Pros of the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy Essay

My topic was about the proÂ’s of the overthrow of the monarchy. A few of the reasons why the overthrow of the monarchy was good was because Hawaii started to become multi-cultural . Being multi-cultural can be looked upon as good if you see it as a way to diversify our cultures. Not to many states are as diversified as Hawaii which is special, some people are only one race like me but a lot of people here are a combination of many different ethnicities like Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, Samoan, black, and white this combination of all the ethnicities is what makes the people here that live in Hawaii unique. Another reason why the overthrow of the monarchy was good was because it ultimately it led up to the annexation of Hawaii to the US. When we became a U.S. territory Hawaii improved. Hawaii gained a sewer system, great fortunes were made by the industry people like the sugar and pineapple plantation owners, and also the real estate business boomed. A very important thing that happen when we became the 50th state of the U.S. was that America extended the bill of rights which gave women the right to vote. Before in the monarchy only 21 year old white male that could read and write English could vote. This gave women and men and the Hawaiian people more rights. Another pro of what the overthrow of the monarchy is that now there was not only one ruler. Instead of it being only one ruler it became a democracy. Even thought the system of 1 dictator was working out so far the island of Hawaii was rapidly changing and only having one monarch would probably not have fit the need of all that was happening in the islands. There was the needs of the native Hawaiian that was probably the most important to her, the needs of the sugar cane and pineapple owners. The plantations owner would want more land and so would the Hawaiians the needs of everybody on the island could have gotten too out of control for just 1 monarch to handle so having a democratic government would solve the need for all of that. Even though some Hawaiians feel that the overthrow of the monarchy was a bad thing there are some Hawaiians that actually think that the overthrow of the monarchy was a good thing. Earl Arakaki from ‘Ewa Beach wrote in a letter to the editor that that annexation to the United States was the best thing that  could happen to Hawaii, both for the native and foreign population. I am proud to be a part of the united states and IÂ’m proud to be a native Hawaiian. Some Hawaiians accepted these changes and have adapted them into their lifestyles. Called the bi-cultural Hawaiians, they took the best from both worlds. In a diary entry that Queen Liliokalani wrote she said and I quote “Tho’ for a moment (the overthrow) cost me a pang of pain for my people, it was only momentary, for the present has a hope for the future of my people.”Hawaiian people are quite diverse of the subject on the overthrow of the monarchy although the native Hawaiian view point has been expresses many times there is always more than one side of a storyOur group opinion of the overthrow of the monarchy was bad because many Hawaiians lost the very culture that made them individual to the other races. Having the Hawaiian monarchy taken away from the Hawaiians was as if something you were really used to and were just fine with ripped away from you and told that it was wrong and you should start to live the way that we live and not even having a say in it. We also think that the overthrow of the monarchy was good too in a way because if the overthrow wouldnÂ’t have happened then like where would we be now? Some of us might not have ever met or even been born. Its like some of our parents would have never met and the way that Hawaii is now would be way, way different Bibliography Pat, Pitzer. â€Å"The Overthrow of the Monarchy.† Hawaiian Independence. May 1994. 20 August 2006 . Samuel Kaluna, Kaluna. â€Å"Hawaii is not legally a state!.† 21 August 2007 .

International Business Culture and Global Business

For an international business person, business traveller or expatriate, doing business in a foreign country poses some interesting cross cultural challenges. Getting to grips with a country's business culture, protocol and etiquette is important in maximising your potential and getting the best out of your visit. Greece is a High contect culture. In order to categorize it, we must first know what the difference between low and high context culture means.High vs. Low Context Cultures suggests the categorisation of cultures into high context versus low context cultures in order to understand their basic differences in communicationstyle and cultural issues. Communication style refers to ways of expressing oneself, to communication patterns that are understood to be ‘typical’. Cultural issues mean certain societal factors, such as the country’s status, history, religion and traditions. Cultural issues also include Hofstede’s individualism vs. collectivism dime nsion. Social nuances are important parts to consider when doing business in greece.To say ‘no' in Greece use an upward nod of the head. For ‘yes' tilt the head to either side. However, note that many Greeks now also use the European/North American gestures too so it can be confusing! The â€Å"OK† sign (circled thumb and forefinger) may be considered obscene. Never raise an open palm at face level as this is an insult. If you see a Greek make a puff of breath through the lips, they are warding off the ‘evil eye'. This is usually done after receiving a compliment. Try and avoid discussions involving sensitive issues such as with Turkey, the Cyprus issue, or the politics of the former-Yugoslavia.They are task-oriented, highly organised and prefer doing one thing at a time. They stick to facts and fi gures that they have obtained from reliable sources. They prefer straightforward, direct discussion, and they talk and listen in equal proportions. So it is impor tant to stand by your product with pride and transparancy in order to gain the trust of the consumers their, and also their business. The Greeks can be fairly laidback and as such meetings can be arranged at short notice. It is best to do so over the phone and to confirm in writing (fax or email).The handshake is the most common form of greeting in the business environment. Among friends or close acquaintances you may also see an embrace or kiss. Wait for the other party to initiate the move to this level if it ever comes. One other country I would relate to Greece is Iceland because there are rural lands, and busy cities as well. Iceland is also facing financial challenges as Greece is due to the EURO currency and has been severly hit by the european recession as well. The corrupt politics and regulations of the country's assets has led to some hard times inboth countries.However, there are still many opportunities to in doing business abroad to such countries, considereing the min imum wages are increasingly lower than that of America and there is a large percentage of educated individuals seeking employment in these hard times. Another factor is untapped resounrces, such as oil and precious metals of the earth. Lastly, I would say whenever doing business in any country we must remember to that we are guest, and work with ethics in mind and proper investment so that there may be a positive effect on the country's citizens view of international business ventures.

Public Housing in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Public Housing in USA - Essay Example The paper has shown that since the end of the World War II, it has been argued that the poor have lost access to expensive housing provided by private markets. Almost all the United States presidents have either come up or sponsored projects targeted at enhancing the access of the poor to quality better housing than they do (Howard 1). As Howard explains, there are numerous reasons why the government gets involved in the public, housing sector activities (Howard 2). First, the government believes that the private market cannot offer enough housing to the poor Americans. The government also believes that the private markets offer their housing at a high price which the poor cannot afford. Currently, the United States government action in public housing is the provision of subsidized housing to the poor families so as to replace the buildings that have been demolished through the HOPE IV program. HOPE VI program was developed in the 1990s so as to demolish houses that did not meet the standards according to Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and those that fell into crime and disorder (Howard 3). Presidents have either come up or sponsored housing projects to enhance that the poor can have access to quality housing. The issue of house shortage also affects the poor. Reports shows that there is a shortage of houses in the United States and the poor are the most affected. The demand is higher than the supply although there is race discrimination, which is affecting the blacks. This is the reason why the government ought to control public housing. The other issue that should concern the government is some individuals setting lower prices thereby increasing the demand. The government ought to fix the prices to protect the poor who are their mercies. The major Stakeholders in the Subsidized Housing Project for the Poor Families The US government presented HUD as the main stakeholder of the subsidized housing projects. As Johan has written in his article , Housing Subsidies and Homeowners, the United States government’s main interest is to provide affordable housing for the poor families. The government also aims at ending the HOPE VI program. It will then replace the demolished apartments through HOPE VI program, so as to ensure the poor families are not homeless. The other stakeholders in the project are some of the public housing landlords who are supporting the government involvement in matters of public housing for the poor. According to the Guide section 8 Housing Assistance programs of 2008, voucher 8 is given to families who are not able to afford quality housing. Therefore, the United States government funds them through their voucher 8 program. However, it has been argued that it is the landlords who benefit from these funds. Therefore, their main interests in this program are ensuring they continue benefiting from governments funds aimed at improving the housing conditions for the poor. The landlords should be scru tinized to ensure they get what they deserve and avail to the tenants their dues. The

Harlem Riot of 1943 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Harlem Riot of 1943 - Research Paper Example The culture of the period affected the way in which the events were reported, the tone of the media shadowed by the way in which society viewed the African American place within it. The Harlem riot of 1943 is an event that shows how the media has a great influence on the way in which public opinion is created about events and the people who are involved. The Harlem riot of 1943 occurred after an incident where a policeman had hit an African American woman that he was arresting for charges stemming from a public disturbance. As he was about to hit her again, a young African American soldier by the name of Robert Bandy moved to stop the policeman’s violence. As a result, the soldier was shot in the shoulder, but the rumor was spread that he was killed which sparked the riot. The incident occurred on August 1, 1943 and the riot was finally ended on August 3 after six people were killed with 500 African Americans arrested (Capeci 116: New York Times). In studying riots, the most c ommon format from which to characterize the events is from the precipitating event, such as the shooting of the soldier who was defending the woman. The emotions created by this event created a climate of violent reaction in which the targets of the volatile consequences were representations of authority. Riots are almost always a result of a social injustice that becomes a part of a theater of violence in which the participants are acting out the underlying emotions of that injustice (Monti 42). The conflict was not representative of black-white confrontation as much as it was represented by confrontations with police and with symbols of oppression and authority which included local stores. According to Gold, â€Å"Observers attributed the Harlem riot to the fact that blacks’ opportunities and living conditions showed few signs of improvement, despite the booming wartime economy† (85). Oppression led to an outburst against that oppressive state in order to express the unequal position that was imposed upon those living in neighborhoods where hope was a limited commodity. The dynamics of the social situation was reflected in the resources that were provided by the media as the event was covered. The Kerner Commission, which was the 1968 National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, was given the task of looking at the riots that had occurred during the 20th century and at the multiple causes of difficulties that were segregating Caucasians from African Americans. Using the Harlem riot of 1943 as one example of the problems that were evolving, a report by the commission charged â€Å"the nation’s media with contributing to a culture of ignorance and prejudice that imprisoned African Americans in stereotypes and helped to foster and perpetuate the poverty and discrimination that eventually led to turmoil† (Henry 80). The specific recommendation to thwart this problem was a call to the news media to include black voices so that a mo re equitable balance of information could be heard (Henry 80). The mainstream press covered the events through perspectives that have not held up historically. According to Lubin, â€Å"the mainstream press repeatedly insisted that it was not a race riot, but rather the work of gangs of hoodlums. Some white critics argued that it was the result of racial ‘

Cross-cultural Training Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Cross-cultural Training - Essay Example Outsourcing poses a number of advantages to so-called host countries as this provides job opportunities for the local residents. In addition thereto, the local governments also earn revenues because of taxes and trade. Consequently, outsourcing is also poses a number of advantages for the company in question, because of this process, a new structure is provided for these organisations which enable them to cut down their productivity costs. To ensure maximum benefits related thereto, human resources employed by these multinational countries must be trained appropriately in order to conform to the business needs, Doye (2002) discusses. More often than not, when a company is outsourced, a qualified local resident or an expatriate is commissioned by the company to conduct the training and ensure that the company is properly set up in the host countries. According to Wittingslow (n.d.), the local headhunters must work hand in hand with the company in order to find suitable people to fill in the vacancies. This is deemed of paramount importance as the human resource officers are necessary in order to ensure that contracts and job offers are put together to remain competitive in the existing job market (Wittingslow n.d.). It is usually because of the abovementioned that outsourced companies face problems with respect to cultural diversity in the workplace. These multinational companies, in the process of outsourcing usually have a set of human resource policies that are in place. Nevertheless, these laws are usually tailored in order to comply with the labor laws of the host countries wherein they are placed. In addition thereto, the abovementioned situation also results to serious problems as regards the matter by which human resource management must be crafted in order to cater to this set up. Given this, the paper focuses on the role of cross-cultural training. Thus, to ensure a more extensive discussion of the topic at hand, this literature review shall be divided into the following sections: (1) Introduction, (2) Human Resource Management in the Twenty First Century: HRM and Outsourcing; (3) Cultural Distance: An Overview; and finally, (4) Barriers to the Workplace and Cross-Cultural Training. Hu man Resource Management in the Twenty First Century: HRM and Outsourcing Human Resource Management is often defined as the manner by which human talent is effectively and efficiently used in order to achieve the goals of the organisation (Mathis and Jackson 2007). It is the essential art of the process by which the organisation focuses on the people who belong to the latter. Tayeb (2005) mentions that whilst the aforementioned is usually the accepted definition of human resource management, the manner by which the same is carried out differs from one country to another. The traditional concept of human resource management has however, evolved. With the outsourcing of labor Tayeb (2005) believes that the human resource department plays a much bigger role. Generally, there are two cases by which the human resourc

What causes inflation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

What causes inflation - Essay Example It will also look at some of the ways that an individual is able to calculate the inflation rate in an economy. However, the paper will not only focus on the negative side of matters and in conclusion it will also determine what solutions have been brought about on how the economy can avoid such a situation. Introduction Inflation can be described as the increase in the price level of various services and goods within an economy that takes place over a period of time. It should be noted that this increase happens in all sectors of the market meaning that almost goods and services suffer as a result and those in the economy end with a rising expenditure for the same things that they used to buy before (Taylor 89). It may not be very noticeable at first as it is a gradual process and prices do not sky rocket on the first day meaning that many individuals are usually caught off their guard by the situation leading to a financial panic as they realize just what exactly is going on. As a result of inflation, money also loses a fair amount of purchasing power meaning that an individual is able to buy less with a certain amount that before was adequate for his expenditure needs (Svensson 148). Loss of purchasing power of a currency is not good for the economy as this serves to lower the value of a currency as a whole in the end. It is due to this fact that individuals and institutions struggle against any signs of inflation in a bid to avoid from taking place and stopping it in its tracks as early as possible, the sooner the better (Taylor 101). Though inflation is viewed mostly as a negative impact on the economy, it should be noted that there are both positive and negative effects that are associated with this occurrence. Measures of Inflation One is able to identify the onset of inflation in an economy by measuring the inflation rate of that economy. Though there are a number of other ways in which measuring can be done, this is the main method that is used by econ omists on a global scale. Measuring the inflation rate is done by taking note of the yearly change in percentage terms of a price index over a period of time (Abel & Bernanke 93). The price index that is mostly used for these purposes is the consumer index though other can be used as well. The consumer price index is determined by measuring the prices of a selection of various goods and services that are usually bought by the average consumer and include items that may be needed on a daily basis such as foodstuffs and other supplies (Baumol & Blinder 25). High end items are not included in this collection of goods and services as they are first o f all not bought by the typical consumer and second of all not purchased on a regular basis thus they would reflect dishonestly on the final figure that is obtained in the end. Apart from the consumer price index, other indices that are also used to obtain the level of inflation in an economy also include the producer price index. This inde x concentrates on the producers rather than the consumers and determines the amount of money that domestic producers receive for their products over time determining the changes calculated in percentage in the process (Abel & Bernanke 98). The difference between this and the Consumer Price Index is mainly due to issues such as taxes and the intention of profit that will make the

RESPOND Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RESPOND - Article Example Online students should not be underprivileged in terms of social learning since they are not able to attend campus. Their access must not just be access to content; instead it should imply access to a rich learning environment that offers a chance for connectedness and interaction (Daniel Palacios-Marquà ©s, 2012). Additionally, numerous office workers are more familiar with different virtual communication tools accessible from instant messaging to e-mail to social networks. However, as training courses also move online, they incline to the loose majority of the cooperative constituents that has resulted in these new technologies to be operational in other fields. The biggest task as seen by the instructors is keeping members engaged. To make operational online participation, instructors should apply four approaches that address the proper use of technology to carry out online instructor-directed learning, participant engagement, enabling of fruitful brainstorming gatherings and team collaboration, and session design so as to achieve good results (Young, 2009). Furthermore, Asynchronous learning is a learner-centered teaching technique that applies online learning means to enable information distribution outside the constrictions of place and time amongst a network of individuals. It highlights the significance of peer-to-peer interactions. Resources of online learning that back up asynchronous learning comprise of blogs, wikis, email, online discussion boards, among others. Additionally, course management systems have been formed to back up interaction online, allowing students to organize discussions, reply to and post messages, among others (Jane E. Brindley,

DWI (debate) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DWI (debate) - Essay Example However, before taking a stand in this issue, DWI should consider the legal and ethical implications of the change proposed by FCC. The further consolidation and merger among industry players will mean observance of more policies set by the government concerning duopolies and tripolies which are not currently allowed. DWI will also be faced with the challenge of operating in a less deregulated media industry. If DWI will merge with other media players, it will also be faced by the burden of delineating the responsibilities and ownership within the newly formed organization. Ethically, DWI should consider all its stakeholders including its customers, employees, competitors, lobbying groups, and other public relations. Since consolidation and merger often means downsizing, DWI should also be ready to legally give fulfill its liability to its employees. In this issue, the company should thoroughly consider its employees especially now that they are vocally expressing their opposition to the new policy. DWI's stand will surely have a huge impact on its image. It should be noted that researches have exposed that free TV does not really suffer from losses because most of these companies are connected or even owners of cable stations.

See the description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

See the description - Essay Example As a start, it is important to define what is meant by stereotyping. A stereotype is the creation of a biased view or assumption about a certain ethnic, religious, or social group. In other words, an individual will take the behavior of one person and state that all people belonging to that particular group behave in the same manner.  The problem with stereotyping is that it encourages people to react and behave in a manner that is both judgmental and biased. The first common stereotyping inference people have about Moslems is that they are "extremists" and "terrorists". Moslems are seen as the most common source of terrorism and senseless violence. Besides, Moslems are also viewed as worshippers of an alien deity, who are intolerant of other religions and eager to use physical force to expand Islam. In addition, another negative assumption that people have about Islam is related to the Moslems view towards women. Most of the western world unjustly believes that Islam subjects women to harsh and demeaning discrimination and puts them in a status inferior to men. On the other hand, many western countries identify Moslems as persons who have many physical traits in common, concerning shape and dress. For instance, many people view Moslems as grim bearded men who wear robes and turbans. The negative image the West has about Moslems affect the way they treat Moslem residents in their lands. In many cases, Moslems in foreign countries suffer from extreme cases of discrimination and suppression. One of the Islamic practices that is fought and suppressed by the West is the veil of Moslem women. The veil or "Hijab" is the Islamic dress for females, which requires women to cover all their bodies, except their faces and hands. Moslem women are ordered by God to wear this kind of dress whenever they get out from their homes. So, the majority of Moslem women abides by this rule, and

Taking Responsibility Essay Example for Free

Taking Responsibility Essay The ways in which individuals take responsibility for themselves and others Responsibility is a very strong word. Holding yourself accountable for your actions and others at the same time is not an easy task. It may seem easy, less painful or less demanding to not take responsibility for yourself. It’s more comfortable but there’s always a price to pay. When you don’t take responsibility for yourself or others that are important to you, you are giving away your personal power. It is extremely complicated for parents. Parents have to take accountability for themselves and their children. Mothers play a bigger role in taking care of us and shaping us into a grown individual. Mothers are more emotionally attached to their child. If their child does anything wrong, they always tend to blame their behavior on themselves and the way they have raised their children. Women forget to take in account their own self-interests; instead they worry about their family. This is perfectly portrayed in a short story by Budge Wilson called ‘The Leaving’. In this story, Elizabeth, a helpless wife, takes responsibility for the chauvinistic behavior of her children and her husband. In an attempt to change her lifestyle, Elizabeth stand up to her husband after 19 years; she showers her daughter with opportunities and tries to alter the behaviors of her sons and grandsons. Elizabeth lived a life of a typical suppressed housewife. She lived on a farm unaware of the outside world. She sat at home all her life trying to satisfy the needs of her husband, Lester and her 6 children. Elizabeth never got the appreciation she deserved, all she got was more and more duties which eventually became a burden in her life. Elizabeth’s outlook on her life started to alter when she read the book ‘The Feminine Mystique†. This book gave Elizabeth a lot of courage and hope that she is not alone in this world. The revelations of other women going through similar circumstances enlarged her thinking. This book gave her an incentive to step up and make a change in her life. Lester, Elizabeth’s husband never treated her as an equal human being. Elizabeth practically did all the work in the house starting from fetching eggs and water, cooking, washing clothes to cleaning the house. Lester always treated her like a servant and showed her no respect. Elizabeth finally got tired of Lester looking down at her like a peasant, so finally decided to stand up for herself. â€Å"My name,’ she repeated, this time more steadily, â€Å"is Elizabeth†. Elizabeth says this to  Lester when Lester calls her just a woman. She feels the need to let her husband know that she is not the old suppressed wife anymore. This strong comment explains the change in Elizabeth’s character and shows that she cannot be thrown around like a puppet. She turns from an isolated victim to a strong woman who can finally take responsibility and ownership on her life. Elizabeth is fully aware of the status of women in the house. Sylvie, Elizabeth’s daughter, is the only victim left after Elizabeth in the house. Elizabeth, as a mother wants to make sure that her daughter doesn’t go through the same problems that she encountered. Sylvie, as a second female in the house, had a lot more responsibilities in the house as compared to her brothers. Elizabeth always knew this at the back of her head but was waiting for the right time to show Sylvie her actual place which is why one day at 3 a.m, Elizabeth suddenly decided to go to Halifax with her daughter. â€Å"Where ya going, Ma?† I asked. She was standing beside my bed with her coat on. â€Å"Away†, said Ma. â€Å"And yer comin’ too†. This situation explains the sudden departure from the house. Moreover, Elizabeth wants Sylvie to have everything that she never got the chance to have. Elizabeth lived isolated from the rest of the world. Taking Sylvie to Halifax and showing her the world was Elizabeth’s way of showing her daughter, a new way of life. â€Å"Because yer the smartest,† she said. â€Å"And because yer a woman†. This phrase shows how Elizabeth enforces the fact that her daughter is the smartest out of all her children. Elizabeth shows her daughter the University of Halifax and dreams about her daughter studying in it one day. Elizabeth tries to set an example for Sylvie and show her a new pathway to life. She wanted Sylvie to think beyond the fields and fetching eggs, she wanted her to have a career and be a strong and successful woman. Elizabeth succeeds in moulding her daughter’s future and completes her task as a mother and most importantly, as a woman. Furthermore, Elizabeth takes accountability of her son’s behaviors. Elizabeth went away to Halifax thinking that something would change back home, but when she returned, nothing changed. â€Å"the way I sees it is y’ kin ask fer kindness or politeness from time t’ time. But y’ can’t expect no miracles. It’s my own fault fer raisin’ four boys like they was little men. I shoulda put them in front of a dishpan fifteen years ago.† This quote explains the misery Elizabeth is going through but instead of blaming the situation on the boys, she takes all the blame on herself. As a  Mother, Elizabeth feels guilty and questions the upbringing of her sons. Elizabeth emphasizes this idea of mothers raising their sons as ‘strong and brave with no soft edges’ but they often forget that men should be taught everything starting from cooking and cleaning to working. Men and woman should be treated equally so they can both be strong and build their life without any obstacles. In addition to that, Elizabeth tries to make up for her mistakes by teaching her grandsons how to wash dishes and make cookies. Elizabeth realizes that he made a mistake by not teaching her sons how to cook or clean, but she doesn’t want to repeat herself. Elizabeth steps up and takes responsibility of her grandsons by teaching them basic necessities in life. The Journey that Elizabeth sets forth for herself in this story is a portrayal of all the responsibilities she has taken in life. Elizabeth finally takes a step forward and talks back to her husband. She also tries her level best to open her daughter’s mind to all the opportunities that are present in this world. Furthermore, Elizabeth tries to change her grandson’s future by teaching them everything she failed to teach their fathers. Elizabeth is a perfect example for women who think they are helpless in this world. Elizabeth has proven that there is a way out of every problem in life. If one door closes, the other one opens. There are many possibilities and roads to take in life; one should just take the risk without worrying about the consequences. Instead of expecting a miracle, an individual should step up and make those miracles happen.

Effect of Life Events on Effective Leadership

Effect of Life Events on Effective Leadership Meers study is qualitative in nature. The purpose of his study was to explore how the selected leaders made sense of their experiences by understanding the context of the experiences themselves. It was imperative to the efficacy of his study to understand the perspectives of the leaders as they related their life experiences and what impact they saw these events having on their leadership development. As life experiences are best related in story format, it best served this study for the researcher to utilize personal interviews with participants as the primary method of data collection. The stories that leaders told about their formative life experiences cannot be broken down into easily manipulated variables, but rather must be understood as whole events that carry complex meanings for each individual. As Meers began his study, a theory was not presented for proving or dis-proving, however, in the process of data collection a theory did emerge. This is consistent with the qualitati ve approach and specifically the grounded theory method. Strauss and Corbin (1998) define grounded theory as: theory that was derived from data, systematically gathered and analyzed through the research process (pg. 12). The theoretical framework of how effective leaders learn from significant life experiences developed within this study matches this definition. The situation studied within this project was the significant life experiences of effective leaders with the process being leadership and the phenomenon being how these leaders learned from their respective significant experiences. The exploration of leaders life experiences moved from the specifics of each individuals stories to generalizations that can be applied to the broader area of leadership development. Purpose Statement The purpose of this study was to discover the role that significant life events played in the development of effective leaders. The use of the term significant in describing life events could sound somewhat limiting; however the intent of this study was for participants to define for themselves what a significant life event entails. Utilizing a semi-structured interview process, leaders perceived as being effective were interviewed to explore the meaning they made out of certain life experiences. Through analysis of this information the author attempted to discover common emerging themes which impacted their development. Problem Statements 1) What is leadership? and 2) How do leaders develop? or, From where do leaders come? Alignment of Research Question, Purpose Statement, and Problem Statement The author of this paper believes that the research questions, the purpose statement, and the problem statement are well aligned. First, based on the research question(s), it was critical for the researcher to provide a clear definition of leadership. In doing so, he was able to establish a foundation for his study. Meers study looked at effective leaders. It was critical for Meers to identify what an effective leader is. He did this through his review of literature and the identification of leadership based on a longitudinal study that included theory from numerous pioneers in the field of leadership and organizational studies. Meers also needed to research the foundations of leadership development. Most specifically, it was critical for him to include prior research theories of how a person becomes a leader and how a person develops and refines leadership skill and traits. Meers purpose statement effectively describes the research questions using concise language. Literature Used to Identify Gaps and Tensions within the Literature Meers dissertation includes a comprehensive literature review of prior studies. He began his review by defining leadership, which he accomplished through his own acquired knowledge. After defining leadership, the question (mentioned previously) that then arises is: How are leaders developed? Where do they come from? To answer these questions, Meers looked to the earlier work of Thomas Carlysle called the Great Man theory (Wren, 1995). Meers then addressed the transformation of leadership theory during the mid part of the twentieth century. He relied on the studies conducted by Conger (1992) and Fulmer (1997) who both studied the relationship between leaders and managers and whose work provided Meers with a clear distinction between management and leadership. Fulmers research regarding early leadership training provided Meers with an overview of where the field has been, where it was at the time of his research and where he saw it headed (Fulmer, 1997). The studies conducted by Burns (1978), Greenleaf (1970) and Kegan (1982) provided Meers with further information regarding the transformation of leadership theory. In his seminal work, Leadership, Burns (1978) proposed the idea that there were really two forms of leadership: transactional and transforming (or transformational). Burns (1978) work then encouraged others to begin to think of leadership as different from management, with leadership being much more focused on relationships with followers and particularly on influencing others to achieve common goals. For the purposes his study, Meers did not conduct a thorough analysis of servant leadership and transformational leadership, but instead focused on the impact the articulation and popularization of these forms of leadership have had upon the field of leadership training and development. He looked to the research of Greenleaf for this information. Kegans theory of moral development impacted the world of leadership training and development, mainly by introducing his idea of development. Meers was thorough in his choice to include the work of these three theorists. Meers longitudinal report ends with the contemporary work of Peter Senge (1990) who focused closely on the organization as a learning organization. Meers makes a nice transition from his section on the development of the organization to the actual experiences of leaders and managers and how emphasis has been placed upon learning from work experiences, specifically upon using these experiences as preparation for advancement to higher levels of management or leadership. Again, Meers cited the works of Senge (1990) and Kegan (1982), and also focused on the work of Robert E. Quinn (1996) who explored the importance of personal change in leading organizational change. To further establish the foundation for his area of study, Meers looked to the work of Ronald Heifetz of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University who brought forth the importance of learning from personal experiences and specifically how the reflection on certain experiences has become a part of some executive leadership education programs. A particular method that Heifetz developed and one he uses extensively in his courses at Harvard is the Case-in-point methodology in which students in the classroom bring their experiences to class and in essence become their own case studies (Parks, 2005). Also included in Meers literature review is the qualitative study conducted by Shamir, Dayan-Horesh and Adler (2005) in which they explored the life-stories that leaders tell. The purpose of their study was to extrapolate common themes in the leaders stories that may provide further insight into leadership development. Shamir, et al (2005) made the case that a leaders own story and even how he/she tells it has a strong impact upon how influential they are with their followers. Meers referred to the work of Avolio (1994) whose work, although ground breaking in the area of leadership development impacted by life experiences, was somewhat limited. The purpose of Avolios study was to explore the correlation between certain life experiences and to identify transformational leadership behaviors. Avolio (1994) selected the life experiences he was going to analyze. Meers stated in his dissertation that while this is a legitimate approach to a quantitative study, it limited the choices of the leaders in regard to which experiences they could identify as having impacted their development (Meers, 2009, p. 31). Yet another limitation to the study that Meers reported was in the more narrow focus on identified transformational leaders and especially upon specific transformational behaviors. Avolios study found some correlation between certain experiences and certain transformational leaders but it did not provide a great deal of insight into the general impact of life e vents or experiences upon leadership development (Avolio, 1994). Much like the work conducted by Avolio, Meers looked to a study completed by Bennis and Thomas (2002). Bennis and Thomas identified what they call crucible experiences which they define as those experiences that generally consisted of high stakes and often were tragic in nature. There were also gaps in this study. As with Avolioà ¢s (1994) study, the field was limited as the leaders interviewed seemed more inclined to talk about experiences that they perceived as having an impact directly upon their leadership development. Meers felt that this approach may not have told the complete story regarding development as the participants most likely automatically limited themselves in the experiences they selected as having impacts. Also, Meers felt that the researchers conducting this study failed to identify the meaning of leadership. Due to these limitations, Meers believed that there was room for further research to be conducted with defined leaders and how they perceived they had been impacted by their own significant life events.

Case Study: Murder of Ashley Smith Essay -- Scott Jones, Frederick Joh

Introduction The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze the practices conducted by law enforcement during the investigation of the murder of Ashley Smith. The following pages will discuss the crime scene investigation, the evidence collection, the investigative steps following the initial crime scene investigation, the interviews of witnesses and suspects, and other strategies performed by the acting case investigators. Constitutional challenges have surfaced regarding specific pieces of critical evidence and a section of this paper will analyze the admissibility of this evidence. Lastly this case’s law enforcement processes will be contrasted with textbook processes in an effort to determine the validity of the case’s outcome. The Crime Scene On 11/3/00, two truck drivers discovered the deceased body of fourteen-year-old Ashley Smith in a wooded area behind the Pizza Hut, located on Old Annapolis Rd. Local authorities were dispatched and D/CPL. Glenn Case was designated as the primary investigator on the case. Upon arrival, D/CPL. Case observed that the medical examiner had already examined the body, evidence had been collected, photographs of the crime scene had been taken both on ground and from a helicopter (aerial view), and D/CPL. Case was advised that the victim had not yet been identified. The victim’s body had what appeared to be several stab wounds to her neck and abdominal area. D/CPL Case will later be advised by medical examiners that the victim had been stabbed thirty-four times and had also been manually strangled. The victim’s body was positioned with her head facing towards the Pizza Hut parking lot. The positioning coupled with bloody drag marks on the concrete suggested that the victim had been ... ...e resulted arrest of the suspects reflects this applicably. References Bond, J. (2007). Value of DNA Evidence in Detecting Crime. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 52(1), 128-136. Moston, S., & Engelberg, T. (2011). The Effects of Evidence on the Outcome of Interviews with Criminal Suspects. Police Practice & Research, 12(6), 518 - 526. State by State Compliance. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.vegress.com/index.php/can-i-record-calls-in-my-state Swanson, C. R., Chamelin, N. C., & Territo, L. (2012). Criminal investigation. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Technical Working Group on Crime Scene Investigation (2000). Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for Law Enforcement-Research Report (NCJ 178280). Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice website: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/lab/forensic-science-communications/fsc/april2000/twgcsi.pdf

The Hebrew Exiles In Babylon Essay -- Hebrew History Historical Exiles

The Hebrew Exiles in Babylon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jerusalem fell to the conquering Babylonians in 587 BC, most of what was important to the Hebrew people was gone. They lost their holy city, the Temple was destroyed, and the Davidic monarchy ended (Beasley 221). Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadrezzar, deported most of the population to other cities, including Babylon. These exiles remained there for about fifty years until the Persian forces, under king Cyrus, took the city of Babylon in 539 BC. The Persian policies concerning captured and exiled peoples were quite different than those of the Babylonians, and because of this King Cyrus allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC to rebuild the city and the Temple. However, even though the exiles were allowed to return to their ancestral homeland of Judah, many of the people chose not to return but to remain in the recently conquered city of Babylon. There are many contributing factors concerning why these Hebrew exiles chose to remain. Even so, it is difficult to understand why a people, who were located in Palestine for over a millennium and who had such strong religious beliefs and practices, would choose to abandon the location of their now destroyed sacred Temple and ancestral home after being exiled for only fifty years. One contributing factor for the exile’s choice to remain in Babylon was the quality and level of social life that they experienced while in Babylon. Many of them maintained their identity and status within the Babylonian settlements. This suggests a well-developed social structure among the Hebrew exiles (Blenkinsopp 152). They also had the benefit of personal freedom and the ability to manage their own community life. An example of this are the â€Å"elders of the diaspora†, who aided the leader of the exiles, ex-king Jehoiachin, in conducting community affairs. The presence of elders among the Hebrew exiles suggests that the settlements within Babylon governed themselves similarly to pre-exilic urban existence, even to the point of maintaining gatherings for decisions and the hearing of prophets (Smith 97). The exiles were also allowed to live according to their own customs, were able to purchase property, and could even own slaves (Hayes 483). Some of the exiles may have actually had other Hebrews as slaves since the their laws allowed them to... ...esolite condition of Jerusalem they faced if they returned. These are only a few of the total possible problems and factors that affected the choice of many of the Hebrews during the Babylonian exile and immediately following during the post-exilic period. Works cited: Ackroyd, Peter, Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1968. Beasley, James R., et al., An Introduction to the Bible. Nashville: Abington Press, 1991. Blenkinsopp, Joseph, A History of Prophecy in Israel. Louisville: Westminster John   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knox Press, 1996. Hayes, John H. and J. Maxwell Miller, ed. Israelite and Judean History. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1977. Grabbe, Lester L., The Persian and Greek Periods. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992. Vol. 1 of Judaism From Cyrus to Hadrian. 2 vols. 1992. Metzger, Bruce M., and Roland E. Murphy, ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1994. Newsome, James D., By the Waters of Babylon. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979. Smith, Daniel L., The Religion of the Landless. Bloomington: Meyer-Stone Books, 1989. Whitley, Charles Francis, The Exilic Age. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1975. The Hebrew Exiles In Babylon Essay -- Hebrew History Historical Exiles The Hebrew Exiles in Babylon   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jerusalem fell to the conquering Babylonians in 587 BC, most of what was important to the Hebrew people was gone. They lost their holy city, the Temple was destroyed, and the Davidic monarchy ended (Beasley 221). Following the destruction of Jerusalem, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadrezzar, deported most of the population to other cities, including Babylon. These exiles remained there for about fifty years until the Persian forces, under king Cyrus, took the city of Babylon in 539 BC. The Persian policies concerning captured and exiled peoples were quite different than those of the Babylonians, and because of this King Cyrus allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem in 538 BC to rebuild the city and the Temple. However, even though the exiles were allowed to return to their ancestral homeland of Judah, many of the people chose not to return but to remain in the recently conquered city of Babylon. There are many contributing factors concerning why these Hebrew exiles chose to remain. Even so, it is difficult to understand why a people, who were located in Palestine for over a millennium and who had such strong religious beliefs and practices, would choose to abandon the location of their now destroyed sacred Temple and ancestral home after being exiled for only fifty years. One contributing factor for the exile’s choice to remain in Babylon was the quality and level of social life that they experienced while in Babylon. Many of them maintained their identity and status within the Babylonian settlements. This suggests a well-developed social structure among the Hebrew exiles (Blenkinsopp 152). They also had the benefit of personal freedom and the ability to manage their own community life. An example of this are the â€Å"elders of the diaspora†, who aided the leader of the exiles, ex-king Jehoiachin, in conducting community affairs. The presence of elders among the Hebrew exiles suggests that the settlements within Babylon governed themselves similarly to pre-exilic urban existence, even to the point of maintaining gatherings for decisions and the hearing of prophets (Smith 97). The exiles were also allowed to live according to their own customs, were able to purchase property, and could even own slaves (Hayes 483). Some of the exiles may have actually had other Hebrews as slaves since the their laws allowed them to... ...esolite condition of Jerusalem they faced if they returned. These are only a few of the total possible problems and factors that affected the choice of many of the Hebrews during the Babylonian exile and immediately following during the post-exilic period. Works cited: Ackroyd, Peter, Exile and Restoration. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1968. Beasley, James R., et al., An Introduction to the Bible. Nashville: Abington Press, 1991. Blenkinsopp, Joseph, A History of Prophecy in Israel. Louisville: Westminster John   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Knox Press, 1996. Hayes, John H. and J. Maxwell Miller, ed. Israelite and Judean History. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1977. Grabbe, Lester L., The Persian and Greek Periods. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992. Vol. 1 of Judaism From Cyrus to Hadrian. 2 vols. 1992. Metzger, Bruce M., and Roland E. Murphy, ed. The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 1994. Newsome, James D., By the Waters of Babylon. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1979. Smith, Daniel L., The Religion of the Landless. Bloomington: Meyer-Stone Books, 1989. Whitley, Charles Francis, The Exilic Age. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1975.

Interpersonal Communications: Concept Analysis Paper

Katie Latimer November 1st, 2012 COMM 218 Concept Application Paper Communication takes place in any and all locations, intentionally and unintentionally, and it can be positive or negative. Many of our personal traits and character qualities can affect how we communicate with other people, and how they communicate with us. Recently, I had an experience that further proved this point to me in a very real and tangible way. Growing up, I have been known as levelheaded and optimistic. I don’t let a lot of distractions or emotions change or affect the way I act around others.As an athlete, my coaches always knew that if they called me into a game I would handle the pressure and play to the best of my ability, so I decided to change that about myself for a day. The night before my â€Å"experiment†, I somehow ended up in a fight with my parents, (not purposefully, of course) which really set the stage. The next morning I woke up with a negative outlook on the day, the though ts of our fight playing over in my head. I went to school, and no one talked to me, which hasn’t happened since my first day of classes, and even then I felt like people were more convivial with me.I think that because I woke up thinking that it was going to be an awful day, I made choices and acted in ways that made that idea come to fruition. This is called â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy†. According to Alder, Rosenfeld & Proctor (2013), â€Å"A self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when a person’s expectations of an event, and her or his subsequent behavior based on those expectations, make the outcome more likely to occur than would otherwise have been true. (p. 74)† At school, because of my sour disposition and gloomy temperament, I was ignored.Not one person talked to me throughout my three classes that day. It was really quite discouraging. I believe this is because in our culture, we learn (or at least I did) that someone who doesn’t look like the y want to be talked to, doesn’t want to be talked to. Throughout the day I found myself looking around at the pretty, smiling girls and feeling very inadequate. I realize now, what I was feeling was a result of social comparison. According to Alder, Rosenfeld & Proctor (2013), social comparison is â€Å"†¦evaluating ourselves in terms of how we compare with others.We decide whether we are superior or inferior and similar or different by comparing ourselves to what social scientists call reference groups†¦ † (p. 69). Social comparison, in this instance, brought upon feelings of inferiority, as I was displaying undesirable qualities. After a very disheartening day at class, I went home. By the time my mom came home, my attitude had worsened. First she asked me â€Å"What happened? †. I responded by saying, â€Å"Nothing, I’m fine. † Which she took literally, by the content of my words, when I was hoping that she would take them in a relatio nal sense and see that I wasn’t really â€Å"fine†.In this instance, my mother was hearing my words in a contextual form, so when I said, â€Å"I’m fine. †, she heard me saying that I was okay and nothing was wrong. If she had realized that I was communicating with her relationally, she could have been able to tell by the tone of my voice and my non-verbal communications that I was not really â€Å"fine†. At the end of this very long day, I saw my boyfriend. While I am more open with him than I am with other people, I know that he still sees me as a smiling, level-headed person.Somehow he immediately knew that something was wrong. I decided to self-disclose to him, and tell him what was wrong. I told him about the fight between my parents and I, and I believe that my self-disclosure in this instance was more beneficial than risky. He also encouraged me to change my attitude and be more positive, and I believe his words had a more profound effect on me because he is literally a â€Å"significant other†. In every relationship, we can choose what to reveal about ourselves to other people.This is called â€Å"self-disclosure† and it is described as â€Å"The process of deliberately revealing information about oneself that is significant and that would normally not be known by others. (p. G-11)† In this instance, my boyfriend would not have known why I was upset, he would only have known that I was upset. When self-disclosing, honesty is of the utmost importance. If you aren’t honest in your communication, then you aren’t truly communicating. I learned a lot about communication, and I realized that I actually changed my self-concept unintentionally for 24 hours.On that day, I walked around campus feeling as if not one person wanted to converse with me, which was incredibly hard. I also learned that you could never be sure why some people are unfriendly; they may just be having a bad day. I believ e that on that day I relinquished some of the power of my identity management. Never before had I let myself be seen as shy or unfriendly, my presenting self was always approachable and helpful. The presenting self is â€Å"†¦the way we want to appear to others. In most cases the presenting self we seek to create is a socially approved image: diligent student, loyal friend, loving partner, and so on. p. 78)†. I believe that it was a good experience; I let go of my presenting or public self and was able to see more clearly how it changed my communication methods and the way others communicated with me. I also believe that it left me with the knowledge of how to better communicate with people that appear unfriendly or closed off, because you never know, they may just be having â€Å"one of those days†. References Adler, R. B. , Rosenfeld, L. B. , & Proctor, R. F. (2004). Interplay: The process of interpersonal communication. New York: Oxford University Press.

“Edward Scissorhands” by Tim Burton Essay

What type of and what journeys are undertaken in the film Edward Scissor hands by Tim Burton? The movie takes place in an entirely artificial world, where a Gothic castle crouches on a mountain top high above a story book suburb with a goofy neighbourhood where all of the houses are shades of pastels and all of the inhabitants seem to be emotional clones of the jetsons. Edward’s Journey The main character, Edward goes on a major journey. From the beginning of the film we see scenes depicting how it feels if you are different and are amongst people who fit neatly into societies accepted roles. Edward is looking for love and understanding, which is something that you long for. He has been taken from his comfort zone to a more populated and somewhat scary environment. Edwards journey is learning how to trust, and how to fully understand that people with differences are sometimes better off alone. Taken from his comfort zone and being put into a busy and noisy neighbourhood, Edward realises that there is going to be major changes in his life in order for him to adapt to his new environment and new ways of living. He is an outcast, trying to find his place in a world in which he does not belong. He has significant differences in his appearance to the everyday person with 5 fingers and toes, instead he has sharp scissors as hands and an ashen white complexion. Burton uses this as a prop for discrimination, and that’s exactly what Edward gets. He knows he is different physically but wants to show people that he can love and he does have feelings and its whats on the inside of a person that really counts, and this is what Kim saw in Edward. Whilst Edward helps Pegg chop the lettuce for the barbeque, he see’s Pegg open a can of bettroot. He experiences a flash back that takes the ausience on a journey through an old lab or factory. The inventorappears and marvels at his cookie machine. He picks up a cookie in the shape of a heart and  holds it up to the chest of a robbot that has scissors for hands and is chopping lettuce. This shows Edwards inner journey so far, having been giving feelings and a heart. Burton gives the suggestionthat these inner qualities are more important than hands. Edwards Inventor died before he gave Edward his hands. When Edward see’s a photo of Kim his eyes light up with intense feelings. Upon meeting Kim, it was evident that their would be a connection between the two characters, and a romantic journey would soon be on the way. Kim’s Journey Kim is Pegg Boggs daughter who is going out with a dead beat called Jim. Kim acted as most teenagers would if they came home to find that there was a strange young man with scissors for hands sleeping in their bed. At first she makes fun of Edward and uses him unwillingly to break into her obnoxious boyfriend’s house. Soon after this event Kim begins to see Edwards beauty and uniqueness in comparison to the people she is surrounded by everyday. Kim goes on a an inner journey of self discovery and learns a valuable lesson of life in general, that being that it doesn’t matter if the person is back white or blue you accept them for who they are on the inside, and that’s all that matters. She has full acceptance of differences and believes in Edward. The Community However the Neighbourhood’s journey is motivated by how they can use Edward Physically. They learn to accept him because he can be useful to them. At First they were unsure, but when they saw him as an object for their own fulfilment, they were quick to accept his peculiar yet useful appearance There is one character in the film who lives next door to the Boggs family, She is a very religious women and tries to get the neighbourhood to watch out for Edward, and that he is a message sent from Satan, and he is no good.  At First this didn’t seem to worry the neighbourhood, but perhaps on the inside they were very cautious of his difference to the norm society. But not everyone shares sypathethies and some bad guys are determined to abuse the naive and innocent Edward. Suddenly, after the burglary, rumours spread like wildfire and suddenly once again, everyone is staying away from the lonely young man. Yet only Kim has faith What Obstacles or challenges do some of the characters undergo or face during their journeys. Edward The first challenge or obstacle for Edward is really at the beginning of the film when he is in the car with Pegg. It is obvious that Edward has never been outside his castle, he is fascinated by the surroundings of the town, he tries to look closer but hits his head on the window, not realising its their. It is soon recognised by the viewer just how much Edward has been out of contact with the rest of the world, something that would soon be changing. Dealing with the fact that his inventor died Edward was forced to move on with his life living totally by himself with scissors for hands and no real friends. He had to live with the fact that he was an invention that was never quite finished and he would never change, a task within itself being hard to deal with. This for him would have been hard to deal with but he used his time sculpting plants into animals and maintaining a beautiful garden, whilst in the winter when it would snow, Edward would carve ice sculptures with his gift and talent using his scissors. Edward has to face the community at a big neighbourhood barbecue where he is confronted with many different people and their attitudes. He was put on the spot to see all of these people with normal lives compared to him only meeting one person in his life†¦and that being his inventor, Edward only ever knew one other human, so meeting new people was quiet a large task for him. He had to watch the girl that he was falling in love with, get tormented by her boyfriend, but did things for her that were morally wrong, but did it out of the goodness of his heart. Edward knows that Jim is not good for Kim, but doesn’t try to stop her from being with him, instead he uses his somewhat peculiar charm to win her over, which he himself never thought was possible. Another challenge that Edward faces is that of which when he is confronted by Pegg Boggs at the start of the film. She decides to go to the castle, where no one else has ever been just to see if she could sell some Avon. She finds Edward and her first impression is that she tries to leave†¦but he says, † wait†. She stops, looks at him, and then applies some treatment to his face. He is scared when she touches him, but then just stands there. Its this trusts that started Edward on his journey to believing in others. Eating dinner was another challenge Edward faced at the dinner table. Everyone would watch as he tries to grasp a pea in the clamp of the scissors but no success. It would be even harder with Kevin (Kim’s brother) watching him all the time. It made him feel different and in a sense not included. Poor Edward yet again was made to feel as an individual. Kim When Edward first arrived Kim was not too sure about him, and her boyfriend didn’t like him either. She would go out with her boyfriend and come home and look at Edward, on the inside she knew she liked him, but didn’t know if it was physically possible. She was faced with a serious challenge when her boyfriend asked her to get Edward to join into the robbery. She knew it was morally wrong but did it to keep her boyfriend happy. Yet when Edward gets stuck inside the house, Kim try’s to get Jim to help but Jim is so obnoxious he quickly drives away. She knows in her heart that she needs to get Edward out, and knows he is scared. However the next day, when Edward gets home from gaol, He says that he did  not dob her in, and when she asks why he says that † I did it because you asked me to†. So Kim really feels for Edward, he has a gentle spirit, and it is clearly portrayed through his personality. What Discoveries or changes are made? Edward One of Edwards’s major discoveries is just how different he is compared to the rest of neighbourhood and society. When he actually gets out and sees’s what life is like outside his own home, he discovers that he is the only one with such a significant difference. And discovers that people with such physical differences are often discriminated against for being unique in there own personal way. Although this makes him upset, he chooses for it not to affect him. The neighbourhood accepts him in a perverse and freakish way, the people seeing him as a curiosity. He soon becomes popular for his gift of cutting hedges into pieces of beautiful art and arousing the dormant passions of spiteful housewives. Kim Kim discovers that it doesn’t matter what a person looks like, or what they do in their life, its what they have on the inside that counts. Edward has a pure gentle and kind heart and is willing to love her with all his soul. She realises that a persons emotions build their character more than their handsome looks. By the end of the Film, when she pretends Edward has died, On the inside Kim knows that there has been a spiritual change in her life. She no longer judges people by their appearance, but furthermore the content of their character. What techniques does the composer use to convey meaning? And what are the effects of those techniques? Tim Burton has always been a guarantor for visionary movie making a very strong visually driven direction. This style makes him a very  distinguishable director but at the same time makes him very unique as well. Burton always gives the material a spin that is unique and interesting, no matter how banal the subject may appear at first. With this film, however, he created a romantic drama with serious undertones, very serious and dark, to the point that the film’s opening almost plays like a classic horror film. Successful satire has to have a place to stand, and a target to aim at. The entire world of Edward Scissorhands is satire, and so, Edward inhabits it, rather than taking an aim at it. Even if he lived in a more hospitable world, however, it is hard to tell what satirical comment Edward would have to make, because the movie makes an abrupt switch in his character about two thirds of the way through. Until then he has been a gentle goofy soul, a quixotic outsider. Like all good fairy-tale fables, this one has a moral. People who are different are going to have a difficult time in this world. It’s an easy moral for almost anybody to relate to since almost everybody has felt different at one time or another, especially in one’s youth. What teenager hasn’t longed to be the Student Body President, the quarterback of the football team, the captain of the cheerleading squad, the straight-A scholar, the popular, gorgeous or handsome kid as the case may be, instead of the middling nerd, the undesirable, the social reject we’ve sometimes felt we were? But for Burton that isn’t enough. He also piles on layers of slight, superficial satire. He pokes fun at middle-class suburban living middle-class values, small-town hypocrisy, small-mindedness, gossiping, and backbiting. One of the most striking aspects of the film is its visual style. From the character of Edward, to the looming castle and the peculiar small town suburbia, everything is stylised to extremes. The neighbourhoods are all painted in bright pastel colours with houses that are as uniform as the attitudes of its inhabitants, and Edwards’s artistry only furthers the impression of a completely artificial world. His trademark use of miniatures is in full force with the long shots of the town and mansion. His camera work is smooth and flowing, and the film has a wonderful sense of humour The film certainly does not fall flat of a narrative even though all its focus is on the visuals. Although since it is a rather traditional outsider story, told in a very different way one could argue the plot is rather predictable. The presentation, the pacing and emotional impact created by the film is just as powerful and makes â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† a beautifully enchanting modern day fairy tale with a social subtext. It has a somewhat cyclic nature. Flash backs show Edwards inner journey. In one particular flashback Edward sees his inventor contemplating giving Edward feelings and emotions with significance to a heart shaped cookie. It’s in this flash back that suggests these inner qualities are more important than hands. The colour of these flash backs being black and white play a significant part in the movie. The black and white tones of these flashbacks emphasises the time change of the rather dark idea of a person being constructed scientifically, but still the most important part is his feelings. There are many shots where misenscene’s are used. Like when Kim and Edward hug. This frame shows them in a close up, emphasising this new love The whole film indicates an inner journey is taking place from the establishment shots in which the camera pans over the mountain and the village indicating to the audience of the unique contrast. The music used by Danny Elfman compliments every shot made. From the beginning when the camera pans over the mountain there is heavy tones of dark mysterious music, but when then put to contrast to the neighbourhood there is soft calm music and birds chirping. Its these contrast that help set the scenes in the film. Edward Scissorhands presents this outlandishly strange premise, but with a gentleness worthy of Edward himself, Burton demonstrates how Edward is just an extreme metaphor for the gangliness and isolation experienced by most  adolescents. Kim is a popular beauty-queen among her school set, but she isn’t any happier than Edward is. Besides, she doesn’t even seem to have a special trait or reliably unique skill, at least her new brother of sorts can cut hair, clip hedges, and provide excellent show-and-tell material for her younger brother. The film opens with a loving grandmother offering to explain to her adorable granddaughter where snow comes from, and then turns into a dark and disturbing parable of loneliness, nonconformity, and the tyranny of small minds. Edward Scissorhands, is a deeply touching movie, it isn’t overtly a Christmas movie, but it does touch on the grimmer side of the religion that currently dominates the much more ancient tradition of a midwinter celebration. The appropriately over-the-top performances from much of the cast and the overly bright fakeness of the world their characters inhabit might make it easy for some to dismiss Edward Scissorhands as fluff fantasy with nothing of importance to offer, but Johnny Depp won’t let that happen. Regardless of the oddity of his character, Depp keeps the film rooted in reality — whatever motive you attribute to the neighbours, the profound affect that their mass rejection of Edward has on him is undeniably, recognisably true. Edward is heartbreakingly poignant. His sudden rage, which he expresses by ripping his scissors across wallpaper and drapes, is all the more startling because he has been so courteous with his sharp edges before. His â€Å"fingers† snap and twitch when he’s nervous, which is often — not equipped with the verbal skills to defend himself, his despair radiates wordlessly. Even Edward’s humorous moments — as when he encounters the one piece of furniture to which he’s a serious danger: a waterbed — Depp imbues with a touch of pathos. How does â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† relate to the core text â€Å"My Place†? Pegg Boggs and Sally Morgan share a similar personality trait. Both characters have big hearts and kind souls. In â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† Pegg strives to help Edward deal with his differences. Just like Sally who tries  to get her grandmother to talk and accept her true identity. Both characters try to get their close ones to accept themselves for who they are, and to know that its what’s on the inside of a person that really matters, not what they look like. Sally excepts that Nan has been brought up in a different era and accepts this different, just like Pegg accepts Edward and his situation. However â€Å"My Place† and â€Å"Edward Scissorhands† involve completely different journeys in the sense that Morgan’s is a true account and autobiography of her real family and Tim Burtons film is a fantasy. This contrast shows that scissors for hands is a symbol illustration that is used to point out the discrimination felt by people who are actually physically different, just like Nan and Gladys who were discriminated against for their aboriginality. After Edward’s inventor died, he stayed living in the big house alone. This hiding away is parallel to Nan and Gladys hiding their Aboriginality. However both Sally and Pegg bring out the inner beauty of these people with differences and give them the sense of security and reassurance that they were both once unable to feel.

An Imaginary Life and Wordsworth Essay

In both David Malouf’s novel ‘An Imaginary Life’ and William Wordsworth’s poems, it is palpable how diverse times and cultures influence the significance of the association humanity can have with the natural world. There are four key techniques which are portrayed by both writers, portraying of characters, symbolism, imagery and concern; these techniques are presented through themes. The portraying of characters is shown through the theme of finding oneself in nature, symbolism finding hope in nature, imagery is emphasized through the indication that it is easier to connect with nature as a child and concerns towards the writers are accentuate through the theme of drifting away from nature. These themes help the writers highlight their techniques to the readers. Although both writers share the same views on nature, their context allows them to differ greatly from one another. Both Malouf and Wordsworth write through certain characters, Malouf wrote in his novel ‘An Imaginary Life’ through the character Ovid and Wordsworth through first person. An imaginary Life was written in a post-romantic era and tells the story of the Roman poet Ovid’s exile from Rome – the centre of culture at the time – to the bleak wilderness at Thomis, near the Black Sea. Here we have a person absolutely dependent on language – a poet – forced to live in a world where the landscape, the language, all is alien him. Eventually, with the assistance of the Child, a youth reared in the wild, Ovid comes to accept his new surroundings. He does this by using the power of language and imagination to construct this new world for himself in a way that is meaningful. His finding of a familiar flower, a poppy, in the wilderness, evokes for him the magical power of language to construct human reality. This reflects his personal views on nature as he himself chose to leave society and become a part of and appreciate nature. Wordsworth on the other hand wrote in first person, making it clear to his audience that these are his views and opinions. His mother died in 1788 at the age of eight and his father in 1783 at the age of thirteen. From there Wordsworth considered nature to be an adoptive parent. He rejected society, ‘Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher’, this shows how Wordsworth idolizes nature, he portrays nature as ‘light’ and puts it into a superior position. Wordsworth introduced the romantic era, at the time poems were written to allow the reader to feel the emotions of the composer. Nature was considered high in the romantic era, Wordsworth’s, unlike Malouf, finds his connection with nature at a young age. This is because of his personal context of losing his parents as a child and having no sturdy adult guide, Wordsworth was forced into nature and away from society whilst Malouf chose to leave society and find nature. Although the romantic era was filled with ‘nature lover’ Wordsworth was said to have an unnatural and concerning relationship with nature, referred to as a ‘nature worshiper’. This comes as a concern to most readers. In his poem ‘Tintern Abbey’ Wordsworth writes â€Å"I cannot paint/ What then I was,† showing and essentially fathoming over his ‘boyish days’ when a blunt â€Å"passion† and a â€Å"feeling† that had no need of â€Å"any interest/ Unborrowed from the eye† Developed from the natural world of Tintern Abbey. Despite never being conspicuous, religion has been implemented into the poem, most of it pantheistic. Wordsworth describes himself as having a â€Å"far deeper zeal / of holier love† Creating the image that mental images of nature can build an enigmatic perceptivity of the holy. Malouf sets no major concerns with his audience however he did drift away from modern society to connect with nature. The times in which both writers wrote allowed their opinions on the attraction to nature to differ. Symbolism is used in both writers’ texts, In David Malouf’s novel An Imaginary Life, one of the most compelling positions of characterization circuits around the Child. Malouf analyzes the contention of the affiliation connecting an old man, Ovid and the Child, and the modifications it brings in human personality. The Child in An Imaginary Life is not a child as a child, but here, the Child is a wild boy, as a symbol of barbaric or uncivilized society and mirrors the method of reflection and of the deepening of humanity’s evolution into a new self. Ovid represents civilized man who has to face changed life situation, in â€Å"new place†, as an exile. In this process, the inner balance of Ovid self-ness has been tested through many experiences. Furthermore, the figure playing main role in Ovid’s process is The Child. Thus, the chronology of the meeting between Ovid and the child in Tomis is really about the process of shaping selfness. Wordsworth on the other hand symbolizes nature and people as one. In his poem ‘Strange Fits Of Passion I Have Known’, he continuously symbolizes the moon with the search for his love. As the moon falls his hope becomes lost. In almost all his poems, Wordsworth used ‘I’ as a symbol to portray his own emotions. Both writers symbolize their hope in nature using certain descriptive languages. Both writers use nature as a symbol entirely. Word worth, in his poem ‘The Prelude’, symbolizes nature, â€Å"Free as a bird to settle where I will†, this shows he symbolizes a bird with himself. Imagery is used in all kinds of writing, it helps the readers understand what the author is seeing and feeling. Ovid, in An Imaginary Life has a ‘fear’ of wolves eating him on page 56, this is ironic as the child who saves Ovid was raised by wolves, and he quotes â€Å"What if the next tongue to touch me was a wolf’s tongue? Rough, greedy.† Malouf also wants his readers to imaginatively come to terms with the suffering and cruelty that resides in Australian history; in the treatment of the Aboriginal people by white settlers. Malouf’s novels deal with the idea that there is a blurred boundary between history and fiction. Official history is revealed as partly a fiction – something that gets modified over time. But unofficial history, the lives of ordinary people, is in a sense the â€Å"true history†¦.the secret history† that can be brought to life through fiction. Wordsworth on the other hand portrays imagery through beauty. Using descriptive language such as â€Å"soft/gentle breeze†, â€Å"lofty cliffs†, Tintern Abbey has great imagery used by Wordsworths, for example: â€Å"Here, under this dark sycamore, and view These plots of cottage-ground, these orchard-tufts, Which at this season, with their unripe fruits, Are clad in one green hue, and lose themselves ‘Mid groves and copses. Once again I see These hedge-rows, hardly hedge-rows, little lines Of sportive wood run wild: these pastoral farms, Green to the very door; and wreaths of smoke Sent up, in silence, from among the trees! With some uncertain notice, as might seem Of vagrant dwellers in the houseless woods, Or of some Hermit’s cave, where by his fire The Hermit sits alone.† It can be concluded that although two people share almost the exact same views, to appreciate and allow others to appreciate nature, they both wrote in very diverse ways. This is clearly due to historical, literary and authors context. Both Wordsworth and Malouf show the quality and importance of humanity’s relationship with nature and how times and culture influence the relationship. Although they are influenced by very different cultural and social values, both writers have the same goal, which is to understand nature and become a part of it. Wordsworth learns through his interaction with nature in â€Å"Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, on Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour, July 13, 1798,† and â€Å"It’s a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free,† that there is a spiritual presence in the landscape. Ovid’s interaction with nature helps him break down the divisions between people and their environment to become at one with it. B oth writers demonstrate how interaction with nature is necessary to appreciate it.

Free-Speech on College Campuses Essay

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thesis Statement:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     The prohibition of hate-speech or any speech which constitutes a â€Å"clear and present danger† to students on college campuses is a good and necessary policy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Summary of Opinions:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of free-speech on college campuses poses a complex debate. Key factors of the controversy include: the rights to personal safety and free expression, as well as factors of racial and gender tolerance. The volatile nature of the issue ensures adjudication at the highest levels and also a far-reaching historical set of precedents, none of which has successfully â€Å"answered† the issues of free-speech and civic welfare. It seems prudent that the US Constitution should provide the framework by which all policies of free-speech are reckoned. â€Å"The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states, in part, that â€Å"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech.† This freedom is deemed a fundamental right, because it assures individual self-fulfillment or autonomy,† (Zingo 17) .   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Zingo discusses how the 1st amendment serves many interests: â€Å"it is a means of advancing knowledge and searching for truth;   it gives all members of society an opportunity to participate in the political process of self-governance;   and it provides a safety valve for society[†¦] because suppression of discussion is injurious to society.† (Zingo) With that in mind, it is also useful to peruse counter-arguments which posit a more modernist interpretation of the First Amendment. â€Å"Media-law experts attempt to impose the eighteenth-century ideals of freedom of speech and press on the modern world as if no changes have taken place. Today, First Amendment doctrine assumes that governmental censorship still poses a greater and more real threat to our rational self-governing ideal than self-gratification,† (Collins, and Skover 25).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     However, the Constitutional and judicial basis for restrictions on free speech stands far aside from this contention: â€Å"the Supreme Court ruled on a case challenging speech regulation[†¦] question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent. It is a question of proximity and degree,† (Zingo 18). Questions and Rhetorical Strategies Key questions: 1) What constitutes â€Å"clear and present danger?† 2) What are methods for enforcing legislation. 3) How have prior Supreme Court first amendment cases been decided? 4) How to define a hate-crime. Rhetorical strategies:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To convince that racism, sexism, and hate-crimes constitute a â€Å"clear and present danger† to students on college campuses will require evidence and citation from legal opinions and legal precedent. The â€Å"hate-crime† according to preliminary research seems to be a well-established fact, backed by substantive evidence and scientific study. â€Å"Despite the tremendous strides resulting from civil rights legislation, racism remains one of the most pressing social problems in the US[†¦] Hate crimes have been prominent on university campuses for the last two decades but vary widely in their targets and severity.† (Marcus et al.) Whether or not a college chooses to restrict the freedom of speech based on the Constitutional premise of â€Å"clear and present danger† there is a question as to whether or not prohibition of   discriminatory speech, alone, will curtail racist and discriminatory practices. â€Å"In recent years, attempts to curtail racially discriminatory activities have focused largely on speech codes to limit inflammatory presentations (Altman, 1993) but these attempts have not been well received.† (Marcus et al.)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Audience   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I believe that prohibition of hate-speech or any speech which constitutes a â€Å"clear and present danger† to students is an important issue for all citizens, but especially to those who may be impacted directly by hate-crimes. Most minority students wqill probably be sympathetic to my thesis while â€Å"conservatives† will see it as an infringement of civil rights. Ironically, liberals may also view it this way, or even more ironically they may not view it this way and in so doing, they will have become sympathetic to a restraining of free-speech.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bibliography Collins, Ronald K. L., and David M. Skover. The Death of Discourse. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996. Marcus, Ann, et al. â€Å"Perceptions of Racism on Campus.† College Student Journal 37.4 (2003): 611+. Zingo, Martha T. Sex/Gender Outsiders, Hate Speech, and Freedom of Expression: Can They   Ã‚   Say That about Me?. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 1998. Jacobs, James B., and Kimberly Potter. Hate Crimes Criminal Law & Identity Politics. Oxford:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Oxford University Press, 2001.

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 21

Chapter 21 AVENGING ANGEL Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, Theo thought. He twisted his ankle when he hit the ground; pain shot up his leg like liquid fire. He fell and rolled onto his back in the mud. He'd pushed the remote button that unlocked the Range Rover too soon the vehicle had chirped and the lights had blinked, alerting the undead. He'd made the jump blind, and missed. They were coming for him. He pushed himself up and started hopping toward the Range Rover the car key ready in his right hand, his flashlight lost behind him in the mud. Grab him, you rotting fucks,† screamed Dale Pearson. Theo fell forward as his good foot slipped out from under him, but he rolled back to his feet, a bolt of pain shooting white-hot across his shin. He caught himself on the back window of the black Range Rover, snatching at the rear wiper for balance. He risked a glance back toward his pursuers and heard a loud thump by his head followed by a deafening screech. He turned just in time to see a skeletal woman sliding across the roof of the Range Rover, leading with her teeth. He ducked, but not before he felt fingernails raking his neck, teeth thumping into his scalp. She rode him to the ground and he could feel a grating pain in his head as the zombie tried to bite through his skull. His face was pushed into the mud. His nostrils and mouth filled with water, and amid a flashing whiteness of terror he thought, I'm so sorry, Molly. â€Å"Yuck! That's hideous!† said Bess Leander, spitting a couple of teeth on the back of Theo's head. Marty in the Morning grabbed Theo by the head and licked the teeth marks that Bess had left. â€Å"That's horrible. He's stoned. I'm not eating stoned brains.† The undead moaned in disappointment. â€Å"Get him up,† said Dale. Theo inhaled a great spray of mud along with his first breath and he went into a coughing fit as the undead lifted him up and held him against the back window of the Range Rover. Someone wiped the mud out of his eyes, and a stench that made him gag filled his nostrils. He could see the dead but animated face of Dale Pearson only inches from his own. The corpse's foul breath overwhelmed him. Theo tried to twist away from the evil Santa, but decaying hands held his head fast. â€Å"Hey, hippie,† said Dale. He held Theo's flashlight down by his Santa beard to illuminate his face from below. There were two stripes of bloody drool running down either side of the beard. â€Å"You're not thinking that your pot-smoking ways are going to save you, are you? Don't.† He pulled a snub-nose revolver out of the pocket of his red coat and shoved it under Theo's chin. â€Å"We'll have plenty to eat. We can afford to waste you.† Dale ripped open the Velcro fasteners of Theo's jacket and started feeling around his waist. â€Å"No gun? You suck as a lawman, hippie.† He went to the pockets of Theo's cop shirt. â€Å"But this! The one thing you can be depended on for.† Dale held up Theo's lighter, then reached in, tore the whole pocket off the cop shirt, and wrapped the dry fabric around the lighter. â€Å"Marty, try this. Keep it dry.† Dale gave the lighter to a rotting guy with a wet Ziggy Stardust red mullet, who slogged back to the pile of debris at the side of the chapel. Theo watched as Marty in the Morning bent over the pile of plywood, pine branches, two-by-fours, cardboard, and the torn-up body of Ben Miller. The wind was still whipping, the rain less intense now, but even so the drops stung Theo's face when they hit. Don't light, don't light, don't light, Theo chanted in his head, but then his hope drained away when he saw the orange flame catch on the debris, and Marty in the Morning pull away with his sleeve on fire. Dale Pearson stepped aside so Theo could see the fire whipping up the side of the building, then put the .38 against Theo's temple. â€Å"Take a good look at our little barbecue fire, hippie. It's the last thing you're going to see. We're gonna eat your crazy wife's brains char-broiled.† Theo smiled, happy that Molly wasn't inside, wouldn't be part of the massacre. â€Å"I didn't hear ‘Shave and a Haircut, † said Ignacio Nunez. â€Å"Did you hear ‘Shave and a Haircut'?† Tuck panned his flashlight across a dozen frightened faces, then one whole side of the chapel went orange with the light from the fire outside the windows. One woman screamed, others stared in horror as smoke started to snake in around the window frames. â€Å"Change of plan,† Tuck said. â€Å"We go now. Guys in front of your groups. Give the car keys to the next person back.† â€Å"They'll be waiting for us,† said Val Riordan. â€Å"Fine, you burn up,† Tuck said. â€Å"Guys, knock over whatever gets in your way, everyone behind just keep going for the cars.† All the barricades and braces had been removed from the chapel doors. Tuck put his shoulder against one door, Gabe Fenton was on the other. â€Å"Ready. One, two, three!† They threw their shoulders against the doors and bounced back into the others. The doors had only opened a couple of inches. Someone shone a flashlight through the gap to reveal a huge pine-tree trunk braced against one of the doors. â€Å"New plan,† shouted Tuck. Theo tried to look at the fire, but he couldn't see beyond the undead eyes of Dale Pearson. Thought had fled. There was just fear and anger and the pressure of the gun barrel against his temple. He heard a whooshing sound and a thump by his ear and the gun barrel was gone. Dale Pearson was stepping away from him, holding a dark stump where his gun hand had just been. Dale opened his mouth to shout something, but in that second a thin line appeared across his face at nostril level and half of his head slid to the ground. He slumped in a pile at Theo's feet. The hands that were holding Theo let go. â€Å"Brains!† screamed one of the undead. â€Å"Crazy-woman brains!† Theo fell on top of Dale's rekilled body, then spun around to see what was happening. â€Å"Hi, honey,† Molly said. She stood on the roof of the Range Rover, grinning, wearing a leather jacket, sweatpants, and her red Converse All Stars, holding the ancient Japanese sword in Hasso No Kamae before her, the blade gleaming orange in the light from the burning church. There was a dark swath across the blade where it had hewn the head of the zombie Santa. Theo had never been a religious man, but he thought in that instant that this must be what it was like to look on the face of an avenging angel. The zombies who had been holding Theo reached for Molly's legs, and in a single motion she stepped back and brought the sword around in a low arc that sent a rain of severed hands flying into the mud. The undead wailed around her, and tried to claw their way onto the SUV with their stumps. Bess Leander tried to replicate the move she had used on Theo, stepping up the hood behind Molly and diving across the roof of the Range Rover. Molly spun and sidestepped, making a low swing with her sword that would have not looked out of place on a golf course. Bess's head rolled off the top of the Land Rover into Theo's lap. He pushed it aside and got to his feet. â€Å"Honey, you might want to go let everyone out of the chapel before they burn up,† said Molly. â€Å"I'm not sure you want to watch this.† † ‘Kay,† said Theo. The undead had left their stations at the front and back doors of the chapel, where they had been waiting to ambush the escaping partyers, and charged Molly. Three fell headless while Molly stood on the Land Rover, but as they surrounded her, she ran and leaped over the heads of the mob, landing behind them. Theo ran for the front doors of the chapel, his vision blurred from the rain and the blood running into his eyes from the bite wound on his head. He looked back for a second and saw Molly sailing over the top of her attackers. He nearly ran into two great pine logs that had been braced against the chapel doors. He looked back a second and caught a glimpse of Molly mowing down two more zombies, one split down the middle from the crown of his head to his sternum, then he turned and tried to get his back under one of the logs. â€Å"Theo, is that you?† Gabe Fenton had his face pressed in an inch-wide gap between the doors. â€Å"Yeah. There are logs against the doors,† Theo said. â€Å"I'm going to try to move them.† Theo took three deep breaths and lifted for all he was worth, feeling as if veins would explode in his temples. The wound on his head throbbed with every heartbeat. But the tree trunk moved a couple of inches. He could do this. â€Å"Is it working?† yelled Gabe. â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† said Theo. â€Å"Give me a second.† â€Å"It's filling up with smoke in here, Theo.† â€Å"Right.† Theo strained again and the log moved another two inches to the right. Another foot and they'd be able to get the door open. â€Å"Hurry, Theo,† said Jenny Masterson. â€Å"It's – † She went into a coughing fit and couldn't finish what she was saying. Theo could hear everyone coughing inside. Wails of rage and pain were coming from the side of the chapel where Molly was fighting. She must be okay, they were still yelling about eating her brain. Another lift, another two inches. Gray smoke was streaming out the crack between the doors. Theo fell to his knees with the effort and almost passed out. He shook himself back into consciousness, and as he prepared to put his back into another effort, hoping it wouldn't be his last, he noticed that the screaming had stopped at the side of the chapel. Rain, wind, the coughing of the trapped, and the crackle of the fire. That was all he heard. â€Å"Oh my God. Molly!† he screamed. A hand on his cheek, a voice at his ear. â€Å"Hey, sailor, need a little hand getting your church door open, if you know what I mean?† Sirens sounded in the distance. Someone had seen the burning chapel through the storm and had somehow gotten through to the volunteer fire department. The Lonesome Christmas survivors were gathered in the middle of the parking lot, illuminated by headlights. The heat from the fire had driven them nearly seventy-five yards to the street. Even this far away, Theo could feel the heat on his cheek from the fire as Lena Marquez bandaged his head. Others sat in the open hatchbacks of SUVs, trying to catch their breath after being exposed to the smoke, drinking bottled water or just lying there dazed. Around the burning chapel the wet pine forest steamed, a great white cloud rising into the sky. Down the left side of the chapel: carnage – a rekilling ground of the undead, where Molly had hacked them into submission, even chasing down the last few in the woods and decapitating them after she and Theo had let the partyers out of the chapel. Molly sat beside Theo, under the open hatchback of someone's Expedition. â€Å"How did you know?† he asked. â€Å"How could you possibly have known?† â€Å"The bat told me,† Molly said. â€Å"You mean he showed up and you said, ‘What's wrong, boy, is Timmy trapped down a well? and he barked to tell you that's what was wrong? Like that?† â€Å"No,† Molly said. â€Å"It was like, ‘Your husband and a bunch of other people have barricaded themselves in the chapel against a horde of brain-eating zombies and you need to go save them. Like that. He has some kind of accent. Sounds Spanish.† â€Å"I for one am glad that you went off your meds,† said Tucker Case, who was standing next to Lena as she bandaged Theo's head. â€Å"A few hallucinations are a small price to pay, if you ask me.† Molly held up her hand for him to be quiet. She stood and brushed the pilot aside, looking back toward the burning church. A tall dark figure in a long coat was coming toward them through the killing field. â€Å"Oh no,† said Theo. â€Å"Everyone get in the cars and lock them.† â€Å"No,† Molly said, dismissing Theo's instructions with a distracted backward wave. â€Å"We're okay.† She met the angel in the middle of the parking lot. â€Å"Merry Christmas,† said the angel. â€Å"Yeah, you, too,† said Molly. â€Å"Have you seen the child? Joshua?† asked Raziel. â€Å"There's a kid over there with the others,† said Molly. â€Å"That's probably him.† â€Å"Take me to him.† â€Å"That's him,† Theo said. â€Å"That's the robot guy.† â€Å"Shhhhhh,† Molly shushed. Raziel walked to where Emily Barker was holding her son, Joshua, sitting on the back of Molly's Honda. â€Å"Mom,† wailed Joshua. He hid his face in his mother's chest. But Emily was still stunned by witnessing her mate's death, and she didn't react at all except to hold the boy tighter. Raziel put his hand on the boy's head. â€Å"Fear not,† he said. â€Å"For I bring you tidings of great joy. Behold, your Christmas wish has been granted.† The angel waved toward the fire and the carnage and the exhausted and terrified survivors as if he were a game-show hostess presenting a washer/dryer set. â€Å"Not what I would have wished for,† the angel said, â€Å"but I am but a lowly messenger.† Josh rolled in his mother's arms and faced the angel. â€Å"I didn't ask for this. This isn't what I wished for.† â€Å"Sure it is,† said Raziel. â€Å"You wished that the Santa you saw killed be brought back to life.† â€Å"No, I didn't.† â€Å"That's what you said. You said you wanted him brought back to life.† â€Å"That's not what I meant,† said Joshua. â€Å"I'm a kid. I don't always get stuff right.† â€Å"I'll vouch for that,† said Tucker Case, stepping up behind the angel. â€Å"He is a kid, and he is wrong most of the time.† â€Å"We still should cut your head off,† said Josh. â€Å"See,† said Tuck. â€Å"Always wrong.† â€Å"Well, if you didn't mean you wanted him brought back to life, what did you mean?† asked Raziel. â€Å"I didn't mean I wanted Santa to be a zombie and kill big, dumb Brian and everything. I wanted everything to be okay. Like it never happened. So it would be a good Christmas.† â€Å"That's not what you said,† said Raziel. â€Å"That's what I wanted,† said Joshua. â€Å"Oh,† said the angel. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"So he's an angel?† Theo said to Molly. â€Å"Like a real angel?† Molly nodded, smiling. â€Å"Not a killer robot?† Molly shook her head. â€Å"He's here to grant a Christmas wish, to one child.† â€Å"Like it never happened?† the angel asked Joshua. â€Å"Yeah!† said Josh. â€Å"Oops,† said the angel. Molly stepped over and put her hand on the angel's shoulder. â€Å"Raziel, you fucked up. Fix it?† The angel looked at her and grinned. Perfect teeth, if a little sharp. â€Å"So be it,† he said. â€Å"Glory to God in the highest, peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.†