Conjugating Chasser in French

Government Changes And Rules Of The Law Social Work Essays

Government Changes And Rules Of The Law Social Work Essays Government Changes And Rules Of The Law Social Work Essay Government Changes And Rules Of The Law Social Work Essay The 1989 Children Act counsel required Local Authorities to flexibly instructive possibilities for cared for children and support, and this must be remembered for their consideration program ( Goddard, 2000 ) . In 1994 the Department of Health and Department of Education to boot focused on the significance of co-activity between schools, cultural administrations and Local Authorities. However, in 1995 these means to propel guidance for cared for kids were found to hold had little effect ( Social administrations Inspectorate and the Office for Standards in Education, 1995 ) . Accordingly the Government set explicit imprints for Local Authorities with respect to training close by an interest to print counsel on the guidance according to that from the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Health, 2000. This guaranteed every neighborhood government were progressing in the direction of a similar end and by similar rules. Similarly great as introducing new rules for educators, assigned to back up cared for kids and each took care of child was given an individual guidance program ( PEP ) . Another part of the imprint was to ensure that no course of action was given before an instructive game plan could be made sure about. The revised Children Act 2004 executed new duties propelling the instructive achievement of took care of children. The schools all things considered are only expected to take a proactive assault to the guidance of cared for kids and sorting out with various areas there is just a standpoint. In the event that the school trusts it does non keep the assets to down up one took care of child so it will non be censured as a result of it. : There have been a figure of introductions of administrative strategies and direction for representation Bettering the instructive achievement of cared for kids ( Department for children, schools and family units, 2009 ) this presented new cardinal components influencing the guidance of took care of children introducing a down to earth school caput whom keeps way of each cared for child to ensure all have fitting commissariats. Care issues: cut for a change ( 2007 ) was acquainted with better the consequences of took care of children. This strategy tends to the corporate child rearing, wellbeing, guidance and cultural work example and board of took care of children administrations to better course of action pick and stableness. Essentially The Children go forthing consideration Act ( 2000 ) was acquainted with increase stipulation for consideration departers, For outline, giving Local Governments an obligation to ensure they keep on pursuing into the looked kid s requests until 21 mat ure ages old, and allot a consultant who might take obligation for co-ordinating support. This theory will see the grounds why there are as yet a moderately little figure and extent of took care of children with great instructive outcomes. All around and all the more explicitly why a considerably littler similar extent of cared for kids enter third guidance. The proposition will other than observe what cultural specialists can make to propel a guidance docket for cared for kids. Past research has demonstrated that taken care of children have low instructive achievement ( Jackson, Ajayi and Quigley, 2005 and Jackson et Al, 2002 ) . 6 % of took care of children go on to course third guidance. A few significant beginnings show a go oning inadequacy of formal makings among kids in consideration, with resulting chances for come ining higher guidance more uncertain. Research has indicated ( Berridge, 2006 ) a wide extent of grounds why taken care of children do non course third guidance. These grounds change from youngster encounters of abuse, the kind of course of action the child has, connection employments and hapless administrations given to kids who are taken care of. McLeod ( 2008 ) found that kids in neighborhood approval consideration need a positive and continued relationship with their cultural specialist to propel their prosperity and underscore the significance of guidance and different aspects of the took care of child s life that may hold been previo usly disregarded. All things considered, a cultural specialists capacity to work with a child comprehensively to ensure every one of their requests are met, has significant conclusions for guidance. The grounds introduced here proposes that the guidance of children took care of by Local Authorities keeps on being begging to be proven wrong. This reappraisal will other than oppugn if going a took care of child is essentially negative in footings of the child s chances to course third guidance is this was the example so moderately cared for kids in different states should hold similar outcomes. By and by the Governments priority is to get the spread between the instructive achievements of cared for kids and that of their equivalents. In 2008 14 % of took care of children accomplished five A*-C classs at GCSE contrasted with 65.3 % of every single other child ( Department for Children, Schools and Families ( 2009 ) . New endeavors incorporate open assistance understandings for representation Public Service Agreement 11 purposes to get the instructive achievement spread between kids from low pay and distraught foundations and their equivalents. This comprehension includes taking for the took care of children to make 3 national imprints. Counting to take for 20 % of cared for kids get infer 5 GSCE s A*-C, for 55 % of took care of children to make level 4 of cardinal stage 2 in science and 60 % to make cardinal stage 2 in English. Nearby governments should now back up took care of children try out higher guidance and go on with it by permitting bursaries on the off chance that they want to go on their guidance. All around the grounds introduced above proposes that there is a general comprehension among educated creators that took care of children keep on holding more unfortunate instructive outcomes than their equivalents. There are army grounds hypothesized for this lack, took care of children face occupations that their equivalents do non. Initially, many have confronted incredible change and likewise some may hold conduct employments contrasted with everybody affecting the relationship with different children, teachers and henceforth affecting their work and connections inside school. Weyts ( 2004 ) high spots that took care of children are relied upon to execute lower than their equivalents so may non be given a similar support as others. The significant activity confronting took care of children with respect to guidance by and by would seem to be change brought about by modification of game plans ( OSullivan and Westerman, 2007 ) , which may show inconveniences in getting used to vario us schools, companions and teachers all set uping their guidance and results. However with positive plan, and advancing carers so there is grounds that children may accomplish great instructive outcomes ( Jackson, 1998 ) . It might other than be the occurrence that the hypothetical record of open help embraced at national degree, will other than sway upon single outcomes for took care of children, as is clear from some worldwide comparings ( Petrie, Boddy, Cameron, Wigfall and Simon, 2006 ) . This theory will interface the data from the examination accumulated to answer the exploration request. Utilizing a best grounds assault to integrate the data to ensure all features of the examination request can be addressed effectively. Philosophy As alluded to in my examination proposition, this theory will follow a methodical reappraisal assault ( pg.4 of research proposition ) . This kind of reappraisal will gracefully a combination of research regarding this matter. A precise reappraisal recognizes all accessible writing on a particular subject while portraying a reasonable strategy. Bryman ( 2008 ) characterizes a methodical reappraisal as one which sums up quickly all the best grounds that address the exploration request. An incorporation and avoidance standard is set to ensure just the best research is utilized in the reappraisal. The exploration archives will so be scrutinized and a best grounds assault technique for auditing the reports will be utilized. Choices will be drawn by joining perceptions from the reappraisal with bing speculations and hypothetical records. A best grounds assault chooses writing which has most significance to the examination request. The writing that gives the best answer to the exploration request and has a decent grounds base are the records bound to be generally useful in answering the examination request. This writing reappraisal was gotten from chases of the undermentioned databases by means of the Leicester University Library site: Sage journals on the web Intergentaconnect Cambridge Scientific Abstracts, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts ( ASSIA ) Oxford University Press E-Journals Social Care on the web Wiley online library Searchs were completed on every database using the undermentioned chase footings: Taken care of children or children in consideration Instructive outcomes or instructive fulfillment or instructive achievement The chase will be confined to cover somewhere in the range of 1980 and 2010. This bound was picked as most research is between this age and to hold a more extensive incorporation bound would affect on the scope of the postulation. The outcomes will be sifted physically using the undermentioned gauges: The relativity to the subject of cared for kids and getting to third guidance Hypothetical or exact research Harvard referencing will other than be embraced The took care of children populace in the United Kingdom The term took care of was presented in the Children Act, 1989. Taken care of children are those younger than 18 who are skilled to a consideration request it other than incorporates kids who are obliged willfully for more than 24 hours. By and by there are around 60,900 children who are cared for by nearby governments in England ( Department for children, schools and family units, DCSF ( 2009 ) . Of this populace 57 % was male and 43 % female. The per centum o

Industrial Relations Workplace Change (subject) Essay

Industrial Relations Workplace Change (subject) Essay Industrial Relations Workplace Change (subject) â€" Essay Example > Change modelsIntroductionEvery organization will occasionally experience the need for change in the management or organizational structures of the company. Proven application procedures need to be applied in the management of the changes that are likely to be implemented as such. Using a relevant approach to management of the same will ensure its successful management. According to Anderson (2009), change management entails a clear thought plan of methodologies and approaches, which are implemented sensitively. It further emphasizes the need for a clear approach and consultation with all the stakeholders involved in change or those who are affected by change. Palmer et al (2006) points out the fact that clear goal setting need to be exercised in any change management process. Each organizational management need to clearly identify changes that need to be done and define the limits of the change. In this paper, a discussion has been given focusing on the change management models th at are in existence today. The paper puts its focus in one model based on top/down approach, which has been identified as the key model that is best for analysis. SWOT (strengths weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of this mode is also done in the paper. It aims at giving clearer understanding of this select model. As one reads along a case study of a selected company that has employed this change model in the past is also analyses in depth. The last section of this paper tries to justify the selected model as the appropriate models. Discussion is also given in this part focusing on the presented arguments as well providing a summary of potential limitations that this model might present in practice. Top-Down/Systematic ModelJohn Storey was the founder of the top down systematic model (Burke 2007). He identified this model as type one under which changes can happen in an environment or organizational scenario. The other models developed and advanced together with this model are the piecemeal, bargaining for change, systematic jointism and mixed models (Burke 2007). The Top-Down approach describes a well-organized model that is based on systematic approach to change. The model focuses on identification of procedures and application of the same procedures in a systematic manner using appropriate tools that would see to it that a desired change is realized. Systematic change model begins with the setting of goals or vision identification for the process of change. The need for change should be clearly described and defined. The model is a proponent of a well defined target of change that emanates from an organized group of management. It has few people involved in the decision making of change process and as such, this can be a cause for conflict. It, however, counteracts this setback by allowing constant reviewing and monitoring of the activities involved in the change process. A next stage is systematically entered after the achievement of the d esired results in the current stage of change execution (Hellriegel, Slocum, 2010). The other forms of change model also describe change procedures but put their focus in different perceptions. Type two models also referred to as the piecemeal describe a change in an organization in which different forms of communication practices are applied. Some of these communications forms include team briefings and open communication. Piecemeal approach describes the need in which the implementations and applications that are coordinated in a transparent manner. Bargaining for change or type three models is a proponent of accessions that describe working practices and conditions that are secured from different groups, which in turn are compensated well. As the name describe, it involves a lot of bargaining and use of negotiation techniques with opposing numbers. The aim is to arrive at an offer that is agreeable to both parties. There is no much difference between bargaining model and system atic jointism. In systematic jointism, bargaining is also done but differs in the form that a total package is put together after negotiations. The last model which is described as type-five describe a model in which no discrete initiatives or total packages are negotiated upon as in the case of type three and four models. This model proposes the continuous incremental and change of organizations structures and cultural elements until the desired change is arrived at (Hellriegel, Slocum, 2010).

Meat Production And Environmental Health - 1437 Words

Meat Production and Environmental Health Introduction Global meat production rose to a new peak of 308.5 million tons in 2013, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a more than fourfold increase over the last five decades. Even more startlingly, meat production has grown 25-fold since 1800 (Horrigan, Lawerence Walker, 2002). Globally, agriculture utilizes nearly 70 per cent of the world s available freshwater. One-third of that percentage is used to grow grains to feed to livestock (ECOS, 2014). While the global meat industry provides food and a livelihood for billions of people, it also has significant environmental and health consequences for the planet. Over half of the water used in meat production†¦show more content†¦The legislation however did not refer to any of the industrial food producers in California, which accounts for over 80% of the water usage in the state (California Department of Water Resources, 2012). This issue interests me because of the potential impacts the waste of water for agr iculture has on vulnerable populations of people with already limited capital needed to access food and water as prices continue to go up. Historically, communities of color are hit hardest by policies and practices favoring capitalists in the neoliberal system under which we live. The growing trend of privatization of water coupled with decline in the economic stability of the U.S. has the potential to severely decimate low- income communities of color in the years to come. This issue impacts the environment as a whole due to the reckless waste of valuable water. According to a research study conducted by Tilman, Gassman, Matson, Naylor Polasky (2002), The increasingly unsustainable methods associated with meat production, pose a huge threat to food production and ecosystems at large. Specific environmental health issues related to industrial meat production include water pollution/waste and climate change. Water Pollution Water Waste According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (2008), industrial livestock operations produce over 300 million tons of wastewater per year. Although there are

Compare/Contrast of Bram Stokers Dracula and Polidoris...

Comparison and Contrast of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Polidori’s The Vampyre While Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Polidori’s The Vampyre share some minor details, mostly regarding the basics of vampires and the location and date in which the stories take place, the majority of the stories differ greatly. The Vampyre was published almost a hundred years earlier, so it is easy to see how some details of that story can be seen in Dracula. Bram Stoker no doubt must have used The Vampyre as an influence, but only as an influence, as his story has its own unique details regarding characters and plot. I will discuss how the stories of The Vampyre and Dracula begin in a similar fashion, and then explain how there are key differences in narration,†¦show more content†¦The journal entries also give a very personal view of the events unfolding, and the reader reads the lines often times as if they were written as the events unfold, for example in Harker’s final journal entry before escaping the castle he writes: â€Å"As I write this there is in the passage below a sound of many tramping feet and the crash of weights being set down heavily, doubtless the boxes, with their freight of earth.† (Stoker, pg. 44) This gives the reader a very unique perspective, as if it were true events that had actually happened. The book also incorporates news stories of various events occurring during the time of the story, as it demonstrates how the events in the story affect not only the lives of the main characters but those throughout the land as well. This also gives it a level of realism as well. A second difference lies with the key characters in the story. The main character of The Vampyre is Aubrey, who is shown as a moral and brave man, with no real flaws to show, and despite taking an oath of silence, still does everything in his power to stop Lord Ruthven. In this case, the main character is also the hero. Aubrey’s heroic nature is displayed in the story during the attack which wounds Lord Ruthven: â€Å"Lo rd Ruthven and Aubrey, imitating their example, retired for a moment behind the sheltering turn of theShow MoreRelatedThe Fiction Genre Of Gothic Fiction1963 Words   |  8 PagesIn the following piece I discuss the figure of the vampire, especially Brian Stoker’s Victorian original version of Dracula, but also contemporary examples such as Lestat and Louis of Anne Rice’s â€Å"Interview with the Vampire†. In addition to the figure of the vampire, I will address the Otherness of Stephen King’s Carrie, who possesses the supernatural power of telekinesis and telepathy. This form of Otherness is in contrast to the vampire subtler and easily neglected. To support my arguments, I am

The Twilight Saga 5 Midnight Sun 5. Invitations Free Essays

string(18) " it than she was\." High school. Purgatory no longer, it was now purely hell. Torment and fire†¦yes, I had both. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 5. Invitations or any similar topic only for you Order Now I was doing everything correctly now. Every â€Å"i† dotted, every â€Å"t† crossed. No one could complain that I was shirking my responsibilities. To please Esme and protect the others, I stayed in Forks. I returned to my old schedule. I hunted no more than the rest of them. Everyday, I attended high school and played human. Everyday, I listened carefully for anything new about the Cullens – there never was anything new. The girl did not speak one word of her suspicions. She just repeated the same story again and again – I’d been standing with her and then pulled her out of the way – till her eager listeners got bored and stopped looking for more details. There was no danger. My hasty action had hurt no one. No one but myself. I was determined to change the future. Not the easiest task to set for oneself, but there was no other choice that I could live with. Alice said that I would not be strong enough to stay away from the girl. I would prove her wrong. I’d thought the first day would be the hardest. By the end of it, I’d been sure that was the case. I’d been wrong, though. It had rankled, knowing that I would hurt the girl. I’d comforted myself with the fact that her pain would be nothing more than a pinprick – just a tiny sting of rejection – compared to mine. Bella was human, and she knew that I was something else, something wrong, something frightening. She would probably be more relieved than wounded when I turned my face away from her and pretended that she didn’t exist. â€Å"Hello, Edward,† she’d greeted me, that first day back in biology. Her voice had been pleasant, friendly, one hundred and eighty degrees from the last time I’d spoken with her. Why? What did the change mean? Had she forgotten? Decided she had imagined the whole episode? Could she possibly have forgiven me for not following through on my promise? The questions had burned like the thirst that attacked me every time I breathed. Just one moment to look in her eyes. Just to see if I could read the answers there†¦ No. I could not allow myself even that. Not if I was going to change the future. I’d moved my chin an inch in her direction without looking away from the front of the room. I’d nodded once, and then turned my face straight forward. She did not speak to me again. That afternoon, as soon as school was finished, my role played, I ran to Seattle as I had the day before. It seemed that I could handle the aching just slightly better when I was flying over the ground, turning everything around me into a green blur. This run became my daily habit. Did I love her? I did not think so. Not yet. Alice’s glimpses of that future had stuck with me, though, and I could see how easy it would be to fall into loving Bella. It would be exactly like falling: effortless. Not letting myself love her was the opposite of falling – it was pulling myself up a cliff-face, hand over hand, the task as grueling as if I had no more than mortal strength. More than a month passed, and every day it got harder. That made no sense to me – I kept waiting to get over it, to have it get easier. This must be what Alice had meant when she’d predicted that I would not be able to stay away from the girl. She had seen the escalation of the pain. But I could handle pain. I would not destroy Bella’s future. If I was destined to love her, then wasn’t avoiding her the very least I could do? Avoiding her was about the limit of what I could bear, though. I could pretend to ignore her, and never look her way. I could pretend that she was of no interest to me. But that was the extent, just pretense and not reality. I still hung on every breath she took, every word she said. I lumped my torments into four categories. The first two were familiar. Her scent and her silence. Or, rather – to take the responsibility on myself where it belonged – my thirst and my curiosity. The thirst was the most primal of my torments. It was my habit now to simply not breathe at all in Biology. Of course, there were always the exceptions – when I had to answer a question or something of the sort, and I would need my breath to speak. Each time I tasted the air around the girl, it was the same as the first day – fire and need and brutal violence desperate to break free. It was hard to cling even slightly to reason or restraint in those moments. And, just like that first day, the monster in me would roar, so close to the surface†¦ The curiosity was the most constant of my torments. The question was never out of my mind: What is she thinking now? When I heard her quietly sigh. When she twisted a lock of hair absently around her finger. When she threw her books down with more force than usual. When she rushed to class late. When she tapped her foot impatiently against the floor. Each movement caught in my peripheral vision was a maddening mystery. When she spoke to the other human students, I analyzed her every word and tone. Was she speaking her thoughts, or what she thought she should say? It often sounded to me like she was trying to say what her audience expected, and this reminded me of my family and our daily life of illusion – we were better at it than she was. You read "The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 5. Invitations" in category "Essay examples" Unless I wrong about that, just imagining things. Why would she have to play a role? She was one of them – a human teenager. Mike Newton was the most surprising of my torments. Who would have ever dreamed that such a generic, boring mortal could be so infuriating? To be fair, I should have felt some gratitude to the annoying boy; more than the others, he kept the girl talking. I learned so much about her through these conversations – I was still compiling my list – but, contrarily, Mike’s assistance with this project only aggravated me more. I didn’t want Mike to be the one that unlocked her secrets. I wanted to do that. It helped that he never noticed her small revelations, her little slips. He knew nothing about her. He’d created a Bella in his head that didn’t exist – a girl just as generic as he was. He hadn’t observed the unselfishness and bravery that set her apart from other humans, he didn’t hear the abnormal maturity of her spoken thoughts. He didn’t perceive that when she spoke of her mother, she sounded like a parent speaking of a child rather than the other way around – loving, indulgent, slightly amused, and fiercely protective. He didn’t hear the patience in her voice when she feigned interest in his rambling stories, and didn’t guess at the kindness behind that patience. Through her conversations with Mike, I was able to add the most important quality to my list, the most revealing of them all, as simple as it was rare. Bella was good. All the other things added up to that whole – kind and self-effacing and unselfish and loving and brave – she was good through and through. These helpful discoveries did not warm me to the boy, however. The possessive way he viewed Bella – as if she were an acquisition to be made – provoked me almost as much as his crude fantasies about her. He was becoming more confident of her, too, as the time passed, for she seemed to prefer him over those he considered his rivals – Tyler Crowley, Eric Yorkie, and even, sporadically, myself. He would routinely sit on her side of our table before class began, chattering at her, encouraged by her smiles. Just polite smiles, I told myself. All the same, I frequently amused myself by imagining backhanding him across the room and into the far wall†¦ It probably wouldn’t injure him fatally†¦ Mike didn’t often think of me as a rival. After the accident, he’d worried that Bella and I would bond from the shared experience, but obviously the opposite had resulted. Back then, he had still been bothered that I’d singled Bella out over her peers for attention. But now I ignored her just as thoroughly as the others, and he grew complacent. What was she thinking now? Did she welcome his attention? And, finally, the last of my torments, the most painful: Bella’s indifference. As I ignored her, she ignored me. She never tried to speak to me again. For all I knew, she never thought about me at all. This might have driven me mad – or even broken my resolution to change the future – except that she sometimes stared at me like she had before. I didn’t see it for myself, as I could not allow myself to look at her, but Alice always warned us when she was about to stare; the others were still wary of the girl’s problematic knowledge. It eased some of the pain that she gazed at me from across a distance, every now and then. Of course, she could just be wondering what kind of a freak I was. â€Å"Bella’s going to stare at Edward in a minute. Look normal,† Alice said one Tuesday in March, and the others were careful to fidget and shift their weight like humans; absolute stillness was a marker of our kind. I paid attention to how often she looked my direction. It pleased me, though it should not, that the frequency did not decline as the time passed. I didn’t know what it meant, but it made me feel better. Alice sighed. I wish†¦ â€Å"Stay out of it, Alice,† I said under my breath. â€Å"It’s not going to happen.† She pouted. Alice was anxious to form her envisioned friendship with Bella. In a strange way, she missed the girl she didn’t know. I’ll admit, you’re better than I thought. You’ve got the future all snarled up and senseless again. I hope you’re happy. â€Å"It makes plenty of sense to me.† She snorted delicately. I tried to shut her out, too impatient for conversation. I wasn’t in a very good mood – tenser than I let any of them see. Only Jasper was aware of how tightly wound I was, feeling the stress emanate out of me with his unique ability to both sense and influence the moods of others. He didn’t understand the reasons behind the moods, though, and – since I was constantly in a foul mood these days – he disregarded it. Today would be a hard one. Harder than the day before, as was the pattern. Mike Newton, the odious boy whom I could not allow myself to rival, was going to ask Bella on a date. A girl’s choice dance was on the near horizon, and he’d been hoping very much that Bella would ask him. That she had not done so had rattled his confidence. Now he was in an uncomfortable bind – I enjoyed his discomfort more than I should – because Jessica Stanley had just asked him to the dance. He didn’t want to say â€Å"yes,† still hopeful that Bella would choose him (and prove him the victor over his rivals), but he didn’t want to say â€Å"no† and end up missing the dance altogether. Jessica, hurt by his hesitation and guessing the reason behind it, was thinking daggers at Bella. Again, I had the instinct to place myself between Jessica’s angry thoughts and Bella. I understood the instinct better now, but that only made it more frustrating when I could not act on it. To think it had come to this! I was utterly fixated on the petty high school dramas that I’d once held so in contempt. Mike was working up his nerve as he walked Bella to biology. I listened to his struggles as I waited for them to arrive. The boy was weak. He had waited for this dance purposely, afraid to make his infatuation known before she had shown a marked preference for him. He didn’t want to make himself vulnerable to rejection, preferring that she make that leap first. Coward. He sat down on our table again, comfortable with long familiarity, and I imagined the sound it would make if his body hit the opposite wall with enough force to break most of his bones. â€Å"So,† he said to the girl, his eyes on the floor. â€Å"Jessica asked me to the spring dance.† â€Å"That’s great,† Bella answered immediately and with enthusiasm. It was hard not to smile as her tone sunk in to Mike’s awareness. He’d been hoping for dismay. â€Å"You’ll have a lot of fun with Jessica.† He scrambled for the right response. â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he hesitated, and almost chickened out. Then he rallied. â€Å"I told her I had to think about it.† â€Å"Why would you do that?† she demanded. Her tone was one of disapproval, but there was the faintest hint of relief there as well. What did that mean? An unexpected, intense fury made my hands clench into fists. Mike did not hear the relief. His face was red with blood – fierce as I suddenly felt, this seemed like an invitation – and he looked at the floor again as he spoke. â€Å"I was wondering if†¦well, if you might be planning to ask me.† Bella hesitated. In that moment of her hesitation, I saw the future more clearly than Alice ever had. The girl might say yes to Mike’s unspoken question now, and she might not, but either way, someday soon, she would say yes to someone. She was lovely and intriguing, and human males were not oblivious to this fact. Whether she would settle for someone in this lackluster crowd, or wait until she was free from Forks, the day would come that she would say yes. I saw her life as I had before – college, career†¦love, marriage. I saw her on her father’s arm again, dressed in gauzy white, her face flushed with happiness as she moved to the sound of Wagner’s march. The pain was more than anything I’d felt before. A human would have to be on the point of death to feel this pain – a human would not live through it. And not just pain, but outright rage. The fury ached for some kind of physical outlet. Though this insignificant, undeserving boy might not be the one that Bella would say yes to, I yearned to crush his skull in my hand, to let him stand as a representative for whoever it would be. I didn’t understand this emotion – it was such a tangle of pain and rage and desire and despair. I had never felt it before; I couldn’t put a name to it. â€Å"Mike, I think you should tell her yes,† Bella said in a gentle voice. Mike’s hopes plummeted. I would have enjoyed that under other circumstances, but I was lost in the aftershock of the pain – and the remorse for what the pain and rage had done to me. Alice was right. I was not strong enough. Right now, Alice would be watching the future spin and twist, become mangled again. Would this please her? â€Å"Did you already ask someone?† Mike asked sullenly. He glanced at me, suspicious for the first time in many weeks. I realized I had betrayed my interest; my head was inclined in Bella’s direction. The wild envy in his thoughts – envy for whoever this girl preferred to him – suddenly put a name to my unnamed emotion. I was jealous. â€Å"No,† the girl said with a trace of humor in her voice. â€Å"I’m not going to the dance at all.† Through all the remorse and anger, I felt relief at her words. Suddenly, I was considering my rivals. â€Å"Why not?† Mike asked, his tone almost rude. It offended me that he used this tone with her. I bit back a growl. â€Å"I’m going to Seattle that Saturday,† she answered. The curiosity was not as vicious as it would have been before – now that I was fully intending to find out the answers to everything. I would know the wheres and whys of this new revelation soon enough. Mike’s tone turned unpleasantly wheedling. â€Å"Can’t you go some other weekend?† â€Å"Sorry, no.† Bella was brusquer now. â€Å"So you shouldn’t make Jess wait any longer – it’s rude.† Her concern for Jessica’s feelings fanned the flames of my jealousy. This Seattle trip was clearly an excuse to say no – did she refuse purely out of loyalty to her friend? She was more than selfless enough for that. Did she actually wish she could say yes? Or were both guesses wrong? Was she interested in someone else? â€Å"Yeah, you’re right,† Mike mumbled, so demoralized that I almost felt pity for him. Almost. He dropped his eyes from the girl, cutting off my view of her face in his thoughts. I wasn’t going to tolerate that. I turned to read her face myself, for the first time in more than a month. It was a sharp relief to allow myself this, like a gasp of air to long-submerged human lungs. Her eyes were closed, and her hands pressed against the sides of her face. Her shoulders curved inward defensively. She shook her head ever so slightly, as if she were trying to push some thought from her mind. Frustrating. Fascinating. Mr. Banner’s voice pulled her from her reverie, and her eyes slowly opened. She looked at me immediately, perhaps sensing my gaze. She stared up into my eyes with the same bewildered expression that had haunted me for so long. I didn’t feel the remorse or the guilt or the rage in that second. I knew they would come again, and come soon, but for this one moment I rode a strange, jittery high. As if I had triumphed, rather than lost. She didn’t look away, though I stared with inappropriate intensity, trying vainly to read her thoughts through her liquid brown eyes. They were full of questions, rather than answers. I could see the reflection of my own eyes, and I saw that they were black with thirst. It had been nearly two weeks since my last hunting trip; this was not the safest day for my will to crumble. But the blackness did not seem to frighten her. She still did not look away, and a soft, devastatingly appealing pink began to color her skin. What was she thinking now? I almost asked the question aloud, but at that moment Mr. Banner called my name. I picked the correct answer out of his head while I glanced briefly in his direction. I sucked in a quick breath. â€Å"The Krebs Cycle.† Thirst scorched down my throat – tightening my muscles and filling my mouth with venom – and I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate through the desire for her blood that raged inside me. The monster was stronger than before. The monster was rejoicing. He embraced this dual future that gave him an even, fifty-fifty chance at what he craved so viciously. The third, shaky future I’d tried to construct through willpower alone had crumbled – destroyed by common jealously, of all things – and he was so much closer to his goal. The remorse and the guilt burned with the thirst, and, if I’d had the ability to produce tears, they would have filled my eyes now. What had I done? Knowing the battle was already lost, there seemed to be no reason to resist what I wanted; I turned to stare at the girl again. She had hidden in her hair, but I could see through a parting in the tresses that her cheek was deep crimson now. The monster liked that. She did not meet my gaze again, but she twisted a strand of her dark hair nervously between her fingers. Her delicate fingers, her fragile wrist – they were so breakable, looking for all the world like just my breath could snap them. No, no, no. I could not do this. She was too breakable, too good, too precious to deserve this fate. I couldn’t allow my life to collide with hers, to destroy it. But I couldn’t stay away from her either. Alice was right about that. The monster inside me hissed with frustration as I wavered, leaning first one way, then the other. My brief hour with her passed all too quickly, as I vacillated between the rock and the hard place. The bell rang, and she started collecting her things without looking at me. This disappointed me, but I could hardly expect otherwise. The way I had treated her since the accident was inexcusable. â€Å"Bella?† I said, unable to stop myself. My willpower already lay in shreds. She hesitated before looking at me; when she turned, her expression was guarded, distrustful. I reminded myself that she had every right to distrust me. That she should. She waited for me to continue, but I just stared at her, reading her face. I pulled in shallow mouthfuls of air at regular intervals, fighting my thirst. â€Å"What?† she finally said. â€Å"Are you speaking to me again?† There was an edge of resentment to her tone that was, like her anger, endearing. It made me want to smile. I wasn’t sure how to answer her question. Was I speaking to her again, in the sense that she meant? No. Not if I could help it. I would try to help it. â€Å"No, not really,† I told her. She closed her eyes, which frustrated me. It cut off my best avenue of access to her feelings. She took a long, slow breath without opening her eyes. Her jaw was locked. Eyes still closed, she spoke. Surely this was not a normal human way to converse. Why did she do it? â€Å"Then what do you want, Edward?† The sound of my name on her lips did strange things to my body. If I’d had a heartbeat, it would have quickened. But how to answer her? With the truth, I decided. I would be as truthful as I could with her from now on. I didn’t want to deserve her distrust, even if earning her trust was impossible. â€Å"I’m sorry,† I told her. That was truer than she would ever know. Unfortunately, I could only safely apologize for the trivial. â€Å"I’m being very rude, I know. But it’s better this way, really.† I would be better for her if I could keep it up, continue to be rude. Could I? Her eyes opened, their expression still wary. â€Å"I don’t know what you mean.† I tried to get as much of a warning through to her as was allowed. â€Å"It’s better if we’re not friends.† Surely, she could sense that much. She was a bright girl. â€Å"Trust me.† Her eyes tightened, and I remembered that I had said those words to her before – just before breaking a promise. I winced when her teeth clenched together – she clearly remembered, too. â€Å"It’s too bad you didn’t figure that out earlier,† she said angrily. â€Å"You could have saved yourself all this regret.† I stared at her in shock. What did she know of my regrets? â€Å"Regret? Regret for what?† I demanded. â€Å"For not just letting that stupid van squish me!† she snapped. I froze, stunned. How could she be thinking that? Saving her life was the one acceptable thing I’d done since I met her. The one thing that I was not ashamed of. The one and only thing that made me glad I existed at all. I’d been fighting to keep her alive since the first moment I’d caught her scent. How could she think this of me? How dare she question my one good deed in all this mess? â€Å"You think I regret saving your life?† â€Å"I know you do,† she retorted. Her estimation of my intentions left me seething. â€Å"You don’t know anything.† How confusing and incomprehensible the workings of her mind were! She must not think in the same way as other humans at all. That must be the explanation behind her mental silence. She was entirely other. She jerked her face away, gritting her teeth again. Her cheeks were flushed, with anger this time. She slammed her books together in a pile, yanked them up into her arms, and marched toward the door without meeting my stare. Even irritated as I was, it was impossible not to find her anger a bit entertaining. She walked stiffly, without looking where she was going, and her foot caught on the lip of the doorway. She stumbled, and her things all crashed to the ground. Instead of bending to get them, she stood rigidly straight, not even looking down, as if she were not sure the books were worth retrieving. I managed not to laugh. No one was here to watch me; I flitted to her side, and had her books put in order before she looked down. She bent halfway, saw me, and then froze. I handed her books back to her, making sure that my icy skin never touched hers. â€Å"Thank you,† she said in a cold, severe voice. Her tone brought back my irritation. â€Å"You’re welcome,† I said just as coldly. She wrenched herself upright and stomped away to her next class. I watched until I could no longer see her angry figure. Spanish passed in a blur. Mrs. Goff never questioned my abstraction – she knew my Spanish was superior to hers, and she gave me a great deal of latitude – leaving me free to think. So, I couldn’t ignore the girl. That much was obvious. But did it mean I had no choice but to destroy her? That could not be the only available future. There had to be some other choice, some delicate balance. I tried to think of a way†¦ I didn’t pay much attention to Emmett until the hour was nearly up. He was curious – Emmett was not overly intuitive about the shades in other’s moods, but he could see the obvious change in me. He wondered what had happened to remove the unrelenting glower from my face. He struggled to define the change, and finally decided that I looked hopeful. Hopeful? Is that what it looked like from the outside? I pondered the idea of hope as we walked to the Volvo, wondering what exactly I should be hoping for. But I didn’t have long to ponder. Sensitive as I always was to thoughts about the girl, the sound of Bella’s name in the heads of†¦of my rivals, I suppose I had to admit, caught my attention. Eric and Tyler, having heard – with much satisfaction – of Mike’s failure, were preparing to make their moves. Eric was already in place, positioned against her truck where she could not avoid him. Tyler’s class was being held late to receive an assignment, and he was in a desperate hurry to catch her before she escaped. This I had to see. â€Å"Wait for the others here, all right?† I murmured to Emmett. He eyed me suspiciously, but then shrugged and nodded. Kid’s lost his mind, he thought, amused by my odd request. I saw Bella on her way out of the gym, and I waited where she would not see me for her to pass. As she got closer to Eric’s ambush, I strode forward, setting my pace so that I would walk by at the right moment. I watched her body stiffen when she caught sight of the boy waiting for her. She froze for a moment, then relaxed and moved forward. â€Å"Hi, Eric,† I heard her call in a friendly voice. I was abruptly and unexpectedly anxious. What if this gangly teen with his unhealthy skin was somehow pleasing to her? Eric swallowed loudly, his Adam’s apple bobbing. â€Å"Hi, Bella.† She seemed unconscious of his nervousness. â€Å"What’s up?† she asked, unlocking her truck without looking at his frightened expression. â€Å"Uh, I was just wondering†¦if you would go to the spring dance with me?† His voice broke. She finally looked up. Was she taken aback, or pleased? Eric couldn’t meet her gaze, so I couldn’t see her face in his mind. â€Å"I thought it was girl’s choice,† she said, sounding flustered. â€Å"Well, yeah,† he agreed wretchedly. This pitiable boy did not irritate me as much as Mike Newton did, but I couldn’t find it in myself to feel sympathy for his angst until after Bella had answered him in a gentle voice. â€Å"Thank you for asking me, but I’m going to be in Seattle that day.† He’d already heard this; still, it was a disappointment. â€Å"Oh,† he mumbled, barely daring to raise his eyes to the level of her nose. â€Å"Maybe next time.† â€Å"Sure,† she agreed. Then she bit down on her lip, as if she regretted leaving him a loophole. I liked that. Eric slumped forward and walked away, headed in the wrong direction from his car, his only thought escape. I passed her in that moment, and heard her sigh of relief. I laughed. She whirled at the sound, but I stared straight ahead, trying to keep my lips from twitching in amusement. Tyler was behind me, almost running in his hurry to catch her before she could drive away. He was bolder and more confident than the other two; he’d only waited to approach Bella this long because he’d respected Mike’s prior claim. I wanted him to succeed in catching her for two reasons. If – as I was beginning to suspect – all this attention was annoying to Bella, I wanted to enjoy watching her reaction. But, if it was not – if Tyler’s invitation was the one she’d been hoping for – then I wanted to know that, too. I measured Tyler Crowley as a rival, knowing it was wrong to do so. He seemed tediously average and unremarkable to me, but what did I know of Bella’s preferences? Maybe she liked average boys†¦ I winced at that thought. I could never be an average boy. How foolish it was to set myself up as a rival for her affections. How could she ever care for someone who was, by any estimation, a monster? She was too good for a monster. I ought to have let her escape, but my inexcusable curiosity kept me from doing what was right. Again. But what if Tyler missed his chance now, only to contact her later when I would have no way of knowing the outcome? I pulled my Volvo out into the narrow lane, blocking her exit. Emmett and the others were on their way, but he’d described my strange behavior to them, and they were walking slowly, watching me, trying to decipher what I was doing. I watched the girl in my rearview mirror. She glowered toward the back of my car without meeting my gaze, looking as if she wished she were driving a tank rather than a rusted Chevy. Tyler hurried to his car and got in line behind her, grateful for my inexplicable behavior. He waved at her, trying to catch her attention, but she didn’t notice. He waited a moment, and then left his car, sauntering up to her passenger side window. He tapped on the glass. She jumped, and then stared at him in confusion. After a second, she rolled the window down manually, seeming to have some trouble with it. â€Å"I’m sorry, Tyler,† she said, her voice irritated. â€Å"I’m stuck behind Cullen.† She said my surname in a hard voice – she was still angry with me. â€Å"Oh, I know,† Tyler said, undeterred by her mood. â€Å"I just wanted to ask you something while we’re trapped here.† His grin was cocky. I was gratified by the way she blanched at his obvious intent. â€Å"Will you ask me to the spring dance?† he asked, no thought of defeat in his head. â€Å"I’m not going to be in town, Tyler,† she told him, irritation still plain in her voice. â€Å"Yeah, Mike said that.† â€Å"Then why – ?† she stared to ask. He shrugged. â€Å"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy.† Her eyes flashed, then cooled. â€Å"Sorry, Tyler,† she said, not sounding sorry at all. â€Å"I really am going to be out of town.† He accepted that excuse, his self-assurance untouched. â€Å"That’s cool. We still have prom.† He strutted back to his car. I was right to have waited for this. The horrified expression on her face was priceless. It told me what I should not so desperately need to know – that she had no feelings for any of these human males who wished to court her. Also, her expression was possibly the funniest thing I’d ever seen. My family arrived then, confused by the fact that I was, for a change, rocking with laughter rather than scowling murderously at everything in sight. What’s so funny? Emmett wanted to know. I just shook my head while I also shook with fresh laughter as Bella revved her noisy engine angrily. She looked like she was wishing for a tank again. â€Å"Let’s go!† Rosalie hissed impatiently. â€Å"Stop being an idiot. If you can.† Her words didn’t annoy me – I was too entertained. But I did as she asked. No one spoke to me on the way home. I continued to chuckle every now and again, thinking of Bella’s face. As I turned on to the drive – speeding up now that there were no witnesses – Alice ruined my mood. â€Å"So do I get to talk to Bella now?† she asked suddenly, without considering the words first, thus giving me no warning. â€Å"No,† I snapped. â€Å"Not fair! What am I waiting for?† â€Å"I haven’t decided anything, Alice.† â€Å"Whatever, Edward.† In her head, Bella’s two destinies were clear again. â€Å"What’s the point in getting to know her?† I mumbled, suddenly morose. â€Å"If I’m just going to kill her?† Alice hesitated for a second. â€Å"You have a point,† she admitted. I took the final hairpin turn at ninety miles an hour, and then screeched to a stop an inch from the back garage wall. â€Å"Enjoy your run,† Rosalie said smugly as I threw myself out of the car. But I didn’t go running today. Instead, I went hunting. The others were scheduled to hunt tomorrow, but I couldn’t afford to be thirsty now. I overdid it, drinking more than necessary, glutting myself again – a small grouping of elk and one black bear I was lucky to stumble across this early in the year. I was so full it was uncomfortable. Why couldn’t that be enough? Why did her scent have to be so much stronger than anything else? I had hunted in preparation for the next day, but, when I could hunt no more and the sun was still hours and hours from rising, I knew that the next day was not soon enough. The jittery high swept through me again when I realized that I was going to go find the girl. I argued with myself all the way back to Forks, but my less noble side won the argument, and I went ahead with my indefensible plan. The monster was restless but well-fettered. I knew I would keep a safe distance from her. I only wanted to know where she was. I just wanted to see her face. It was past midnight, and Bella’s house was dark and quiet. Her truck was parked against the curb, her father’s police cruiser in the driveway. There were no conscious thoughts anywhere in the neighborhood. I watched the house for a moment from the blackness of the forest that bordered it on the east. The front door would probably be locked – not a problem, except that I didn’t want to leave a broken door as evidence behind me. I decided to try the upstairs window first. Not many people would bother installing a lock there. I crossed the open yard and scaled the face of the house in half a second. Dangling from the eave above the window by one hand, I looked through the glass, and my breath stopped. It was her room. I could see her in the one small bed, her covers on the floor and her sheets twisted around her legs. As I watched, she twitched restlessly and threw one arm over her head. She did not sleep soundly, at least not this night. Did she sense the danger near her? I was repulsed by myself as I watched her toss again. How was I any better than some sick peeping tom? I wasn’t any better. I was much, much worse. I relaxed my fingertips, about to let myself drop. But first I allowed myself one long look at her face. It was not peaceful. The little furrow was there between her eyebrows, the corners of her lips turned down. Her lips trembled, and then parted. â€Å"Okay, Mom,† she muttered. Bella talked in her sleep. Curiosity flared, overpowering self-disgust. The lure of those unprotected, unconsciously spoken thoughts was impossibly tempting. I tried the window, and it was not locked, though it stuck due to long disuse. I slid it slowly aside, cringing at each faint groan of the metal frame. I would have to find some oil for next time†¦ Next time? I shook my head, disgusted again. I eased myself silently through the half-opened window. Her room was small – disorganized but not unclean. There were books piled on the floor beside her bed, their spines facing away from me, and CDs scattered by her inexpensive CD player – the one on top was just a clear jewel case. Stacks of papers surrounded a computer that looked like it belonged in a museum dedicated to obsolete technologies. Shoes dotted the wooden floor. I wanted very much to go read the titles of her books and CDs, but I’d promised myself that I would keep my distance; instead, I went to sit the old rocking chair in the far corner of the room. Had I really once thought her average-looking? I thought of that first day, and my disgust for the boys who were so immediately intrigued with her. But when I remembered her face in their minds now, I could not understand why I had not found her beautiful immediately. It seemed an obvious thing. Right now – with her dark hair tangled and wild around her pale face, wearing a threadbare t-shirt full of holes with tatty sweatpants, her features relaxed in unconsciousness, her full lips slightly parted – she took my breath away. Or would have, I thought wryly, if I were breathing. She did not speak. Perhaps her dream had ended. I stared at her face and tried to think of some way to make the future bearable. Hurting her was not bearable. Did that mean my only choice was to try to leave again? The others could not argue with me now. My absence would not put anyone in danger. There would be no suspicion, nothing to link anyone’s thoughts back to the accident. I wavered as I had this afternoon, and nothing seemed possible. I could not hope to rival the human boys, whether these specific boys appealed to her or not. I was a monster. How could she see me as anything else? If she knew the truth about me, it would frighten and repulse her. Like the intended victim in a horror movie, she would run away, shrieking in terror. I remembered her first day in biology†¦and knew that this was exactly the right reaction for her to have. It was foolishness to imagine that if had I been the one to ask her to the silly dance, she would have cancelled her hastily-made plans and agreed to go with me. I was not the one she was destined to say yes to. It was someone else, someone human and warm. And I could not even let myself – someday, when that yes was said – hunt him down and kill him, because she deserved him, whoever he was. She deserved happiness and love with whomever she chose. I owed it to her to do the right thing now; I could no longer pretend that I was only in danger of loving this girl. After all, it really didn’t matter if I left, because Bella could never see me the way I wished she would. Never see me as someone worthy of love. Never. Could a dead, frozen heart break? It felt like mine would. â€Å"Edward,† Bella said. I froze, staring at her unopened eyes. Had she woken, caught me here? She looked asleep, yet her voice had been so clear†¦ She sighed a quiet sigh, and then moved restlessly again, rolling to her side – still fast asleep and dreaming. â€Å"Edward,† she mumbled softly. She was dreaming of me. Could a dead, frozen heart beat again? It felt like mine was about to. â€Å"Stay,† she sighed. â€Å"Don’t go. Please†¦don’t go.† She was dreaming of me, and it wasn’t even a nightmare. She wanted me to stay with her, there in her dream. I struggled to find words to name the feelings that flooded through me, but I had no words strong enough to hold them. For a long moment, I drowned in them. When I surfaced, I was not the same man I had been. My life was an unending, unchanging midnight. It must, by necessity, always be midnight for me. So how was it possible that the sun was rising now, in the middle of my midnight? At the time that I had become a vampire, trading my soul and my mortality for immortality in the searing pain of transformation, I had truly been frozen. My body had turned into something more like rock than flesh, enduring and unchanging. My self, also, had frozen as it was – my personality, my likes and my dislikes, my moods and my desires; all were fixed in place. It was the same for the rest of them. We were all frozen. Living stone. When change came for one of us, it was a rare and permanent thing. I had seen it happen with Carlisle, and then a decade later with Rosalie. Love had changed them in an eternal way, a way that never faded. More than eighty years had passed since Carlisle had found Esme, and yet he still looked at her with the incredulous eyes of first love. It would always be that way for them. It would always be that way for me, too. I would always love this fragile human girl, for the rest of my limitless existence. I gazed at her unconscious face, feeling this love for her settle into every portion of my stone body. She slept more peacefully now, a slight smile on her lips. Always watching her, I began to plot. I loved her, and so I would try to be strong enough to leave her. I knew I wasn’t that strong now. I would work on that one. But perhaps I was strong enough to circumvent the future in another way. Alice had seen only two futures for Bella, and now I understood them both. Loving her would not keep me from killing her, if I let myself make mistakes. Yet I could not feel the monster now, could not find him anywhere in me. Perhaps love had silenced him forever. If I killed her now, it would not be intentional, only a horrible accident. I would have to be inordinately careful. I would never, ever be able to let my guard down. I would have to control my every breath. I would have to keep an always cautious distance. I would not make mistakes. I finally understood that second future. I’d been baffled by that vision – what could possibly happen to result in Bella becoming a prisoner to this immortal half-life? Now – devastated by longing for the girl – I could understand how I might, in unforgivable selfishness, ask my father for that favor. Ask him to take away her life and her soul so that I could keep her forever. She deserved better. But I saw one more future, one thin wire that I might be able to walk, if I could keep my balance. Could I do it? Be with her and leave her human? Deliberately, I took a deep breath, and then another, letting her scent rip through me like wildfire. The room was thick with her perfume; her fragrance was layered on every surface. My head swam, but I fought the spinning. I would have to get used to this, if I were going to attempt any kind of relationship with her. I took another deep, burning breath. I watched her sleeping until the sun rose behind the eastern clouds, plotting and breathing. I got home just after the others had left for school. I changed quickly, avoiding Esme’s questioning eyes. She saw the feverish light in my face, and she felt both worry and relief. My long melancholy had pained her, and she was glad it seemed to be over. I ran to school, arriving a few seconds after my siblings did. They did not turn, though Alice at least must have known that I stood here in the thick woods that bordered the pavement. I waited until no one was looking, and then I strolled casually from between the trees into the lot full of parked cars. I heard Bella’s truck rumbling around the corner, and I paused behind a Suburban, where I could watch without being seen. She drove into the lot, glaring at my Volvo for a long moment before she parked in one of the most distant spaces, a frown on her face. It was strange to remember that she was probably still angry with me, and with good reason. I wanted to laugh at myself – or kick myself. All my plotting and planning was entirely moot if she didn’t care for me, too, wasn’t it? Her dream could have been about something completely random. I was such an arrogant fool. Well, it was so much the better for her if she didn’t care for me. That wouldn’t stop me from pursuing her, but I would give her fair warning as I pursued. I owed her that. I walked silently forward, wondering how best to approach her. She made it easy. Her truck key slipped through her fingers as she got out, and fell into a deep puddle. She reached down, but I got to it first, retrieving it before she had to put her fingers in the cold water. I leaned back against her truck as she started and then straightened up. â€Å"How do you do that?† she demanded. Yes, she was still angry. I offered her the key. â€Å"Do what?† She held her hand out, and I dropped the key in her palm. I took a deep breath, pulling in her scent. â€Å"Appear out of thin air,† she clarified. â€Å"Bella, it’s not my fault if you are exceptionally unobservant.† The words were wry, almost a joke. Was there anything she didn’t see? Did she hear how my voice wrapped around her name like a caress? She glared at me, not appreciating my humor. Her heartbeat sped – from anger? From fear? After a moment, she looked down. â€Å"Why the traffic jam last night?† she asked without meeting my eyes. â€Å"I thought you were supposed to be pretending I don’t exist, not irritating me to death.† Still very angry. It was going to take some effort to make things right with her. I remembered my resolve to be truthful with her†¦ â€Å"That was for Tyler’s sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance.† And then I laughed. I couldn’t help it, thinking of her expression yesterday. â€Å"You – † she gasped, and then broke off, appearing to be too furious to finish. There it was – that same expression. I choked back another laugh. She was mad enough already. â€Å"And I’m not pretending you don’t exist,† I finished. It was right to keep this casual, teasing. She would not understand if I let her see how I really felt. I would frighten her. I had to keep my feelings in check, keep things light†¦ â€Å"So you are trying to irritate me to death? Since Tyler’s van didn’t do the job?† A quick flash of anger pulsed through me. Could she honestly believe that? It was irrational for me to be so affronted – she didn’t know of the transformation that had happened in the night. But I was angry all the same. â€Å"Bella, you are utterly absurd,† I snapped. Her face flushed, and she turned her back on me. She began to walk away. Remorse. I had no right to my anger. â€Å"Wait,† I pleaded. She did not stop, so I followed after her. â€Å"I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m not saying it isn’t true† – it was absurd to imagine that I wanted her harmed in any way – â€Å"but it was rude to say it, anyway.† â€Å"Why won’t you leave me alone?† Believe me, I wanted to say. I’ve tried. Oh, and also, I’m wretchedly in love with you. Keep it light. â€Å"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me.† A course of action had just occurred to me, and I laughed. â€Å"Do you have a multiple personality disorder?† she asked. It must seem that way. My mood was erratic, so many new emotions coursing through me. â€Å"You’re doing it again,† I pointed out. She sighed. â€Å"Fine then. What do you want to ask?† â€Å"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I watched the shock cross her face, and choked back another laugh. â€Å"You know, the day of the spring dance – â€Å" She cut me off, finally returning her eyes to mine. â€Å"Are you trying to be funny?† Yes. â€Å"Will you let me finish?† She waited in silence, her teeth pressing into her soft lower lip. That sight distracted me for a second. Strange, unfamiliar reactions stirred deep in my forgotten human core. I tried to shake them off so I could play my role. â€Å"I heard you say that you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride?† I offered. I’d realized that, better than just questioning her about her plans, I might share them. She stared at me blankly. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Do you want a ride to Seattle?† Alone in a car with her – my throat burned at the thought. I took a deep breath. Get used to it. â€Å"With who?† she asked, her eyes wide and bewildered again. â€Å"Myself, obviously,† I said slowly. â€Å"Why?† Was it really such as shock that I would want her company? She must have applied the worst possible meaning to my past behavior. â€Å"Well,† I said as casually as possible, â€Å"I was planning to go to Seattle in the next few weeks, and, to be honest, I’m not sure if your truck can make it.† It seemed safer to tease her than to allow myself to be serious. â€Å"My truck works just fine, thank you very much for your concern,† she said in the same surprised voice. She started walking again. I kept pace with her. She hadn’t really said no, so I pressed that advantage. Would she say no? What would I do if she did? â€Å"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?† â€Å"I don’t see how that is any of your business,† she grumbled. That still wasn’t a no. And her heart was beating faster again, her breath coming more quickly. â€Å"The wasting of finite resources is everyone’s business.† â€Å"Honestly, Edward, I can’t keep up with you. I thought you didn’t want to be my friend.† A thrill shot through me when she spoke my name. How to keep it light and yet be honest at the same time? Well, it was more important to be honest. Especially on this point. â€Å"I said it would be better if we weren’t friends, not that I didn’t want to be.† â€Å"Oh, thanks, now that’s all cleared up,† she said sarcastically. She paused, under the edge of the cafeteria’s roof, and met my gaze again. Her heartbeats stuttered. Was she afraid? I chose my words carefully. No, I could not leave her, but maybe she would be smart enough to leave me, before it was too late. â€Å"It would be more†¦prudent for you not to be my friend.† Staring into the melted chocolate depths of her eyes, I lost my hold on light. â€Å"But I’m tired of trying to stay away from you, Bella.† The words burned with much too much fervor. Her breathing stopped and, in the second it took for it to restart, that worried me. How much had I scared her? Well, I would find out. â€Å"Will you go to Seattle with me?† I demanded, point blank. She nodded, her heart drumming loudly. Yes. She’d said yes to me. And then my conscious smote me. What would this cost her? â€Å"You really should stay away from me,† I warned her. Did she hear me? Would she escape the future I was threatening her with? Couldn’t I do anything to save her from me? Keep it light, I shouted at myself. â€Å"I’ll see you in class.† I had to concentrate to stop myself from running as I fled. How to cite The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 5. Invitations, Essay examples

Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution free essay sample

Machinery was not always fenced off and workers would be exposed to the moving parts of the machines whilst they worked. Children were often employed to move between these dangerous machines, as they were small enough to fit between tightly packed machinery. This led to them being placed in a great deal of danger and mortality (death rates) were quite high in factories. Added to the dangers of the workplace also consider the impact of the hours worked. It was quite common for workers to work 12 hours or more a day, in the hot and physically exhausting work places. Exhaustion naturally leads to the worker becoming slow, which again makes the work place more dangerous. Positive Effects There were some positive effects of the Industrial Revolution. The improved production made products available to the people at cheaper prices. The population of industrial cities grew and this created more communication of ideas. We will write a custom essay sample on Working Conditions in the Industrial Revolution or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page These were positive effects, as well as the important reforms made in education and health and working conditions in factories as a result of the Industrial Revolution. The reforms helped improve living standards as a large number of people lived in reasonable comfort. It is certain that the impact of the changes that occurred were different for people of different classes and geography. As a whole, the benefits outweighed the problems of the Industrial Revolution. Britain changed from a country to an urbanized society as factories brought former farmers together to one spot for the purpose of production. People began not to depend on only their own resources as farmers. Jobs were much easier with area of labor. They had only to concentrate on one specific task as a worker in a factory. The threat of starvation was small, which as a farmer, had never been far away if a harvest didn’t work out as planned. Also, bringing people together who had been traditionally isolated brought more attention and action politically. Negative Effects Although it seems like there were a lot of positive effects it didn’t compare to the negative effects that took a drastic hurt on working classes. One of the most crucial negatives was child labor. These factory owners had 8 years old kids working in their factories for about 16 hours a day. Keep in mind that the breaks given were extremely short! Their lunch breaks were so short that they couldn’t go home and get something to eat. They had to eat a little snack or something in that category that they had brought with them to work. Many accidents occurred injuring or killing children on the job. Also many of these children were orphans and had no actual home to go to after work. The treatment the children in factories were often cruel, and the childrens safety was generally neglected. The people who the children served would beat them, verbally abuse them, and had no concern for their safety. The view of the work being done meant that the workplace had to be very hot, steam engines creating the heat in this and other industries. Machinery was not always fenced off and workers would be exposed to the moving parts of the machines even as they worked. Another issue was education. Many of these minors had no type of education because they were given no to time to go to school. Also many women weren’t permitted to teach. This was a big issue because these people (kids) would have little to no type of reading or writing skills for now or the future mainly because of demand of child employment or in other words, work. Opinionated Fixtures From my point of view I feel that these young children should have been allowed a childhood education. In addition to that statement, I feel that should be given the opportunity to grow up and make better of themselves. This would have been a better method than to just have children at six years old locked in factories doing the unbearable. Another suggestion is to allow the women with the appropriate amount of knowledge to teach. If the knowledge is there why let it sit there and rot. It is very cruel and inconsiderate to not allow someone teach just because those people are females. These factories were extremely hazardous and unsafe. They caused a vast amount of deaths, which is not a good look at all. Instead of these factory owners being all gassed up about their success economically and politically they should have used some of the money to secure their employees by purchasing merchandise that will favor their health more than basically damage and kill them. At least they could have made sure that all the machinery was fenced off at all times. All in all, the Industrial Revolution was somewhat for better when it came to the economic or political category but on the other hand dramatically for the worst when it came down to health of the people. ~Interesting Fact~ Not all factories were as bad as this. Robert Owen and Titus salt for example were both regarded as good employers in this respect. They were amongst a group of people who were known as reformers. These people wanted changes to the way that factories were run. They faced opposition from other mill owners who knew that reforms would cost them money and give the workers more rights.

The Sudetenland Essays - Munich Agreement, Sudetenland, Partition

The Sudetenland Essays - Munich Agreement, Sudetenland, Partition The Sudetenland History The Sudetenland On January 30, 1933, the Nazis acquired mastery of Germany when Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor. That evening Hitler stood triumphantly in the window of the Reich Chancellery waving to thousands of storm troopers who staged parades throughout the streets of Berlin. The Nazis proclaimed that their Third Reich would be the greatest civilization in history and would last for thousands of years. But the meteoric rise of Hitler and national socialism was followed by an almost equally rapid defeat; the Third Reich survived for a mere twelve years. But one of the main causes of World War II was Hitlers public justification for the dismemberment of the Czech state through either war or diplomacy was the plight of the 3.5 million ethnic Germans the Treaty of Versailles had left inside Czechoslovakia. The main land that Hitler wanted to annex to Germany was that of the Sudetenland, where most of the people living there were of German origin. The land also bordered Germany to the South East, and Germany was prepared to conquer this land at all cost. "And now before us stands the last problem that must be solved and will be solved It (the Sudetenland) is the last territorial claim which I have to make in Europe, but it is the claim from which I will not recede" - Adolf Hitler, in a speech in Berlin, September 26 1938, just prior to the Munich conference. Most of the German minorities live in Sudetenland, an economically valuable and strategically important area along the Czech border with Germany and Austria. The grievances of the Sudeten Germans against the Czech state had led to the rise of a strong German nationalist movement in the Sudetenland. By the mid -1930s, this movement had the support of almost 70 percent of the Sudeten German population. Their leader, the pro-Nazi Konrad Heinlen, began demanding autonomy for this region Both the real and contrived problems of the Sudeten Germans added credibility to Hitlers charge that they were denied the right of self-determination and lived as an oppressed minority, which he was obligated to defend In the spring of 1938, Heinlein was directed by Hitler to make demands that the Czechs could not accept, thereby giving Germany a reason to intervene. The Czech situation soon turned into an international crisis that dominated the European scene for the rest of that current year. The weekend which began on Friday, May 20, 1938, developed into a critical one and would later be remembered as the "May crisis." During the ensuing forty-eight hours, the Governments in London, Paris, Prague and Moscow were panicked into the belief that Europe stood nearer to war than it had at any time since the summer of 1914. This may have been largely due to the possibility that new plans for a German attack on Czechoslovakia called "Case Green" which were drawn up for him, got leaked out. Hitler had begun to prepare an attack on the Sudetenland. The target date was the beginning of October. He was prepared to employ an army of ninety-six divisions. The Czechoslovak Government, aware of Hitlers intentions but uncertain when the blow would fall, ordered a partial mobilization on May 21. Hitler was outraged, explaining to his generals that he had offered no threat and was being treated with contempt. He had been humiliated, and no one yet humiliated him with impunity. His rage against Czechoslovakia increased, and on May 30 he issued a secret directive to his high command: "It is my unalterable decision to smash Czechoslovakia by military action in the near future." All through the summer Britain, France and the Soviet Union were aware that Hitler planned to strike at the Sudetenland and perhaps the whole of Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovaks had an excellent intelligence system with Germany and knew from day to day what Hitler was planning. Germany also had an excellent intelligence system, and in addition it had in Konrad Henlein, the National Socialist leader in the Sudetenland, a man who would stop at nothing to produce an insurrection or an act of deliberate provocation against the Czechoslovak Government. The German newspapers were filled with accounts of mass arrests of innocent men and women in the Sudetenland, and there were the inevitable circumstantial stories "by our correspondent." Nonexistent people in nonexistent villages were being slaughtered. The Czechoslovak Government attempted to refute some of these stories but gave up in despair. Hitler ordered a massive propaganda barrage against Czechoslovakia to prepare the German people for the October invasion. On September 12th at Nuremberg, Hitler went as close

Weird Rules of Grammar That One Might Not Recognize

Weird Rules of Grammar That One Might Not Recognize Perfect Your Grammar: Weird Rules of Grammar that One Might Not recognize Whether you are that individual who prides himself or herself in good grammar, or a miserable writer of essays searching for a way to improve, this column will offer an introduction to some of the increased rules of grammar that are not usual and those that are important to acknowledge. The following are six common mistakes of grammar that are seen often, not only in essays of undergraduates, but also in publications written by experts like magazines, newspapers, and also best-selling books. Having said this, to follow are some unusual rules of grammar people may not know. That and Which This is a typical oversight that even proficient essayists routinely make. You may figure these two can be utilized reciprocally, yet youd not be right. That is a prohibitive pronoun, so its essential to the thing to which its alluding, for example, I dont confide in second-hand autos that arent almost new. So in this example, I confide in all second-hand vehicles that are about new. Which presents a relative condition that permits insignificant qualifiers, for example I just trust second-hand vehicles that are almost new, which originate from the Ford or Renault carport. So, while that confines, which is utilized to include more detail. Might and May Once more, the vast majority accepts these two words can be utilized conversely; however, there is an unobtrusive distinction in their significance. ‘May infers a plausibility, though might suggests unmistakably more vulnerability. For instance: I may fall over if I drink such wine suggests a decent shot of falling over, however I may begin singing once the karaoke starts infers it isnt so liable to occur. Less and Fewer This is a brilliant case of one of the sentence structure administers in article composing which is regularly broken. Fortunately, its an exceptionally basic one to recollect. Less is saved for speculative amounts, while few and less are held for things you can evaluate. For instance, the firm is less amusing to work for the time being we have less than five representatives. Effect and Affect This one isnt so much a case of an abnormal language structure rule, yet one you completely should know. Both of these words are incredibly normal, yet its stunning what number of individuals misunderstand them. Be that as it may, its, in reality, simple to separate between the two. Effect is quite often a thing, and affect is quite often an action word. So the effect of liquor can be harming depicts the outcome or result of drinking liquor. Affect is utilized to portray the impact or reason for an impression for example liquors influences can be harming. Impactful This doesnt fit into the section of odd syntax rules. Rather, its only a word that is not a word, brought up in the corporate wilderness. Kindly dont utilize it, regardless of how impactful you need to be. Utilizing Coma with Adjectives – Utilize commas to isolate arrange descriptors as in the accompanying: The unkempt, splendid man was constantly troubled. – Do not utilize commas to isolate aggregate descriptors: The long yellow vehicle orbited the manufacturing plant. – Do not utilize a comma when the modifier changes both the thing and alternate descriptive words adjusting it: The late entertaining and liberal Mr. Welby will be painfully missed. – Comma utilization with enlightening descriptive words can likewise be controlled by the class of descriptor, for example, age, estimate, shading, shape, material, source, and general. If different descriptive words from a similar class show up, separate them with a comma: The tragic, broken man fell into the rank, dinky lake.

ENGLISH AND GRAMMER MISTAKES ( A REPORT OF WHERE THE MISTAKES ARE ) Essay

ENGLISH AND GRAMMER MISTAKES ( A REPORT OF WHERE THE MISTAKES ARE ) - Essay Example the support of strategic partners and Life Telecom’s self-resources, the company will not only study the requirements of the mall but also come up with an integrated solution that will provide excellent internet and other communication services more favorably in favor of efficiency, cost and control. The changes in the methodology of telecommunication era have necessitated adopting a completely viable alternative to traditional, disparate telephone, data, video and TV networks (I don’t understand what you’re trying to say here). Life Telecom’s competitive advantage over other providers is based on execution of commitments, true delivery of advanced services and breakthrough technological solutions. It is also the first company in Bahrain to combine the extensive use of IPs for the integrated deployment and management of voice, data and video & VAS over wireless networks. In this way, Life Telecom has achieved many key objectives: To offer customers on wireless practically unlimited bandwidth (i.e. on demand request) and to maximize the efficiency of the investment in its infrastructure, hence, reflecting cost effective on customer side. With this built up Network, Life Telecom is developing innovative, value added services that are used simultaneously over the same network platforms. Life Telecom provides a wide range of services – telephony, broadband internet connectivity, advanced IPTV and video services, advanced video-communication (video-conferencing for businesses and video-streaming for live events), Tele-surveillance - to all market segments ranging from large, small and medium sized businesses, small offices and home offices to residential customers. Also, Life Telecom would be shortly providing mobile broadband wireless access (hotspot Wi-Fi) & virtual private networks (VPNs). Life Telecom can also deploy and implement Wireless infrastructures across buildings, campuses, hospitals, and cities. - Innovation and service differentiation: Life

Persian carpets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Persian carpets - Essay Example The increased urbanism and industrial expansion in Iran in the contemporary age has in no way, weakened the Iranians’ association with carpets. Carpets have always been and continue to be the most particular and fantabulous characteristic feature of the Iranian culture and heritage. Iranians’ deep-rooted associated with this insignia of their national heritage brings life to the ambiance of every Iranian home. The history of Persian carpets encompasses a complete account of the way one of the greatest civilizations of the world has evolved and ruled over the world of arts and crafts through something as simple as a carpet. â€Å"From being simply articles of need, as pure and simple floor entrance covering to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, the increasing beauty of the carpets found them new owners - kings and nobleman, those who looked for signs of wealth or adornment for fine buildings† (â€Å"The Persian Carpet Gallery†). Ctesiphon was conquered by the Arabs in 637. The Spring Time of Khosroe was amongst the carpets they retrieved from Iran. This has conventionally been recognized as the most distinct piece of art of its time. The 90 feet square carpet has been described by the Arab historians in these words â€Å"The border was a magnificent flower bed of blue, red, white, yellow and green stones; in the background the colour of the earth was imitated with gold; clear stones like crystals gave the illusion of water; the plants were in silk and the fruits were formed by colour stones† (Kianush). In the 13th century, the Mongols found Persian carpets after their invasion into the country. This changed the artistic life of Iran for the following 200 years. As a result of the devastation caused by the Mongols, the carpet weaving trend saw a decline. However, the conqueror Tamerlane spared the Iranian artisans and led them to Turkistan from where, the Persian carpet art started to flourish again. Tamerlane ’s son Shah Rokh encouraged the carpet weavers and facilitated them with resources to help them increase the production. The Persian carpet art saw a climax when the lavish royal support provided the weavers with the finest materials for carpet making. In 1499, Shah Ismail took measures to establish a national industry in Iran to help the weavers optimize on their skills. Shah Abbas of the Safavid dynasty helped the industry spread. Persian carpets were brought from the nomads’ tents to the towns and industrialized cities. Establishment of a royal carpet factory in Isfahan and recruitment of artisans to provide the craftsmen with professional designs were some steps that led the Persian carpet art to its apogee. One of the hand-woven Persian carpets from the 5th century B.C. is in the Pazyryk valley. Over the centuries, this carpet has become a little bedraggled, though a thick sheet of ice was originally used to preserve it that kept protecting this carpet for more th an 2500 years. It was in 1929 when Rudenko and Griaznov led a Russian ethnographic mission to excavate the five tumuli. They discovered a magnificent carpet while excavating the fifth tumulus. Experts attribute its origin to Persia because of its obvious resemblance with the antique Persian art. The outer of the two principal border bands is decorated with a line of horsemen: seven on each side, twenty-eight in number -- a figure which corresponds to the number of males

Alcohol :: essays research papers

A class is chemical compounds, all if which consists of chemically bonded atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen all alcohol molecules contain at least one hydroxyl group. When people say alcohol they usually think of beer, wine, or liquor, but there are several types of alcohol. An alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethyl alcohol. They are mostly made of grains or from grapes or other fruits. There are two main groups fermented and distilled drinks. Fermented drinks contain from five percent to twenty percent ethyl alcohol. Distilled contains twelve percent to fifty-five percent or more ethyl alcohol. The consumption of beverages containing alcohol has been practiced in all parts of the world for thousands of years. The first alcoholic beverages were fermented. Scenes showing fermentation appear on pottery made in Mesopotamia as early as 4200 B.C. Mankind early discovered that drinking the fermented juices of certain fruits, berries, and grain produced an extremely pleasant effect. Among primitive peoples, alcoholic drinks increased the excitement of tribal festivals. In more civilized nations, beers and wines in the daily diet were believed beneficial to health. During the 1800’s, a movement began in the United States to prohibit the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. A constitutional amendment banning the beverages went into effect in 1920, but thousands of Americans defied the prohibition law. In 1930, the federal government estimated that about 800 million gallons of alcoholic beverages were being produced in the country annually. The prohibition amendment was repealed in 1933. When alcohol is taken into the stomach and intestines, it is absorbed and distributed rapidly throughout the entire body fluids and tissues. The body disposes of alcohol through oxidation. This process lasts as long as the alcohol remains in the system, it may require several hours after the last drink is taken. Small amounts of alcohol may relieve tension or fatigue and increase appetite. Large amounts inhibit or depress the higher mental processes, causing a rise in self-confidence and a reduction of feelings of anxiety and guilt.

Marco Polo’s Influence on Christopher Columbus Essay

Marco Polo’s Travels formulated in Europe of the fourteenth and fifteenth century a new perception of the Eastern world, a world just as advanced and sophisticated as that of the West. Yet, another two centuries were needed for a significant change to take place; this was Christopher Columbus’ voyage. For Christopher Columbus, Marco Polo’s travelogue was a valuable and solid resource that contained the necessary details of the East. The geographical descriptions in his writing generated a basis for Columbus’ scientific calculations for his expedition and the explicit depictions of the luxury of Cipangu and Cathay, flawed though they were, created a strong motivation for Columbus. In the 12th of May 1492, Christopher Columbus, accompanied by the writings of Marco Polo, sets sail to change history forever. Marco Polo’s travelogue was the only written account to have enlightened the European world with details of the Eastern world. In the year 1254, when Marco Polo was born in a noble family of Venice, the public knowledge of the East was close to nothing. Ever since the years of Alexander the Great, Europe had scarce information about its neighboring civilization. Although basic trade routes were present along the Silk Road, â€Å"no one in the West seems to have had any notion of the country from which it had come or those through which it had passed.† Islamic countries that surrounded Europe, along with the Atlantic Ocean created a natural barrier, isolating the Europeans from the rest of the world. Even the vigorous merchants of Venice, Genoa, and Constantinople could not penetrate beyond the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. â€Å"The religion and commerce of Islam were flourishing throughout that continent† after the first Crusades. Due to this strong â€Å"Islamic curtain†, the Europeans were unaware of the existence of the Mongol empire gradually rising as one of the world superpowers until Marco Polo came back with fascinating stories after his service under the Great Khan. The seventeen years of service under Kublai Khan safely and conveniently provided Marco with a wide range of experiences in the Asian continent. The Polo brothers, Maffeo and Nicolo Polo (father and uncle of Marco Polo) had initially met with the Khan some years before they took Marco on their second journey to China. Let me tell you next of the personal appearance of the Great Lord of Lords whose name is Kubilai Khan. He is a man of good stature, neither short nor tall but of moderate height. His limbs are well fleshed out and modeled in due proportion. His complexion is fair and ruddy like a rose, the eyes black and handsome, the nose shapely and set squarely in place. The Khan was a wise and brave man, and Marco being a master four languages and young and healthy as he was, the Khan appointed him to a high post in the administration. Marco was given a golden tablet in the shape of a tiger’s head, â€Å"which grated Ch’ang Ch’un a free pass and the right of assistance everywhere in the Mongol Realm.† With sufficient access, Marco was able to visit various places in Asia and gained an abundant amount of experience with its culture. He illustrates the geography, climate, people, and religions of the East in depth, even mentioning the recipe of Mongolian dried milk. Marco Polo’s achievements were only completed after his return home, when encounters Rustichello of Pisa, a romance writer who became his collaborator in putting his stories into a book. Two years before the death of Kublai Khan, the Polos were assigned their last mission to escort the Mongol princess Kokachin to marry the Persian prince, and then to return home. Painstakingly, they accomplished their mission and arrived home in the winter of 1295. Marco begins a new life with the jewels and gold acquired in his journey. When a war between Venice and Genoa starts off, Marco is captured and imprisoned for a year in the Genoese prison. Here he meets Rustichello, to whom Marco tells the stories of his great journey. After his return home, Marco, although Rustichello did most of the work, publishes his travelogue: Marco Polo Travels. Marco’s book remained more for entertainment purposes until the 1450s and 60s when Johann Gutenberg invents the letterpress and catalyzes its spread. At first, many people were skeptical about his book. His writing contained many mentions of legends and myths that seemed to be quite exaggerated. Neither did Marco include any descriptions about the Great Wall. Regardless of these  controversies, his book became one of the first books to be massively published through the Gutenberg’s letterpress. Travels spreads out through Europe in no time. By the time all of Europe is shocked by his book, Marco approaches his death, leaving the last words: â€Å"I have only told the half of what I saw!† Whether or not Marco’s words were reliable was not an issue at this point. In the years following Marco’s death, immense changes occurred in the minds of Europeans including the perception of world geography, directly affecting Columbus’ preparations. The TO map best represents the medieval understanding of the world. (Diagram attached to the back) The circle O, represents the world and the branches of the T, the Don and the Nile. Asia fills the upper semi circle and in the left and right of the upright section of the T, which represents the Mediterranean, lays Africa and Europe. In the center is Jerusalem and at the top is Earthly Paradise of Adam and Eve, believed at the time to be the source of great rivers such as the Tigris and the Euphrates. Images of Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel, and others of the bible can be found on the map. As presented, the TO map signifies the primitive form of the world map before the years of Marco Polo. The world map rapidly evolved starting from the publishing of Marco’s book to the time of Columbus. The impact of Marco Polo’s works is displayed in these maps. Among the numerous versions of different maps, â€Å"the first maps known to us†¦ strongly influenced by Marco’s Books and which still remain to †¦[is]†¦ the Catalan Atlas,† drawn up by the Majorcan Jew Abraham Cresques at around 1380. Here is introduced for the first time, India, in the form of a peninsula and images and lands of the Great Khan. The map also includes on it images of traditional legends of the area. Great resemblance can be found between them and those of Marco’s book. Representations of the world grew bigger and wider until finally, even the notion of a path westward to Asia is brought up. When the impact of Marco Polo started to take place, a physician of Florence by the name of Paolo Toscanelli, played the role of transforming the ideas of Marco Polo into the scientific inspirations for Christopher Columbus.  Toscanelli was one of Marco Polo’s believers, who supported Marco Polo’s estimate of the length of Asia to be correct. He argued that, according to his calculations, â€Å"a voyage of 3000miles from Lisbon to Cipangu and 500miles from Lisbon to Quinsay† was possible. With this calculation, he urged men that an expedition for the search of Japan, described as the â€Å"most fertile in gold,† should be organized. Among these men was the young and ambitious Christopher Columbus. The theories of Toscanelli stimulated the intellectual interest of Columbus and soon Columbus was determined to find out more. Columbus wrote Toscanelli questioning him for more comprehensive information. Toscanelli replied with an encouragement of Columbus’ aspirations and a chart of calculations, which he carried with him on his voyage. By this time, Columbus was determined to put his thoughts into action. Although Columbus’ calculations were carefully made, most of it was erroneous. One of his major calculations was his misconception of a degree. He thought the length of a degree was 562/3 Italian nautical miles. (â€Å"the Italian nautical mile used by Columbus contained 1480 meters† ) This was not his own idea, but of the general public of his time. According to Henry Vignaud, he obtained his results â€Å"because he knew in advance what he wanted to find.† Based on his degree and other elements including the calculations of Toscanelli, Columbus’ conclusion came out to be far from the truth. It came out that Tokyo would be on the meridian that runs through Western Cuba, Chattanooga, Grand Rapids, and Western Ontario. In other words, â€Å"he underestimated the size of the world by 25 percent.† Yet, until his actual departure, he had no clue whatsoever of his mistakes or of the American continent. Marco Polo had provided Columbus with crucial information of the East, but Columbus had not known that there were so many more things to consider, such as the existence of another world in the West. Fifteenth century Europe was an age of exploration and discovery; interest of the Eastern world was increasing rapidly everyday. Trade with the Indies, which referred to most of Eastern Asia, flourished during the time of Columbus, especially in Portugal and Spain where spent most of his life. â€Å"The account of Polo’s travels told how to buy spices from the East,† and  other goods such as silk, gold, silver, or perfumes were also taken by caravans across Asia to Constantinople and then redistributed through Europe. Although the price was costly due to long and burdensome process of shipping and handling, the demand for these merchandises continued to rise as the amount of luxury and wealth of Europe also increased. Thus, it was soon evident for a new and shorter route for the importing of these valuables. Repeated attempts were made to get around Africa to India. Columbus, however, â€Å"decided that the African route was the hard way to the Indies.† He was thinking of an easier and quicker way to reach the East; he proposed to travel west. His rather rash plot satisfied the desires for expansion of the people of his time. After Columbus made up his mind, his next task was to convince the wealthy Princes to provide the necessary equipment and money for his expedition. Unfortunately, Columbus was turned down in the Portuguese committee, where he had gained a certain level of respect as a merchant. He, then moved to Spain, and started his six years of persuasion. It was hard for Columbus to support with solid evidence his requests at first. He, thus, turned to Marco Polo. Columbus used the tempting descriptions of the Cipangu, or today’s Japan, for his first argument against the princes. By the time of Columbus, â€Å"The Travels of Marco Polo became one of the best-known tales in western Europe.† One of the biggest issues of Marco Polo’s book was whether or not its magnificent portrayal of Japan’s luxury was true. According to Marco Polo, wealth of no other civilization matched that of the Japanese. They have gold in great abundance, because it is found there in measureless quantities†¦so much indeed that I can report to you in sober truth a veritable marvel concerning a certain palace of the ruler of the island. You may take it for a fact that he has a very large palace entirely roofed with find gold. Just as we roof our houses or churches with lead, so this palace is roofed with fine gold. Even the most stubborn princes gazed open-mouthed at the imagination of such  luxury. Certainly, the search for Cipangu sounded much more convincing after such descriptions. Another part of Columbus’ argument was based on religious reasoning. The failure of the Crusades was a huge disgrace for the Christian ruling class of Europe and many attempts to regain control of the Holy Land, which was then occupied by the Turks, were made. The Mongol empire, which the Europeans still believed to exist way after its actual downfall, sounded like a strategically profitable deal. Horrific impressions faded away as benevolent descriptions of Kublai Khan and the rest of his subjects were made in Marco Polo’s book. Now let me tell you something of the bounties that the Great Khan confers upon his subjects. For all his thoughts are directed towards helping the people who are subject to him, so that they may live and labor and increase their wealth. Likewise, Europeans were shocked at the incredibly civilized qualities of the Mongols they previously considered barbaric. In 1492, after six years of tenacious persuasion, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain finally accept Columbus’ proposal. The end to Columbus’ persuasion of princes only brings forth about a new beginning of an arduous journey of exploration and a new world. Marco Polo’s Travels acted as a basis for Christopher Columbus’s achievement and the Age of Discovery. Columbus may have formulated a flawed theory of the world, but it was convincing enough for the princes who bought into it. This surely could not have been done without evidence found in Marco Polo’s book. Without Marco Polo, there would not have been Columbus, and furthermore, no America. Marco Polo’s possibly false information has made one of the biggest changes in history.