him time.† The woman's voice was slightlythick, and she was swallowing over and over. â€Å"Well, no matter what, hell be useful.† The kingturned to look at the others in the room. â€Å"Remember-all of you. A time of darkness is coming. Theend of the millennium means the end of the world.But whatever happens outside, this kingdom isgoing to survive.† Throughout all of this, the little boy sat andstared at the place where the old man had been.His eyes were wide, the pupils huge and fixed. Hisface was white, but without expression. Maggie struggled to breathe. That's-that's themost terrible thing I've ever seen.She could hardly get the words of her thought out. Theymade you kill your teacher-he made you do it. Yourfather. She didn't know what to say. Sheturned blindly, trying to find Delos himself in this strange landscape, trying to talk to him directly.She wanted to look at him, to hold him. To comfort him. I'm so sorry. I'mso sorry you had to grow uplike that. Don't be stupid,he said. I grew up to be strong.That's what counts. You grew up without anyone loving you,Maggiesaid. He sent a thought like ice. Love is for weak people. It's a delusion. And it can be deadly. Maggie didn't know how to answer. She wanted to shake him. All that stuff about the end of the millennium and the end of the world-what did that mean? Exactly what it sounded like,Delos said briefly. The prophecies are coming true. The world o f hu mans is about to end in blood and darkness. And then the Night People are going to rule again. And that's why they turned a five-year-old into alethal weapon? Maggie wondered. The thoughtwasn't for Delos, but she could feel that he heard it. I am what I was meant to be,he said. And I don't want to be anything else. Are you sure?Maggie looked around. Althoughshe couldn't have described what she was doing, she knew what it was. She was looking forsomething†¦ something to prove to him †¦ A scene flashed in the crystal. The boy Delos was eight. He stood in front of apile of boulders, rocks the size of small cars. Hisfather stood behind him. â€Å"Now!† As soonasthe king spoke, the boy lifted his arm.Blue fire flashed. A boulder exploded, disintegrating into atoms. Again! Another rock shattered. â€Å"More power! You're not trying. You're useless!†The entire pile of boulders exploded. The bluefire kept streaming, taking out a stand of trees behind the boulders and crashing into the side of amountain. It chewed through the rock, meltingshale and granite like a flamethrower burning awooden door. The king smiled cruelly and slapped his son onthe back. â€Å"That's better.† No. That's horrible,Maggie told Delos. That'swrong. This is what it should be like. And she sent to him images of her own family.Not that the Neelys were anything special. Theywere like anybody. They had fights, some of them pretty bad. But there were lots of good times, too, and that was what she showed him. She showed him her life†¦ herself. Laughingasher father frantically blew on a flaming marshmallow on some long-past campingtrip. Smelling turpentine and watching magical colors unfold on canvasas her mother painted. Perch ing dangerously on the handlebars of a bike while Miles pedaled behind her, then shrieking all theway down a hill. Waking up to a rough warmtongue licking her face, opening one eye to see Jake the Great Dane panting happily. Blowing out candles at a birthday party. Ambushing Miles from herdoorway with a heavy-duty water rifle †¦ Who is that?Delos asked. He had been thawing;Maggie could feel it. There were so many thingsin the memories that were strange to him: yellowsunshine, modern houses, bicycles, machinerybut she could feel interest and wonder stir in himat the people. Until now, when she was showing him a sixteenyear-old Miles, a Miles who looked pretty muchlike the Miles of today. That's Miles. He's my brother. He's eighteen and he just started college.Maggie paused, trying to feel what Delos was thinking. He's the reason I'm here.He got involved with this girl called Sylvia-Ithinkshe's a witch. And then he disappeared. I went tosee Sylvia, and the next thing I know I'm waking up ina slave-trader's cart. In a place I never knew existed. Delos said, I see. Delos, do you know him? Have you seen him be fore?Maggie tried to keep the question calm. She would have thought she could see anything thatDelos was thinking, that it would all be reflected inthe crystals around her, that there was nothing he could hide. But now suddenly she wasn't sure. It's best for you to leave that alone,Delos said. I can't,Maggie snapped back. He's my brother! If he's in trouble I have to find him-I have to helphim. That's what I've been trying to explainto you. We help each other. Delos said, Why? Because we do. Because that's what people are supposed to do. And even you know that, somewhere down deep. You were trying to help me in my dream She could feel him pull away. Your dreams are just your fantasies. Maggie said flatly, No. Not this one. I had it before I met you. She could remember more of it now. Here in his mind thedetailswere coming to her, all the things that had been unclear before. And there was onlyone thing to do. She showed it to Delos. The mist, the figure appearing, calling her name.The wonder and joy in his face when he caughtsight of her. The way his hands closed on hershoulders, so gently, and the look of inexpressibletenderness in his eyes. And then -I remember!Maggie said. Youtold meto look for a pass,underneath a rock thatlooked likea wave about to break You told me to get awayfromhere, to escape. Andthen†¦ She remembered what had happened then, andfaltered. And then he had kissed her. She could feel it again, his breath a soft warmthon her cheek, and then the touch of his lips, just as soft. There had been so much in that kiss, somuch of himself revealed. It had been almost shy in its gentleness, but charged with a terrible passion, as if he had known it was the last kiss theywould ever share. It was †¦ so sad,Maggie said, faltering again.Not from embarrassment, but because she was suddenly filled with an intensity of emotion that fright ened her. I don't know what it meant, but it was so sad†¦. Then, belatedly, she realized what was happeningwith Delos. He was agitated. Violently agitated. The crystalworld around Maggie was trembling with denialand fury-and fear. That wasn't me. I'm not like that,he said in avoice that was like a sword made of ice. It was,she said, not harshly but quietly. I don't understand it, but it really was you. I don't understand any of this. But there's a connection betweenus. Look what's happening to us right now. Is thisnormal? Do you people always fall into each oth ers' minds? Get out!The words were a shout that echoedaround Maggie from every surface. She could feel his anger; it was huge, violent, like a primal storm. And she could feel the terror that was underneath it, and hear the word that he was thinking anddidn't want to think, that he was trying to bury and run away from. Soulmates.That was the word. Maggie couldsense what it meant. Two people connected, boundto each other forever, soul to soul, in a way thateven death couldn't break. Two souls that were destined for each other. It's a lie,Delos said fiercely. I don't believe in souls. I don't love anyone. And I don't have any feelings! And then the world broke apart. That was what it felt like. Suddenly, all aroundMaggie, the crystals were shattering and fracturing.Pieces were falling with the musical sound of ice.Nothing was stable, everything was turning to chaos. And then, so abruptly that she lost her breath,she was out of his mind. She was sitting on the ground in a small cave lit only by a dancing, flickering flame. Shadows wavered on the walls and ceiling. She was in her ownbody, and Delos was holding her in his arms. But even as she realized it, he pulled away and stood up. Even in the dimness she could see that his face was pale, his eyes fixed. As she got to her feet, she could see somethingelse, too. It was strange, but their minds were still connected, even though he'd thrown her out of his world. And what she saw†¦was herself. Herselfthrough his eyes. She saw someone who wasn't at all the frailblond princess type, not a bit languid and perfect and artificial. She saw a sturdy, rosy-brown girlwith a straight gaze. A girl with autumn-coloredhair, warm and vivid and real, and sorrel-coloredeyes. It was the eyes that caught her attention: there was a clarity and honesty in them, a depth and spaciousness that made mere prettiness seem cheap. Maggie caught her breath. Do I look like that? she wondered dizzily. I can't. I'd have noticed inthe mirror. But it was how he saw her. In his eyes, she wasthe only vibrant, living thing in a cold world of black and white. And she could feel the connectionbetween them tightening, drawing him toward her even as he tried to pull farther away. â€Å"No.†His voice was a bare whisper in the cave.†I'm not bound to you. I don't love you.† â€Å"Delos-!' I don't love anyone. I don't have feelings.† Maggie shook her head wordlessly. She didn'thave to speak, anyway. All the time he was tellingher how much he didn't love her, he was moving closer to her, fighting it every inch. â€Å"You mean nothing to me,† he raged through clenched teeth. â€Å"Nothing!† And then his face was inches away from hers, and she could see the flame burning in his golden eyes. â€Å"Nothing,† he whispered, and then his lipstouched hers.

Demographic Paper Essays

Demographic Paper Essays Demographic Paper Essay Demographic Paper Essay Running head: DEMOGRAPHIC PAPER Demographic Paper Gabija Nezabitauskaite University Of Phoenix Cindy Nettestad Perkins HCS/490 3/31/2011 Demographic Paper Population demographics in the United States are experiencing increasing changes that may affect health care and its practice. Changes in population demographics do bring diversity in culture, economics, religion and believes, education and social disparity. According to Yali and Revensons, (2004), â€Å"Given the current levels of social and racial disparities in health and the likelihood that these disparities will not decrease under the current health system, we presume that as the American population continues to change, these disparities will have an even greater impact on health â€Å"(pg. 147). The expansive changes in population demographics can and will affect the health care in various ways. In the following paragraphs the senior management team can become familiar with the identified targeted population, data about this population demographics, the general impact that changing demographics may have on the health care market, and the ways the changes of demographics of this particular population will affect health care. Moreover, a few keys of health related- challenges to this population will be analyzed including the care costs, the effects of chronic disease wellness program and is effects on the costs for this demographics will be discusses. Last, the senior management team can finalize their reading with the writer’s opinion about these demographics effects on marketing needs and services, and how these challenges can be addressed. Targeted population and demographics data The number of aging population is substantial increasing, particularly the ones in their oldest age, who are the highest demanders for health care consumption. The age of world’s population is increasing for a few reasons. The decline in fertility and the increased life expectancy result in increased numbers of elderly also called the â€Å"Baby Boomer Age†. Hence aged population uses the public health system and social and medical services the most, in compare to a younger population. For example, many older adults are affected by chronic diseases, have any sort of disability that leads to an increased long-term health care costs. According to CDC, (2003), â€Å"In the United States, the proportion of the population aged over 65 years is projected to increase from 12. 4% in 2000 to 19. 6% in 2030. The number of person aged over 65 years is expected to increase from approximately 35 million in 2000 to an estimated 71 million in 2030, and the number of persons aged 80 years is expected to increase from 9. 3 million in 2000 to 19. 5 million in 2030† (para. 2). States as California, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Florida contain the largest numbers of older population. We are experiencing the demographic change that is highly influenced by low fertility and delayed mortality rather than the other way around. Thus the result of such a change links to demographic transition impacting the worldwide age distribution. Demographic impact on the health care market Aged population has many specific demands on health care impacting the health care market. For instance, pharmaceutical companies are more concentrating on manufacturing drugs for older generation. The advertisement on TV is aiming 70 % percent more for older audience rather than younger audience. Besides drug advertisement, long-term care facilities, and insurances such as Medicare that serves only the elderly, are booming on TV, magazines, and news papers. Such demographics also affect the orthopedic market. For example, because the elderly population in the US is increasing hence there is higher incidence of musculoskeletal conditions that only happens with aging. Therefore the orthopedic occupation is becoming very important because of the high demand. Hence the health care market is focusing on targeted population that affects health care delivery and consumption. Why and how the demographics of aged population affect health care/increased health care and prescriptions, and long-term care costs Aged population will and already is impacting the health care, as it drives the health care costs up. For example, some medical statistics show, persons 65 and over consume three to five times more health care costs, that the ones who are younger than 65. According to CDC, (2003), â€Å"†¦the rapid growth in the number of older persons, coupled with continued advances in medical technology, is expected to create upward pressure on health- and long-term-care spending† (para. 8). The biggest concern of the effects on the health care is the imposed challenge associated with long- term care on families and public resources. For instance, the expenditures for long-term care are rapidly increasing, placing a burden for public financing. As of 2001, $132 billion dollars were spend for public programs including Medicaid and Medicare, of which 60% were covered by the federal government and 30 by patients and their families. Another concern in the health care industry challenging the seniors is the rise in costs for prescription drugs. One of the main reasons why the pharmaceuticals are becoming more and more expensive is the aging population and the increased use of expensive specialty medications. Chronic disease wellness program affect the costs for this demographic Chronic disease wellness programs are very important for such demographics as seniors because this group of age is increasing as proportion of the entire population and contributes to health care cost escalation. Wellness programs are necessary for the elderly because it helps to improve their wellbeing. For example, such programs include increased physical activity, healthy nutrition, elimination of smoking and alcohol consumption. Hence the issue on utilization in such programs is the elevated expenditures that reflect on reduced in-patient admissions. As mentioned above the demographics of seniors are rapidly changing, and more beneficiaries are enrolling in Medicare. As of 2011 about 46 million people are receiving benefits, by the 2030 it is estimated that about 78 million people will be enrolled. According to Coberley, Rula, and Pope (2011), â€Å"Over 95 percent of the amounts currently spent by Medicare on the nation’s senior population is consumed by beneficiaries with one or more chronic diseases. These factors, taken together and notwithstanding the reduced costs projected as a result of health care reform, have led the Medicare Trustees to estimate that the program will be insolvent by 2029† (pg. 45). Another concern that has an impact to the cost for chronic disease wellness program is the increase in overweight people who sooner or later will suffer from diabetes. Current statistics from CDC show an increase in diabetes patients from 8 per 1000 people as of 2008, to 15 per 1000 in 2050. Marketing needs and/or services needed for aged population As we discussed above, chronic disease wellness program are elevating health care costs for seniors because of a high demand for such programs. Hence a solution would be an increased marketing and services for wellness programs that would help the pre-seniors before their retirement and to prevent chronic disease or at least mellow the symptoms with a healthier life style. Therefore, marketing various wellness programs, including fitness and healthy nutrition would prevent seniors and the Medicare from costly treatment of chronic disease. For example, few studies showed that health care related expenses resulted in reduction because of the association with community based physical activity program. Hence seniors with diabetes should have a particular interest to focus on wellness programs because of the financial impact of diabetes on Medicare expenditures. Marketing needs for wellness aiming the elderly should be striving. The individual patient, the community, and society as a whole addressing these challenges The current demographic situation with the aged raises alarms about the ability of the health care system to cope with the future health care needs. This particular demographic is facing following challenges, the increased healthcare issues including chronic diseases, unstable healthcare insurance coverage, high medical expenses, and debt problems. Hence given the circumstances older people before approaching retirement could do the following to address these challenges. For instance, add special health accounts of Medicare for expenses that are not covered, eliminate the waiting period, which is two years, for disabled individuals to be covered by Medicare, and allow the elderly to enroll early helped by tax credits for low income people. Community and the whole society should focus on healthy lifestyle to prevent from chronic diseases. Public health should make available and promote fitness-based wellness programs, healthy nutrition shops including farmer’s markets, and social outdoor activities. Conclusion The discussed demographics of aged population reflect various issues in health care. The number of elderly is rapidly increasing for two reasons, lower birth rate, and higher life span. Some of the issues in health care affected by the seniors include the cost elevation of health care services, prescription drugs, and long-term care. Chronic disease wellness programs are experiencing reduced in-patient admissions, as the costs became a burden for the Medicare beneficiaries. Marketing service is highly focusing on promoting fitness-based wellness programs, and chronic disease prevention incentives. There is much what an individual, the community and the whole society can do to address the challenges that this demographic is facing. References Yali, A. M. , and Revenson, T. (2004). How changes in Population Demographics Will Impact Health Psychology: Incorporating a Broader Notion of Cultural Competence Into the Field. Retrieved from, http://web. gc. cuny. edu/Psychology/socpersonality/TAR/docs/04HowChangesinPop. pdf CDC. (2003). Public Health and Aging: Trends in Aging-United States and Worldwide. Retrieved from, cdc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5206a2. htm Coberley, C. , Rula, E. , and Pope, J. (2011). Effectiveness of Health and Wellness Initiatives for Seniors. Retrieved from, healthways. com/uploadedfiles/popHealthManagement/EffectivenessofHealthWellnessForSeniors. pdf

Finding Your Writer’s Voice Expert Advice for Developing Your Style - Freewrite Store

Finding Your Writer’s Voice Expert Advice for Developing Your Style - Freewrite Store Whether you write blogs and articles or your focus is on fiction, you need to find your voice. Every writer has a unique voice or style - but sometimes it can take a while for you to actually find your own voice. Especially when you’re first starting out as a writer, you may find that you’re trying to imitate another writer’s voice, and that means your unique voice is hidden. Here’s the thing: you don’t need your writing to sound like another writer’s. In fact, imitating other writers’ style will not help your writing to get noticed. Your readers want something different, not another clone of a popular writer or author. They want to hear your voice - your unique, authentic voice. What Is a Writer’s Voice, and is it the Same as Your Style? Before we dive into the meat of this article, I want to take a moment to define what exactly I mean when I talk about your voice as a writer and how that relates to your overall style of writing. Some people argue that voice and style are two completely different things, but there are so many overlaps it’s impossible to separate them. Your voice as a writer comprises: Your personality Your tone Your choice of words Your use of punctuation Your attitude Your personal preferences or personal style Your approach to sentence structure Your attitude towards strictly following grammatical ‘rules’ Your use of formal or informal language Your use of language when you speak You can see from this list how your true writer’s voice will be unique to you because it’s affected by your personality and your unique way of using language. When it comes to style, there may be some variations in your voice, depending on the audience that you’re writing for. Ultimately, whether you’re writing for an academic publication, a magazine or publishing a blog, your voice should still shine through in your adaptation of a particular style. Your voice will also mean you favor particular styles of writing, too, so there’s no way of completely separating the topics of voice and style. But why do so many writers struggle to use their own writer’s voice? There’s actually a superb explanation. Beating Imposter Syndrome Those self-doubts that you experience every time you sit down to write, and that feeling that your writing can’t compete with all the ‘great’ writers out there, is often referred to as ‘imposter syndrome’. Although you love to write, you’re never satisfied with the results, and you’re constantly waiting for your readers to discover that you’re ‘not really a writer’. Imposter syndrome is a huge barrier to using your own unique voice. While there’s no magic way of getting rid of imposter syndrome, when you focus on developing your own voice instead of copying someone else’s style, you will gradually see the value of using your unique style. Techniques for Unleashing Your Writer’s Voice So, how can you explore your own writer’s voice when you’re so used to imitating your favorite writers? I’ve spent a lot of time researching this topic (since I really struggled with imposter syndrome when I first got started) and have pulled together some of the best advice and exercises that will help you discover your unique writing style. 1. Set Your Voice Free When I first started writing fiction, blogs and articles, I found that I was focusing far too much on ‘doing it right’. I could spend days writing and rewriting an opening sentence or paragraph because I was worried about breaking the ‘rules’. I blame the education system for enslaving me to a long list of grammatical rules that must not ever be broken. I was also too focused on finding stylistic guidelines to religiously follow, even though I hated those self-imposed regulations. The ridiculous part was that I knew that a lot of writers regularly broke both grammatical and stylistic rules, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that in my writing. I was trapped and I didn’t know how to get free. Then I discovered freewriting when I took a creative writing course as part of my college degree. We were instructed to spend at least 15 minutes every day freewriting, and I found it so liberating. So, what exactly is freewriting? Freewriting sets your voice free because you’re deliberately breaking the rules that hold your voice back. It gives you the opportunity to explore your creativity, to express yourself without restriction and stop worrying about ‘what people will think’. Because you’re freewriting just for yourself, there’s some psychological stuff going on that breaks the chains that have prevented your unique voice from truly emerging. 2. Write Even When You Don’t Have to Write If writing is your career, it’s easy to get into the trap of only writing when you have a project to complete (i.e. you only write when you’re getting paid to write). That’s not good for your writer’s voice, because you’re losing that sense of writing for pleasure and your writing can become more formulaic. Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote Outliers: The Story of Success,reckons that it takes 10,000 hours to perfect your craft - and while that figure may be an exaggeration (and has been disputed), I think it’s important to bear it in mind. You will not find your unique voice if you don’t get lots of practice - and that means you need to write for pleasure as well as for profit. Setting yourself (achievable) writing practice goals - for example, to write (for pleasure) for at least 30 minutes every day - can give you the space you need to explore your writer’s voice. When you have a regular writing habit that’s not hampered by guidelines set by other people, it’s easier to get into the flow that will reveal your own unique voice. At the end of each week, set aside some time to read back what you’ve been writing and you should be able to see patterns in your language and how your personality shines through your writing. That’s your writer’s voice, and the more you practice using it, the more comfortable you’ll become with sharing it with the world. 3. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone If you’re the kind of writer that sticks to one kind of writing (for example, you only write blogs, or you only write poetry, or you only write fantasy fiction), then getting out of your writing comfort zone can really help you discover more about your writer’s voice. When you write in a genre or format you’re not used to or don’t read a lot of, you don’t have the same preconceptions about what your writing ‘should’ sound like. That means that when you start writing, your voice is more likely to emerge easier since you’re not trying to make your writing ‘conform’ in some way. Here are some examples of types of writing that may be out of your writing comfort zone and can help you explore the way your writer’s voice emerges when it’s totally free: Creative nonfiction Journalistic-style writing A completely different genre of fiction to what you’re used to reading or writing. Genres include: Historical fiction Romantic fiction Children’s fiction Young adult fiction Science fiction Fantasy Crime Thriller Literary fiction A piece of persuasive writing A political speech Poetry A short play/film script Biographical writing 4. Take A Journey of Self-Discovery A crucial part of exploring your writer’s voice is knowing yourself and understanding how you view and relate to the world around you. If you’re struggling with your writer’s voice, maybe you need to spend some time on a journey of self-discovery. It’s really easy to be swayed by other people’s opinions and views - to the point that you can easily internalize someone else’s way of thinking and being. Because those views and thinking patterns can actually be at odds with your natural (unique) ways of thinking and being, there can be internal conflicts that may affect your writer’s voice. To reconnect with your way of thinking and being, you need to do some deep work in getting to grips with your own opinions, way of seeing the world, and your passions. At the root of self-discovery is paying attention to what makes you happy, what inspires you, what brightens your day, what makes you angry, what causes you’re passionate about. All of these things will impact on your unique writing voice, and so the more you explore them, the more you’ll be able to unleash your writer’s voice. Getting comfortable with you empowers you to take more risks in your writing and your writing voice will thank you for the investment you put into self-discovery. Journaling is an excellent means of self-discovery, and it’s good practice to get into a habit of regular self-discovery journaling sessions. There are guided journals available to buy from places like Amazon if you feel you need help in getting started with journaling. Or you could use these questions as prompts for your self-discovery sessions: My greatest strength is†¦ I can’t stand it when other people†¦ If I had a theme song it would be†¦ When I think about the future, the thing I fear the most is†¦ When faced with a challenge, I†¦ If I encountered a road that had three forks and one path led to a mountain, one led to a forest and the third led to an ocean, I would choose†¦ (explain why) The things I am most passionate about are†¦ The charitable cause I’m most passionate about is†¦ Injustice in the world makes me†¦ If I had an unlimited budget I would... Discover Your Writer’s Voice and Set Yourself Free Discovering and developing your writer’s voice is an adventure that can have a massive impact on the power of your writing. When you’re embarking on the adventure, though, remember that your voice continues to develop as you write. As you mature, for example, you may notice subtle changes to your writer’s voice and even the types of writing you enjoy the most. The goal in discovering and developing your writer’s voice is to get out of the imitation trap and learn to love your own unique voice instead of feeling you need to copy another writer you admire. When you invest in developing your writer’s voice, you’ll gain confidence and your writing will become much more impactful. Every writer has, at some time or other, struggled with their writer’s voice, even bestselling authors like Stephen King. Persevere with your journey of discovery and you’ll get to the point that Stephen King has reached - where your readers can recognize your voice without seeing your name.

Common assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Common assessment - Essay Example This report aims at discussing the accounting principles related to cost, revenue recognition and matching principles which are presented under GAAP (Epstein, Nach, & Bragg, 2009). Apart from this, the report also includes how Dell Incorporation, a public company in the US, applies these accounting principles in the preparation and presentation of its financial statements and how recent changes in the accounting principles have affected company’s financial reporting. Moreover, a brief review of assertions related to internal controls of Dell Incorporation has also been provided in the report. Under U.S. GAAP, accounting principles related to cost, or more specifically â€Å"historical cost†, include requirements for business entities for accounting for and reporting their assets on the basis of costs for acquiring them. In other words, cost recognition and reporting on fair market value is not allowed for majority of assets and liabilities under US GAAP. In this way, the information provided by such accounting treatment is more reliable due to its objective nature. This condition for reporting assets in the balance sheet on historical costs is also applicable even if there are major changes in the value of an asset with the passage of time. However, making use of historical cost is not appropriate in every case and therefore use of fair value is permitted in certain cases. As for instance, corporate entities are allowed to use fair values of marketable securities while reporting their values in their respective balance sheets (Epstein, Nach, & Bragg, 2009). Revenue recognition is an accounting principle, which determines the requirements which are to be fulfilled before any amount in lieu of revenue can be recognized by a business concern (Epstein, Nach, & Bragg, 2009). As far as revenue recognition under U.S. GAAP is concerned, corporate entities are required to recognize revenues