The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Three

Five miles away, in a small posting inn, a man sat in his room, alone, with a bottle of expensive French brandy, an empty glass, a very small case of clothing, and a woman's ring. His name was Jack Audley; formerly Captain John Audley of His Majesty's army; formerly Jack Audley of Butlersbridge, County Cavan, Ireland; formerly Jack Cavendish-Audley of the same place; and formerly – as formerly as one could get, as it was at the time of his christening – John Augustus Cavendish. The miniature had meant nothing to him. He could barely see it in the night, and he'd yet to find a portraitist who could capture a man's essence on a miniature painting, anyway. But the ring†¦ With an unsteady hand, he poured himself another drink. He hadn't looked closely at the ring when he took it from the old lady's hands. But now, in the privacy of his rented room, he'd looked. And what he'd seen had shaken him to his bones. He'd seen that ring before. On his own finger. His was a masculine version, but the design was identical. A twisted flower, a tiny swirled D. He'd never known what it meant, as he'd been told that his father's name was John Augustus Cavendish, no capital D's to be found anywhere. He still didn't know what the D stood for, but he knew that the old lady did. And no matter how many times he tried to convince himself that this was just a coincidence, he knew that this evening, on a deserted Lincolnshire road, he'd met his grandmother. Good Lord. He looked down at the ring again. He'd propped it up on the table, its face winking up at him in the candlelight. Abruptly, he twisted his own ring and yanked it off. He couldn't remember the last time his finger had been bare. His aunt had always insisted that he keep it close; it was the only keepsake they had of his father. His mother, they told him, had been clutching it in her shivering fingers when she was pulled from the frigid waters of the Irish Sea. Slowly, Jack held the ring out, carefully setting it down next to its sister. His lips flattened slightly as he regarded the pair. What had he been thinking? That when he got the two side by side he'd see that they were actually quite different? He'd known little of his father. His name, of course, and that he was the younger son of a well-to-do English family. His aunt had met him but twice; her impression had been that he was somewhat estranged from his relations. He spoke of them only laughingly, in that manner people used when they did not wish to say anything of substance. He hadn't much money, or so his aunt assumed. His clothes were fine, but well-worn, and as far as anyone could tell, he'd been wandering the Irish countryside for months. He'd said he had come to witness the wedding of a school friend and liked it so much that he stayed. His aunt saw no reason to doubt this. In the end, all Jack knew was this: John Augustus Cavendish was a well-born English gentleman who'd traveled to Ireland, fallen in love with Louise Galbraith, married her, and then died when the ship carrying them to England had sunk off the coast of Ireland. Louise had washed ashore, her body bruised and shivering, but alive. It was over a month before anyone realized she was pregnant. But she was weak, and she was devastated by grief, and her sister – the woman who had raised Jack as her own – said it was more of a surprise that Louise survived the pregnancy than it was that she finally succumbed at his birth. And that fairly well summed up Jack's knowledge of his paternal heritage. He thought about his parents from time to time, wondering who they'd been and which had gifted him with his ready smile, but in truth, he'd never yearned for anything more. At the age of two days he'd been given to William and Mary Audley, and if they had ever loved their own children more, they never allowed him to know it. Jack had grown up the de facto son of a country squire, with two brothers, a sister, and twenty acres of rolling pasture, perfect for riding, running, jumping – anything a young boy could fancy. It had been a marvelous childhood. Damn near perfect. If he was not leading the life he'd anticipated, if he sometimes lay in bed and wondered what the hell he was doing robbing coaches in the dead of night – at least he knew that the road to this point had been paved with his own choices, his own flaws. And most of the time, he was happy. He was reasonably cheerful by nature, and really, one could do worse than playing Robin Hood along rural British roads. At least he felt as if he had some sort of purpose. After he and the army had parted ways, he'd not known what to do with himself. He was not willing to return to his life as a soldier, and yet, what else was he qualified to do? He had two skills in life, it seemed: He could sit a horse as if he'd been born in the position, and he could turn a conversation with enough wit and flair to charm even the crustiest of individuals. Put together, robbing coaches had seemed the most logical choice. Jack had made his first theft in Liverpool, when he'd seen a young toff kick a one-handed former soldier who'd had the temerity to beg for a penny. Somewhat buoyed by a rather potent pint of ale, Jack had followed the fellow into a dark corner, pointed a gun a his heart, and walked off with his wallet. The contents of which he had then dispersed among the beggars on Queens Way, most of whom had fought for – and then been forgotten by – the good people of England. Well, ninety per cent of the contents had been dispersed. Jack had to eat, too. After that, it had been an easy step to move to highway robbery. It was so much more elegant than the life of footpad. And it could not be denied that it was much easier to get away on horseback. And so that was his life. It was what he did. If he'd gone back to Ireland, he would probably be married by now, sleeping with one woman, in one bed, in one house. His life would be County Cavan, and his world a far, far smaller place than it was today. His was a roaming soul. That was why he did not go back to Ireland. He splashed a bit more brandy into his glass. There were a hundred reasons why he did not go back to Ireland. Fifty, at least. He took a sip, then another, then drank deeply until he was too sotted to continue his dishonesty. There was one reason he did not go back to Ireland. One reason, and four people he did not think he could face. Rising from his seat, he walked to the window and looked out. There wasn't much to see – a small barn for horses, a thickly leaved tree across the road. The moonlight had turned the air translucent – shimmery and thick, as if a man could step outside and lose himself. He smiled grimly. It was tempting. It was always tempting. He knew where Belgrave Castle was. He'd been in the county for a week; one could not remain in Lincolnshire that long without learning the locations of the grand houses, even if one wasn't a thief out to rob their inhabitants. He could take a look, he supposed. He probably should take a look. He owed it to someone. Hell, maybe he owed it to himself. He hadn't been interested in his father much†¦but he'd always been interested a little. And he was here. Who knew when he'd be in Lincolnshire again? He was far too fond of his head to ever stay in one place for long. He didn't want to talk to the old lady. He didn't want to introduce himself and make explanations or pretend that he was anything other than what he was – A veteran of the war. A highwayman. A rogue. An idiot. An occasionally sentimental fool who knew that the softhearted ladies who'd tended the wounded had it all wrong – sometimes you couldn't go home again. But dear Lord, what he wouldn't give just to take a peek. He closed his eyes. His family would welcome him back. That was the worst of it. His aunt would put her arms around him. She would tell him it wasn't his fault. She would be so understanding. But she would not understand. That was his final thought before he fell asleep. And dreamed of Ireland. The following day dawned bright and mockingly clear. Had it rained, Jack wouldn't have bothered to go. He was on horseback, and he'd spent enough of his life pretending he didn't mind that he was soaked to the skin. He did not ride in the rain if he did not have to. He'd earned that much, at least. But he was not meant to meet up with his cohorts until nightfall, so he did not have an excuse for not going. Besides, he was just going to look. Maybe see if there was some way he could leave the ring for the old lady. He suspected it meant a great deal to her, and even though he could have probably got a hefty sum for it, he knew he would not be able to bring himself to sell it. And so he ate a hearty breakfast – accompanied by a noxious beverage the innkeeper swore would clear his head, not that Jack had said anything other than, â€Å"Eggs,† before the fellow said, â€Å"I'll get what you need.† Amazingly, the concoction worked (hence the ability to digest the hearty breakfast), and Jack mounted his horse and took off toward Belgrave Castle at an unhurried pace. He'd ridden about the area frequently over the last few days, but this was the first time he found himself curious at his surroundings. The trees seemed more interesting to him for some reason – the shape of the leaves, the way they showed their backs when the wind blew. The blossoms, too. Some were familiar to him, identical to the ones that bloomed in Ireland. But others were new, perhaps native to the dales and fens of the region. It was odd. He wasn't sure what he was meant to be thinking about. Perhaps that this vista was what his father had seen every time he'd ridden along the same road. Or maybe that, but for a freak storm in the Irish Sea, these might be the flowers and trees of his own childhood. Jack did not know whether his parents would have made their home in England or Ireland. They were apparently going over to introduce his mother to the Cavendish family when their ship had gone down. Aunt Mary had said that they were planning to decide where to live after Louise had a chance to see a bit of England. Jack paused and plucked a leaf off a tree, for no reason other than whimsy. It wasn't as green as the ones at home, he decided. Not that it mattered, of course, except that in a strange way, it did. He tossed the leaf to the ground and with a snort of impatience, took off at a greater speed. It was ludicrous that he felt even a niggle of guilt at going over to see the castle. Good God, it wasn't as if he was going to introduce himself. He did not want to find a new family. He owed the Audleys far more than that. He just wanted to see it. From afar. To see what might have been, what he was glad hadn't been. But maybe should have been. Jack took off at a gallop, letting the wind blow the memories away. The speed was cleansing, almost forgiving, and before he knew it he was at the end of the drive. And all he could think was – Good Lord. Grace was exhausted. She'd slept the night before, but not much, and not well. And even though the dowager had chosen to spend the morning in bed, Grace had not been afforded that luxury. The dowager was powerfully demanding, whether vertical, horizontal, or, should she ever figure out how to hold the position, at a slant. And so even though she tossed and turned, and refused to lift her head from the pillow, she still managed to summon Grace six times. The first hour. Finally, she had become engrossed in a batch of letters Grace had dug up for her at the bottom of her late husband's old desk, tucked in a box labeled: JOHN, ETON. Saved by school papers. Who would have thought? Grace's moment of rest was interrupted not twenty minutes later, however, by the arrival of the Ladies Elizabeth and Amelia Willoughby, the pretty, blond daughters of the Earl of Crowland, longtime neighbors and, Grace was always delighted to note, friends. Elizabeth especially. They were of an age, and before Grace's position in the world had plummeted with the death of her parents, had been considered proper companions. Oh, everyone knew that Grace would not make a match like the Willoughby girls – she would never have a London season, after all. But when they were all in Lincolnshire, they were, if not equals, then at least on something of the same level. People weren't so fussy at the Dance and Assembly. And when the girls were alone, rank was never something they noticed. Amelia was Elizabeth's younger sister. Just by a year, but when they were all younger, it had seemed a massive gulf, so Grace did not know her nearly so well. That would change soon, though, she supposed. Amelia was betrothed to Thomas, and had been from the cradle. It would have been Elizabeth, except she was promised to another young lord (also in infancy; Lord Crowland was not one to leave matters to chance). Elizabeth's fellow, however, had died quite young. Lady Crowland (who was not one for tact) had declared it all very inconvenient, but the papers binding Amelia to Thomas had already been signed, and it was deemed best to leave matters as they were. Grace had never discussed the engagement with Thomas – they were friends, but he would never talk about something so personal with her. Still, she had long suspected that he found the entire situation rather convenient. A fiancee did keep marriage-minded misses (and their mamas) at bay. Somewhat. It was quite obvious that the ladies of England believed in hedging their bets, and poor Thomas could not go anywhere without the women attempting to put themselves in the best possible light, just in case Amelia should, oh, disappear. Die. Decide she didn't wish to be a duchess. Really, Grace thought wryly, as if Amelia had any choice in the matter. But even though a wife would be a far more effective deterrent than a fiancee, Thomas continued to drag his feet, which Grace thought dreadfully insensitive of him. Amelia was one-and-twenty, for heaven's sake. And according to Lady Crowland, at least four men would have offered for her in London if she had not been marked as the future Duchess of Wyndham. (Elizabeth, sister that she was, said it was closer to three, but still, the poor girl had been dangling like a string for years.) â€Å"Books!† Elizabeth announced as they entered the hall. â€Å"As promised.† At her behest, Elizabeth's mother had borrowed several books from the dowager. Not that Lady Crowland actually read the books. Lady Crowland read very little outside the gossip pages, but returning them was a fine pretext to visit Belgrave, and she was always in favor of anything that placed Amelia in the vicinity of Thomas. No one had the heart to tell her that Amelia rarely even saw Thomas when she was at Belgrave. Most of the time, she was forced to endure the dowager's company – company, however, being perhaps too generous a word to describe Augusta Cavendish whilst standing before the young lady who was meant to carry on the Wyndham line. The dowager was very good at finding fault. One might even call it her greatest talent. And Amelia was her favorite subject. But today she had been spared. The dowager was still upstairs, reading her dead son's Latin conjugations, and so Amelia had ended up sipping tea while Grace and Elizabeth chatted. Or rather, Elizabeth chatted. It was all Grace could do to nod and murmur in the appropriate moments. One would think her tired mind would go utterly blank, but the opposite was true. She could not stop thinking about the highwayman. And his kiss. And his identity. And his kiss. And if she would meet him again. And that he'd kissed her. And – And she had to stop thinking about him. It was madness. She looked over at the tea tray, wondering if it would be rude to eat the last biscuit. † – certain you are well, Grace?† Elizabeth said, reaching forward to clasp her hand. â€Å"You look very tired.† Grace blinked, trying to focus on her dear friend's face. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said reflexively. â€Å"I am quite tired, although that is not an excuse for my inattention.† Elizabeth grimaced. She knew the dowager. They all did. â€Å"Did she keep you up late last night?† Grace nodded. â€Å"Yes, although, truthfully, it was not her fault.† Elizabeth glanced to the doorway to make sure no one was listening before she replied, â€Å"It is always her fault.† Grace smiled wryly. â€Å"No, this time it really wasn't. We were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Well, really, was there any reason not to tell Elizabeth? Thomas already knew, and surely it would be all over the district by nightfall. â€Å"We were accosted by highwaymen, actually.† â€Å"Oh, my heavens! Grace!† Elizabeth hastily set down her teacup. â€Å"No wonder you appear so distracted!† â€Å"Hmmm?† Amelia had been staring off into space, as she frequently did while Grace and Elizabeth were nattering on, but this had clearly got her attention. â€Å"I am quite recovered,† Grace assured her. â€Å"Just a bit tired, I'm afraid. I did not sleep well.† â€Å"What happened?† Amelia asked. Elizabeth actually shoved her. â€Å"Grace and the dowager were accosted by highwaymen!† â€Å"Really?† Grace nodded. â€Å"Last night. On the way home from the assembly.† And then she thought – Good Lord, if the highwayman is really the dowager's grandson, and he is legitimate, what happens to Amelia? But he wasn't legitimate. He couldn't be. He might very well be a Cavendish by blood, but surely not by birth. Sons of dukes did not leave legitimate offspring littering the countryside. It simply did not happen. â€Å"Did they take anything?† Amelia asked. â€Å"How can you be so dispassionate?† Elizabeth demanded. â€Å"They pointed a gun at her!† She turned to Grace. â€Å"Did they?† Grace saw it again in her mind – the cold round end of the pistol, the slow, seductive gaze of the highwayman. He wouldn't have shot her. She knew that now. But still, she murmured, â€Å"They did, actually.† â€Å"Were you terrified?† Elizabeth asked breathlessly. â€Å"I would have been. I would have swooned.† â€Å"I wouldn't have swooned,† Amelia remarked. â€Å"Well, of course you wouldn't,† Elizabeth said irritably. â€Å"You didn't even gasp when Grace told you about it.† â€Å"It sounds rather exciting, actually.† Amelia looked at Grace with great interest. â€Å"Was it?† And Grace – Good heavens, she felt herself blush. Amelia leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. â€Å"Was he handsome, then?† Elizabeth looked at her sister as if she were mad. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"The highwayman, of course.† Grace stammered something and pretended to drink her tea. â€Å"He was,† Amelia said triumphantly. â€Å"He was wearing a mask,† Grace felt compelled to point out. â€Å"But you could still tell that he was handsome.† â€Å"No!† â€Å"Then his accent was terribly romantic. French? Italian?† Amelia's eyes grew even wider. â€Å"Spanish.† â€Å"You've gone mad,† Elizabeth said. â€Å"He didn't have an accent,† Grace retorted. Then she thought of that lilt, that devilish little lift in his voice that she couldn't quite place. â€Å"Well, not much of one. Scottish, perhaps? Irish? I couldn't tell, precisely.† Amelia sat back with a happy sigh. â€Å"A highwayman. How romantic.† â€Å"Amelia Willoughby!† Elizabeth scolded. â€Å"Grace was just attacked at gunpoint, and you are calling it romantic?† Amelia opened her mouth to reply, but just then they heard footsteps in the hall. â€Å"The dowager?† Elizabeth whispered to Grace, looking very much as if she'd like to be wrong. â€Å"I don't think so,† Grace replied. â€Å"She was still abed when I came down. She was rather†¦ehrm†¦distraught.† â€Å"I should think so,† Elizabeth remarked. Then she gasped. â€Å"Did they make away with her emeralds?† Grace shook her head. â€Å"We hid them. Under the seat cushions.† â€Å"Oh, how clever!† Elizabeth said approvingly. â€Å"Amelia, wouldn't you agree?† Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to Grace. â€Å"It was your idea, wasn't it?† Grace opened her mouth to retort that she would have happily handed them over, but just then Thomas walked past the open doorway to the sitting room. Conversation stopped. Elizabeth looked at Grace, and Grace looked at Amelia, and Amelia just kept looking at the now empty doorway. After a moment of held breath, Elizabeth turned to Amelia and said, â€Å"I think he does not realize we are here.† â€Å"I don't care,† Amelia declared, and Grace believed her. â€Å"I wonder where he went,† Grace murmured, although she did not think anyone heard her. They were all still watching the doorway, waiting to see if he'd return. There was a grunt, and then a crash. Grace stood, wondering if she ought to go investigate. â€Å"Bloody hell,† she heard Thomas snap. Grace winced, glancing over at the others. They had risen to their feet as well. â€Å"Careful with that,† she heard Thomas say. And then, as the three ladies watched in silence, the painting of John Cavendish moved past the open doorway, two footmen struggling to keep it upright and balanced. â€Å"Who was that?† Amelia asked once the portrait had gone by. â€Å"The dowager's middle son,† Grace murmured. â€Å"He died twenty-nine years ago.† â€Å"Why are they moving the portrait?† â€Å"The dowager wants it upstairs,† Grace replied, thinking that ought to be answer enough. Who knew why the dowager did anything? Amelia was apparently satisfied with this explanation, because she did not question her further. Or it could have been that Thomas chose that moment to reappear in the doorway. â€Å"Ladies,† he said. They all three bobbed curtsies. He nodded in that way of his, when he was clearly being nothing but polite. â€Å"Pardon.† And then he left. â€Å"Well,† Elizabeth said, and Grace wasn't certain whether she was trying to express outrage at his rudeness or simply fill the silence. If it was the latter, it didn't work, because no one said anything more until Elizabeth finally added, â€Å"Perhaps we should leave.† â€Å"No, you can't,† Grace replied, feeling dreadful for having to be the bearer of such bad news. â€Å"Not yet. The dowager wants to see Amelia.† Amelia groaned. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Grace said. And meant it. Amelia sat down, looked at the tea tray and announced, â€Å"I'm eating the last biscuit.† Grace nodded. Amelia would need sustenance for the ordeal ahead. â€Å"Perhaps I should order more?† But then Thomas returned again. â€Å"We nearly lost it on the stairs,† he said to Grace, shaking his head. â€Å"The whole thing swung to the right and nearly impaled itself on the railing.† â€Å"Oh, my.† â€Å"It would have been a stake through the heart,† he said with grim humor. â€Å"It would have been worth it just to see her face.† Grace prepared to rise and make her way upstairs. If the dowager was awake, that meant her visit with the Willoughby sisters was over. â€Å"Your grandmother rose from bed, then?† â€Å"Only to oversee the transfer. You're safe for now.† He shook his head, rolling his eyes as he did so. â€Å"I cannot believe she had the temerity to demand that you fetch it for her last night. Or,† he added quite pointedly, â€Å"that you actually thought you could do it.† Grace thought she ought to explain. â€Å"The dowager requested that I bring her the painting last night,† she told Elizabeth and Amelia. â€Å"But it was huge!† Elizabeth exclaimed. â€Å"My grandmother always favored her middle son,† Thomas said, with a twist of his lips that Grace would not have called a smile. He glanced across the room, and then, as if suddenly realizing his future bride was present, said, â€Å"Lady Amelia.† â€Å"Your grace,† she responded. But he couldn't possibly have heard her. He was already back to Grace, saying, â€Å"You will of course support me if I lock her up?† â€Å"Thom – † Grace began, cutting herself off at the last moment. She supposed that Elizabeth and Amelia knew that he had given her leave to use his given name while at Belgrave, but still, it seemed disrespectful to do so when others were present. â€Å"Your grace,† she said, enunciating each word with careful resolve. â€Å"You must grant her extra patience this day. She is distraught.† Grace sent up a prayer for forgiveness as she let everyone think the dowager had been upset by nothing more than an ordinary robbery. She wasn't precisely lying to Thomas, but she suspected that in this case the sin of omission could prove equally dangerous. She made herself smile. It felt forced. â€Å"Amelia? Are you unwell?† Grace turned. Elizabeth was watching her sister with concern. â€Å"I'm perfectly fine,† Amelia snapped, which was enough, of course, to show that she was not. The pair bickered for a moment, their voices low enough so Grace could not make out their exact words, and then Amelia rose, saying something about needing some air. Thomas stood, of course, and Grace rose to her feet as well. Amelia passed by and even reached the doorway before Grace realized that Thomas did not intend to follow. Good heavens, for a duke, his manners were abominable. Grace elbowed him in the ribs. Someone had to, she told herself. No one ever stood up to the man. Thomas shot her a dirty look, but he obviously realized that she was in the right, because he turned to Amelia, nodded his head the barest of inches, and said, â€Å"Allow me to escort you.† They departed, and Grace and Elizabeth sat silently for at least a minute before Elizabeth said resignedly, â€Å"They are not a good match, are they?† Grace glanced at the door, even though they had long since departed. She shook her head. It was huge. It was a castle, of course, and meant to be imposing, but really. Jack stood, open-mouthed. This was huge. Funny how no one had mentioned that his father was from a ducal family. Had anyone even known? He had always assumed his father had been the son of some jolly old country squire, maybe a baronet or possibly a baron. He had always been told that he was sired by John Cavendish, not Lord John Cavendish, as he must have been styled. And as for the old lady†¦Jack had realized that morning that she had never given her name, but surely she was the duchess. She was far too imperious to be a maiden aunt or widowed relation. Good Lord. He was the grandson of a duke. How was that possible? Jack stared at the structure before him. He was not a complete provincial. He'd traveled widely whilst in the army and had gone to school with the sons of Ireland's most notable families. The aristocracy was not unknown to him. He did not consider himself uncomfortable in their midst. But this†¦ This was huge. How many rooms in the place? There had to be over a hundred. And what was the provenance? It didn't look quite medieval, despite the crenellations at the top, but it was certainly pre-Tudor. Something important must have happened there. Houses did not get this big without stumbling into the occasional historic event. A treaty, maybe? Perhaps a royal visit? It sounded like the sort of thing that would have been mentioned in school, which was probably why he didn't know it. A scholar he was not. The view of the castle as he'd approached had been deceptive. The area was heavy with trees, and the turrets and towers seemed to twinkle in and out of sight as he moved through the foliage. It was only when he reached the end of the drive that it had come completely into view – massive and amazing. The stone was gray in color, with a hint of a yellow undertone, and although its angles were mostly squared off, there was nothing boring about the facade. It dipped and rose, jutted out and swept back in. No long Georgian wall of windows was this. Jack couldn't even imagine how long it would take a newcomer to find his way around inside. Or how long it would take to find the poor fellow once he got himself lost. And so he stood and stared, trying to take it in. What would it have been like to grow up there? His father had done so, and by all accounts he'd been a nice enough fellow. Well, by one account, he supposed – his Aunt Mary was the only person he knew who'd known his father well enough to pass along a story or two. Still, it was difficult to imagine a family living there. His own home in Ireland had not been small by any standards, but still, with four children it often felt as if they were constantly crashing into one another. You couldn't go ten minutes or even ten steps without being swept into a conversation with a cousin or a brother or an aunt or even a dog. (He'd been a good dog, God rest his furry little soul. Better than most people.) They had known each other, the Audleys. It was, Jack had long since decided, a very good – and very uncommon – thing. After a few minutes there was a small flurry of movement at the front door, then three women emerged. Two were blond. It was too far away to see their faces, but he could tell by the way they moved that they were young, and probably quite pretty. Pretty girls, he'd long since learned, moved differently than the plain ones. It did not matter if they were aware of their beauty or not. What they weren't was aware of their plainness. Which the plain ones always were. Jack quirked a half smile. He supposed he was a bit of a scholar of women. Which, he'd often tried to convince himself, was as noble a subject as any. But it was the third girl – the last to emerge from the castle – who captured his breath and held him motionless, unable to look away. It was the girl from the carriage the night before. He was sure of it. The hair was the right color – shiny and dark, but it wasn't such a unique shade that it couldn't be found elsewhere. He knew it was her because†¦because†¦ Because he did. He remembered her. He remembered the way she moved, the way she felt pressed up against him. He remembered the soft breath of the air between their bodies when she'd moved away. He'd liked her. He didn't often get the chance to like or dislike the people he waylaid, but he'd been thinking to himself that there was something rather appealing about the flash of intelligence in her eyes when the old lady had shoved her at him, giving him permission to hold a gun to her head. He'd not approved of that. But he'd appreciated it all the same, because touching her, holding her – it had been an unexpected pleasure. And when the old lady returned with the miniature, his only thought had been that it was a pity he didn't have time to kiss her properly. Jack held himself quietly as he watched her move in the drive, glancing over her shoulder, then leaning forward to say something to the other girls. One of the blondes linked arms with her and led her off to the side. They were friends, he realized with surprise, and he wondered if the girl – his girl, as he was now thinking of her – was something more than a companion. A poor relation, maybe? She was certainly not a daughter of the house, but it seemed she was not quite a servant. She adjusted the straps of her bonnet, and then she (What was her name? He wanted to know her name) pointed to something in the distance. Jack found himself glancing the same way, but there were too many trees framing the drive for him to see whatever had captured her interest. And then she turned. Faced him. Saw him. She did not cry out, nor did she flinch, but he knew that she saw him in the way she†¦ In the way she simply was, he supposed, because he could not see her face from such a distance. But he knew. His skin began to prickle with awareness, and it occurred to him that she'd recognized him, too. It was preposterous, because he was all the way down the drive, and not wearing his highwayman's garb, but he knew that she knew she was staring at the man who had kissed her. The moment – it could only have lasted seconds – stretched into eternity. And then somewhere behind him a bird cawed, snapping him from his trance, and one thought pounded through his head. Time to go. He never stayed in one spot for long, but here – this place – it was surely the most dangerous of all. He gave it one last look. Not of longing; he did not long for this. And as for the girl from the carriage – he fought down something strange and acrid, burning in his throat – he would not long for her, either. Some things were simply untenable. â€Å"Who was that man?† Grace heard Elizabeth speak, but she pretended not to. They were sitting in the Willoughbys' comfortable carriage, but their happy threesome now numbered four. The dowager had, upon rising from her bed, taken one look at Amelia's sun-kissed cheeks (Grace did think that she and Thomas had taken quite a long walk together, all things considered), and gone into a barely intelligible tirade about the proper decorum of a future duchess. It was not every day one heard a speech containing dynasty, procreation, and sunspots – all in one sentence. But the dowager had managed it, and now they were all miserable, Amelia most of all. The dowager had got it into her head that she needed to speak with Lady Crowland – most probably about the supposed blemishes on Amelia's skin – and so she invited herself along for the ride, giving instructions to the Wyndham stables to ready a carriage and send it after them for the return journey. Grace had come along, too. Because, quite frankly, she didn't have any choice. â€Å"Grace?† It was Elizabeth again. Grace sucked in her lips and positively glued her eyes to a spot on the seat cushion just to the left of the dowager's head. â€Å"Who was it?† Elizabeth persisted. â€Å"No one,† Grace said quickly. â€Å"Are we ready to depart?† She looked out the window, pretending to wonder why they were delayed on the drive. Any moment now they would leave for Burges Park, where the Willoughbys lived. She had been dreading the journey, short though it was. And then she'd seen him. The highwayman. Whose name wasn't Cavendish. But once was. He had left before the dowager emerged from the castle, turning his mount in a display of horsemanship so expert that even she, who was no equestrienne, recognized his skill. But he had seen her. And he had recognized her. She was certain of it. She'd felt it. Grace tapped her fingers impatiently against the side of her thigh. She thought of Thomas, and of the enormous portrait that had passed by the doorway of the sitting room. She thought of Amelia, who had been raised since birth to be the bride of a duke. And she thought of herself. Her world might not be quite what she wanted, but it was hers, and it was safe. One man had the power to send it all crashing down. Which was why, even though she would have traded a corner of her soul for just one more kiss from a man whose name she did not know, when Elizabeth remarked that it looked as if she knew him, she said, sharply, â€Å"I do not.† The dowager looked up, her face pinched with irritation. â€Å"What are you talking about?† â€Å"There was a man at the end of the drive,† Elizabeth said, before Grace could deny anything. The dowager's head snapped back in Grace's direction. â€Å"Who was it?† she demanded. â€Å"I don't know. I could not see his face.† Which wasn't a lie. Not the second part, at least. â€Å"Who was it?† the dowager thundered, her voice rising over the sound of the wheels beginning their rumble down the drive. â€Å"I don't know,† Grace repeated, but even she could hear the cracks in her voice. â€Å"Did you see him?† the dowager asked Amelia. Grace's eyes caught Amelia's. Something passed between them. â€Å"I saw no one, ma'am,† said Amelia. The dowager dismissed her with a snort, turning the full weight of her fury on Grace. â€Å"Was it he?† Grace shook her head. â€Å"I don't know,† she stammered. â€Å"I couldn't say.† â€Å"Stop the carriage,† the dowager yelled, lurching forward and shoving Grace aside so she could bang on the wall separating the cabin and the driver. â€Å"Stop, I tell you!† The carriage came to a sudden stop, and Amelia, who had been sitting face front beside the dowager, tumbled forward, landing at Grace's feet. She tried to get up but was blocked by the dowager, who had reached across the carriage to grab Grace's chin, her long, ancient fingers digging cruelly into her skin. â€Å"I will give you one more chance, Miss Eversleigh,† she hissed. â€Å"Was it he?† Forgive me, Grace thought. She nodded.

Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Media Campaign

SMIRNOFF NIGHTLIFE EXCHANGE MEDIA CAMPAIGN CHAU Hong Duc Table of content I. Analysis 1. Overview 2. Significant figures 3. Why is it successful? II. Recommendation III. References I. Analysis 1. Overview Smirnoff Night Life Exchange project is an annual promotion campaign integrates series of nightlife parties, leading to the biggest party in the November each year, along with global dancing competition judged by Madonna.Initiated by Smirnoff – the 1st worldwide vodka brand from 2010, Night Life Exchange reached a huge success in 2011; marked with November 12th 2011 night, with (1)50 countries and 10 million people around the world involved and celebrate the best world’s nightlife. 2. Significant figures (2) 10 million participants 50 countries 3000 tracks of partygoers 5000 â€Å"liked† Smirnoff cocktails on Facebook 8000 photos uploaded on Facebook One of 11 best social media campaigns in 2011 selected by Econsultancy. com (3) 3. Why is it successful?In this p art, I’ll just discuss on the media’s aspect, which I believe is the major factor leading to its success. Firstly, Smirnoff heavily takes advantages of social media, specifically Facebook fan pages. It created 50 fan pages for each country involved, such as Smirnoff Vietnam, Smirnoff. These pages are altogether connected to the main fan page of Smirnoff with the special application called Around the world, which earns more than 386,000 likes. Fan pages significantly make a huge impact on earning participants for the project. Along the line, they also generate local ebsite in each country to promote the event, to attract people signing up for the event and receiving any ideas for the biggest night, varied from which drinks are suggested, which singers should be put in and so on. On both pages and sites, they put on valuable information about cocktails recipes as well as creating amazing and viral small contests with prizes good enough for calling attendants. The two mos t important elements in this media campaign are: First, Smirnoff had a great idea of hosting an enormous one-of-a-kind event locally, which means people from all over the world can enjoy a mutual experience.This obviously woke up either the feeling of national pride or the toward-global tendency. Second, Smirnoff created the two-way communication with their target customers. They can technically involve in organizing â€Å"their† own party through the possibility of sharing thousands ideas. It’s excellent that Smirnoff is having an open dialogue rather just informing information to audiences. In conclusion, Smirnoff successfully created the shared value for an event, which is social media all about.Besides, the logo is very well designed with the theme color is red, which is also the theme color of Smirnoff with the symbol of an eagle, represents a feeling of powerful and courtesy. II. Recommendation However, there is still room for improvement if Smirnoff want to get bigger achievements through this project. I went through some of Nightlife Exchange’s local website and realized that the design, as well as domain name of those websites is not consistent, for example in Vietnam, it’s bethere. n but in another country, it’s totally different. Therefore, I recommend that instead of having separate websites, they should link all of countries into one mother site and from there, direct to local page, such as bethere. com/Vietnam or bethere. com/brazil. This would help them organize better customer database, better statistics and easily keep track of their customer. I also highly suggest using mobile marketing, which is cheap and fast method to spread out the information to audiences as well as check-in function on Facebook.They should encourage their fans to do check-in whenever they go to the party. This will create an impressive appearance on fan pages. Last but not least, the slogan â€Å"Be There†, though it’s qu ite suitable for the beginning phase, should be change into some words more encourage the individual uniqueness like â€Å"Be Yourself There† or â€Å"Be Unique There†. I think it will encourage people to join party and prove themselves to all people in the world and create a vast diversity of styles, bringing more liveliness to an event. III. Refernces (1)Madonna Resurfaces in Smirnoff Social Media Promotion http://mashable. com/2011/08/17/madonna-smirnoff/ – Todd Wasserman, Mashable, Aug 2011 * (2)Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project Gathers Millions Globally for the World's Biggest Nightlife Experience http://www. marketwire. com/press-release/smirnoff-nightlife-exchange-project-gathers-millions-globally-worlds-biggest-nightlife-1586027. htm – Marketwire, 2011 * (3)11 of the best social media campaigns of 2011 (and what we can learn from them) * http://econsultancy. om/fr/blog/8452-the-best-social-media-campaigns-of-2011-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them – Steve Richards, Econsultancy. com, Dec 2011 * Superstar line-up for the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Projectâ„ ¢ with The Potbelleez, Fourplay DJ's And DJ Gordo http://www. irishtimes. com/events/smirnoff-nightlife-exchange/thailand-exchange. html – Iristimes. com * https://www. facebook. com/Smirnoff * http://nightlifeexchange. vice. com/en * The Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project 2011 video clip http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=k9lCf8VkMio

Mid-term Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mid-term - Essay Example Faith, in terms of a religion is termed as the acceptance of a religion or beliefs pertaining to a religion. Theology, in contrast to religion is defined as the concept which involves the detailed approach of divine. This proposes a study of God and the divine power. The main aim of theology is to acquire knowledge about the divine power, God. In general terms theology is a part of science which aims at analyzing the divinity. (Kessler, 2007). Theology is study of religion and hence one can study about a religion without being a part of it. A religious study is a field of research which analyzes the properties and concept of religion. It also interprets the difference and similarity among the religions and exhibits the cross religion aspects. It analyzes the individual elements of a religion and describes the nuances in an external manner. Spirituality is referred as a means by which a person realizes himself through several aspects like prayer, yoga and meditation. It can also be na med as the path which combined with religion, helps a person to move forward to the eternal journey of life. These concepts are similar in one or more ways as each one of them relates to the religion and its concepts. Though they are different in their features, they are dependent as religion is the major underlying concept. Though Faith and Religion are considered to be the same, they differ from each other as faith is the ultimate belief on something while religion is something which is manmade. Faith can be considered as the trust and loyalty towards God whereas religion is manmade where a group of people believe in the existence of a superpower. Faith and religion complement each other and thus they coexist. Faith is the belief while religion teaches how to practice this faith. Part II Sacred Power 3 Metaphor is a term which is used for comparing any two distinct terms which do not have any relevance in common. These words do not share any common concept, but they might be simil ar in one of the important ways. Metaphor is used to describe a word by highlighting its similarity to another word. Comparing a noun with another is known as a metaphor. For example, the phrase I am like a flower, exhibits that a person is compared with the flower. Transcendence is a concept that transforms a pattern into another pattern. When considering transcendence in religion, it is considered as the one which transforms the world with the help of religion. Transcendence emphasizes on the fact that God is a supernatural power which is beyond the world’s reach. This term is often used with the study of theology. Metaphors are generally used to illustrate the sacred as transcendent. Immanence is often related with religion and its aspects and it emphasizes on the presence of the God. The divine is considered as the superior aspect and it surpasses all the other existing things in the world. Part III Sacred Actions 5 The five different ways in which humans worship are name d as technological rituals, therapeutic and anti therapeutic rituals, ideological rituals, salvation rituals and revitalization rituals. Technological rituals help in preventing the change of state that occurs in the nature. It is carried out to ensure that the humans are benefited in some way or the other. The example for technological rituals includes conducting prayers for rain and weather. The next type of worship is the therapeutic and a

The Nursing Theory of Dorothea Orem Research Paper

The Nursing Theory of Dorothea Orem - Research Paper Example When she observed nurses in various hospitals, she found that while they generally were able to perform their job functions, they could not articulate the true purpose of nursing. Orem’s intention was to determine an appropriate focus for the profession that centered on individual patients. This theory was significant in the sense that it provided nurses with a clearer focus on what the profession entailed: helping those who were unable to help themselves due to their health conditions. This paper will give a biographical account of Dorothea Orem’s life and provide a complete description of the Orem Model of Nursing including the Self-Care Deficit Theory. The paper will include examples of how the theory can be applied in various medical settings. It will also discuss the contributions, value and relevancy of her theory. The Nursing Theory of Dorothea Orem Dorothea Orem was a nursing theorist who developed the Orem Model of Nursing also known as the Self-Care Nursing Theory. Orem's nursing theory states that caring for oneself is a basic human need. The duty of nurses is to design interventions to provide or manage self-care actions for individuals to recover or maintain health (Taylor, p. 74). Orem was one of the first theorists to realize that nursing is needed when humans are unable to care for themselves. She felt that â€Å"nursing is distinguished from other forms of care by the way it focuses on human beings† (Fawcett, 2001, p. 35). ... in 1934 and went on to the Catholic University of America to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education in 1939 and a Master of Science in Nursing Education in 1945 (â€Å"Dorothea Orem,† n.d.). Orem’s first jobs were at Providence Hospital, Washington, D.C. and St. John's Hospital in Lowell, Massachusetts. Some of the positions she held included operating room nurse, private nursing, hospital staff nursing in pediatric and adult medical –surgical units and evening emergency room supervisor. In 1945 she began to focus her career on nursing education. She worked as the director of Providence Hospital School of Nursing in Detroit and continued this phase of her career at the Catholic University of America where she worked as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Dean of Nursing. In 1949 she left Detroit and moved to Indiana where she found a position as a consultant in the Division of Hospital and Institutional Services of the Indiana State Board of Health. During her tenure there she intended to raise the standard of nursing in hospitals throughout the state (â€Å"Biography of Dorothea Orem,† n.d.). Between 1949 and 1957 Orem was able to closely observe nurses and their work as a result of her position with the Indiana State Board of Health. As a result of her observations she began to realize that nursing required a certain way of thinking as well as a certain way of communicating (Fawcett, 2001). In attempting to develop nursing as a meaningful profession, Orem asked herself three questions: â€Å"(1) What do nurses do and what should nurses do as practitioners of nursing? (2) Why do nurses do what they do? and (3) What results from what nurses do as practitioners of nursing?† (Fawcett, 2001, p. 34) She

Impact of Media Globalisation on National Identity Essay

Impact of Media Globalisation on National Identity - Essay Example The Chinese economy has been selected because of the increasing number of foreign companies in China. Moreover, since the Chinese government has been very rigid in its foreign media policies, therefore, this essay will be also helpful to understand the major threats which Chinese government has from media globalization and because of which the government has remained rigid and strict. The electronic media and communication network includes the various forms of a telecommunication network, internet, radio, television and film and the rate of expansion of media has been exceptional (Siochru, 2004). Actually, the development of media and communication is brought by the development and innovations in technology. It is also believed that because of the rapid technological developments, there is a potential for further development in media and communications. By describing the merger of Time-Warner with AOL Sinclair argues that merging of cable, internet and satellite services has the potential to increase in future with the developments in technology such as digital television. Media is considered very important because it directly influences the consumer behavior, culture, living style and attitude. Jan (2009) argues that media are fundamental to the provision of cultural or symbolic assets worldwide and it is central to the use of cultural or symbolic power. The increasing globalization of media is usually associated with the national identity and culture. National identity is a shared sentiment which is based on the credence of belonging to a nation which shares a set of common attributes that differentiate it from the other nations (Berdun, 2007, pp.11).  

Nasa risk management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nasa risk management - Essay Example Understanding the stakeholder’s expectations is primary as they can also opt to implement a constraint that will limit the performance of the organizations. Conducting a performance measurement is also imperative due to the expansion of research of realizing the risks involved, as well as the opportunities involved. The main weaknesses in the RIDM flowchart case study include the imposition of constraints that is not done by the organization directly, but rather by the stakeholders. The stakeholders can induce a very limited space for the organization to spur in its efforts to develop a higher level of success and great performance. Another weakness is in the assessment conducted through the second step whereby preliminary evaluations are conducted. This is because the results accrued are rather solidly understood as grounds for approval or disapproval. When the evaluation is conducted, the conditions may be more favorable then, and provide positive results that may not be achieved should the environmental conditions alter. The use of RIDM (risk- informed decision making) to determine the performance measures can be presented in a qualitative and quantitative format. The quantitative format presents this information in numerical characters and provides a mathematical volume analysis of the performance measures. It is highly differentiated from the qualitative format that rather presents information that does not have numerical values and is rather defined in ranking position terms. Some of the qualitative measures in RIDM include; technology readiness level, and it presents the information required without using any numerical values and constructs a qualitative scale the defines the ranking position of the performance measures. The main challenges that are accrued from utilizing the qualitative measures while defining the

Summary article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summary article - Essay Example The authors, in trying to answer this question conducted a research on the regularly shod athletes in the United States and the endurance athletes of the Rift valley province of Kenya. According to the research, endurance athletes of the Rift Valley province of Kenya, while on the track land on the forefoot before they could bring down their heel. In other instances though, they land with a mid-foot strike or in other instances, though less often, on the rear-foot-strike. On the other hand, regularly shod athletes land on their rear-foot strike, facilitated by the elevated and cushioned heel of the modern shoe. While running, athletes risk injuries occurring in three ways; the rear-foot strike, where the rear foot lands first, injuries from the mid-foot strike which where the heal and the ball of the foot land at the same time and fore-foot strike, where the ball of the foot lands before the heel. While sprinters often FFS, contemporary endurance runners RFS, and as such, they should be willing to endure more body weight with every impact. According to the authors, the design of the modern running shoe makes the RFS running more comfortable as well as minimizing its injuries. The shoe, by having a large heel filled with elastic materials, allows the spread of the impact over more time, thus reducing the injury caused to the runners. With this technology therefore, the authors sought to understand how athletes, before the invention of the running shoe used to hit the ground when running. Their research methodology, which involved the comparison of kinematics on tracks at preferred endurance running speeds, considered individual runners from five groups. Using the age of the runners and their shoe wearing habits, these researchers identified the study population. Among these groups were habitually shod athletes from the USA, endurance athletes from the rift valley province of Kenya, US runners who grew up using the footwear but currently run barefoot or with mini mal footwear, runners who have never won shoes and people who have for most of their lives been shod (Lieberman et al.531). The authors reveal that habitually shod runners who grew up wearing shoes, in most cases when shod RFS, although they predominantly RFS when barefoot on the same hard surfaces. On the other hand, however, individuals who grew up barefoot, or switched to barefoot running, in most cases, FFS followed by heel contact, whether shod or barefoot. Further, barefoot conditions in most cases MFS. As the research established, the cushioned sole of most of the modern running shoes, having a thickset below the heel, is the main contributing factor to the predominance of RFS in shod runners. This shoe elevates runners at least 5 degrees from the ground, and as such, the habitual unshod runners RFS less frequently. Subsequently, the shoes with elevated, cushioned heels facilitate RFS running, as the authors conclude. Further, the authors observe, that due to the differences in kinematic among foot strikes, they generate different forces of collision on the ground. By comparing this impact with the habitually shod and barefoot adult runners, all from the United States, the researchers were able to come up with this conclusion. The research also establishes that contrary to FFS whose impacts during the toe-heel-toe gaits generate ground reaction forces without a transient even when tested on a steel force plate, RFS landings cause larger

Health Informatics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health Informatics - Assignment Example Thus good quality research may be considered an effect of clinical informatics. Alternately, clinical informatics may be identified as a cause of good quality research. We, as health care professionals, should be more involved with the organizations of health care informatics because the research they do and the knowledge they produce is meant to bring an improvement in our own health care strategies, policies, and procedures. As health care professionals, we serve as important sources of information for the health care informatics organizations. â€Å"Clinical Informatics is concerned with information use in health care by clinicians† (American Medical Informatics Association, 2012). They require our input and need us to share our experiences in order to have a detailed in-sight into the problems and identify the correct solutions. Moreover, health care informatics organizations are important to us as they provide us with an opportunity to learn about the latest biomedical knowledge, information technology, and methodologies of knowledge management which we can implement in our work to improve the quality of our work and our performance. He alth care professionals and health care informatics organization are mutually beneficial to each

Case Study in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case Study in Strategic Management - Essay Example Competition is a force in the general environment, and it is likely the force that is going to impact companies within this industry the most, as it continues to change and grow in the next few years. â€Å"The nature and degree of competition in an industry hinge on five forces: the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of customers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products, and the jockeying among current contestants† (Ireland et al., 2006). In this industry, even though barrier costs are high, substitute products are a real threat. â€Å"If a supplier can either increase the price of its product or reduce the quality while selling it at the same price, the effect on established firms profitability is negative. A supplier that can do one of these things is said to be a powerful supplier† (Ireland et al, 2006). This rule holds true for the motorcycle manufacturing industry as well. There is also a particularly strong domestic market i n the US with strong and sustained growth. In terms of competencies and resources, possessing the first mover advantage in relation to its core competency allows a business like Harley-Davidson in the case to set the paradigm for future operations in the new market and also capitalize on all of the intrinsic benefits of this market in a way that will set a standard and leave a lasting impression. This is why many companies are willing to take the risk that being the first mover entails. There are also drawbacks to this situation: this hearkens back to Porter’s force of substitute products, which are increasingly available in an increasingly globalized international marketplace. From a perspective of strategic fit, Harley-Davidson is not in a bad position at the end of the case; it still has a centralized command structure, however. This is a common

NUTRITION FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

NUTRITION FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE - Essay Example Water is the main component that keeps the volume of the blood in the body. DEHYDRATION AND HYDRATION: Because of the vital roles of water in the body functioning, keeping the fluid level of the body is important for athletes who exercise or practice for long hours. A workout under the duration of thirty minutes can get on with water only, but beyond that water loss from the body will lead to dehydration. For athletes probably the most important nutritional concern is fluid replacement. The main loss of water from the body is due to perspiration. In water sports like swimming, one will not even know the loss of water through perspiration as perspiration is rather invisible here. According to various studies if one loses water up to two or more percent of ones body weight ( water makes 60% of the body weight) due to sweating ( If the athlete weigh 50 Kilograms and if he loses one litre sweat ) , that will lead to a drop in blood volume. This will force the heart to work harder to pump the blood through the arteries. This is the extreme situation of dehydrati on. This leads to muscle cramps. The functioning of the brain heavily depends on water as pointed out by K.G styles, the hydration technique expert (http://EzineArticles.com/ ), and thus dehydration affects the brain leading to fatigue and dizziness. If not rehydrated immediately this situation may even lead to heat illnesses like Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion. In addition to excessive sweating, other causes of dehydration are inadequate fluid intake, failure to replace fluid losses during and after the exercises, working out in dry hot weather, in the open, and drinking only when one is thirsty. According to, Ron.j. Maughan and Robert Murray, though we usually take care of the dehydration due to sweat lose during exercises, not much scientific interest is shown to study the pre exercise dehydration. Pre exercise dehydration may be due to

The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Eating Fast Food Essay Americans have been choosing fast food as a replacement for classic homemade meals for many of years. It is fast and convenient, but the negative effects outweigh the good effects by a long shot. Eating fast food daily affects Americans’ health, diet, leaves a hole in their pocket, and even changes their everyday mood. The effects might not be seen right away, but after time they will start to add up. It has been proved that replacing a homemade meal with fast food has had a huge effect on Americans’ health. It does not take a scientist to figure out that fast food is not a good choice. Basically, fast food is high in calories, salt, sodium, and fat. This can cause weight gain and diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and that is just naming a few. A survey of how often Americans ate fast food in the last 60 days states that 25% of Americans have eaten fast food everyday and it is only rising (Ludwig). If we do not act soon about this, the numbers can only get worse. Fast food has changed America as a whole but it affects their diet the most. Fast food contains double the amount of calories as home cooked meals do. A 2007 survey from Hara Marano’s journal, â€Å"The Far Reach Of Fast Food,† found that the average fast food lunch in New York totaled 827 calories. That is almost half of an average American’s daily calorie intake. With more and more fast food commercials advertising a new burger or a new sandwich, it makes it even more tempting to make a quick stop at a fast food restaurant. Students who have open campuses at schools or colleges over Schell 5 the lunch period are pretty much obligated to go for fast food. They are short on time and need something fast and cheap. It may seem like a plus at first. Fast and cheap food, why not? Students are so short on time they tend to forget about what they are putting in their mouth. Americans are spending $110 billion annually on fast food, as stated by Marcella and Greta’s article, â€Å"Avoid The Fast Food Trap. † Money spent on fast food could go towards payments for a higher education, mortgage, computers, or new automobiles. Which is a better choice? 5. 6% of Americans’ income goes to fast food (Durand ). For a person to realize how much of their money is going to fast food, save it instead and count it after a few months. It is amazing how much money is being spent on food. After filling up after a quick meal, the feeling is often happy or satisfied. That feeling will not last for long because it also causes depression. According to Kelly Brownell’s article, â€Å"In Your Face: How the Food Industry Drives Us to Eat,†it is a proven fact that fat, greasy food can negatively change a mood. It also stated that if an average American eats it at least three times a week he or she is 50% more likely to develop depression. This is a lose-lose situation because eating a lot of fast food is proven to cause depression, but Americans who are depressed tend to turn to food. Some can completely disagree on every negative effect that was stated above. They argue that it is cheap and affordable and it makes your children happy. They must have not thought about the prices of their hospital bills once they develop diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or become obese. They argue Schell 6 that it makes your children happy, so why not give them what they want. If they get what they want while growing up they will soon become used to it and will think of fast food as an everyday meal. Not to mention, restaurants that serve fast food provide Americans with job opportunities. That is one positive effect of the rising fast food restaurants being built. Therefore, the unemployed will be able to get an easy job causing the unemployment rate to go down. However, working around food only makes it more tempting to eat a quick burger or scarf down a few fries on break. Lastly, Americans should realize that the bad factors outweigh the good when it comes to eating fast food every single day. Also that it is not worth replacing the classic, tasty homemade meals. Saving more time by going through the drive thru sounds more important at the time but it is not worth it in the end. A homemade meal takes, at the most, 60 minutes of an American’s day to make a healthier, tastier meal. Fast food affects Americans’ long term health. It changes their diet and it soon becomes hard to control. It is proven that it causes depression and it starts to take a toll on your wallet.

World Literature Essay Example for Free

World Literature Essay Flaubert’s Madame Bovary was published to critical acclaim and public scandal during Second Empire France (1852–1870). Government censors cited the novel for offending public morality and religion, though prosecution and defense both acknowledged the artist’s achievement. Flaubert was tried and acquitted for a compelling portrait of his heroine’s unhappy marriage, adulterous love affairs, financial ruin, and suicide. The creation of a powerful and profoundly conflicted male imagination, Emma Rouault Bovary is a polarizing figure. She embodies yet challenges archetypal images of women (virgin/mother, madonna/whore, angel/siren) arising from male experience. She calls into question education, marriage, and motherhood, institutions that inculcate these dichotomous views of women. Thomas Manns Death in Venice opens, like Flaubert’s Madame Bovary, on the scene of Aschenbachs creative composure shattered by an unfamiliar nervous excitement. As Aschenbachs mind spins unproductively, we sense immediately that Venice itself will be ultimately just a picturesque exterior, the backdrop to a story whose cardinal events belong to a mental world– to what Mann called â€Å"reality as an operation of the psyche† (Mann 29). Thomas Mann has spared no allusion to suggest that the hero of the story resembles its author at least with regard to his literary production. Yet Aschenbach is said to have achieved in earnest the classical style befitting a conqueror of the abyss the very style which Flaubert parodies in telling the tragic story of Madame Bovarys disillusion and downfall. The societal scandal of Madame Bovary is as remote now as the asceticism of the spirit practiced by Flaubert and Mann, who seem almost self indulgent. Emma seems as boisterous as Aschenbach. With these heroes the novel enters the realm of inactivity, where the protagonists are bored, but the reader is not. Poor Emma, destroyed by usury rather than love, is so vital that her stupidities do not matter. A much more than average sensual woman, her capacity for life and love is what moves us to admire her, and even to love her, since like Flaubert himself we find ourselves in her. Why is Emma so unlucky? If it can go wrong, it will go wrong for her. Flaubert, like some of the ancients, believed there were no accidents. Ethos is the daimon, your character is your fate, and everything that happens to you starts by being you. Rereading, we suffer the anguish of beholding the phases that lead to Emmas self-destruction. That anguish multiplies despite Flauberts celebrated detachment, partly because of his uncanny skill at suggesting how many different consciousnesses invade and impinge upon any single consciousness, even one as commonplace as Emmas. Emmas I is an other, and so much the worse for the sensual apprehensiveness that finds it has become Emma. Whenever Emma is seen in purely sensuous terms, Flaubert speaks of her with a delicate, almost religious feeling, the way Mann speaks of Aschenbach. Flaubert punished himself harshly, in and through Emma, by grimly mixing in a poisonous order of provincial social reality, and an equally poisonous order of hallucinated play, Emmas fantasies of an ideal passion. The mixing in is cruel, formidable, and of unmatched aesthetic dignity. Emma has no Sublime, but the inverted Romantic vision of Flaubert persuades us that the strongest writing can represent ennui with a life-enhancing power. Flaubert despised realism and said so over and over throughout his life; he loved only the absolute purity of art. Madame Bovary has little to do with realism, and something to do with a prophecy of impressionism, but in a most refracted fashion. All of poor Emmas moments are at once drab and privileged. At moments of more overpowering sensuality there even emerges a â€Å"formula† for Emmas sensual intensities, a characteristic style of sensation which, as we know from Flauberts other works, wasnt invented for Emma alone but rather seems to be a basic formula for Flaubertian sensation in general. Sexuality in Flaubert is frequently expressed in terms of a rippling luminosity. â€Å"Here and there,† Flaubert writes as part of his description of Emmas first happy sexual experience (with Rodolphe in the forest near Yonville), â€Å"all around her, in the leaves and on the ground, patches of light were trembling, as if humming-birds, while in flight, had scattered their feathers† (Flaubert 56). Much later, as she lies alone in bed at night enjoying fantasies of running away with Rodolphe, Emma imagines a future in which â€Å"nothing specific stood out: the days, all of them magnificent, resembled one another like waves; and the vision [cela] swayed on the limitless horizon, harmonious, bluish, and bathed in sun† (Flaubert 94). A world heavy with sensual promise (and no longer blindingly illuminated by sexual intensities) is, in Flaubert, frequently a world of many reflected lights blurred by a mist tinged with color.

Obesity in Childhood

Obesity in Childhood PREVENTION OF OBESITY IN CHILDHOOD Introduction In this assignment I will endeavour to tackle the prevention of obesity in childhood as an aspect of health promotion. The rationale of choosing this topic is that obesity and overweight increase the risk of contracting world killer diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes .The prevalence of obesity in United Kingdom and other countries and the cost to National Health Service and economy will be looked into. An analysis of the behavioural change model and how it relates to health promotion initiatives will be discussed. The role of a nurse and other professionals with regards to heath education and health promotion will be highlighted. What is health The World Health Organisation (WHO 1986)defines health as a state of complete physical ,mental and social well being and not just the absence of disease and infirmity. Forster (2002) confirms that health is generally seen in terms of people being ill or well but indicates that this is a simplistic view, as being well or ill are not entirely separate notions but in fact overlap to some degree. Forster(2002) while concurring with the definition of health as provided by the WHO (1986) adds that this definition provides a positive view of health and suggest that health fluctuates over time along a continuum, good and poor health appearing at opposite poles of the continuum. Ewles and Simnett(2003) also suggest that health is determined by many factors such as Physical health, body function, Societal health living accomodation ,employment status , Spiritual health, religious beliefs and moral values or behaviours, Social health being able to sustain relationships and make friends, Emotional health the ability to cope with depression, stress and anxiety. Therefore an individuals health position along this continuum is variable but no distinct demarcation line between health and ill health exists. With regards to the definition given it is argued that health professionals interventions should focus on helping the clients ,individuals, families and communities to gain health related knowledge, attitudes and practice associated towards achieving certain behaviours. Obesity and associated problems.Obesity is a condition of excess body fat associated with increased risks such as diabetes, cardiovascular and other common diseases (Beebe 2008) and (Campbell and Haslam 2005). Like smoking eating is a complex combination of behaviour driven by social and psychological factors as well as biological compulsion (Croghan and Johnson 2005).They went on to say that people eat fast food because it is socially accepted. For example some fast foods have high fat and high sugar content and people tend to overeat them because they are the most palatable and provide pleasure. The prevention and management of obesity has been a national governmental policy for a number of years according to the Chief Medical Officer,s Annual Report 2002,(DoH 2003).Obesity has been highlighted as a health time bomb and seen as a challenge for the government as a whole (DoH 2003).The World Health Organisation,(WHO 1998) has described obesity as a global epidemic as evidenced by the growing trends in most developed countries. Obesity in childhood carries health risks in both short and long term. Marshall et al (2003) agreed with Bond et al (2004) that obesity has been recognized as a major health problem as it is linked to number of diseases such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes .Obesity is known as a major risk factor in the development of many diseases such as arthritis of weight –bearing joints, gastro esophageal reflux, sleep apnea and certain types of cancer,(Bond et al 2004).Therefore obesity can influence physical, intellectual ,emotional and social development influencing childhood .It is for the above reason that long term eating and exercise habits need to be promoted in health and stop obesity in childhood years. Primary care should play a leading role in obesity management and prevention. The above statement is supported by the document Choosing Health ;Making Healthier Choices Easier (DoH 2004) which identified primary care as crucial to the provision of services f or overweight and obese clients. Obesity is associated with many illnesses and is directly related to increased mortality and lower life expectancy. Tackling obesity is a government wide priority .Obesity was one the key areas highlighted in the governments white paper that needed reform and the plan to meet this target was that each primary trust should have a specialist obesity service with the clients have able to access to a dietician and able to receive advice and support on changing behaviour (DoH 2004) Possible causes of Obesity .A study by Mulvihill and Quigley (2003) has revealed that age, education, social class and prosperity have an important influence on the risk of becoming obese. Muller et al (1999) suggest that unhealthy eating habits are associated with overweight in children, they went on to say that overweight is linked with coming from a low socio-economic background, suggesting that these families should be a primary target for awareness and prevention campaigns. The figures released by the National Child Measurement programme are deeply disturbing.   The fact that 22.9% of children in year one in primary school are overweight or obese surely indicates that measuring the BMI of children should begin much earlier (National Obesity Forum 2008). How childhood obesity in England compares with other countries and the implications to the NHS and ecomony The 2002 review of the white paper (Health of the nation) target for obesity was just 6 per cent for 1992. A continuing rising trend in obesity to 2010 is predicted, when one-fifth of boys and more than one-fifth of girls will be obese,(King Fund 2007) . More recently the Munich Declaration(WHO 2000) recognized that actions need to be increased to enhance the roles of nurses and midwives in public health, health promotion and community participation. Irvine (2005) reported that in United Kingdom there has been corresponding growth in emphasis on health promotion in primary care. For example the liberating the talents policy document for England (DoH 2002) identifies the involvement of nurses in public health, health protection and health promotion as one of three core functions for nurses. In the United States the problem of obesity and overweight is a growing concern and the prevalence has nearly tripled during the past decade. The economic cost is approximately 117billion dollars annually taking into account hospitalization and the lost workdays,(Sitzman 2003)In Australlia the child obesity has increased dramatically and the contributing factors include the availability of affordable energy –dense food supply and sweetened beverages that are marketed aggressively. The studies by (Kaplan and Wadden 1986) cited (Joanna Briggs Institute 2008) has shown that obesity also causes adverse psychosocial problem such as bullying, discrimination and in older children and adolescent and low self esteem. The reduction of physical activities such as walking or cycling to school and an increase in computer and electronic games has compounded the problem (Joanna Briggs Institute 2008).Simillarly a study by Jebb(2005)has revealed that obesity and overweight continues to be a serious public health problem as it is rooted in three main areas such as excess food ,absences of controlling food behaviour and lack of physi cal activity. However the studies by ( Dietz and Robinson 2005,Kirk et al 2005 and Reilly 2006) cited by (Joanna Briggs Institute 2008) has evidence that indicates that a combination of dietary intervention, behavioural therapy and exercise will have significant impact on weight reduction in overweight and obesity children. In England the rates of obesity have increased dramatically over the last decade and if no action is not taken one in five children aged will be obese by 2010 (DoH 2003)The prevalence of obesity and overweight has a substantial human cost and serious financial consequences for the National Health Service (NHS) and the economy .In 1998 over 18 million days of sickness were attributed to obesity and the total cost of obesity was 2.6 billon (National Audit Office 2001). In order to tackle the growing problem of obesity, the then Public Minister of Health Tessa Jowell set in motion a wide ranging plan of action (DoH 1999) cited by White and Pettifer (2007) which included the follow ing; Healthy school programme, living centres to be established , safe and sound challenge, to increase activity levels in children and to increase information for public ,so that they can make informed choices. The Choosing Health White Paper (DoH 2004) demonstrated this shift towards this awareness with two of the overarching principles of the policy being reducing obesity and improving diet, nutrition and increasing exercise. Role of a nurse in health promotion Health promotion is at the forefront of healthcare and the teaching role of the nurse is more important than ever (Rush et al 2005). Whitehead(2004) agreed that nurses impart healthcare related information that influences values, beliefs attitudes and motivations. It is for this reason that nurses in primary care play a pivotal role in the management of obesity. Encouraging people to change their attitude towards a health issue is an important part of any health education programme (Clark 1999). Health promotion is a process by which the ecologically-driven socio-political- economic determinants of health are addressed as they impact on individuals and the communities within which they interact (Whitehead 2004).In agreement with Whitehead (2004) , Tones and Tilford (2001) viewed health promotion as political advocacy which is aimed at representing the underprivileged sections of society by helping them to redress the imbalances in power. The WHO( 1986) also viewed health promotion as a mechanism to enhance health and to prevent ill health in order to maintain and impose better lifestyles. Health education is an activity that seeks to inform the individual on the nature and causes of health/illness and that individuals personal level of risk associated with their lifestyle related behaviour (Whitehead 2004).He further states that health education seeks to motivate an individual to accept a process of behavioural-change through directly influencing their value, belief and attitude systems . However, Quinn (2001) argues that although health education is vital for health promotion ,the nurse must acknowledge that having the knowledge does not guarantee that people will implement healthy choices and a change in behaviour. To reduce obesity nurses can engage with young people for instance routinely measuring children s height and weight in order to obtain their body mass index (BMI),to establish the level of obesity. BMI is an accepted measure of obesity and is calculated as ratio of weight to weight, using the formula :BMI =weight in kilograms/height in square meters (Hump hrey Beebe 2008).The National Institute for Health and Excellence (NICE 2006) and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ( CDC 2006) guidelines define those with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 as overweight and those with 30 and over to be obese. There are several approaches that health care professional can implement to tackle obesity in childhood. For example the interventions and strategies can be targeted at the whole population ,individuals who are at risk , children and people with mental health problems. The House of Commons Health Committee’s recommendation (2004) that all children should have their BMI measured annually at school and that the results should be sent home to their parents or carers with appropriate advice. If fully implemented it would amount to full scale population level health screening programme that is cost effective. Health promotion is a vast subject with a variety of theories, models and approaches. Piper (2005) identified, the three models in health promotion frameworks that a nurse or midwife as behaviour change agent, the midwife or a nurse as empowerment facilitator ,nurse as strategic practitioner. Nurses as facilitators of self –help and promoters of positive health , are key to initiating change in this area (Croghan 2005).The nurses are ideally placed to adopt a public health role and can identify health needs as they are in regular and close contact with individual, families , communities and other health and social bodies (Jack and Holt 2008). The above models involve the midwives or nurses working with individual and the focus is on intervention. According to Ewles and Simnett (2003) there are fives approaches to health promotion namely the medical , behaviour change , educational , client centred and societal change. The model by Ewles and Simnett (2003) identify the needs and priorities by setting the aims objectives and decide on the best way of achieving the aims by identify the resources ,plan and evaluate the methods ,set an action plan. In tackling obesity in children the medical approach would include the monitoring of the BMI. The medical approach is a reactive and opportunistic process and is adopted where the client has an existing condition or illness (Whitehead 2004) and (Ewles and Simnett 2003).The medical approach promotes medical interventions from professionals to prevent or reduce ill health and this requires the individuals to comply with preventative medical procedures. The educational approach provides individuals with knowledge and information thereby enabling them to make informed decisions and choices about their lifestyles. For example the educational approach would include teaching the children about the importance of nutrition and exercise. The behavioural change approach is targeted at the individuals ability to change their attitude and behaviour in order to adopt a healthier lifestyle. However the behaviour change theory suggests that change will not occur until the individual is ready (Kopelman and Dietz 2005).The client-centred approach takes on the idea that people should act on their own problems. It helps client to identify what they want to know and act on them. The approach aims to empower the client. The societal approach aims to effect changes on the physical ,social , and economic environment to make it more conducive to good health (Ewles and Simnett 2003).Whitehead (2004) states that health education is an activity that seeks to inform the individual on the nature and causes of health or illness and that the individuals personal level of risk associated with their lifestyle related behaviour. The approach and aim of health promotion is to focus on changing the behaviour towards a healthier lifestyle. The stages of changes in health promotion developed by Prochaska and Di Clemente (1983)cited by Croghan (2005) are Precontemplation, contemplation, prepara tion, action , maintenance and relapse. This model shows the process through which people travel to change addictive behaviour.. During the precontemplation stage the individuals are not thinking about making any change in their lifestyle. Not all clients are a stage in their life where they want to make a lifestyle behaviour change (Croghan 2005).The clients may not be aware that there is a problem and could be resistant to making changes. Contemplation is a point where the individual may be aware that there is a problem and at this stage they are weighing up the costs and benefits of change. Simillarly the Cognitive dissonance theory Festinger (1957) cited by Clark (1999) is a state of tension that occurs when an individuals beliefs are at odds with their behaviours .The cognitive dissonance is viewed as a motivational state as it enables the individual to bring the behaviour in line with beliefs such as binge eating and may change attitude towards it (Clark 1999).Croghan and Johnson (2005) agreed with the above that the support package should begin with an assessment of client s readiness and motivation to change. Preparation is where the client becomes aware that the perceived benefits of change outweigh the costs, change is possible and small behavioural changes may occur. The Knowledge Attitude-Behaviour Model (KAB) proposes that as people acquire knowledge in nutrition and health areas, their attitudes change. Changes in attitude will then lead to changes in behaviours (Contento 2007). The next stage is where the individual takes action to change their behaviour and will lead to the maintenance stage where the new habits become established and the individual sustains the change in behaviour and moves on to a healthier lifestyle. The NICE guidlines (2006) came up with a Obesity Intervention Pyramid aimed at tackling obesity for all children. It starts by adopting a whole school approach by addressing the levels of overweight and obesity in school children. If children are encouraged to become healthier eaters the interventions are more likely to succeed if it is applied as a whole and monitored daily. This done by ensuring that the schools promote a culture where staff, pupils and parents or carers are encouraged to help each other to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The schools are advised to emphasise the importance of a balanced diet .A pictorial form of the balanced diet identifies those foods and drinks that should be consumed regularly and those that are high in sugar, fat and salt that should be limited. Physical activity in schools should be encouraged such as participate in sport and physical education(PE). Walking ,cycling, scooting and walk initiatives should be encouraged. This will reduce traffic outside the school thereby promoting healthy lifestyles. Avoid the blame culture that stigmatises those who are obese and overweight. Always stress the positive such as be healthy, get active, feel better and enjoy being active. The Health Schools Programme approach involves parents and carers since they are the main influence on their children lifestyle .Parents and carers are important role models for children and can help them to stay healthy (NICE 2006).The school based activity should involve General Practioners (GP),Paediatricians ,School nurses, Dietacian and other health professionals. The behavioural programme uses the behaviour change techniques such as self-monitoring ,goal setting, positive enforcement, stimulus control and relapse prevention. BENEFITS AND BARRIERS AND WHAT HAS CHANGED .The benefits of engaging the children are improved health, concentration and behaviour. Nurses must identify potential barriers to participation in health promotion and intervene to reduce those barriers such as (Padula et al 2006) Conclusion Obesity is a problem that plagues millions of people, and can be considered an epidemic. Social changes and the increase in fast food corporations are leading to an escalation in obesity. Diet companies are profiting from the unhealthy habits of individuals and creating a false sense of relief. The rise in obesity is a social inclination, and needs to be seen as more of a health issue, and not as a counter-culture way of life. With a decrease in obesity, our country will become more active, and current obese people will have a new found sense of heightened self-esteem

Leaving for College - A Heartbreaking and Bittersweet Experience Essay

Leaving for College - A Heartbreaking and Bittersweet Experience â€Å"Here’s to the nights we felt alive, here’s to the tears we knew you’d cry, here’s to goodbye, tomorrow’s gonna come too soon.† - Eve 6. I’ve heard this song many times before, but it took me so long to finally understand the real meaning behind it. The last night I spent in Tucson before moving away to college has proved to be the most heartbreaking and bittersweet life experience I’ve ever had to endure, yet it is also my fondest memory of home. I wanted that night to last forever because I never wanted to see tomorrow come. August twentieth was my last night in Tucson. The last night I had to spend with my family, my friends, and my dog. That would be my last night to spend in my own house, with my own personal bathroom, and a big bed. That would also be my last night to pack all of my important material possessions and then downsizing because my dorm room probably wouldn’t hold everything I thought I â€Å"needed.† The night began with that afternoon at what we call the â€Å"G.R. Party.† This is commonly known as a good riddance party. My parents, extended family, and friends gathered together inside my home for my last dinner. All the males were, of course assembled by the grill cooking our wonderful all American feast of hamburgers, barbeque chicken, and hot dogs. Most of the women were mingling with each other, each one almost in tears listening to others talk about how hard â€Å"letting go† of their own children would be and fearing the next few days when my friends would be away to different colleges. My friends and I were busy talking amongst ourselves and watching my younger cousins dazzle us in the pool with their most recent dive or trick. Finally, someone... ... ever had to do. Who knew it would be so difficult to leave those people who shaped the person you are today? I had to face the people that I loved so much and say good bye. I knew I would see them again, but somehow that wasn’t a comforting thought. The only thing I could seem to think of was how hard it was to leave and how excruciating it felt. This experience has left a huge impression on my life. I realized how much I love my life and the people in it. I recognized the fact that this was me, growing up and becoming an adult. I also finally understood the meaning of â€Å"family.† Even though I was leaving my home of eighteen years, I knew I still had a wonderful place to return to. That chapter of my life ended beyond perfectly. Although that night was somewhat depressing it was also filled with fun, laughter, and love. It is by far, my favorite memory of home.

Blaise Pascal :: essays research papers

Blaise Pascal Blaise Pascal was born in Clermont France on June 19, 1623, and died in Paris on Aug. 19, 1662. His father, a local judge at Clermont, and also a man with a scientific reputation, moved the family to Paris in 1631, partly to presue his own scientific studies, partly to carry on the education of his only son, who had already displayed exceptional ability. Blaise was kept at home in order to ensure his not being overworked, and it was directed that his education should be at first confined to the study of languages, and should not include any mathematics. Young Pascal was very curious, one day at the age of twelve while studying with his tutor, he asked about the study of geometry. After this he began to give up his play time to persue the study of geometry. After only a few weeks he had mastered many properties of figures, in particular the proposition that the sum of the angles of a triangle is equal to two right angles. His father noticed his sons ability in mathematics and gave him a copy of Euclids's Elements, a book which Pascal read and soon mastered. At the young age of fourteen he was admitted to the weekly meetings of Roberval, Mersenne, Mydorge, and other French geometricians. At the age of sixteen he wrote an essay on conic sections; and in 1641 at the age of 18 he construced the first arithmetical machine, an instrument with metal dials on the front on which the numbers were entered. Once the entries had been completed the answer would be displayed in small windows on the top of the device. This device was improved eight years later. His correspondence with Fermat about this time shows that he was then thurning his attention to analytical geometry and physics. At this time he repeated Torricelli's experiments, by which the pressure of the atmosphere could be estimated as a weight, and he confirmed his theory of the cause of barometrical variations by obtaining at the same instant readings at different altitudes on the hill of Puy-de-DÃ ´me. A strange thing about Pascal was that in 1650 he stoped all he reasearched and his favorite studies to being the study of religion, or as he sais in his Pensees, "contemplate the greatness and the misery of man." Also about this time he encouraged the younger of his two sisters to enther the Port Royal society. In 1653 after the death of his father he returned to his old studies again, and made several experiments on the

Economics Elasticity Essay -- Price Elasticity of Demand

Businesses know that they face demand curves, but rarely do they know what these curves look like. Yet sometimes a business needs to have a good idea of what part of a demand curve looks like if it is to make good decisions. If Rick's Pizza raises its prices by ten percent, what will happen to its revenues? The answer depends on how consumers will respond. Will they cut back purchases a little or a lot? This question of how responsive consumers are to price changes involves the economic concept of elasticity. Elasticity is a measure of responsiveness. Two words are important here. The word "measure" means that elasticity results are reported as numbers, or elasticity coefficients. The word "responsiveness" means that there is a stimulus-reaction involved. Some change or stimulus causes people to react by changing their behavior, and elasticity measures the extent to which people react. The most common elasticity measurement is that of price elasticity of demand. It measures how much consumers respond in their buying decisions to a change in price. The basic formula used to determine price elasticity is: If price increases by 10%, and consumers respond by decreasing purchases by 20%, the equation computes the elasticity coefficient as -2. The result is negative because an increase in price (a positive number) leads to a decrease in purchases (a negative number). Because the law of demand says it will always be negative, many economists ignore the negative sign, as we will in the following discussion. An elasticity coefficient of 2 shows that consumers respond a great deal to a change in price. If, on the other hand, a 10% change in price causes only a 5% change in sales, the elasticity coefficient .. ...tical supply curve. For example, if on December 1 the price of apples doubles, there will be minimal effect on the number of apples available to the consumer. Producers cannot make adjustments until a new growing season begins. In the short run, producers can use their facilities more or less intensively. In the apple example, they can vary the amounts of pesticides, and the amount of labor they use to pick the apples. Finally, in the long run not only can producers change their facilities, but they can leave the industry or new producers may enter it. In our apple example, new orchards can be planted or old ones destroyed. Source Consulted Vitali Bourchtein "The Principles of Economics Textbook: An Analysis of Its Past, Present & Future" May 2011 Web 15 May 2015. http://www.stern.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/assets/documents/con_042988.pdf

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay

Teachers hold the power and responsibility for building the foundations of intellectually and morally great minds. Since people spend a large chunk of their class and their entire formative years in school, their position and contact with young children and adolescents allows they shape and mold what these young people’s potentials and capabilities. Teachers have the opportunity to influence and inspire the future generations. As such, it is imperative that teachers become rightful role models of ethics for their students. Karl Menninger believed that â€Å"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches† (cited in Hunter, 2006). Menninger’s statement stress that teachers should always be a good ethical example for their students to look up to and learn from. A teacher must show tact, tolerance and morally-charge decision-making; he or she has to refrain from preferring one student over the other and from demonstrating disrespect or irritation for any of his or her students (Hunter, 2006). In a nutshell, for a teacher to be an ethical one, he or she has to always depict professionalism. Teacher professionalism manifests as both an internal, personal practice and an explicit expression. Professionalism starts from the inside. A teacher needs to make a fundamental commitment to teaching and to all the people that his or her teaching will touch (Phelps, 2003). This commitment is actualized by a teacher’s shown competency in his or her field and his or her capacity for following the teachers’ manual or code of ethics. It is essential that teachers recognize that their accountability should lie first, foremost and only with the students they teach. Therefore, a teacher shows his or her professionalism in how he or she prepares and plans how he or she could impart knowledge to the students in best way possible. Apart from making sure students understand what he or she is teaching to them now will have a high, enduring quality and will have more than just academic significance to students’ lives. To motivate and help them give their best effort every single day and to every single student, Phelps (2003) believes that teachers ought to accept and embrace all the challenges and hardships the journey of educating and aiding the youth’s learning may possess. In doing so, teaching is elevated to more than just a job for teachers but a calling. Professionalism requires teachers to invest themselves physically, mentally and emotionally in the process of the student’s education. This act allows teachers to make personal connections with students. Personal connections, relationships and bonds with one’s students are generally positive and helpful qualities. However, heavy emotional investments can also pave the way for the loss of professionalism, for which personal sentiments were invested in the first place. Emotional investments and personal connections can destroy professionalism and lead to a bending of the credibility of teacher-student ethics when they become the main object of teacher-student relationships instead of one of its reinforcements. When a teacher forms personal opinions or connections with one or a few particular students, it leads to a closeness or familiarity that can affect a teacher’s ethical conduct and professionalism. Examples would be developing a romantic relationship with a student or creating a hierarchy of student’s value based on a personal favoritism. Apart from creating partialities in favor of a student, personal opinions could further cloud a teacher’s judgment and create bias against a student or certain students. In both aspects, the founding of personal opinion can seriously hamper a teacher’s potential to be at his or her most professional best. Teachers are therefore reminded to abide by the code of ethics and ensure the protection of the rights of students, each and every single student (University of Iowa [UI], 2008). Teachers are encouraged to build rapport and make students comfortable in their presence enough for the students to liberally and honestly participate and contribute to class discussions. However, teachers are responsible for ensuring that there is still a professional boundary between them and student to prevent their relationship from getting too casual (UI, 2008). Teachers should instill and model fairness for all students of all racial, ethnical and economic background. Overall, ethics between teachers and students depend on the level of professionalism the teacher has. Teachers’ positions or social roles emphasize respect for one’s profession and the people they encounter. Teachers should direct all of their efforts and prioritize above all how they have contributed to students’ learning and development. References Hunter, D. (2006, Oct. 18). Teacher’s ethics. Articles Base. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. articlesbase. com/article-marketing-articles/teachers-ethics-64131. html Phelps, P. (2003). Teacher Professionalism. In Find Articles. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4009/is_200310/ai_n9335958 University of Iowa. (2008). The importance of teacher ethics. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. education. uiowa. edu/resources/tep/eportfolio/07e170folder/Ethics. htm