Jones Soda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Jones Soda - Essay Example These two companies are actually selling their brands and have already expanded globally through their manufacturing and expansion strategies. Compared with Jones Soda, Coke and Pepsi have gained remarkable market share in the worldwide market for beverages. What these two companies are trying to enhance as of the moment is in line with preventing customer erosion. In this regard, they always would want to emphasize the uniqueness of their taste and so consumers would always differentiate them from another product brands. Although Jones Soda is not that far from this strategy, but eventually its entire entry into the market together with its highly differentiated products are a bit experimental in their forms. In modern times, websites are the most convenient means to reach potential customers. In the case of Jones Soda, its website could actually serve substantial contribution to its operation. For instance, in its website consumers could freely address their concerns with Jones and its product offerings. Consumers for instance could actually suggest for product development, cross their voices over to Jones especially regarding matters about customer service, retailing and distribution, and many others. At the end of the day, the information gathered from the customers via Jones’ websites and if assessed, could pave the way for its competitive advantage in the future. Product differentiation strategy of Jones is something different from its industry. Jones Soda having at some point weird tastes for its soft drinks that some consumers appreciate is a remarkable advantage. The major benefit of this strategy is the opportunity for recognition of Jones Soda as another brand and key players in the soft drinks manufacturing industry. However, at some point, this differentiation may substantially lack focus especially in acceptability of the product in certain situations or occasions,

Intro to Finance Essay Example for Free

Intro to Finance Essay An efficient financial system promotes intermediaries that successfully link â€Å"savers† from â€Å"borrowers† (Mankiw). There are two widely-known financial intermediaries namely the banks and mutual funds. Banks are highly accessible to the general public are generally more cost advantageous that direct lending. Generally, the banks main purpose in the economy is to take in deposits from savers and â€Å"use these deposits to make loans to people who want to borrow† (Mankiw, N. Gregory, 2001, Principles of Economics, p. 557). Banks incur costs by paying interest on these deposits and earn from these by charging higher interest rates on loan borrowers. Second to this, banks play an important role in the economy as they â€Å"facilitate the purchases of goods and services by allowing people to write checks against their deposits† (Mankiw, N. Gregory, 2001, Principles of Economics, p. 557). In this manner, the economy benefits from banks by this accessible medium of exchange. Unlike stocks or bonds which are not as immediate, checks make it easier for the public to exercise their monetary transactions. Mutual funds, on the other hand, are institutions that use the proceeds of selling shares in buying portfolios of stocks and bonds where they derive their profits. The financial markets become more accessible and efficient because mutual funds allow people with small savings to become owners and creditors of numerous companies. Also, mutual funds allow its shareholders the benefit of risk diversification wherein a single fund can carry a roster of diverse portfolios in stocks and bonds. A broker can either be an individual or a corporate entity that earns a fee-based profit by performing buy and sell orders from investors and/ or clients. A good example of this is a brokerage firm that specializes in trading company stocks and securities. A broker’s main functions in the financial market would include basic execution of buying and selling shares, and financial advisory to clients regarding the management of their shares/ stocks. With the emergence of automation and popular online brokerage firms, traditional brokers have redefined their place in the industry. Most popular online brokerage firms such as Ameritrade and E*Trade offer lower fees to investors as opposed to traditional brokers. Financial and Investment Advisory are also automated online via innovative investment software tools. With information becoming more accessible because of the internet, traditional brokers are now transitioning into online brokers wherein online orders are still routed to and monitored by them; and with reduced client-interface for advisories.

Beyond the Common Myths of Hypnosis Essay examples -- essays research

â€Å"I shall use hypnosis to turn you into my slave!† roared Dr. Drake, as a bolt of lightening split the sinister sky behind him, to his defenseless victim who curled into a quivering ball at his fearful threat. This is a common theme in many horror movies involving hypnosis. Not only is â€Å"Dr. Drake† over-exaggerating on his statement, his declaration is simply ridiculous in the reality of hypnosis! It is essential to wipe out those common misconceptions of hypnosis encouraged by those fictional tales, and get down to the truth of hypnosis, its real power, its techniques, its role in the medical field, and its relationship with hypnotherapy. Sadly, an average person’s knowledge of hypnosis generally turns out to be common misconceptions promoted by the Medias and fictional books. One of the most popular misconceptions of hypnosis suggested that a hypnotized person naturally falls under the control of the hypnotist, which is completely false for he can only be hypnotized if he agrees to be. In some supernatural films, a hypnotized person is even portrayed to possess supernatural power under hypnosis. Once again, it holds no truth; hypnosis does not play a role in increasing or decreasing physical strength at all. As for those who have seen an adult subject remembering the details of his childhood toy, memory is not at all more accurate under hypnosis. The same guy who may be describing his childhood toy is still completely capable of lying to his hypnotist. Although he may be â€Å"reliving† his childhood while under hypnosis, most often the patient tends to go beyond the childhood stage and into their past life making it impossible to select a specific age in their stage of youth (Franzoi184). These are the most common misleading pieces of information on the abilities of hypnosis on its patient. Before going in depth on the true abilities of hypnosis, the origin of hypnosis must be unraveled. Going back almost 4000 years ago, hypnosis first originated in China, India, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations (Chaves 212). However, modern hypnosis traces more directly back to Franz Anton Mesmer, a German physician of 18th Century who â€Å"rediscovered and popularized hypnosis† (Smith 173). He believed that there was a â€Å"subtle fluid† that made up the universe including the human body. He concluded that when a person fell ill, whether emotionally or physica... ...ertain parts of hypnosis required to be used on a patient. While hypnosis can be used in many different ways, hypnotherapy focus mainly on strengthen an individual’s ability to cope with daily life. Obtaining the facts on the relationship between hypnotherapy and hypnosis was the hardest part of this research. I also learned the characteristics of hypnosis and the truth to the common misconceptions. I gained knowledge of the origin of hypnosis and its history. I also learned various methods of hypnotic induction and the facilitation of hypnosis in the society, although it would have been better if I could go deeper in depth on its techniques. I found out that self-hypnosis is possible and happen in one’s daily life, but I do wish that I had the chance to discuss of about its methods and techniques. In addition, I discovered that not everyone is susceptible to hypnosis; in fact, five to ten percent out of the whole population are unresponsive to hypnosis. This was ve ry surprising to me, for I had thought that everyone can be hypnotized in some ways. Through the process of writing this I-Search paper, I enjoyed replacing the old misconceptions of hypnosis with the new genuine facts.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay -- Workplace Harassment Essay

Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that makes one feel uncomfortable, fearful or powerless, and interferes with work. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone; male or female, student or adult employee. Sexual harassment has been at the forefront of businesses for years whether it has been brought to court or settled under mediation, it is a constant in our society today. In 1964 Title VII was established in order to prohibit sex discrimination in employment, this didn’t include sexual harassment. After four cases of â€Å"non-sexual harassing† acts deemed sex discrimination sexual harassment was finally recognized in 1986. In the Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson case the Supreme Court saw it as a violation of Title VII and established the standards for analyzing whether the conduct was welcome and levels of employer liability. Finally in 1988 the first-class action sexual harassment lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Minnesota mining employee who described a pattern of harassment and abuse beginning when she went to work there in 1975 in the case of Jensen v. Eveleth Travonite Co. From then sexual harassment would be disputed and fought in court under the Title VII in order to protect the character and capacity of others. The constitution of sexual harassment include the submission to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors etc. either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual used as the basis for employment decision affecting such individual or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or of... ...). European Union Commission Recommendation of 27 November 1991. the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, (p. (L49) 1.). Psychology's voice in sexual harassment law, American Psychological Association (August 1998) Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 578-589 (1997); Fitzgerald, L.F., Swann, S. & Magley, V.J., But Was It Really Harassment? Legal, Behavioral and Psychological Definitions of the Workplace Victimization of Women, in W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Sexual Harassment: Theory, Research and Treatment (1997); and Schneider, K.T., Swann, S. & Fitzgerald, L.F., Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 401-415 (1997)). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Essay -- Workplace Harassment Essay Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that makes one feel uncomfortable, fearful or powerless, and interferes with work. Sexual harassment can happen to anyone; male or female, student or adult employee. Sexual harassment has been at the forefront of businesses for years whether it has been brought to court or settled under mediation, it is a constant in our society today. In 1964 Title VII was established in order to prohibit sex discrimination in employment, this didn’t include sexual harassment. After four cases of â€Å"non-sexual harassing† acts deemed sex discrimination sexual harassment was finally recognized in 1986. In the Meritor Savings Bank, FSB v. Vinson case the Supreme Court saw it as a violation of Title VII and established the standards for analyzing whether the conduct was welcome and levels of employer liability. Finally in 1988 the first-class action sexual harassment lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Minnesota mining employee who described a pattern of harassment and abuse beginning when she went to work there in 1975 in the case of Jensen v. Eveleth Travonite Co. From then sexual harassment would be disputed and fought in court under the Title VII in order to protect the character and capacity of others. The constitution of sexual harassment include the submission to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors etc. either explicitly or implicitly as a term or condition of an individual’s employment, submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual used as the basis for employment decision affecting such individual or such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or of... ...). European Union Commission Recommendation of 27 November 1991. the protection of the dignity of women and men at work, (p. (L49) 1.). Psychology's voice in sexual harassment law, American Psychological Association (August 1998) Antecedents and consequences of sexual harassment in organizations: A test of an integrated model, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 578-589 (1997); Fitzgerald, L.F., Swann, S. & Magley, V.J., But Was It Really Harassment? Legal, Behavioral and Psychological Definitions of the Workplace Victimization of Women, in W. O'Donohue (Ed.), Sexual Harassment: Theory, Research and Treatment (1997); and Schneider, K.T., Swann, S. & Fitzgerald, L.F., Job-related and psychological effects of sexual harassment in the workplace: empirical evidence from two organizations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82, 401-415 (1997)).

Reaction Paper on Game Theory Essay

Game Theory is undeniably new to me. Its concept is just so brilliant that it made me rethink how I ought to see a business’ road to success. In the past, my key idea of winning in the industry was by toppling down competitors, and rising as the sole survivor in the war. Plainly, it’s a winner-take-all perspective. The real target was to capture the entire market then. After reading the theory and the cases suitably alluded to, realizations came to me that I’m way too far from the wisdom good strategists possess. Way too far from making it to the corporate executives’ seat. Way too far from a business’ lifelong success. For Filipinos, it’s always been a â€Å"here-and-now† match. Typically overlooked are the impacts of strategies in the long run, and how competitors and other players in the game would tend to respond. Game theory offers the notion of coopetition — cooperative and competitive ways to change the game. The primary insight of game theory is focusing on others — namely allocentrism. It further states that the game of business is all about value: creating it and capturing it. Many are the so-called mental traps that must be killed in order that one be set for the game or set to change it. We often think that it’s hard and it’s beyond our competencies to dare change the game, and that we should do just what others do — only in a differently-tailored fashion. We go with the flow and no new routes are shaped to arrive at a better position and standing for us and the other players as well. Just like the Zero-Sum View, we tend to see winning only at the loss of another. Because of these delusions, the scales in our eyes gets even thicker and we finally end up blinded from seeing the bigger picture, the whole game. To be able to use game theory as a tool in strategizing, I recognized that it cannot be used without sufficient knowledge in economics. Given a particular action, the players that get affected and would react are to be properly determined. The cause and effect relationship among them must also be linked as it should be. Rational reasoning and forecasting entails academic competence on the subject to enable you to see the domino effect of your decision to others and back to your company. The business game is really like chess. Sometimes you have to give in or even sacrifice some of your aces to obtain a greater advantage or to make a draw at the very end. At times, you must delay a couple of moves to maintain advantage or stay equal with the opponent just like what Nintendo did. Being egocentric must be done away with and altered to focusing on others to facilitate a win-win situation for both parties. An opponent may retaliate or be unwilling to cooperate in the future if one’s strategy always seeks out the highest payoffs at the cost of the other player. That’s the mindset of Kiwi that kept it alive in the game. Also, you must raise your own added value or lower that of others and consider that the role of every player in the game is not fixed. In spite of its applicable purposes, game theory cannot be said to be the perfect treasure map. There will always be creases that would simply be left out unpressed. Be flexible and ready for changes.

I believe that students should not have to wear un Essays - Uniforms

I believe that students should not have to wear un Essays - Uniforms I believe that students should not have to wear uniforms. Uniforms take away our individuality. Confidence is much harder to achieve while wearing a uniform. Wearing them can get distracting during the day. Some schools say uniforms make us united as a school, but I don't think they do anything but bother students. Simple rules instead of a uniform could easily be put in place. Instead of having uniforms I believe we should just have simple guidelines as to what we can and can't wear. Part of being in school is learning to become responsible. How is telling us exactly what to wear teaching us responsibility. We should be able to know how we can and cannot dress without having the privilege completely taken away. Following the guidelines would help to make us responsible because when we get ready to have a career, our clothing will most likely not be completely decided for us. We will have to follow guidelines for that particular company. Having guidelines for how we dress will also help teach us to follow simple directions. With different rules in place we can reclaim our individuality. When wearing uniforms, it is a struggle to be an individual. Teachers are always saying how important it is to just be ourselves and not worry about what others might think. Having a uniform takes that away from us, and this may lead students to try to find other ways to be different. They might begin to act out so they stick out from the crowd. Without uniforms we can show everyone who we are through our clothes. Opinions shouldn't be based solely on clothing of course, but clothing is a fun and easy way to show who are. Being different is huge part of being in school and I think we should be able to have the privilege of wearing what we want. It can also give us more confidence. Confidence is a huge part of life especially for teens. Uniforms look different on everyone. Some people may feel they don't look good in their school's uniform. Because of this feeling, they worry all day long about what everyone else is thinking of them. Having confidence can be of great importance. Weather it's a simple project presentation at school or a big job interview, confidence is key. While wearing uniforms, confidence is sometimes a hard thing to accomplish, but this isn't the only distraction of wearing a uniform. Uniforms can be quite distracting during the day because of all the restrictions. During the day you constantly have to worry about having your shirt tucked in and keeping everything according to code. While worrying about tests you are also constantly worrying about getting caught with a uniform violation. After enough uniform violations there will of course be consequences such as a detention. I personally am not always thinking about what I should be, but instead checking my uniform over and over to make sure not to get in trouble. Students have enough stress in their lives; why add more? With so much stress about getting good grades and getting everything done on time, we shouldn't have to deal with the stress of uniforms. Students already have so many things taken away from them during school hours, individuality and confidence shouldn't have to be hidden by uniforms. Having a few dress code guidelines is quite an easy fix to these issues. I believe that students should not have to wear uniforms.

Project Management A Critical Evaluation

Project Management A Critical Evaluation Introduction Available literature demonstrates that a project schedule is a fundamental constituent of any project management activity, issues of size or scope of the project notwithstanding. Indeed, as noted by Kerzner (2001), a project schedule not only directs the project stakeholders on when each activity should be done, but it reveals what has already been achieved, whether certain activities are late in terms of delivery, and the sequence in which project activities need to be completed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management: A Critical Evaluation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is against this background that the present paper seeks to respond to a few issues related to project scheduling, primarily the identification of activities needed to estimate resources and durations, identification and discussion of some of the milestones that may be contained in a project, and, lastly, the provision o f a summary of how human resources should be assigned to each project activity to guard against lateness or perceived schedule slips. Activities to Estimate Resources and Durations in Project Management An accurate assessment or estimation of the resources and durations needed to complete particular tasks should be an issue of imperative concern for project managers and other stakeholders in the team. Kerzner (2001) notes that while it is true that duration estimation analyzes the time that may be taken to complete either the entire project or subsections within the entire project, activity duration, on its part, is to a large extent dependent on other time and resource approximations. In this perspective, the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) can be proposed as an activity that can assist the project team to estimate the resources and durations needed. This activity not only defines a project in the context of its deliverables, but provides a framework for breaking down the stated del iverables into consequential units of work (Kerzner, 2001). The author further notes that with this breakdown, team leaders are able to ascertain a proper work hierarchy that operationalizes resource and duration estimations. The second activity that could be proposed entails undertaking a critical path review using the Critical Path Method (CPM) with a view to estimating the overall project duration. It is of significance to note that the CPM has the capacity to calculate the total project duration while basing its estimates on individual task durations and their interrelationships. It therefore follows that the series of project tasks determining the minimum time required for the project should be included as the critical path (Kerzner, 2001).Advertising Looking for essay on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third activity that could be proposed involves undertaking a performance evaluation re view using an effective project management tool, such as the Performance Evaluation Review Technique (PERT). According to Schwalbe (2010), this activity employs a pictorial description of project tasks as a system of dependencies with a view to assess or investigate the most likely time and resource estimates. Forth, the project leader in conjunction with other members can initiate a Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS), which is basically â€Å"†¦a hierarchical structure that identifies the project resources by category and typeâ€Å"(Schwalbe, 2010, p. 222). The information gathered by this structure is fundamentally important in not only determining the costs of resources, but also on how to go about acquiring the resources. Lastly, a Three-Point Estimate (TPE) can be used to estimate activity durations. This activity, according to Schwalbe (2010), revolves around designing â€Å"†¦an optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic estimate [whereby] the optimistic estimate i s based on a best-case scenario, while the pessimistic estimate is based on a worst case scenario† (p. 223). Milestones for the Project Milestones are simply goals or objectives that assist project leaders to keep track of the overall progress for any project, with each milestone indicating a forward movement (Higginbotham, 2008). In essence, milestones not only assist in building continued momentum for the team members, but they show progress to members of staff as well as to other leaders. The SMART (specific; measurable; attainable; relevant; time-bound) criteria can be used to describe project milestones in the context of the outlined case study (Schwalbe, 2010). Under the ‘specific’ term, we can identify and describe the first two project milestones, which may include: A fully functional remote deposit capture must be in place within the next five months to allow a month’s time for any necessary adjustments, and The remote deposit capture must be able to fulfill the core objectives of increasing customer satisfaction and curtailing customer loss. Under the ‘measurable’ term, we can identify and describe the third and forth milestones, namely: The remote deposit capture, upon its commissioning, must be able to improve customer satisfaction levels by up to 25 percent, and The bank must be able to register an increase of about 20 percent in its customer base upon the commissioning of the new project. Moving on, under the ‘attainable’ term of the SMART criteria, we can identify and describe the fifth and sixth milestones, namely:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Project Management: A Critical Evaluation specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The staff members need to undergo training to improve their abilities and skills towards the operationalization of the new project, and The need to make heavy investments in information technology (IT) to en sure the goals of increasing customer satisfaction and avoiding the loss of current customers are met after takeoff. Under the ‘relevancy’ term, we can identify and describe the seventh and eighth milestones as follows: Conduct a baseline survey in the fourth month of project implementation to evaluate how other banks are coping with the issues of customer satisfaction, and To conduct a baseline survey to investigate the relevancy of remote deposit capture against the industry’s best practices. Lastly, under the ‘time-bound’ term of the SMART criteria, we can identify and describe the project milestones as follows: We must have the necessary IT infrastructure in place by the lapse of 90 days (three months), and We must be able to test the new IT infrastructure using selected bank customers by the lapse of 150 days (five months) to provide room for any improvement or adjustment. Assigning Personnel to Project Activities It is indeed true that an IT -related project such as the implementation of a remote deposit capture for a banking institution certainly requires personnel from a wide variety of fields, such as software developers, network administrators, java programmers, risk assessors, junior support staff, internet security personnel, subcontractors, and senior personnel such as the chief information officer (CIO), among others. The way that all these personnel are assigned their duties is critical to the success of any IT-related project (Schwalbe, 2010). According to Lock (2007), personnel should be assigned to project activities based on their availability, level of skill and training, and an open mind to learn more. The table next page demonstrates how the tasks will be delegated among the personnel involved Personnel activity M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 Software developers Developing network receivable software Network administrators Networking between main office and branches Java programmers programming Risk assessors Assessing risk in depositing money online Junior support staff Support roles Security personnel Internet security subcontractors Provision of hardware CIO oversight N.B: M1-M6 = the first month through the sixth month (project period) It is indeed true that some projects may fall behind schedule owing to a multiplicity of factors, such as lack of finances, lack of materials, lack of the required personnel, and occurrence of natural catastrophes, among others (Lock, 2007). When such eventualities occur, the project manager or leader may renegotiate the scope/ schedule of the project with the project sponsor, along with other members, to evaluate if it is indeed viable to either reduce the scope activities of the original project or possibly increase the schedule duration to ensure that project scope activities are satisfactorily met (Schwalbe, 2010). Second, the project leader, in collaboration with the project sponsor and other team members, may engage in resource re-allocation to make sure that extra resources are availed to project areas that might have fallen behind schedule. Third, the project members might engage in multitasking, which basically entails working on multiple project activities for a specific amount of time to permit for more than one activity to be completed (Lock, 2007). Other strategies that may be used include increasing dedicated time, project schedule compression, and fast-tracking of activities (Schwalbe, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on project management? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion The above analysis demonstrates the complexities involved in project management, particularly in making estimations for resources and time durations. The analysis has also touched on project milestones and how such milestones need to be generated to ensure successful implementation of projects. All in all, the underlying task is for the project manager to lead the team using industry-specific best practices in project management to ensure successful implementation (Lock, 2007). Reference List Higginbotham, J. (2008). Project planning: Identify milestones, assumptions, and tasks. Retrieved from volunteercentered.com/2008/03/31/project-planning-identify-milestones-assumptions-and-tasks/ Kerzner, H. (2001). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling, 7th Ed. New York, NY: John Wiley Sons. Lock, D. (2007). Project management, 9th Ed. Hampshire: Gower Publishing Ltd. Schwalbe, K. (2010). Information technology project management. Boston, M A: Cengage Learning.

Critical Literary Essay

Critical Literary Essay Critical Literary Essay While writing a critical essay you should analyze and explain one of the literary works such as drama, poetry or fiction. Your task is to explain the literary work by means of interpretations and analysis. The interpretation of the work requires your deep understanding of the text you are going to investigate. Interpretation is about your individual understanding of the literary work. Critical thinking essay requires a deep exploration of the text. The thesis statement should reflect your interpretation of the literary text. You should start your examination of the work with the overview of the title. The title informs about the main idea of the work. Read the text carefully to gain the understanding of the plot, setting, main and secondary characters, and the conflict in the text. In the process of critical literary essay writing, you should prove and support your interpretation - find several examples and quotes in literature that support your idea. While writing an essay, remember that you must persuade the reader that your point of view is the best one. It will depend on your arguments. While writing a critical essay, your point of view should be supported by secondary sources as well. You do not need to retell the story; brief summary will be enough. The critical literary essay writing is based on the assumption that the reader of your essay has read the text. Document all the secondary sources. The direct quotes should also be documented at the end of the literary essay. Usually, MLA style is the most appropriate for this type of essay writing. Critical Essay Outline The introduction of the critical literary essay consists of one paragraph that obviously includes thesis statement at the end of it. Give a brief presentation of your critical essay. Thesis statement will be your main idea that is meaning of examined text in your interpretation. Make sure that your introduction includes the name of the author and the title of literary work you write about in your critical essay. The subject of your critical writing is a topic. A thesis statement is a specific idea you are making about the chosen topic. You have to state a clear, strong, and interesting thesis which gains attention of the reader. While writing a critical essay body, give more detailed information on the literary work you are investigating. Describe setting, the main characters and the conflict in more details. Concentrate critical essay writing on your point of view. Write arguments that support your point of view. Conclusion is the final step of the critical essay writing that restat e your main ideas and thesis statement: Critical Essay Writing Help Seek assistance with writing a critical essay? Welcome to site! We can write a great critical literary essay for you on any book, article, or publication! Free revisions and free plagiarism report! Truly experienced writers are employed! Read more: Thesis Ideas Political Science Thesis PhD Thesis Writing Parts of a Thesis My Dissertation

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading Essay

Assignment-Provide written responses to the following reading assignments. Responses should include Direct quotes (2-3 +) with commentary about the quotes and a reasonable amount of focused content - Essay Example The grocer tells him that the smaller priest disturbed the apple cart ran. When Valentin goes on to look for Father Brown, he goes to another restaurant and finds a window smashed and learns that it was broken by the little priest. 2. The story starts with â€Å"A little girl was driving home her cow, a plodding, dilatory, provoking creature in her behavior, but valued her companion for all that† (Jewett 48). I think the writer used a cow as a metaphor for Sylvia’s fingers. The writer was trying to show that Sylvia used to masturbate. Another event was when she climbs the tree and reaches at the top of the vine and sees the ocean she apprehends this â€Å"vast and awesome world† (Jewett 55). Here, I think the narrator explains that she reached her orgasm and the world was signified by her body that can be overcome by her. The last event was when she refused to tell the hunter where to find the white heron meaning she refused to surrender her virginity to him. 3. The first and the second line of the poem The World Is Too Much with Us explains the core matter that man is misusing the world and wiping it out. On the second line when the author says â€Å"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers† (Wordsworth 3). He is trying to show that man has the capability and power to take care of nature but instead we are wasting it and thus not using â€Å"our powers† (Wordsworth 3) to conserve it. 4. â€Å"By woman wailing for her Demon Lover† (Coleridge & Tuley 23). In this line, the writer compares this to grains that are falling from the stem as they are threshed. The second line that is more appealing is â€Å"The shadow of the Dome of Pleasure† (Coleridge & Tuley 23) whereby the writer explains the pleasure in the dome and thus sounding as music. 5. What is interesting is the fact that both have a brilliant start. Another interesting thing in the story is how the two had their

The experiences of World War 1 and why many opposed it Essay

The experiences of World War 1 and why many opposed it - Essay Example The World War 1 made many people have varied experiences starting from the soldiers, their families, children and various races involved in the war. The War had a mental and physical effect to both the soldiers and their families. Physically, many soldiers and civilians died in the course of the war. Their families lost the source of income while the children lost their loved ones, (Shaw, 111). Mentally, trauma was the main effect. In this case, many people who saw the massive killings took a long time to get through the incidence. As such, psychologies argue that some soldiers and civilian suffered depression and extreme cases of trauma. The soldiers suffered severe injuries on their bodies that left them traumatized. The soldiers went through a ‘shell shock’, which is an emotional shock that was a s a result of the horrors they witnessed. The soldiers saw and heard many things while fighting in the trenches, as they witnessed other soldiers scream in pain and agony, as they literary waited for their turn. Most of the soldiers crumbled to pieces, while others improved but continued to experience nightmares for the longest time. Wilfred Edwards in his poem quoted some of the experiences â€Å"(Gas! Quick, boys-An ecstasy of fumbling,Fitting the awkward helmets just in time;But somebody still was stumbling and yelling out  And struggling like a man in fire or lime)...† Such an experience is horrifying and can make one have nightmares for the rest of his life even after the War ends.

Mordern database Managment assignment Four Essay

Mordern database Managment assignment Four - Essay Example Presently there have been extensive growth in the use and development in the database technology. Additionally, this new and advanced technology of the database is used to manage large volumes of organizational and business data. In addition, the utilization of database technology and systems in supporting applications that used to handle the business and query based report production is the basic traditional utilization of this technology. Though, the size as well as volume of data being handled increases new and interesting concerns. Presently this technology is used to facilitate businesses in attaining effective competitive advantage and underlying business processes. This new database technology also helps improve business processes and decision making. Moreover, at the present businesses are using the database based business intelligence systems such as data warehouse, data mining tools, and OLAP technology (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005; Laudon & Laudon, 1999). I have selected the topic which is related to use of data warehousing technology structure implementation at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart is a world’s largest retail store chain. This paper is written by Patrick  ¨ Ohlinger with title of â€Å"Wal-Mart’s Data Warehouse† This paper can be accessed using following link: http://www.derbaum.com/tu/WalMarts%20DWH.pdf. In this paper Ohlinger (2006) stated that the use of data warehousing technology at Wal-Mart is offering a lot of advantages to its business. The new technology based working structure has offered a lot of business advantages to overall operational management and the business. In this scenario the use of the data warehousing technology offers better support for the analysis of customer buying behavior, which leads to effective formulation of the policies by the Wal-Mart management to present more attractive deals to its customer

Employee Relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Relations - Research Paper Example nd extends maximum opportunities to the employees to participate and furnish inputs in the organizational planning and decision making initiatives (Moynihan, 2008, p. 199). All the activities of an HR administrator need to be focused on the creation of effective performance leaders and extending motivation to employees. In that sense, in the contemporary health care organizations, the role of an HR administrator has graduated from merely being an evaluator to being a precursor and facilitator. Performance management is the key discipline that needs to be taken care of by the organizations striving to be leaders in terms of quality of patient care. Performance management involves a plethora of activities like goal setting, appraising performance, streamlining communication, extending coaching and feedback for enhancing performance, initiation and implementation of employee development programs, and rewarding achievements in a time and appropriate manner (Moynihan, 2008, p. 199). As a VP of HR in a health care institution, I came across multiple lacunas marring the performance management function in the organization I served. In an academic context it will be really interesting to delve on some of the salient performance management related faults I came across in my organization. One major performance management challenge faced by the organization in which I worked was a lack of clear purpose. Their did not exist any systematic mechanism for planning the organizational work and selecting pragmatic expectations, promptly rewarding good performance, placing a system for a continual monitoring of performance, extension of periodical feedback related to employee performance, and encouraging the development of a capacity to perform (Moynihan, 2008, p. 61). The organization simply lacked a clear perception of the factors that were critical to employee performance and a viable performance culture, based on individual accountability and a timely delivery of results

Compare and contrast two Jazz Big Bands Research Paper

Compare and contrast two Jazz Big Bands - Research Paper Example With these elements Jazz music introduced a new ‘Swing Style’ which spread across the country making Jazz even more popular and enjoyable. In this research paper I have chosen to discuss two very important Jazz bands – The first one is the ‘Benny Goodman and his Orchestra’ and the second is a modern Jazz band which is the ‘Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra. 2 The years of Jazz that followed held great significance as major Jazz figures with their own inimitable style, aesthetic sense and technical skills emerged. Some of these greats on the Jazz scene were – Louis Armstrong (1932), Duke Ellington and others who set the stage for the progress of Jazz music. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg.3) The socio-economic backdrop with the Depression on one hand and the Wall Street Crash on the other provided potent ground for the flourishing of Jazz. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg. 4) The economic conditions were poor and unemployment was rampant and musici ans found it hard to make ends meet. It was during this difficult period that the ‘Swing Era’ emerged when Jazz became synonymous with American Popular Culture. Benjamin David ‘Benny’ Goodman, clarinetist and bandleader of the group, was crowned the ‘King of Swing’ in History during this period. Born in Chicago on May 30th, 1909, Benny went on to lead one of America’s most popular Jazz orchestras. (Benny Goodman- The King of Swing, www.bennygoodman.com/) It was his popularity that epitomized the Swing Era because his music was heard by both the Blacks and Whites equally as he strived hard to quench the thirst for Jazz music for the new mass audience and finally emerged as a ‘symbol of the era’. (Schuller, Gunther, 1989, pg. 6) Benny Goodman’s career began when he joined the Henderson band which was one of the best bands of that time whose form, style and sound was so remarkable and unique. An alliance was formed and t he Benny Goodman band went on to create history by shaping the future of Jazz. 3 Teenagers were swept off their feet as they craved for swing music and very soon they had a good fan following of Jitterbugs who went crazy for his music. (Benny Goodman, www.jazzhotbigstep.com/45801.html) One of his popular numbers that I listened to was ‘Swingtime in the Rockies’. It was an interesting dance number that was so foot tapping that I felt like dancing myself. It was rhythmic from beginning to end filled with staccato snatches from the clarinets and trumpets which were joined in by the trombones. The drums kept a steady rhythm right through the composition which was so energetic as it was fulfilling. (Benny Goodman, www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL47798F00A3AF3280 The music of Benny Goodman and his Orchestra is unmistakable because most of the compositions are so lively and energetic. One of the other songs I listened to is ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’ which featured in a f ilm titled ‘Hollywood Hotel’. Besides Goodman, the other players were Gene Krupa on the drums and Harry James – Trumpet. The song was fast paced and rhythmic and the orchestra played it flawlessly with the entire group joining in the last piece. (Sing, Sing, Sing’, www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mJ4dpNal_k The Benny Goodman Orchestra was the most popular swing

Employee Relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Employee Relations - Research Paper Example nd extends maximum opportunities to the employees to participate and furnish inputs in the organizational planning and decision making initiatives (Moynihan, 2008, p. 199). All the activities of an HR administrator need to be focused on the creation of effective performance leaders and extending motivation to employees. In that sense, in the contemporary health care organizations, the role of an HR administrator has graduated from merely being an evaluator to being a precursor and facilitator. Performance management is the key discipline that needs to be taken care of by the organizations striving to be leaders in terms of quality of patient care. Performance management involves a plethora of activities like goal setting, appraising performance, streamlining communication, extending coaching and feedback for enhancing performance, initiation and implementation of employee development programs, and rewarding achievements in a time and appropriate manner (Moynihan, 2008, p. 199). As a VP of HR in a health care institution, I came across multiple lacunas marring the performance management function in the organization I served. In an academic context it will be really interesting to delve on some of the salient performance management related faults I came across in my organization. One major performance management challenge faced by the organization in which I worked was a lack of clear purpose. Their did not exist any systematic mechanism for planning the organizational work and selecting pragmatic expectations, promptly rewarding good performance, placing a system for a continual monitoring of performance, extension of periodical feedback related to employee performance, and encouraging the development of a capacity to perform (Moynihan, 2008, p. 61). The organization simply lacked a clear perception of the factors that were critical to employee performance and a viable performance culture, based on individual accountability and a timely delivery of results

Final on Evaluation of an Short Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final on Evaluation of an Short Story - Essay Example Unfortunately, Tim O’Brien is unable to secure himself from the works of the Living God and his country. He sets up for the war field where he finds majority of those in the battle field with mixed emotional experiences such as love, hate and guilt. At the same time, they use tough language in an effort to reduce the impact of the war to the public and the knowledge of having been alive when their buddies have died as they continuously wonder what the war is meant for (O'Brien, 2009). Basically, the book revolves around the writer who is the main character and protagonist. His main role entails the experience he has towards bringing a sense of redemption after the tussle with his conscious on what to do. Similarly, the antagonist in the book happens to be himself, Tim O'Brien, especially when he fights back with the feelings of hatred, blame, and fear emanating from within. He is portrayed as a character who inwardly blames himself for having accepted the draft notice to go to war and having lived through the war even when many of his colleagues had died in the same war (O'Brien, 2009). In a general sense, the story reaches its peak when the main character (Tim O'Brien) is said to return to the war field where he finds out that his friend Kiowa has passed on but manages to find his daughter. It is here where he is seen to figuratively take down the anguish and anger that he is said to carry for a long time. Analysis It is apparent that, the story has been written by the main character with the main aim of expressing three themes that have vividly been utilized. These primary themes incorporate memory, imagination and the chance for mental escapement. For instance, the main character is seen to dwell on another character that is portrayed as a close friend through imaginations of been close to the character (Martha). Moreover, Tim O'Brien uses pretence as a form of telling the story. This story telling form is most prevalent to Tim O’Brien as he is seen to mostly tell stories to himself (O'Brien, 2009). Similarly, the main character who happens to be the author of this book has continuously used artifacts to put more emphasis on the actions of his character and that of the other characters. For instance, Martha, a character portrayed as Tim O’Brien close friend and lover has letters and photograph which are carried around by the author as a sign of love for her. Apart from the description that is given through the use of physical artifacts, the author uses the main characters. In essence, the description given in term of what the main characters are carrying, is meant to give more details on the foreshadow necessary in understanding what the novel is all about. In fact, the technique emphases on the full composite of the story’s characters where the audience seem to view them as real people (O'Brien, 2009). Of importance to note is that the author has been able to connect with the audience in a unique way by mak ing sure that some of the physical and emotional processes in the book are easily captured by the audience. For instance, the weight of a weapon, the weight of a grenade among other descriptions. In this regard, the unfolding of this story of Vietnam war introduce the characters one by one as their roles as portrayed according to their entry. Judgement The Things That They

Video game controversy Essay Example for Free

Video game controversy Essay Technology has (had) come a long way since the early years of life. The use of technology to humans, is to enhance or improve whatever it may be to have a much quicker advancement or have a better and easy going lifestyle. But in the more recent years, technology has turned for the worst. Specifically speaking, video games. Video games in its early years were meant for a positive use, much like any other type of game; to simply act as a fun activity to pass time. That is not the case anymore because of how dangerously advanced and addicting video games can be. In fact it’s so dangerous nowadays that countries like South Korea are contemplating whether or not to ban video games. Why is it dangerous? Video games influence a type of negative social behavior, has a direct correlation to the cause of Insomnia, and is relevant to the increasing obesity rates in America. Playing video games can lead to many negative effects on a person. Video Games influence a type of negative social behavior. â€Å"The effects of videophilia are substantial and include obesity, attention disorders, lack of socialization and poor academic performance† (Video Game Addiction). The person (game player) may lose social skills and qualities depending on the level of video game addiction. Usually, the player is spending so much time on the game that he/ she is neglecting other areas of life. A common sign of video game addiction is constantly talking about the game almost constantly. â€Å" It is more likely to talk down upon a peer after a violent video game session† (Tiret). These types of social skills are not acceptable to continuously practice. The people that talk down on peers because of the violent video game session could go into depression or anxiety because of what others say or think about them. Young Children love playing rated M 18+ games that contain violence and other profound content (Parks). â€Å" the more time children and teens spend playing violent video games the more likely they are to display aggressive behavior† (Tiret). The more violent the game is, the more violent the player will be. It’s morally wrong to be mean for absolutely no reason towards other human beings. The effects on aggressive behavior can be long lasting (Tiret). A build up in anger is not healthy. If the constant aggression keeps up, the aggressive person will be ostracized by classmates or friends. Insomnia is easily caused by the lack of sleep, which is a common symptom of a video game addict. â€Å"Studies have shown that people deprived of contact with nature were at greater risk of depression and anxiety† (Wilderness Adventure). â€Å"In a study by Breslau and associates, patients with insomnia were nearly 4 times more likely to suffer major depression than those without insomnia† (Johnston). A depressed person will look at everything negatively and have no motivation to go outside. The person may even view his/ her life not even worth living. Stress and depression can be caused by a variety of things resulting in insomnia. Stress may be caused by hours on the computer playing a game without rest. Depression may hit the person, depending on intimacy with the video game, once he/she loses a lot. â€Å" insomnia and its associated daytime sleepiness had significant negative effects on cognitive functioning and impaired their subjects’ ability to perform ordinary tasks† (Johnston). â€Å"Excessive Sleepiness has been linked to learning disabilities in children and cognitive and memory problems in adults† (Johnston). If this keeps up then the next generations will become less capable than the ones before which shouldn’t happen. Remembering what you ate for breakfast will be very difficult. â€Å"Poor sleep hygiene includes an irregular sleep schedule, stimulating activities before bed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mayo Clinic). The ‘stimulating activities’ could translate into playing video games before you sleep. The effects of the stimulating activities causes the person to stay awake longer in bed. Some argue video games can be healthy to a person. One of the biggest positive effects video games can have on a person is the fact that makes people happy. As a result, video games have become an easy scapegoat for numerous violent tendencies and social behaviors. Video games are indeed a scapegoat, but it doesn’t hide the fact that the people who play these games as a scapegoat are neglecting themselves from the real world. These people will not get to experience what it’s really like in the real world. Based on solid scientific evidence, video games may actually fill basic human needs that the real world fails to satisfy (Shapiro). This applies to people who have social anxieties causing these people to refrain from the outside even more. The people are not completely solving their problems, only temporarily. It is not the game’s fault for these negative effects. There are millions who play the game and don’t go out and do the negatively portrayed actions on the news. The criminals mention the games’ names and blame the games. Violent games are very influential on a person. â€Å"Reality is too complicated to blame playings games, moving pictures, or letters on a page† (Parks). Games are where people get ideas from. Life is commonly sealed into one perception for a person, and curiosity comes from ideas that have never been heard of before. Addiction of video games can easily lead into obesity which is a dangerous and lethal disease. Video games create an obstacle for children. â€Å"Children today spend an average of 6 hours each day in front of the computer and TV, but less than 4 minutes a day in instructed outdoor play† (Wilderness Adventure). There is an extreme amount of physical inactivity. The calories are not burned which turn into fat later on. â€Å"Getting less than seven hours of sleep a night can cause changes in hormones that increase your appetite† (Mayo Clinic). Less sleep IS a vital cause of obesity. Eating most of your calories at night contributes to weight gain. â€Å"Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight† (WHO). Being overweight and obese brings cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even some cancers. The obese people are not outside and running which leads into no training for the cardiovascular system. While playing video games, gamers do not pay attention to what they eat which could lead into a massive buildup of diabetes. â€Å"More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011† (WHO). 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity. Children who play video games fit into this category. The topic of video games being perceived as a positive thing today is growing out of hand. It’s like spreading a humongous lie to gullible innocents. Affecting social behavior in a negative manner, causing obesity, and developing insomnia are serious matters. The negative effects of playing video games are severe and the idea of playing video games should not be taken lightly.

Self Determination Theory | Analyis

Self Determination Theory | Analyis Quality effective coaching is about interdisciplinary knowledge. As well as the ability to recognise implicit and explicit decision making. Coaching is essentially about problem solving, a good coach uses a procedural and declarative knowledge compilation to help towards problem solving. A good example of this would be the Kolbs Experimental Cycle (1984). It shows a continuous flow of development, including; reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, active experimentation and concrete experience. This implies that learning is a process where knowledge is created through the transformation of experience. Within this essay I will be discussing an understanding of two different coaching science theories and how they can be applied to real coaching experiences. I will be critiquing both theories, showing how I can improve in aspects of the theory in my coaching and how they both incorporate reflective practice. Self determination theory (SDT) represents a broad framework for the study of human motivation and personality. The theory is based on the premise that individuals pursue self determined goals to satisfy their basic psychological needs to independently solve problems, interact socially, and overcome tasks. According to SDT, a concept that could explain the relationship between participants motivation and their experiences in exercise is due to the level to which their behaviours are autonomous. Autonomous is when a task is; fully volitional, freely pursued, and wholly endorsed by the person. When participants exercise experiences are controlled, i.e. pursued and directed by external or internal forces, it leaves participants feeling like they have very little or no choice. Research clearly supports the idea that individuals have different types of motivation, ranging from high (autonomous) to low (controlled) levels of self determination. Participants can be intrinsically motivated, when they engage in learning activities for their own benefit, and extrinsically motivated when they engage in activities for influential reasons. Intrinsic motivation represents the model of self determination, because a person is motivated to act for the fun or challenge entailed in the behaviour rather than because of external factors, such as pressures or rewards. In contrast extrinsic motivation embraces a variety of behavioural factors that vary in their level of self determination. Intrinsic and indentified regulations are self determined, whereas external and introjected regulations are non self determined forms of motivation (Tessier et al, 2010). Motivational characteristics are influential in shaping participants desire to persist in sport or to discontinue their sport participation. Self determination theory suggests adolescents are more likely to follow peer leaders who afford them autonomy to choose, an avenue for relatedness with the leader and other members of their group, and a sense of competence for the task they are doing (Ward et al, 2010). Although psychological and physical benefits can be obtained from participation in competitive sport (Mandigo and Holt, 2000), it can also lead to damaged self esteem and mood disturbances, particularly when youths experience performance pressure from close adults (Reeve and Deci, 1996). For these reasons, the influence of coaches and parents on youth participants sporting experiences is an issue of high importance in sport psychology. There is considerable research on the interaction of parents and coaches with sport participants. For example, parental pressure predicted decreased enjoyment in basketball (Brustad, 1988), and parental and coach positive emotional involvement predicted the enjoyment in football (Ommun dsen and Vaglum, 1991). Also, having an autocratic coach who provided little feedback decreased involvement and intrinsic motivation. Self determination theory proposes that humans have three fundamental needs that must be satisfied in the social context. The first need is to feel autonomous in performing an activity. Autonomy involves being volitional and acting in such a way as to represent your integrated sense of self (Deci and Ryan, 2000). Autonomy support can be enhanced by allowing participants within an environment to choose the things that they enjoy and really want to do. The second need is to perceive relatedness with others in the community of involvement. By working hard as or within a group, participants can achieve a sense of team bonding, which can in turn lead to strong friendships. A third fundamental need is to perceive competence in relation to the activity. Competence is widely regarded as fundamental to the expression of motivation in the sport context (Reinboth and Duda, 2006). Youth sport literature suggests that experiencing competence in sports is strongly related to being accepted by a pe er group and having positive peer relationships within a group (Weiss and Duncan, 1992). Results from Vazou, et al (2005) even suggested that youths perception of their own competence was related to the level of support and acceptance by peers in the group. This developmental process is about gaining a sense of accomplishment and believing in yourself to complete a task to the best of your ability. This can lead to motivational outcomes in self determination theory. However, this does not account for learning acquisition of new skills, like contextual interference theory. One challenge that many coaches encounter is how to best structure practice schedules that will facilitate the development of skilful movements (Porter, Landin, Hebert, Baum, 2007). Contextual interference (CI) is a functional interference in a practice environment which affects the structure of the session to improve learning effectiveness. The stage of learner development will directly affect the structure of the practice session. It is well established that interference during practice has substantial influence on skill learning (Guadagnoli and Lee, 2004). The contextual interference effect acknowledges that learning is enhanced when interference during practice is high, such as when participants practice multiple tasks in a random order. Results from studies investigating the effects of practice order on motor learning typically show that a random practice order enhances motor learning more when compared with that of a blocked practice order (Wright, Magnuson and Black, 2005). One way to control interference during practice of multiple tasks is to change the order in which the tasks are practiced. For example, a random practice order in which tasks are practiced in a quasi random order (i.e., 3-1-2, 1-2-3, 2-3-1), where each number represents a skill, is thought to introduce more interference than a blocked practice order in which each skill is practiced repeatedly prior to switching to the next skill (i.e., 1-1-1, 2-2-2, 3-3-3). Football, basketball, and volleyball are activities which require general strategies to be formed to cope with the unlimited variations of situations which arise within the game. These open skilled games require variety in training for cognitive generalization to occur, so that the participants can adapt to various unique competitive task demands. It is still important for athletes to experience a significant number of successful practices, whether for variable or specific skills, to achieve an eventual state of over learning (Chr istina, 1996). In a study by Porter and Saemi (2010), they showed that practicing with systematic increases in contextual interference for multiple days would perform better than equally skilled participants who practiced with traditional blocked and random scheduling. The participants practiced three different basketball related passes using either a blocked, random, or increasing contextual interference practice schedule. All participants practiced trials every day for five consecutive days. Participants completed an immediate retention test, and a 48 hr delayed retention test. The results of the immediate and delayed retention test showed that practicing with gradual increases in contextual interference resulted in superior performance compared to traditional blocked and random scheduling. These results were important because the 48 hr delay more accurately reflected a real world athletic environment. It is common for athletes to practice for multiple days in training, and then receive a one to two day break before a game. Therefore it is important to measure the learning of sport skills after one or two days without practice. The findings presented in this experiment suggest that coaches working with moderately skilled athletes can create effective learning environments by progressing from a blocked to a more random schedule during practice. The results further suggest that the benefits of an increasing contextual interference practice schedule can be observed when practice sessions are spaced over multiple days. One reason why a practice schedule that offers gradual increases in contextual interference may be beneficial is because it challenges learners at the appropriate level by creating an environment that becomes progressively more difficult as the athletes skill level improves (Porter and Saemi, 2010). The evidence for contextual interference is strong, when the skills practiced are dissimilar. However, when contextual interference is used, the performer actually spends less time working on any specific skill than if they were to use blocked practice (McMorris and Hale, 2006). The coach must determine how long to spend on any individual skill, this is completely reliant on the level and ability of the performer. Blocked practice may be more beneficial to an athlete wishing to fine tune a specific technique, which will require a lot more time spent practicing that skill technique, for example, a golf swing. On the other hand, for a beginner, the range of skill practices acquired during a contextual interference session may be more beneficial to them. This will allow them to practice a large variety of skills over a short space of time, possibly giving a better rate of retention long term. Both of these theories can be applied in a coaching setting to help participants learning and motivational needs. For a coach, the use of pedagogy and theory based practices are essential in developing a coaching session that is sufficient for the requirements of the participants. Each theory gives the coach a set of structure to the session, and allows the participants to get the most out of it. From personal experience of using both theories in real life practice, I can see that both have their advantages, although dependant on participants ability level and understanding of a specific sport. With regards to self determination theory, the coach can integrate forms of structure, autonomy support and involvement into a session using a variety of methods. Structure can be enhanced by using clear organisation and clearly stated procedures of participant expectation. Sessions should be challenging with maximum participation, allowing coaches to provide informative and timely feedback. F or example, positive and constructive feedback given throughout session to group and individuals encouraging work towards clear session goals, as long the feedback is given in an autonomy supportive manner. Autonomy support is given to the participants through explanation and provided rationale for the practice session, as well as encouragement of expression, choice and creativity for athletes. An example of this could be, avoiding controlling behaviours while coaching and acknowledging the participants feelings and perspectives on the session. The athletes should be allowed opportunities for independent work where they can use their initiative. Autonomy support can be enhanced by the use of student led activities, for example, student signalled starts; this encourages the participants to control how and when the session will progress. Involvement is provided by the relationship between coach and participants throughout the session, showing emotional support and a level of interest. Involvement can be improved within a session by expressing affection towards participants, learning their names and remaining within a close proximity to the athletes during the session. For example, this could be during refereeing by the coach or when giving positive feedback during the session. Self determination theory is a key aspect when trying to improve athletes motivation levels during practice. It does not however, affect the learning process and retention of skill acquisition like contextual interference theory does. When using contextual interference theory in real coaching practice, the coach must know the needs of the participants; this can be done through a needs analysis. According to the athletes sporting level, ability and environment, the session can then be constructed to include varied or random practice of skills. The level of contextual interference used is also determined by the coachs procedural and declarative knowledge on the subject. Although practicing under conditions of contextual interference does not always lead to immediate good performance, research suggests that it leads to better long term skill learning. It is also suggested that learning skills through contextual interference can work better if the skills are not too closely related biomechanically, or in a similar generalised motor program. By using a different array of skills, different motor pathways are being processed, facilitating better learning with a high level of contextual interference. It is usually traditional for coaches to begin the instruction process with blocked, constant practice of a single skill before progressing through drill practices towards random, variable practice conditions. A potential criticism of this approach is that coaches move too slowly through the development stage. According to traditional cognitive models of motor skill learning, such as Schmidts (1975) schema theory, variability in movement and context characteristics are essential to develop a more expansive and generalized motor program to cope with a variety of similar but different situations. The assumption is that when variability is introduced into the practice environment, the learner has to adapt the motor program differently from one trial to the next resulting in a more flexible and interchangeable movement schema (Schmidt and Lee, 1999). A low contextual interference practice schedule may involve practising one skill per session, or perhaps two separate skills, for example, shooting and passing in blocks of 20 30 minutes each (blocked practice). Higher levels of contextual interference would arise if a variety of skills, for example; shooting, passing and dribbling, were practised in a random manner throughout the session (random practice). In the most random practice schedule, a player never practises the same skill in consecutive tasks. The clear message is that to promote learning coaches should try to avoid repetitive, blocked practice by presenting a variety of skills within the same session. Both theories relate to the process of reflection, for coach and athlete. Reflection is a key aspect within learning development; it allows us to reflect on positive experiences to encourage constructive behaviour, as shown in the Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Gibbs model is clear and precise allowing for description, analysis and evaluation of the experience helping the reflective practitioner to make sense of experiences and examine their practice. It also allows us to reflect on our negative experiences so that in future experiences we can control how to give ourselves the best opportunity for a positive outcome. Reflective thinking needs to be structured so that you can describe what happened to you in a given situation, come to some conclusions about the experiences and possibly decide how to act in dealing with future similar experiences.We learn from experience is a well known statement, but according to Dewey (1933) we dont learn from experience, instead we learn from reflec ting on experience. In order to increase my understanding of both of these theories, I intend to further use and improve in aspects of the theories during my coaching practice. From some of the research that I have done to complete this essay, I can already see areas of my coaching that can be improved upon. Some of these include, my ability to give positive, informative and timely feedback to participants, this will help autonomy support with the participants. I could also improve by knowing all of my athletes on a first name bases, this will help improve my relationship with the participants and increase my involvement with them, an area I feel I could improve on greatly. By increasing my declarative and procedural knowledge of each sport I feel as if I will be able to offer more in terms of opportunities for creativity and initiative within my sessions. All of these will help greatly improve motivational levels of my athletes which then in turn I hope will improve their performances. I have taken qui te a lot from STD theory, but I have also learned just as much from the contextual interference theory in relation to my coaching. This is especially true when I consider how I will be constructing all of my future practice sessions. By taking into account the sporting level and ability of my participants, as well as what skills I am considering introducing, my session will be structured appropriately with the correct level of contextual interference. I will be using a lot more varied and random practice within my sessions, especially for beginners and younger athletes, to help increases their long term retention of new skills. As a coach and a constant problem solver, I am continuously looking for ways in which I can improve my ability to coach at a high level. These scientific theories have helped improve my declarative knowledge of coaching in general, but I will be looking for further ways I can improve my overall performance as a coach.

Comparing O Briens The Things They Carried and Ninhs The Sorrow of W

Comparing O' Brien's The Things They Carried and Ninh's The Sorrow of War  Ã‚        Ã‚   Bao Ninh's The Sorrow of War is a contrapuntal reading to American literature on the Vietnam War. But rather than stand in stark contrast to Tim O' Brien's The Things They Carried, The Sorrow of War is strangely similar, yet different at the same time. From a post-colonialist standpoint, one must take in account both works to get an accurate image of the war. The Sorrow of War is an excellent counterpoint because it is truthful. Tim O' Brien writes: ". . . you can tell a true war story by its absolute and uncompromising allegiance to obscenity and evil." (O' Brien, 42) Bao Ninh succeeds in this respect. And it was for this reason that the Vietnamese government initially banned The Sorrow of War. A thorough textual and historical examination of both the war and post-war experience of Vietnam reveals that its experience was similar to, if not worse than, that of America. One of the more remarkable counterpoints of Kien/Boa Ninh's war experience is his view of American soldiers. For him, they were horrific, powerful, and inhuman. To American soldiers, the war was a journey into a strange world where snipers hid behind every bush. North Vietnamese soldiers had already fought for fifteen years and seen the country ripped apart. Now they were to go up against hundreds of thousands of fresh troops from the world's technological superpower. A little more frightening. This historical aspect is reflected in the text. For Bao Ninh, the enemy was not always a man that could only kill other men. "The diamond-shaped grass clearing was piled high with bodies killed by helicopter gunships. Broken bodies, bodies blown apart, bodies vaporized." (Ninh, 5) How... ...sided fashion, one in which we have no sorrow for the "communists." But what we see is that Vietnamese soldiers were not fighting for communism, they were fighting because the government ordered them to. "The ones who loved war were not the young men but the others like the politicians, middle-aged men with fat bellies and short legs." (75) Repeatedly The Sorrow of War reveals the deep suffering of Vietnam. One can not say, however, that American soldiers returned unscathed. The most important thing we see when we read the two aforementioned works is not the differences, but the similarities. War is hellish and unnatural for both sides. In the aftermath, our common humanity becomes evident in universal suffering.    Works Cited: Ninh, Bao The Sorrow of WarNew York: Riverhead Books 1993 O'Brien, Tim The Things They Carried New York: Penguin Books 1990

Holy Sonnet 10 :: John Donne

William Penn, an English philosopher and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, once said that, â€Å"For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.† He is saying that death is not the end of our lives, but just another stage. In the poem â€Å"Holy Sonnet 10† by John Donne, the poet talks to death itself and gives his opinion on his view of death and others’ views: it is something that cannot control anything, can be replaced by others things, and is not the end of a person’s life. Through the use of his figurative language, Petrachan form, and tone and language, Mr. Donne expresses the message that death is not to be feared because one lives on in heaven. John uses many examples of figurative language in his sonnet. To begin with, when Mr. Donne first commences his poem, he uses the personification â€Å"Death, be not proud† (1). The author is giving death the human characteristics of being â€Å"not proud.† The rest of the line continues as â€Å"though some have called you thee. † Death should not be prideful even if people think it is. John displays through this first line how he feels about death: he is too prideful for his own good. Furthermore, Donne uses another personification when he states â€Å"Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so† (2). Again, he is giving death, a concept not a human, real characteristics. He believes death is not â€Å"mighty† or â€Å"dreadful† but something else. It gives his opinion that death is not â€Å"dreadful† to people in their lives but possibly beneficial. Later, the poet says â€Å"Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate menà ¢â‚¬  (9). Death is merely being controlled by things like fate which is the only way he can act. He has no way to move on his own without these other forces. Like with war, death is the result not the cause: death cannot physically make people fight. This comparison devalues death in its importance and therefore its necessity. John Donne’s use of metaphors and personifications in his poem to emphasize his belief that death is not as bad as people or death thinks it really is but can actually be advantageous. The tone and allusions are important for John to portray how death is insignificant and irrelevant and that after death one moves on to a better place: heaven.

Philosophy of Education Essay

It was Chesterton, an English essayist, who once said that â€Å"the most practical thing about a man is his view of the universe – his philosophy† (Hocking 4).   Man’s philosophy is generally referred to as the sum of all his beliefs and views about the world which guide his actions.   His beliefs comprise all those judgments, whether they are based on convictions or impressions, which he habitually lives by. During the pre-service education and throughout the teaching career, teachers will have to face up to what it means to live and to teach in a society that gives the individual freedom to hold different beliefs and values.   In this society there seems to be no single â€Å"right† way of thinking about and doing things in education.   How teachers deal with school matters – objectives, contents, and methods – depend very much on their own individual beliefs and values.   They should be willing to take responsibility for giving their own answers to many problems they will meet in their classrooms regarding goals and values, and ways of teaching their students. 1. Organizing your classroom & materials. The teacher in the classroom is a veritable manager.   The success of the activities in the classroom depends on the ability of the teacher as classroom manager.   He is at the helm of all activities, and these activities will succeed depending on how well he can steer and guide them properly.   One of the most difficult problems that confront a beginning teacher is classroom management.   Unfortunately, he does not learn techniques of proper classroom management from books.   He merely gets suggestions on how to mange a class, but there is nothing like teaching experience that will really teach him all the tricks of classroom management. Hence, classroom management is one of the main concerns of teachers, administrators, and parents.  Ã‚   If the school is to live up to the community’s expectation that it is a learning-producing enterprise, the individual classrooms which comprise the school must contribute to the school’s educational productivity. Learning is the central goal of the total school operation, and teaching is the school’s basic production technique.   Effective teaching and effective learning take place in well-managed classrooms. When class time is consumed by management problems, students are the losers, for little real learning takes place.   As every teacher knows, good classroom management is one of the strongest influences on academic learning. 2. Choosing rules & procedures. A well managed classroom is hardly possible without laws, regulations, and conventions.   The classroom in itself is a society and needs its own rules and regulations to keep peace and harmony within it.   Certain classroom activities can be made automatic in the sense that they can be performed without much thought, especially when they have become habitual.   Such activities, we say, have become routinized.   It is apparent that routinizing classroom rules and procedures can help the teacher a lot in classroom management.   There are no hard-and-fast rules as to which activities can be reduced to routine.   Routinizing would depend on such factors as size of the class, the nature of students, materials available, arrangement of equipment, and the like. There are certain advantages in routinizing classroom rules and procedures and these are economy in time and effort, prevent confusion, and promote learning activity.   Much time is wasted on administrative activities that are not handled in a well-organized manner.   Activities that are repeatedly done may well be routinized so that pupils will know exactly what should be done. Some disadvantages should, however, be mentioned if routine factors are overmechanized.   If every little activity in the classroom is mechanized, no room for initiative is left to the pupils.   They may behave like automatons and certainly creativity is destroyed.   The teacher is reduced to an autocratic general and the pupils are regimented soldiers who merely wait for the chief’s signal or command.   Such a situation leads to blind obedience and acceptance of rules and procedures.   This type of atmosphere must be avoided by the teacher. Certain classroom rules and procedure, though, can be routinized so that more time can be devoted or allotted to more significant activities.   Among these activities are the roll calls, seating, handling materials and devices, classroom courtesies, and responses to the bell signals. The main goal here is to save time and effort.   Pupils should be made to understand and learn the value of time.   The old saying that time is gold should be clearly impressed on the minds of children. 3. Managing student work. One aspect of classroom management deals with managing student work.   The teacher takes full charge of the learning situation should manipulate the learner and the situation to produce the desired learning.   Managing implies arranging the learning situation so that the learner comes face to face with the stimulating problem.   While it is true that most teaching tends to foster teacher domination, manipulation, an intervention rather than the development of a genuine helping relationship, teachers can learn to dominate less and get students to participate more.   It is good practice for teachers not to repeat their questions, answer their own questions, or repeat answers of students. Some teachers tend to be autocratic or authoritarian.   Experience and research findings show that democratic teachers produce better learning results than those who dominate, control, or manipulate learning situations.   Teachers should determine the psychological needs of their students and adapt their teaching styles accordingly.   The teacher who encourages a two-way communication in the classroom insures a favorable teaching-learning climate.   To understand better the complexities of learning and classroom behavior, classrooms must be pupil centered rather than teacher centered. 4. Getting off to a good start. Getting off a good start requires careful attention to how teacher’s teach rules and procedures to their classes.   The tone of the class is set by the personal disposition that a teacher displays.   A teacher should bring a cheerful, pleasant and confident disposition to the classroom.   Once inside the room, a teacher’s face must be lit with joy to brighten the atmosphere.   Then, a teacher should take the necessary time during the first day of class to describe carefully your expectations for behavior and work.   Teachers should not be in a hurry to get started on content activities that teaching good behavior is neglected.   Rather, combine learning about procedures, rules, and course requirements with your initial content activities in order to build the foundation for the whole year program. 5. Planning & conducting instruction. Just as good classroom management enhances instruction by helping to create a good environment for learning, so too does effective instruction contribute to well-managed classroom.   With the change of emphasis on educational objectives, with the inclusion of more outcomes learning, with the focus on the child as the most important factor in the educational process, the concept of conducting instruction has likewise diversified and broadened.   In recent years, newer and more informal methods of instruction have come about.   Current practices have gradually replaced the undesirable features of so-called lesson hearing instruction.   This is due in part to the gradual acceptance of the newer philosophy of education, i.e. education is not merely a process of learning facts and storing knowledge, but it is concerned with the many sided development of the individual – social, emotional, and mental- including he ability to meet social needs. 6. Managing cooperative learning groups. Cooperative learning in mathematics is essential if math teachers are to promote the goals of problem-solving competency, ability to communicate mathematically, ability to reason mathematically, valuing of mathematics, and self-confidence in one’s ability to apply mathematics, and self-confidence in one’s ability to apply mathematical knowledge to new problem situations in one’s world.   Although competitive and individualistic assignments should at times be given (even though they place students in the role of being passive recipients of information), the dominant goal structure in math should be cooperative. There are a number of fairly simple ways teachers may begin to use cooperative learning in mathematics classes, including having students turn to their partners to decide on an answer to a question or having students work in pairs to check each other’s homework, involves far more than simply assigning students to groups and telling them  to work together. The teacher’s role in structuring learning situations cooperatively involves clearly specifying the objectives for the lesson, placing students in learning groups and providing appropriate materials, clearly explaining the cooperative goal structure and learning task, monitoring students as they work, and evaluating students` performance.   Teaching students the required interpersonal and small-group skills can be done simultaneously with teaching academic material.   In order to sustain the long-term implementation and in-classroom help and assistance needed to gain expertise in cooperative learning, teachers need support groups made up of colleagues who are also committed to mastering cooperative learning. 7. Maintaining appropriate student behavior. A number of educators have formulated some suggestions on ways to maintain good classroom student behavior.   The suggestions range from how to encourage students to behave and how to develop and maintain a positive approach to classroom management.   Some of these suggestions commonly used in the classrooms are: (1) Act as if you expect students to be orderly from the first day on; (2) Expect everyone’s attention before starting to teach.   Stop when there is noise.   Don’t teach over individual or group chatter ;(3) don’t talk too much as after a while, you lose the students` attention.   Involve the students in activities, ask questions, pose problems, etc. ;(4)   Hold students accountable for abiding by rules. 8. Communication skills for teachers. Making a lesson presentation basically requires mastery and understanding of goals, skills and criteria for effective communication.   Communication skills is also at the very core of effective teaching.   As most teacher would agree that to communicate well is to teach well.   In the skillful use of the question more than anything else lies the fine art of teaching; for in it we have the guide to clear and vivid ideas, and the quick spur to imagination, the stimulus to thought, the incentive to action. 9. Managing problem behavior. It has been stressed time and again that good classroom discipline is indispensable to an effective learning situation.   All teachers, old or young, old or new in the service, are faced with problems of discipline. It is true that some teachers can maintain better discipline than can others. It is suggested that the best approach should be positive rather than negative.   The best measure should be preventive rather than remedial.   â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,† so the saying goes.   This adage is exactly what should guide the teacher.   Knowing the possible causes of disciplinary problems, the teacher should strive to eliminate them. 10. Managing special groups. One of the special challenges a teacher should face is managing special groups successfully.   Of course, these groups have an impact on the management of student behavior as well as on instruction.   Experience have proven that attempting to cope with these special groups by using many different assignments, providing an individualized, self-paced program, or using small group instruction extensively in secondary school increases the complexity of classroom management, requires a great deal of planning and preparation, and require instructional materials that are not readily available.   So, rather than altering the instructional approach, experienced teachers provide for different levels of student ability by supplementing their whole-class instruction with limited use of special materials, activities , assignments, and small group work. So, to the question of which administrative procedure is most effective in managing special groups, only one answer can be given.   All ca n be effective if used with discretion and with the right children. Conclusion The teacher’s total philosophy of life cannot be separated from his philosophy of education, his learning theory, and his methods of teaching.   In other words, how he thinks about his work and the way he performs his functions as a teacher are derived from what he believes about the nature of the world, knowledge, and values. In philosophical terms, his world-view lies in the realm of the metaphysical, his knowledge-view in the epistemological, and his values in the axiological.   These are the philosophies which teachers consciously or unconsciously deal with in the teaching world. Every committed teacher tries to work out his own philosophy of education, clarifies his beliefs and ideals to make his teaching meaningful to himself and to his students.   Without a philosophy of education, the teacher will be easily swayed by fads in education.   Because his life and work involve making choices and decisions, the teacher cannot avoid having a philosophy.   Even when courses of study are dictated, he always has the freedom to decide how he will teach and to select the contents and methods of teaching.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 40

But after an endless time in the soft, kind darkness, something was forcing Elena back up into light. Real light. Not the terrible green half-light of the Tree. Even through shut eyelids she could see it, feel its heat. A yel ow sun. Where was she? She couldn't remember. And she didn't care. Something was saying inside her that the gentle darkness was better. But then she remembered a name. Stefan. Stefan was†¦? Stefan was the one who†¦the one she loved. But he'd never understood that love was not singular. He'd never understood that she could be in love with Damon and that it would never change an atom's worth of her love for him. Or that his lack of understanding had been so wrenching and painful that she had felt torn into two different people at times. But now, even before she opened her eyes, she realized that she was drinking. She was drinking the blood of a vampire, and that vampire wasn't Stefan. There was something unique in this blood. It was deeper and spicier and more heavy, al at once. She couldn't help opening her eyes. For some reason she didn't understand, they flew open and she tried immediately to focus on the scent and feeling and color of whoever was bending over her, holding her. She couldn't understand, either, her sense of letdown when she slowly realized that it was Sage leaning over her, holding her gently but securely to his neck, with his bronze chest bare and warm from the sunlight. But she was lying down flat, on grass, from what her hands could feel†¦and for some reason her head was cold. Very cold. Cold and wet. She stopped drinking and tried to sit up. The light grip became firmer. She heard Sage's voice say, and felt the rumbling in his chest as he said it, â€Å"Ma pauvre petite, you must drink more in a moment or so. And your hair has Stillsome of the ashes in it.† Ashes? Ashes? Didn't you put ashes on your head for†¦now what had she been thinking about? It was as if there was a block in her mind, keeping her from getting close to†¦ something. But she wasn't going to be told what to do. Elena sat up. She was in – yes, she was very sure – the kitsune paradise, and until a moment ago her body had been arched back, so that her hair had been in the clear little stream that she had seen earlier. Stefan and Bonnie had been washing something pitch-black out of her hair. They both were smudged with black as well: Stefan had a big swath across one cheekbone, and Bonnie had faint gray streaks below her eyes. Crying. Bonnie had been crying. She was Stillcrying, in little sobs that she was trying to suppress. And now that Elena looked harder she could see that Stefan's eyelids were swol en and that he had been crying too. Elena's lips were numb. She fel back onto the grass, looking up at Sage, who was wiping his eyes furtively. Her throat ached, not just inside, where sobbing and gasping might make it hurt, but outside, too. She had a picture of herself slashing at her own neck with a knife. Through her numb lips, she whispered, â€Å"Am I a vampire?† â€Å"Pas encore,†Sage said unsteadily. â€Å"Not yet. But Stefan and I, we both had to give you massive amounts of blood. You must be very careful in the next days. You are right on the brink.† That explained how she felt. Probably Damon was hoping that she would become one, wicked boy. Instinctively, she held out her hand to Stefan. Maybe she could help him. â€Å"We just won't do anything for a little while,†she said. â€Å"You don't have to be sad.†But she herself Stillfelt very wrong. She hadn't felt this wrong since she'd seen Stefan in prison and had thought that he would die at any moment. No†¦it was worse†¦because with Stefan there had been hope and Elena had the feeling that now hope was gone. Everything was gone. She was hol ow: a girl who looked solid, but whose insides were missing. â€Å"I'm dying,†she whispered. â€Å"I know it†¦Are you al going to say good-bye now?† And with that Sage – Sage! – choked up and began to sob. Stefan, Stilllooking so oddly mussed, with those traces of soot on his face and arms and his hair and clothes soaking wet, said, â€Å"Elena, you're not going to die. Not unless you choose to.† She had never seen Stefan look like this before. Not even in prison. His flame, his inner fire that he showed to almost no one but Elena, had gone out. â€Å"Sage saved us,†he said, slowly careful y, as if it cost him great effort to speak. â€Å"The ash that was fal ing – you and Bonnie would have died if you'd had to breathe any more of it. But Sage put a door back to the Gatehouse right in front of us. I could barely see it; my eyes were so ful of ashfal , and it's only getting worse on that moon.† â€Å"Ashfal ,†Elena whispered. There was something at the bottom of her mind, but once again her memory failed her. It was almost as if she'd been Influenced to not remember. But that was ridiculous. â€Å"Why were ashes fal ing?†she asked, realizing that her voice was husky, hoarse – as if she'd cheered too long at a footbal game. â€Å"You used Wings of Destruction,†Stefan said steadily, looking at her with his swol en eyes. â€Å"You saved our lives. But you kil ed the Tree – and the star bal disintegrated.† Wings of Destruction. She must have lost her temper. And she'd kil ed a world. She was a murderer. And now the star bal was lost. Fel ‘s Church. Oh, God. What would Damon say to her? Elena had done everything – everything wrong. Bonnie was sobbing now, her face turned away. â€Å"I'm sorry,†Elena said, knowing how inadequate this was. For the first time she looked around miserably. â€Å"Damon?†she whispered. â€Å"He won't speak to me? Because of what I did?† Sage and Stefan looked at each other. Ice went down Elena's spine. She started to get up, but her legs weren't the legs she remembered. They wanted to unlock at the knees. She was staring down at herself, at her own wet and smudged clothes – and then something like mud came down her forehead. Mud or congealing blood. Bonnie made a sound. She was Stillsobbing, but she was speaking, too, in a new husky voice that made her sound much older. â€Å"Elena – we didn't get the ashes out of the top of your hair. Sage had to give you an emergency transfusion.† â€Å"I'l get the ashes out,†Elena said flatly. She let her knees bend. She fel onto them, jarring her body. Then, twisting, she leaned down to the little brook and let her head fal forward. Through the icy shock she could dimly hear exclamations from the people above water, and Stefan's sharp, Elena, are you All right? in her head. No, she thought back. But I'm not drowning, either. I'm washing out my hair. Maybe Damon will at least see me if I'm presentable. Maybe he'll come with us and fight for Fell's Church. Let me help you up, Stefan sent quietly. Elena had come to the end of her air. She pul ed her heavy head out of the water and flipped it, soaking but clean, so that it fel down her back. She stared at Stefan. â€Å"Why?†she said – and then, with a sudden panic – â€Å"Has he left already? Was he angry†¦with me?† â€Å"Stefan.†It was Sage, speaking tiredly. Stefan, who was staring out of his green eyes like a hunted animal, made some faint sound. â€Å"The Influence, it is not working,†Sage said. â€Å"She will remember on her own.†