Frostbite Chapter 16

Sixteen LISSA FOUND ME LATER IN the day. I'd fallen asleep after Mason left, too dejected to leave the bed. Her slamming of the door jolted me awake. I was happy to see her. I needed to spill about the fumbled thing with Mason, but before I could, I read her feelings. They were as troubled as mine. So, as always, I put her first. â€Å"What happened?† She sat on her bed, sinking into the feather duvet, her feelings both furious and sad. â€Å"Christian.† â€Å"Really?† I'd never known them to fight. They teased each other a lot, but it was hardly the kind of thing that could nearly bring her to tears. â€Å"He found out†¦ I was with Adrian this morning.† â€Å"Oh, wow,† I said. â€Å"Yeah. That might be a problem.† Standing up, I walked over to the dresser and found my brush. Wincing, I stood in front of the gilt-framed mirror and began brushing out the snarls acquired during my nap. She groaned. â€Å"But nothing happened! Christian's freaking out over nothing. I can't believe he doesn't trust me.† â€Å"He trusts you. The whole thing's just weird, that's all.† I thought about Dimitri and Tasha. â€Å"Jealousy makes people do and say stupid things.† â€Å"But nothing happened,† she repeated. â€Å"I mean, you were there and- hey, I never found out. What were you doing there?† â€Å"Adrian sent me a bunch of perfume.† â€Å"He- you mean that giant box you were carrying?† I nodded. â€Å"Whoa.† â€Å"Yeah. I came to return it,† I said. â€Å"The question is, what were you doing there?† â€Å"Just talking,† she said. She started to light up, on the verge of telling me something, but then she paused. I felt the thought almost reach the front of her mind and then get shoved back. â€Å"I've got a lot to tell you, but first tell me what's up with you.† â€Å"Nothing's up with me.† â€Å"Whatever, Rose. I'm not psychic like you, but I know when you're pissed off about something. You've been kind of down since Christmas. What's up?† Now wasn't the time to get into what had happened on Christmas when my mom told me about Tasha and Dimitri. But I did tell Lissa the story about Mason- editing out why I had stopped- and simply driving home how I had. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said when I finished. â€Å"That was your right.† â€Å"I know. But I kind of led him on. I can see why he'd be upset.† â€Å"You guys can probably fix it, though. Go talk to him. He's crazy about you.† It was more than miscommunication. Things with Mason and me couldn't be patched up so easily. â€Å"I don't know,† I told her. â€Å"Not everyone's like you and Christian.† Her face darkened. â€Å"Christian. I still can't believe he's being so stupid about this.† I didn't mean to, but I laughed. â€Å"Liss, you guys'll kiss and make up in like a day. More than kiss, probably.† It slipped out before I could stop it. Her eyes widened. â€Å"You know.† She shook her head in exasperation. â€Å"Of course you know.† â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I hadn't meant to let her know I knew about the sex thing, not until she told me herself. She eyed me. â€Å"How much do you know?† â€Å"Um, not much,† I lied. I'd finished brushing my hair but began playing with the brush's handle in order to avoid her eyes. â€Å"I have got to learn to keep you out of my mind,† she muttered. â€Å"Only way I can ‘talk' to you lately.† Another slipup. â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† she demanded. â€Å"Nothing †¦ I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She was giving me a sharp look. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. I just feel like we don't talk as much anymore.† â€Å"Takes two to fix that,† she said, voice kind again. â€Å"You're right,† I said, not pointing out that two could fix that only if one wasn't always with her boyfriend. True, I was guilty in my own way of locking things up- but I had wanted to talk to her a number of times lately. The timing just never seemed to be right- not even now. â€Å"You know, I never thought you'd be first. Or I guess I never thought I'd be a senior and still be a virgin.† â€Å"Yeah,† she said dryly. â€Å"Me either.† â€Å"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?† She grinned, then caught sight of her watch. Her smile fell. â€Å"Ugh. I've got to go to Priscilla's banquet. Christian was supposed to go with me, but he's off being an idiot†¦.† Her eyes focused hopefully on me. â€Å"What? No. Please, Liss. You know how I hate those formal royal things.† â€Å"Oh, come on,† she begged. â€Å"Christian flaked out. You can't throw me to the wolves. And didn't you just say we needed to talk more?† I groaned. â€Å"Besides, when you're my guardian, you'll have to do these things all the time.† â€Å"I know,† I said darkly. â€Å"I thought I could maybe enjoy my last six months of freedom.† But in the end, she conned me into going with her, as we'd both known she would. We didn't have much time, and I had to do a rush shower, blow-dry, and makeup job. I'd brought Tasha's dress on a whim, and while I still wanted her to suffer horribly for being attracted to Dimitri, I was grateful for her present now. I pulled on the silken material, happy to see the shade of red was just as killer on me as I'd imagined. It was a long, Asian-style dress with flowers embroidered into the silk. The high neck and long hem covered a lot of skin, but the material clung to me and looked sexy in a different kind of way than showing a lot of skin did. My black eye was practically nonexistent by now. Lissa, as always, looked amazing. She wore a deep purple dress by Johnna Raski, a well-known Moroi designer. It was sleeveless and made of satin. The tiny amethyst-like crystals set into the straps sparkled against her pale skin. She wore her hair up in a loose, artfully styled bun. When we reached the banquet room, we drew a few eyes. I don't think the royals had expected the Dragomir princess to bring her dhampir friend to this highly anticipated, invitation-only dinner. But hey, Lissa's invite had said â€Å"and guest.† She and I took our places at one of the tables with some royals whose names I promptly forgot. They were happy to ignore me, and I was happy to be ignored. Besides, it wasn't like there weren't plenty of other distractions. This room was done all in silver and blue. Midnight blue silk cloths covered the tables, so shiny and smooth that I was terrified to eat on them. Sconces of beeswax candles hung all over the walls, and a fireplace decorated with stained glass crackled away in one corner. The effect was a spectacular panorama of color and light, dizzying to the eye. In the corner, a slim Moroi woman played soft cello music, her face dreamy as she focused on the song. The clinking of crystal wineglasses complemented the strings' low, sweet notes. Dinner was equally amazing. The food was elaborate, but I recognized everything on my plate (china, of course) and liked all of it. No foie gras here. Salmon in a sauce of shiitake mushrooms. A salad with pears and goat cheese. Delicate almond-stuffed pastries for dessert. My only complaint was that the portions were small. The food seemed more like it was there to simply decorate the plates, and I swear, I finished it in ten bites. Moroi might still need food along with their blood, but they didn't need as much as a human- or, say, a growing dhampir girl- needed. Still, the food alone could have justified me coming along on this venture, I decided. Except, when the meal ended, Lissa told me we couldn't leave. â€Å"We have to mingle,† she whispered. Mingle? Lissa laughed at my discomfort. â€Å"You're the social one.† It was true. In most circumstances, I was the one who put myself out there and wasn't afraid to talk to people. Lissa tended to be shyer. Only, with this group, the tables were turned. This was her element, not mine, and it amazed me to see just how well she could interact with royal high society now. She was perfect, polished and polite. Everyone was eager to talk to her, and she always seemed to know the right thing to say. She wasn't using compulsion, exactly, but she definitely put out an air that drew others to her. I think it might have been an unconscious effect of spirit. Even with the meds, her magical and natural charisma came through. Whereas intense social interactions had once been forced and stressful for her, she now conducted them with ease. I was proud of her. Most of the conversation stayed pretty light: fashion, royal love lives, etc. No one seemed to want to spoil the atmosphere with ugly Strigoi talk. So I clung to her side for the rest of the night. I tried to tell myself it was just practice for the future, when I'd follow her around like a quiet shadow anyway. The truth was, I just felt too uncomfortable with this group and knew my usual snarky defense mechanisms really weren't useful here. Plus, I was painfully aware that I was the only dhampir dinner guest. There were other dhampirs, yes, but they were in formal guardian mode, hovering on the periphery of the room. As Lissa worked the crowd, we drifted over to a small group of Moroi whose voices were growing louder. One of them I recognized. He was the guy from the fight that I'd helped break up, only this time he wore a striking black tuxedo instead of a swimsuit. He glanced up at our approach, blatantly checked us out, but apparently didn't remember me. Ignoring us, he continued on with his argument. Not surprisingly, Moroi protection was the topic. He was the one who'd been in favor of Moroi going on the offensive against the Strigoi. â€Å"What part of ‘suicide' don't you understand?† asked one of the men standing nearby. He had silvery hair and a bushy mustache. He wore a tux too, but the younger guy looked better in one. â€Å"Moroi training as soldiers will be the end of our race.† â€Å"It's not suicide,† exclaimed the young guy. â€Å"It's the right thing to do. We have to start looking out for ourselves. Learning to fight and use our magic is our greatest asset, other than the guardians.† â€Å"Yes, but with the guardians, we don't need other assets,† said Silver Hair. â€Å"You've been listening to non-royals. They don't have any guardians of their own, so of course they're scared. But that's no reason to drag us down and put our lives at risk.† â€Å"Then don't,† said Lissa suddenly. Her voice was soft, but everyone in the little group stopped and looked at her. â€Å"When you talk about Moroi learning how to fight, you make it sound like an all-or-nothing matter. It's not. If you don't want to fight, then you shouldn't have to. I completely understand.† The man looked slightly mollified. â€Å"But, that's because you can rely on your guardians. A lot of Moroi can't. And if they want to learn self-defense, there's no reason why they shouldn't do it on their own.† The younger guy grinned triumphantly at his adversary. â€Å"There, you see?† â€Å"It's not that easy,† countered Silver Hair. â€Å"If it was just a matter of you crazy people wanting to get yourselves killed, then fine. Go do it. But where are you going to learn all these so-called fighting skills?† â€Å"We'll figure the magic out on our own. Guardians will teach us actual physical fighting.† â€Å"Yes, see? I knew that was where this was going. Even if the rest of us don't take part in your suicide mission, you still want to strip us of our guardians to train up your pretend army.† The young guy scowled at the word pretend, and I wondered if more fists would fly. â€Å"You owe it to us.† â€Å"No, they don't,† said Lissa. Intrigued gazes turned her way again. This time, it was Silver Hair who regarded her triumphantly. The younger guy's features flushed with anger. â€Å"Guardians are the best battle resources we have.† â€Å"They are,† she agreed, â€Å"but that doesn't give you the right to take them away from their duty.† Silver Hair practically glowed. â€Å"Then how are we supposed to learn?† demanded the other guy. â€Å"The same way guardians do,† Lissa informed him. â€Å"If you want to learn to fight, go to the academies. Form classes and start at the beginning, the same way the novices do. That way, you won't be taking guardians away from active protection. It's a safe environment, and the guardians there specialize in teaching students anyway.† She paused thoughtfully. â€Å"You could even start making defense part of the standard curriculum for Moroi students already there.† Astonished stares fell on her, mine included. It was such an elegant solution, and everyone else around us realized it. It gave no party 100 percent of its demands, but it met most in a way that didn't really harm the other side. Pure genius. The other Moroi studied her with wonder and fascination. Suddenly, everyone started talking at once, excited about the idea. They drew Lissa in, and soon there was a passionate conversation going on about her plan. I got shuffled to the edges and decided that was just fine. Then I retreated altogether and sought out a corner near a door. Along the way, I passed a server with a tray of hors d'oeuvres. Still hungry, I eyed them suspiciously but saw nothing that looked like the foie gras from the other day. I gestured to one that looked like some sort of braised, rare meat. â€Å"Is that goose liver?† I asked. She shook her head. â€Å"Sweetbread.† That didn't sound bad. I reached for it. â€Å"It's pancreas,† said a voice behind me. I jerked back. â€Å"What?† I squeaked. The waitress took my shock for rejection and moved on. Adrian Ivashkov moved into my line of sight, looking immensely pleased with himself. â€Å"Are you messing with me?† I asked. â€Å"‘Sweetbread' is pancreas?† I don't know why that shocked me so much. Moroi consumed blood. Why not internal organs? Still, I repressed a shudder. Adrian shrugged. â€Å"It's really good.† I shook my head in disgust. â€Å"Oh, man. Rich people suck.† His amusement continued. â€Å"What are you doing here, little dhampir? Are you following me around?† â€Å"Of course not,† I scoffed. He was dressed to perfection, as always. â€Å"Especially not after all the trouble you've gotten us into.† He flashed one of his tantalizing smiles, and despite how much he annoyed me, I again felt that overwhelming urge to be near him. What was up with that? â€Å"I don't know,† he teased. He looked perfectly sane now, exhibiting no trace of the weird behavior I'd witnessed in his room. And yeah, he looked a lot better in a tuxedo than any guy I'd seen in there so far. â€Å"As many times as we keep seeing each other? This is, what, the fifth time? It's starting to look suspicious. Don't worry, though. I won't tell your boyfriend. Either of them.† I opened my mouth to protest, then remembered he'd seen me with Dimitri earlier. I refused to blush. â€Å"I only have one boyfriend. Sort of. Maybe not anymore. And anyway, there's nothing to tell. I don't even like you.† â€Å"No?† asked Adrian, still smiling. He leaned toward me, like he had a secret to share. â€Å"Then why are you wearing my perfume?† This time, I did blush. I took a step back. â€Å"I'm not.† He laughed. â€Å"Of course you are. I counted the boxes after you left. Besides, I can smell it on you. It's nice. Sharp†¦but still sweet- just like I'm sure you are deep down inside. And you got it right, you know. Just enough to add an edge†¦but not enough to drown your own scent.† The way he said â€Å"scent† made it sound like a dirty word. Royal Moroi might make me uncomfortable, but smartass guys hitting on me didn't. I dealt with them on a regular basis. I shook off my shyness and remembered who I was. â€Å"Hey,† I said, tossing my hair back. â€Å"I had every right to take one. You offered them. Your mistake is in assuming me taking one means anything. It doesn't. Except that maybe you should be more careful with where you dump all that money of yours.† â€Å"Ooh, Rose Hathaway is here to play, folks.† He paused and took a glass of what looked like champagne from a passing waiter. â€Å"You want one?† â€Å"I don't drink.† â€Å"Right.† Adrian handed me a glass anyway, then shooed the waiter away and took a drink of the champagne. I had a feeling it wasn't his first of the night. â€Å"So. Sounds like our Vasilisa put my dad in his place.† â€Å"Your †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I glanced back at the group I'd just left. Silver Hair still stood there, gesticulating wildly. â€Å"That guy's your dad?† â€Å"That's what my mom says.† â€Å"You agree with him? About how Moroi fighting would be suicide?† Adrian shrugged and took another sip. â€Å"I don't really have an opinion on that.† â€Å"That's not possible. How can you not feel one way or another?† â€Å"Dunno. Just not something I think about. I've got better things to do.† â€Å"Like stalk me,† I suggested. â€Å"And Lissa.† I still wanted to know why she'd been in his room. He smiled again. â€Å"I told you, you're the one following me.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know. Five times- † I stopped. â€Å"Five times?† He nodded. â€Å"No, it's only been four.† With my free hand, I ticked them off. â€Å"There was that first night, the night at the spa, then when I came to your room, and now tonight.† The smile turned secretive. â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"I do say so†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Again, my words trailed off. I had talked to Adrian one other time. Sort of. â€Å"You can't mean †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Mean what?† A curious, eager expression lit his eyes. It was more hopeful than presumptuous. I swallowed, recalling the dream. â€Å"Nothing.† Without thinking about it, I took a drink of champagne. Across the room, Lissa's feelings burned back to me, calm and content. Good. â€Å"Why are you smiling?† Adrian asked. â€Å"Because Lissa's still over there, working that crowd.† â€Å"No surprise there. She's one of those people who can charm anyone she wants if she tries hard enough. Even people who hate her.† I gave him a wry look. â€Å"I feel that way when I talk to you.† â€Å"But you don't hate me,† he said, finishing the last of his champagne. â€Å"Not really.† â€Å"I don't like you either.† â€Å"So you keep saying.† He took a step toward me, not threatening, just making the space between us more intimate. â€Å"But I can live with that.† â€Å"Rose!† The sharpness of my mother's voice cut through the air. A few people within earshot glanced over at us. My mother- all five angry feet of her- stormed up to us.

Comparative Analysis of the Movie Essay

The movies have good story lines and scripts. Since both the movies were music and dance based, the music of the movies has been very good. Fish Tank Nowhere Boy Year of Release 2009 2010 Genre and Theme Drama Drama Storyline brief/ Narrative Based on the life of the girl who likes to go for the street dancing. Based on the life of the boy who was living with aunt and wanted to be a guitarist. Characters Leading character of the movie is the 21st century girl but she lives alone and just practices her street dance. Leading character of the movie is the boy of 21st century too but wanted to learn playing guitar and want to forget everything of his past. Locations (Shown and Shot) Mardyke Estate in Havering Liverpool and at Ealing Studios in West London Costume: Dressing Designer Culture represented Usually in the denim and T-shirt, boxers, track suits, hip-hop or street dance costumes. Jane Petrie Present culture Sophisticated dressing as per the role requirement of a guitarist and usually in proper uniform like school uniform or formal school uniform. Juliar Day Present culture. Settings of the movie This was the art movie and based on dance. The girl lived with mother and sister. This movie was also the art movie but based on instrument playing. Single family of Aunt and John was the main setting. Attitude of leading characters towards the world In this movie, Mia lives isolated from the world and she only do practice of her street dancing in her house. John live with his aunt and enjoy the social culture like going out on trips, parties etc with friends. Mode of enjoyment of the leading characters Mia only likes to dance so she enjoys that. Johnson likes to play guitar and he only like to do that. Similarity The movie was based on an art form, teenager or youth oriented. The characters wanted to learn particular dance form. She saw a street dancer which become source of inspiration This movie was also based on art teenager or youth oriented. The character wanted to learn particular music. He attended a show which became his source of inspiration for learning and playing Guitar. Difference The movie is female oriented, where the comparatively new dance form of Street dancing has been focused. In this movie, the leading character wanted to learn guitar and enjoyed playing Guitar the most and was excellent with that. His passion for Guitar has made him practice as much as he could perform much beyond his age like professionals. Conclusion In both the movies, the main aspect was to show the life of the teenage girl and a boy that how the society deals with. In Fish Tank, Mia was the girl who got admired by the street dancers who were performing and in Nowhere Boy also, John got admired from the guitarist who can be able to play much better than the band. And in both the movies, director had shown clearly that the future is influenced by the past. So Mia got tensed in the movie Fish Tank as she heard that Connor had left them and in Nowhere Boy, John was also got irritated due to his past. These movies was generally built for the young generation people as they already have pressure of studies and their hobbies and what they want to be in their life. Society also provide pressure to them which result in making pressure in the mind of the child and due to this many children left studying and they got distracted from their hobbies too. Reference British Film Industry available at http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/in_depth/entertainment/2003/british_film_industry/default. stm Curran and Porter, 1993 British Cinema History, London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson 9-23 Murphy, R. ed. , 2009 The British Cinema Book, London: BFI, 1-64, 65-142 Fish Tank official website http://www. michaelfassbender. org/episodesfte. html http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/fish-tank-film-review-1003973214. story Image Fish Tank from http://www. movieroar. com/images/fish-tankpster1. jpg Nowhere Boy Movie Review http://www. futuremovies. co. uk/review. asp? ID=1110 No Where Boy movie details available at http://www. nowhereboy. co. uk/ http://www. hollywoodreporter. com/hr/film-reviews/nowhere-boy-film-review-1004031851. story.

Choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Choose - Essay Example The study aims to investigate that how risk is challenging and can be undermining for organizations if not dealt or encountered at the first level. How risk can be assessed, dealt and managed are further areas of study in this report. The objective here is to understand the risk in the wider perspective in order to apply the models and principles of risk management effectively. The Conception of Risk in Organizations According to the contemporary literature, risk is an uncertainty, which revolves around every modern organization. It is an uncertainty which organization carries throughout its life period. The periods of success and certainly the period of failures are filled with risk and uncertainty (Damodaran). Risk is actually an effect or a consequence that attaches to an organization due to its environment. Environment is one major source of risk and therefore, it is the environment that inputs risk in organization’s structure, culture and system altogether (Damodaran 5). Risk is actually a state of vulnerability. When organizations are vulnerable to their environments, they carry the influential factor of risk or uncertainty. Actually, all organizations are vulnerable, but only those are less vulnerable or more protected which know how to deal with the risk’s influence (Pathak 570). ... Similarly, the cultural risk, the decision making risk, the risk in the leadership style of practice, and risk in the management style are certainly internal risk influences. From this understanding it can be elaborated, that risk management in organizations is all about managing these two types of risk influences - internal and external risk influences. When both internal and external risks are managed or controlled, the organization is freer on its progress, performance and deliverance states. So the need is to focus on these two types of risks (internal and external) which evolve with organization system intangibly and precisely (Damodaran 8). The example of risk can be taken from an organization, which is moving and expanding to a new international market. The risks of the environment of that new market will certainly be the risk channelized to the expanding organization (Andersen and Schroder). The organization will be catching political, social, economical and cultural risks fr om the environment of the new market. Another example of risk can be taken from the organization merging with a new organization. The risks of the merger will directly influence both the organizations. In that case, risk will be divided, but still left for both organizations to manage it collaboratively (Andersen and Schroder 10). When is a Risk not a Risk? Risk as a Threat In the modern perspective, risk is described as a highly probable event. As the risk’s probability is higher the probability of its consequences is higher too as it is a foreseen and known event in modern organizations (Buehler and Freeman). By knowing the risk and risk consequences,

Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture Essay

Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture - Essay Example In recognition of its growing international operations, the company has started a program of diversifying its workforce and including more women. The company appreciates that a diverse workforce is good in promoting creativity and projecting an image of an international company. Furthermore, it is trying to make its organizational structure flat. Flat organizational structure promotes communication and the managers and between employees and managers. Throughout the history of the company, it believes that quality is critical in winning new customers and retaining existing. Its agro engineers are keen to train farmers on the best agro practices and avoid genetically modified organisms from its value chain. The culture and value are appropriate for the organization because it has become a high performing and successful organization (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). There is evidence of emotion as people proudly carry the name of the company as evidence of its strong family identity. The element of spirituality is related to the ability of the family business to survive for this long. It has created trust in people. Both should be enhanced by reminding employees and clients the history of the company and the vision of the founders. Â  

Sex Differences and Their Responses to Erotica Research Paper

Sex Differences and Their Responses to Erotica - Research Paper Example Also true. However, the media has reported less on whether the converse is true, in that men are adversely affected by idealized images of male bodies and penis sizes. The conventional wisdom there is that men probably are not affected by these images. This is partially true – men widely believe that their penis size is average or large, so media images of penis sizes do not affect how men view their genitalia. However, at least one study has shown that men do feel worse about their bodies after viewing other men with idealized bodies, so, perhaps, there is less of a gender inequity in this regard then was previously thought. This paper will explore all these topics in greater detail. How Media Environment Has Changed in the Past 50 or 60 Years The past 50 or 60 years has been marked by a changing standard of ideal beauty in society. According to Calabrese et al., the ideal has changed towards a thinner female body type, one that is unattainable by most women. This is seen in Playboy Magazine centerfold models, Miss America pageant winners and fashion models. As stated above, these ideals are impossible for many women to attain, which makes the average woman have dissatisfaction with their body and overall appearance, and poses risks to the female’s mental and physical health. Moreover, there has been a changing ideal of genital appearance, as viewed through pornography websites and the like. Females are increasingly exposed to these images through these websites. However, the pictures of the female genitalia have been increasingly digitally enhanced, rather than naturally occurring, which causes women further despair that their physicality does not match that which is ideal (Calabrese, et al., 2011). Calabrese et al., examined the impact on the evolution of both ideal body types and the depiction of female genitalia on how women think about themselves. They examined Playboy models from 1953 to 2007 to look at these changing ideals. 647 Playboy centerfold models were the subjects of this research. They found that a Barbie-like thinness has become the norm with the Playboy models and that, in fact, the female genitalia in these magazine spreads have been enhanced and perfected. Larger breasts, as displayed on both Barbie and the Playboy models, is another attribute of this new feminine ideal. Because of this changing ideal, Calabrese et al. states that the image of perfection and definition of physical beauty have changed, and what heterosexual men seek in their partners have also changed. Young girls are also affected, in that they gain a warped perception of the ideal female body type with they receive their first Barbie, and this perception of reinforced by these Playboy images (Calabrese et al.., 2011). Advertising The basis of advertising is simply drawing one's attention to something, or, on the other end, notifying or informing somebody of something (Dyer, 1989, p. 2). This is the basics of advertising. The way that this is accomplished is that the advertiser "magically induces" the consumer to buy the advertised product by selling a fantasy. This is because "we have a cultural pattern in which the objects are not enough but must be validated in fantasy by association with social and personal meanings which in a different cultural

John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty Essay

John Stuart Mill and Liberty. How morality is related to liberty - Essay Example Before discussing the justification of liberty, we would talk about the idea behind liberty and how Mill links liberty to morality1. 'On Liberty' published in 1859 presented not only a philosophy of history and transition but demonstrated his understanding on political and religious developments, and emphasises upon the role of liberty in justifying free development of true philosophic action in England. Comte, while looking at Mill's theologies based on logic, points out that precautions presented by Mill to exercise freedom are unnecessary in France, where he is able to use his public lectures on astronomy as a vehicle to eliminate completely all theological philosophy, even in its simple form of deism, and finally to reduce all moral and social doctrines to rational positivism (Raeder, 2002, p. 56). 'On Liberty' demonstrates Mill's understanding of freedom, as he considered freedom of discussion to be an effective means by which to undermine traditional beliefs, especially theological and religious beliefs and even those where public opinion prevents any real discussion2. Miller was well aware of the fact that lies a significant relationship between freedom of speech, expression and instruction and the erosion of traditional belief. Perspectives of Nature Traditions, beliefs and human morals engages directly with what Mill has mentioned in the late 1850s, as 'nature' and it is because of this nature that humanity suffers through catastrophe, disease and death. Thus it is all interrelated as the distinct attributes of nature which humans disapprove in the name of conservatism and religious fatalism. In order to secure his school of thought, Mill presents two distinct uses of the term 'nature' (Gerson, 2002). The first stance presents a broad and neutral milieu with a more specific and evaluative analysis which states that nature is identical with the entire universe as well as the principles that are followed in the world. Those principles are scientific in nature and fulfills the logic behind natural phenomenons that takes place within our society. For instance, the nature of earthquake is destruction, the nature of volcanoes is to alleviate materialism from the world and so on. Since all human organisms are abide by nature's laws no one can dare to challenge the mother nature as long as he or she stays confined to the universe or as long as human affairs stay within nature's boundaries. Of course an individual must obey the laws of equilibrium to avoid being a victim to the law of gravity or we can say that by following the laws of gravity, one is socially adhere to the physical and biological laws and not by any means can challenge to escape from them. The second school of thought that supports nature is that since society is bound to obey what nature has reserved for it, human beings are themselves certain 'objects' of nature that are unable to deviate from nature. In other words, nature welcomes humanity to understand in context with human will and action. This indicates behind every idea of nature is the involvement of human intention which may serve as the basis for a social agenda. A clear notion is that no one on the earth can claim to be superior to the nature, or there is nothing outside nature and its laws and that, no human being has ever been given a choice to make distinctions between likes and dislikes of nature or to avoid any natural act. Thus Mill defends mother nature with that of human nature, that nature in any form does not ask a human to adopt or reject its principles, for it is a default option that requires no human decision making options and entails no evaluative consequences. How morality is related to liberty Enclosed within

Analysis of Heroism of Olympic Athletes in Olympic Advertising from Research Paper

Analysis of Heroism of Olympic Athletes in Olympic Advertising from the Semiotic Perspective - Research Paper Example Introduction Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy of effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal ethical principle. ---The Olympic Charter (IOC,2004:9) The Olympic Games are an international sports festival that began in ancient Greece. Olympic Games, considering the fascination of viewers and spectators worldwide, are unmatched among cultural events (Alkemeyer &Richartz, 1993). Every four years, elite athletes from all over the world with coaches and officials, media representatives and hundreds of thousands of spectator have gathered for around two weeks for such a sporting event that can be spread via mass media including television, radio, print media, and the Internet by billions of people around the world. With the modernization of the Olympic Games, they are enriched as a cul tural, political and economic phenomenon, no longer just a sporting event. Particular interests see them as a media event, a tourism attraction, a marketing opportunity, a catalyst for urban development and renewal, a city image creator and booster, a vehicle for ‘sport for all’ campaigns, an inspiration for youth and a force for peace and international understanding. The report will focus on the role that Olympic Games play in inspiring the audience in terms of mass communication, particularly in Olympic advertising. Dating back to ancient Greece, the term â€Å"hero† was defined as â€Å"a superior man†, embodiment of composite idea† (Fishwick, 1985). The gods imbued the hero with exceptional human characteristics such as strength, power, and courage (Fishwick, 1985). However, as a historically and culturally delineated construct, â€Å"heroism† has evolved across time and national boundaries. (Fishwick,1985). While the ancient hero was admi red for his extraordinary physical strength and skills, the modern hero is also described in terms of social accomplishment: attractive, victorious, charismatic, individualistic, skillful, down-to-earth, a realistic role model, and a risk taker. (Fishwick, 1985). Whereas the ancient hero was generally a warrior, the modern hero is often a sports figure. As Ryan notes: â€Å"Every culture has its gods, and ours hit baseballs, make baskets, and score touchdowns† (Ryan, 1995). The Olympic games have a rich, storied reputation based on athletic competition at its highest level, not as a one-time event, but literally for thousands of years. Over the millennia, athletes have become heroes and icons, inspiring generations of fans and future athletes to work hard in pursuit of their dreams. The Olympic athletes are carrying on a tradition that has deep meaning across cultures, offering inspiration to millions of people around the world Every Olympics has had its heroes from whom many fans and observers draw inspiration. Olympic heroes succeed in capturing people’s imagination through their athletic prowess, determination, and personality. They often represent both individual and collective

Houston Club tour report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Houston Club tour report - Assignment Example Houston Club understands the importance of having a high number of members in order to keep it operational. In this case, the company has implemented an efficient membership marketing structure that has ensured that the club’s membership segment of golf club approximate 400 members, the country club has about 600 members, and there are about 1,000 members in the club’s dining, sporting, and business segment. In effect, the club appears to be doing well in an environment where some of the clubs were closing down in Florida. However, the club’s main advantage was that there were fewer clubs within its area of operations. For Houston Club, exclusivity is one of the marketing strategies that the company has utilized in order to gain more members than other clubs. In this case, the club has packaged itself as an exclusive Gentlemen’s Club, which is an important strategy of the club in differentiating itself from its competitors. Exclusivity is evident in the club’s facilities ranging from their rooms and other important features such as wine lockers stocked with some of the most expensive wines. The exclusivity makes more members want to join the club and become part of the elite. After identifying the importance of this strategy in gaining more members, the club consequently introduced three segments of membership with these three being golf club membership, country club membership, and the other segment drawing membership from people interested in dining, sporting, and business. In this way, the club has a capacity to market its membership across members with varying interests. Other than membership marketing strategy focusing on the club’s exclusivity, the PR team packaged offers from the club, sent invitations to the city’s law firms, and then focused on the oil, gas, and financial industries by sending invitations to members who were attracted to the packages offered by

Study guide for mid term exam Child , family and community Essay Example for Free

Study guide for mid term exam Child , family and community Essay 1.What is the name given a child that exhibits ‘’good developmental outcomes despite high-risk status, sustained competence under stress, and recovery from trauma’’ Resilient Children 2 Carter and McGoldrick emphasized the importance of the family life cycle in order to best understand families. According to their theory which stage is called ‘’ Pressure cooker’’? Families with young children 3.For Vygotsky, the ZPD is the mechanism by which development occurs. ZPD Means: Zone of proximal development According to Vigotsky the mechanism by which human Development occurs. 4 .Which are the three elements of the child care trilemma? Compensate caregivers, fairly Quality child care, Care affordable for families. 5. Which organization has developed a code of ethical conduct for early childhood professionals? National Association for the Education of Young Children 6According to Bronfenbrenner Biological Theory there are five systems? : Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, Chonosystem 7. Grandparents styles? Formal Fun Seeker Surrogate Parent. Reservoir of family Wisdom Distant 8. What is the definition of cohesion’’? How close they are the member of family (as well as the amount and kind of time they spend together. 9. What is the definition of ‘’flexibility? This refers to the ability of family members to change roles 10. What is the most important roles a person can perform? Mother Father Parenting. 11. TANF means: Temporary Assistance for Needy families. 12. It is expected that parenting skills will come: Naturally 13. Which parenting style avoid confrontation, more responsive than demanding, lenient, do not require mature behavior. Indulgent Parents 14. Spiritually, in its various forms, is seem as the responsibility of parents 15.-Children whose parents use this parenting style , are anxious, have poor communication skills, fail to initiate activities and some over aggressive. Authoritarian Parents 16.-Wha factors support family strengths? 1. Loving nurturing relationships Financial stability Positive connections to people and organizations in communities 17. Parents with this parenting style, have low in both control and warmth; little time or energy given to parenting; low commitment to children. Uninvolved Parents 18.-Diana Baumrind has established four types of parenting: Authoritarian Authoritative Indulgent Uninvolved 19.-Two examples of the concept that cultures borrow and share rules are: Wedding rituals and food and music. 20.-Effective communication between teachers Parents is: Imperative in the provision of quality care and education for youngest children. 21.-Which factors determine how involved fathers are in their children’s lives? Fathers relationships with their own parents Fathers belief systems about the roles of mothers and fathers Attitudes of the mother Marital relationships Timing of fatherhood Family employment patterns Work quality 22.-Inclusiveness, in early childhood educations means: An educational approach that is welcoming to all children and families 23. Define vertical stressors and give two examples: is the events we can changes like Family patterns, authoritarian parent and secrets like don tell. Is the stressors we can change like family patterns authoritarian and secrets like don tell 24. Write five different ways to became parents besides sexual intercourse: Donor insemination, Egg donation, Blended families, Adoption, Foster parents, 25. Define horizontal stressors and give two examples: is the stressor we can not change The nature of these stressor make more difficult to cope with them and to resolve Unemployment Chronic Illness Death 26.-Write three different ways in which families are different: Language, Gender roles ethnicity culture 27. What NAEYC means: National Association for the education of young children 28.-Two examples of the concept that culture is learned. Is not biological Table manners, and ways they demonstrating respect. 29.-There are other variables more important for children’s welfare than whether or not the mother is working outside the home, these variables are: Variations in home life, effects from the specific work environment, and the availability of quality child care. 30.-Nuclear family; extended family, family of orientation; family of procreation. Nuclear family: Any 2 or more persons of the same or adjoining generation related by blood marriage or adoption sharing common residence. Extended family: A family in which 2 or more generations of the same kin living together (extension beyond the nuclear family). Family of orientation: The nuclear family into which one was born and reared (consists of self, siblings, and parents) Family of procreation: The nuclear family formed by marriage (consists of self, spouse, and children.

Kant vs. Kierkegaard Essay Example for Free

Kant vs. Kierkegaard Essay I also believe that the issue that I am discussing is deep, and therefore interesting. Its weaknesses would be its lack of quotes. The difficulty with this paper was trying to find the idea in the first place. It took me a lot of time to find deep similarities and differences between the two. It also took me some time to figure out how I would lay the essay out and how I would flesh the essay out. As this paper is not superficial, I found myself finding new ideas and problem as time passed. This gave me another problem as I always had to rethink and re-edit. The goals for my next paper are to include more quotes, as my papers lack evidence. My other goals are to carry on writing interesting and thought provoking papers. I aim to try to make my essays as clear as possible, as tackling deep issues can sometimes make the writing quite convoluted. Love of Duty vs. Love of Choice In their essays ‘Lectures on Ethics Friendship’ and ‘Works of Love – Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor’, respectively, Kant and Kierkegaard both appear as idealists: They each portray a utopia in which friendship is universal. Kant believes that perfection can be achieved if people put love of mankind before love of oneself, and Kierkegaard believes that perfection can be achieved if you love everyone as if they were your neighbor. Ironically, both also contradict themselves: Kant contradicts his other idea that one will never be able to achieve the ideal of friendship, where partners share everything with each other. While Kierkegaard contradicts himself by saying a true Christian is completely selfless. This is a contradiction, as someone who is selfless cannot have a choice (free will), but as rational humans we do have a choice. Given these parallels, are these two thinkers ultimately offering us the same sense of utopia? No – in fact, Kant is a realist who uses a scientific approach to figure out what it means to be a friend, whereas Kierkegaard is a religious thinker who applies his religious morality on people. Their utopias look very similar on the surface, but their underlying methods to reach them are vastly different. Both Kant and Kierkegaard come from two very different backgrounds. Kant was born in Prussia, and was interested in physics and mathematics. He didn’t have a positive view of religion was also asked to stop teaching Theology at the University of Konigsberg by the government as he allegedly ‘misrepresented’ the principles of Christianity. This shows that Kant was a thinker independent of religion. Kant believed that â€Å"mankind’s final coming of age,† was â€Å"the emancipation of the human consciousness from an immature state of ignorance and error. † This is the opposite of Kierkegaard, as he was a devout Christian. Kierkegaard tried to incorporate religion (Christian morality) with reason. This is where he comes up with his idea of ‘loving thy neighbor’. Whereas Kierkegaard comes from a position that his way is the ‘right’ way, as it was mandated from God, Kant comes from a position which is influenced by Rousseau and Aristotle, in fact Kant’s idea of man having self-love and love for humanity comes straight from Rousseau’s book ‘The Discourse on the Origin of Inequality’. There is also a deeper difference: Kierkegaard’s religious morality implies duty, whereas Kant’s view on friendship implies choice. Choice lies at the heart of Kant’s philosophy. He says that man has two basic instincts: self-love and love for humanity (pity). These two instincts conflict with each other and only one can win. Kant believes that in an ideal world, all people would put love for humanity before self-love. This would create a world where love is reciprocated, and therefore man does not have to worry about losing his happiness. In essence, Kant’s version of a utopia is where man chooses to love humanity. This is vastly different to Kierkegaard’s version, where man has no choice, as it is his moral duty to love everyone as if they were his neighbor. Kierkegaard does acknowledge Kant in a way, by distinguishing between earthly love and spiritual love. He says earthly love (Kant’s type of love) is the exact opposite of spiritual love. He argues that a ‘poet’ (Kant) is absolutely right in saying that earthly love cannot be commanded. Kierkegaard believes that Christian love is better as it is ‘completely selfless’. For Kierkegaard, â€Å"Christian love teaches love to all men, unconditionally all. Just as unconditionally and strongly as earthly love tends towards the idea of there being but one single object of love, equally unconditionally and strongly Christian love tends in the opposite direction. If a man with respect to Christian love wishes to make an exception in the case of one man whom he does not wish to love, then such love is not ‘also Christian love,’ but it is unconditionally not Christian love. † (41) Kierkegaard also believes that it is quite liberating to be forced to love. As if the absence of choice creates peace. He believes that â€Å"it is encouraging in your relation to a distinguished man, that in him you must love your neighbor; it is humbling in relation to the inferior, that you do not have to love the inferior on him, but must love your neighbor; it is a saving grace if you do it, for you must do it† (50). Thus the difference between earthly and spiritual love is that earthly love is a choice and spiritual love is a command from God. Both Kierkegaard and Kant come to different conclusions because in their writing, their focus is on separate ideas. Kant, being a man of reason primarily, approaches his philosophy in a scientific manner. To explain, he breaks one thing into smaller things. Kant makes observations based on what he sees, hears, tastes, smells, and feels (like his three types of friendships). However, he does also make some conceptual assumptions (discussed earlier) such as his idea of putting love of humanity before self-love will cause reciprocation of friendship. Unlike Kierkegaard, Kant does not focus on religion as it is unnecessary for someone who is only interested in empirical observations. Kierkegaard however is not concerned with empirical observation, as he believes that there is something higher and more important i. e. Christianity. Kierkegaard concentrates more on morality and what he believes is right, instead of focusing on what is actually there. Kierkegaard doesn’t even talk about friendship in his writing. This shows that he places much more importance on what his religion says is right instead of trying to observe and deconstruct what friendship is. Although both philosophers have radically different ideas on how to achieve a utopian world, their ideas as an end result are very similar. They both want a world in which everyone loves everyone. The difference is that Kant’s love comes from reason, whereas Kierkegaard’s is spiritual. For this reason Kant’s idea seems more logical to the rational human being. Kant doesn’t believe in forced love, he believes in a choice to put either love of humanity or love of oneself at the fore. Kierkegaard’s idea of loving as a moral duty is contradictory at its heart, because how can you love if you don’t have a choice who to love? If you ‘love’ everyone it stops being love because love is defined by its opposite. How can there be love without hate? If it can’t exist, then how feasible is Kierkegaard’s idea? This is the main problem with Kierkegaard, because his observations come from his faith. In the real world, love should come from understanding, not dogma. If there is no understanding, it’s like a slavery of the mind. Works Cited Immanuel Kant, â€Å"Lectures on Ethics†, Ethics. Trans. Louis Infield, Harper Torchbooks, The Cloister Library, Harper Row Publishers, New York and Evanston. Soren Kierkegaard, â€Å"Works of Love†, Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor. Trans. David F. Swenson Lillian Marvin Swenson, Princeton – New Jersey, Princeton University Press.