Theories of the Atonement - 1274 Words

Erickson (1998) says there are a few theories on the atonement depending on how your read certain scripture, the theories are as follows: The Socinian Theory (1998:801); This theory speaks of Christ on the Cross as a perfect example of what kind of dedication followers of God must do, there is no connection to a sacrificial death whatsoever. The moral influence theory (1998:802); This theory believes the cross was an example of God’s love and not much more. The Governmental theory (1998:806); This theory sees the death of Christ on the Cross as atonement and also as a picture to the believer as to how serious sin is, and it must not be taken lightly. The Ransom Theory (1998:810); In this theory it is proposed, and quite popularly so, that†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Accordingly reconciliation proceeds by doing away with sin, and the method of doing this was by the atoning death of Christ† (Morris 1965:250). What is being said, and the conclusion we have already come to, yet are just confirming, is that sin was our problem, God through Christ on the cross was our solution, this is our atonement, Christ’s death on the Cross, and this is our Gospel. â€Å"Moved by the perfection of His Holy love, God in Christ substituted himself for us sinners. That is the heart of the cross of Christ†¦ What God in Christ has done through the cross is to rescue us, disclose Himself and overcome evil† (Stott 2006:195). â€Å"So in Christ, believing in Christ, incorporated in Him, we can face the law without any fear, without any tremor or quiver† (Lloyd-Jones 2003:336). The good Doctor here is speaking about the law given to the Israelites for them to be set apart from other nations, and for them to be set apart for God, the law was impossible to keep, yet there was a way around it with the animal sacrifices, this Jesus fulfilled completely in His atoning death on the cross, the law no longer has any power over those who believe in Jesus. â€Å"If he was going to accomplish the work that the Father sent Him to do, and if people were going to be redeemed for God, then it was necessary for Him to die on the cross†¦there was no other way for God to save us than for Christ to die in our place† (GrudemShow MoreRelatedThe Theological Theory Of Atonement1634 Words   |  7 Pagespersonal style to form their ideas of what the atonement means. In the second century, Irenaeus and Athanasius formed their beliefs into a model of atonement. They are usually regarded as being the first to outline the theory of atonement called the recapitulation theory. Their work set the tone for all the other theories that followed. This model dominated atonement theology of the early church throughout the first millennium. The recapitulation theory is based off Platonst views that the church fathersRead MoreJesus Christ and the Atonement Theories Essay1658 Words   |  7 Pageswould forgive us for our sins. Atonement is the action of putting things right between us and God. This story illustrates a very simplified version of one Atonement theory. Jesus, the Pan, accomplished Atonement by sacrificing himself for mercy and forgiveness. He died for us so God would forgive our sins. The Atonement theories themselves are different explanations to help interpret what God actually did to save us. In each of the four Atonement theories Jesus is the bridge that connectsRead MoreRelationship Between Incarnation And Atonement Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesThe Relationship Between Incarnation and Atonement The incarnation and atonement of Jesus Christ are the enduring elements of the Christian theology. Many theologians have spent their time discussing and developing these Christian doctrines on how they came about, and how relevant they might be. According to Anselm, incarnation is a central doctrine of Christianity, followed by atonement. In order to ponder on the relationship between atonement and incarnation focusing on Anselm’s idea of satisfactionRead MoreThe Atonement And Its Effect On The Cross Of Calvary1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe Atonement The word â€Å"Atonement† is frequently used in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, in regards to the New Testament, the King James Version of the Bible mentions â€Å"Atonement,† only once, which is found in (Rom. 5:11.) Furthermore, other versions, such as, the NRSVA, NIV, ASV and others uses the word â€Å"Reconciliation† as an alternative. Perhaps, when one seeks the etymology and the meaning of the word, this phrase simply can be seen as at-one-ment, which can be translated as the state of onenessRead MoreThe Theological Plain Of Christianity1017 Words   |  5 Pagesthe theological plain of Christianity regarding the atoning work of Christ, one is made aware of the scope of theories ascribed to it. Many of these theories can be attributed to heresy and rightly denied with a simple cursory look within the pages of Scripture. However, where such ideas can be dismissed, there remain two viewpoints readily opposed to one another in the extent of the atonement whi ch dominates the landscape beyond any national border. Because of these two opposing ideologies, one mustRead MoreJesus Christ Made A Voluntary Sacrifice Essay1544 Words   |  7 PagesAtonement is an ecclesiastical theory which explains human being’s reconnection with God. This allows the sinful nature of man to be forgiven, and reconciled with grace of God. Forgiveness of sin through the sacrifice given through the death of Jesus and later his resurrection, is the understanding of atonement. Jesus Christ made a voluntary sacrifice to later allow the possibility of reconciliation between man and God. â€Å"God so loved the world, and gave his only begotten son† (Bible – King JamesRead MoreAtonement And Its Effect On The Cross Of Calvary884 Words   |  4 PagesThe word â€Å"Atonement† is frequently used in the Old Testament. Nevertheless, in regards to the New Testament, the King James Version of the Bible mentions â€Å"Atonement,† only once, which is found in (Rom. 5:11.) Furthermore, other versions, such as, the NRSVA, NIV, ASV and others uses the word â€Å"Reconciliation† as an alternative. Perhaps, when one seeks the etymology and the meaning of the word, this phrase simply can be seen as at-one-ment, which can be translated as the state of oneness of two whoRead MoreEssay Topic: Discuss Point of View as a Technique and Theme in ‘Atonement’.1716 Words   |  7 Pagesparticular themes in such books as the Atonement by Ian McEwan, Jane Austen and many other authors. Using these styles has been spoken of as heightened literary skills which delivers to the reader what the author desires to reveal of their characters. It is an advanced and old style that can be used to bring forth the many perceptions created by the writer. This essay will discuss how point of view is used as a technique and thereupon the theme of atonement within free indirect style, variable internalRead More Christianity and Lib eralism by Gresham Machen-Machen Essay1738 Words   |  7 Pagescontinuum, from respect for Word of God as a literature to doubts regarding the canonicity of particular writings to a rejection of the Bible. Second, Machen makes connections the rejection of the Bible to the rejection of â€Å"‘mechanical’ theories of inspiration, the theory of ‘dictation,’ the superstitious use of the Bible as a talisman,’ or the like,† (PAGE 63) without discussing regarding things like infallibility and inerrancy that liberals believe. However, Machen clearly and strongly indicatesRead MoreTransformation in Flying with the Eagle, Racing the Great Bear928 Words   |  4 Pagestry to make a sense of the world,† (Alan Watts). Myths are shown as symbolic tales of the distant past that are passed down from generation to generation. One particular way to look at mythology and the study of myths is through Joseph Campbell’s theory of a monomyth, or the basic pattern throughout all myths around the world. This pattern Joseph Campbell describes, he conveys to happen in all classic myths, which he in turn calls, the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey is a series of stages or a

High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five Secrets

High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five Secrets Here's What I Know About High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five To begin with, in case you have to compose a high school essay, you should have a program. Clearly, higher school students should concentrate on studying more than work. So the high school students shouldn't be encouraged to have a part-time job on account of the following reasons. One of the most frequent forms of analysis that college and higher school students perform. High school students must compose essays on a number of topics which at first may appear to have nothing in common. My school has rather strict discipline which we should follow on regular basis. It has a big library, stationery shop and canteen inside the school campus. High school puts plenty of pressure on students. The Ultimate Strategy for High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five Just about everyone has some amount of communication abilities. Developing basic writing and communication skills is vital, and the majority of the papers you're assigned are supposed to teach you just that. In many instances, it is going to be simple to find out what skills you will need to be thought about for the job. You might not be in a position to work all the skills you've got into your resume but keep a list of your top five skills associated with the job for which you're applying in mind once you interview. Don't forget that the aim is not a definite number of papers annually, but mastery of the practice. Enhancing your writing skills will assist you in every facet of your life, regardless of what profession you decide to pursue after college. You've got leadership abilities. You've got collaboration abilities. All essays will have a particular topic that's either one you choose or one which is provided for you. High school essays are structured very similarly irrespective of the topic and superior essay structure will allow you to compose an obvious essay that flows from 1 paragraph to the next. You might have written essays with a thesis statement before, but when you begin writing college papers, everything is dependent on your thesis. Scroll down the page in order to look at extra essay samples which might help you in producing your very own literary essay. Our aim is to supply you with a professionally written essay on this issue you require. It's a review of the essay and thus you should not introduce any new points in the conclusion. Things You Won't Like About High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five and Things You Will My school building is situated in the middle of the play ground. Colleges publish lots and a lot of distinct kinds of things, any of which is helpful for research. My school can be found at quite great place and away from all of the crowd and noise of the city. So, it is the best school of the world. The truth of the problem is that I really did not need to get thrown the ball. Instead it prescribes a means to read. That day a feeling of invincibility permeated the air. The significant thing that working students ought to keep in mind is the value of balance. What Is So Fascinating About High Shcool Essay Samples Level One to Level Five? This something needs to be seen from your own perspective. Sometimes employing a hook statement can be effective, but it's not required. If you haven't ever written something and there aren't any examples, you could have an issue, if you don't order a good example. Take, for instance, a gas-station attendant. Your writing can take on a lot of forms, like a letter or memo, a report, or a book. By sentence three, you're prepared to state the problem your paper is likely to tackle. Don't cut and paste the exact essay for each and every school. After writing the whole essay, have a quick break and reread it from front to back. Perhaps, you're find precisely what you have to have in different categories. You don't need to be concerned about confidentiality, as we won't disclose your private info to anybody. Picking a topic is an essential issue that partly estimates final success of the job. See my disclosure page for more details.

Literature Review free essay sample

Overview of homelessness regarding families and children Homelessness isan international social problem but the United States and other developed nations seem to agree on its definitions; researchers have categorized homelessness as either being literal or precarious. The literal definition seem to refer to the most commonly seen forms of homeless. Meaning, those who are without a home, that live on the street, abandoned building/make-shift structure/in parks and people who live in shelters. The precarious definition involves those who are at an imminent risk of being homeless. They include: those who are temporarily doubled up with family or friends and those who are in substandard housing. Traditional characteristics of homeless people vs. the â€Å"new homeless† Meanwhile, the definition of homelessness seem to fall under certain subgroups. Causes of h*omeless families These families end up being homeless as a result of sociostructural and psychological factors. The socio cultural factors involve changing labor markets, poverty, the housing system, and the nature of the welfare state while the psychological factors reflect individual agency, including alcohol dependence, substance use, social and behavioral problems. African Americans and other ethnic groups are found disproportionately among homeless families. Frequently, the mothers may end up in these situations that lead to homelessness because of a mental illness, substance abuse addiction and sometimes from an unfortunate circumstance such as losing their job without any form of maternity leave pay while there are in the later stages of pregnancy; Unfortunately, would comes next is a young mother and infant in a family shelter or doubled up with family or friends. Obviously, homelessness places a tremendous amount of stress on a mother with unfortunate and or limited resources. Experiences of families with children in family shelters Parents in shelters that are separated from their children Shockingly, research reveals that little attention is given to the homeless children who are often times taken from their biological parents (by child welfare services) because of some form of abuse and neglect experienced throughout homelessness and are placed in foster care. Often times, these children are already traumatically affected by the sad conditions that cause them to be separated from their family but they are further wounded through the constant changes in placement in regards to foster care. Thus, these changes affect their immediate and future development and mental health. Numerous children in foster care have poor developmental, mental and educational outcomes. Often times they are released from foster care without any counseling or intervention and are left to fend for themselves. Many of them struggle as they transition from foster care to young adulthood and will succumb to poor choices that will prevent them from obtaining an optimal level of health. Current policy initiatives In an effort to discourage panhandling, the National law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, reports on a survey of 50 largest cities of the U. S. noting 86% of these cities have enacted anti-panhandling laws and 73% have enacted laws against sleeping in public places. Over half of the surveyed cities remove homeless people from the public eye. This practice is widespread in cities where there are shortages of emergency shelters and affordable housing. Additionally, the Bringing America Home Bill, aimed at ending homelessness in the U. S. , supported by an extensive campaign and with 57 sponsors, never became law. The NCH also reports that federal agencies such as HUD interpret â€Å"homelessness† very narrowly. In addition to the number of federal and state government agencies aimed at tackling homelessness, there is also a National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) a nonprofit organization that targetspublic and private sectors for a united effort to end homelessness. The NAEH recommends four proactive steps to b taken simultaneouslyto end homelessness: planning for outcomes (by identifying real needs); â€Å"closing the front door† (by shifting the flow of incentives toward prevention); â€Å"opening the back door† (by helping people exit homelessness quickly); and building the infrastructure (by changing homeless assistance to improve the supply of affordable housing and providing adequate income and services for the disadvantaged. ) In a policy environment as complex as the U. S. there are clearly a wide range of public and private initiatives aimed at reducing or alleviating homelessness, including the National Center on Family Homelessness, National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, National Health Care for the Homeless Council, HomeAidAmerica, Home Base and Homes for the Homeless. Home Base and Homes for the Homeless is an initiative that attempts to address the many interrelated issues that support a family in maintaining a house (including needs assessment, counseling and access to healthcare and housing search assistance, as well as skills for independent living. Adequacy of the body of research Reforms needed The literature reveals that child welfare services needs to implement more strategies to help homeless families from every vantage point (i. e. vest more interest in public shelters, Child Welfare Services should play a more explicit role in the financing, development and management of transitional and permanent, supportive housing programs for cross-system involved families etc. ) This assistance would likely reduce their homelessness and outcomes of out of home placements and negative consequences of homelessness for children and their families. And finally, a more comprehensive system of housing assistance, that assured poor families of stable, aff ordable, and adequate housing, could both reduce the incidence of homelessness and abuse and neglect.

Motor Training Essays - Educational Psychology, Learning Disability

Motor Training Motor training to develop readiness, motivation and means of expression, as a basis for learning programs Motor activity is fast becoming a valuable aid in the teaching of academic subjects to elementary school children. The realization of the place motor activity has in the classroom does not imply that physical activity is a prerequisite to learning but rather a method through which a child can learn more easily and understand more fully. Training in physical coordination is not only helpful in providing a child with a mode for expressing what has been learned, but it has become a factor in instilling in the child a willingness and readiness to learn and has also introduced itself as a base for a learning program. One writer, Maritain (1966), has described the function of education as primarily a source of liberation. In the case of the child whose learning problems stem from a learning disability, this liberation would consist of allowing the child to move about, to explore, and to receive impressions, to respond and to express. This call for movement as a basis of learning is further substantiated by Getman's theory that the skill of motor control and coordination is a necessary prerequisite to every intellectual activity. Cratty (1970) further states that movement is learning; learning requires movement. Some theorists seem to attribute all intellectual achievement to motor development rather than viewing motor activity as an aid to learning. One theory implies that certain motor activities when properly applied would prepare children in the intellectual areas of spelling, reading, and similar intellectual tasks during the child's first year in school. Cratty 1970). This theory may hold true if the motor activities are somehow related to the intellectual processes involved. It is important to remember that normal children have other

How to Format a Biology Lab Report

How to Format a Biology Lab Report If you are taking a general biology course or AP Biology, at some point you will have to do biology lab experiments. This means that you will also have to complete biology lab reports. The purpose of writing a lab report is to determine how well you performed your experiment, how much you understood about what happened during the experimentation process, and how well you can convey that information in an organized fashion. Lab Report Format A good lab report format includes six main sections: TitleIntroductionMaterials and MethodsResultsConclusionReferences Keep in mind that individual instructors may have a specific format that they require you to follow. Please be sure to consult your teacher about the specifics of what to include in your lab report. Title:  The title states the focus of your experiment. The title should be to the point, descriptive, accurate, and concise (ten words or less). If your instructor requires a separate title page, include the title followed by the name(s) of the project participant(s), class title, date, and instructors name. If a title page is required, consult your instructor about the specific format for the page. Introduction:  The introduction of a lab report states the purpose of your experiment. Your hypothesis should be included in the introduction, as well as a brief statement about how you intend to test your hypothesis. To be sure that you have a good understanding of your experiment, some educators suggest writing the introduction after you have completed the methods and materials, results, and conclusion sections of your lab report. Methods and Materials:  This section of your lab report involves producing a written description of the materials used and the methods involved in performing your experiment. You should not just record a list of materials, but indicate when and how they were used during the process of completing your experiment. The information you include should not be overly detailed  but should include enough detail so that someone else could perform the experiment by following your instructions. Results:  The results section should include all tabulated data from observations during your experiment. This includes charts, tables, graphs, and any other illustrations of data you have collected. You should also include a written summary of the information in your charts, tables, and/or other illustrations. Any patterns or trends observed in your experiment or indicated in your illustrations should be noted as well. Discussion and Conclusion:  This section is where you summarize what happened in your experiment. You will want to fully discuss and interpret the information. What did you learn? What were your results? Was your hypothesis correct, why or why not? Were there any errors? If there is anything about your experiment that you think could be improved upon, provide suggestions for doing so. Citation/References:  All references used should be included at the end of your lab report. That includes any books, articles, lab manuals, etc. that you used when writing your report. Example APA citation formats for referencing materials from different sources are listed below. BookName of author or authors (last name, first initial, middle initial)Year of publicationTitle of bookEdition (if more than one)Place where published (city, state) followed by a colonPublisher nameFor example: Smith, J. B. (2005). Science of Life. 2nd Edition. New York, NY: Thompson Brooks.JournalName of author or authors (last name, first initial, middle initial)Year of publicationArticle titleJournal titleVolume followed by issue number (issue number is in parenthesis)Page numbersFor example: Jones, R. B. Collins, K. (2002). Creatures of the desert. National Geographic. 101(3), 235-248. Your instructor may require that you follow a specific citation format. Be sure to consult your teacher concerning the citation format that you should follow. What Is an Abstract? Some instructors also require that you include an abstract in your lab report. An abstract is a concise summary of your experiment. It should include information about the purpose of the experiment, the problem being addressed, the methods used for solving the problem, overall results from the experiment, and the conclusion drawn from your experiment. The abstract typically comes at the beginning of the lab report, after the title, but should not be composed until your written report is completed. View a sample lab report template. Do Your Own Work Remember that lab reports are individual assignments. You may have a lab partner, but the work that you do and report on should be your own. Since you may see this material again on an exam, it is best that you know it for yourself. Always give credit where credit is due on your report. You dont want to plagiarize the work of others. That means you should properly acknowledge the statements or ideas of others in your report.

German Verb Future Tense Conjugations

German Verb Future Tense Conjugations In German, the  future tense  (das Futur) occurs less frequently than in English. Even more frequently than in English, German often substitutes the present tense for the future (Wir sehen uns morgen. - Well see you tomorrow.) However, German verbs do follow an easy-to-learn and predictable pattern in the future tense. Once you learn the pattern for just about any German verb, you know how  all  German verbs  are conjugated in the future. Even irregular verbs are no exception. Das Futur I: The Basics German uses the basic  werden infinitive  formula to form DAS FUTUR. To conjugate any verb in the future, you simply conjugate  werden  and add the infinitive of the verb you want to have in the future. Basically, if you can conjugate  werden, you can form the future tense of all verbs. The chart below shows a sample German verb in the  future tense. Spielen  - To PlayFuture Tense -   Futur I Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich werde spielen I will play Ich werde Basketball spielen. du wirst spielen you (fam.)will play Wirst du Schach spielen? (chess) er wird spielen he will play Er wird mit mir spielen. (with me) sie wird spielen she will play Sie wird Karten spielen. (cards) es wird spielen it will play Es wird keine Rolle spielen. (It wont matter.) PLURAL wir werden spielen we will play Wir werden Basketball spielen. ihr werdet spielen you (guys) will play Werdet ihr Monopoly spielen? sie werden spielen they will play Sie werden Golf spielen. Sie werden spielen you will play Werden Sie heute spielen? (Sie, formal you, is both singular and plural.) Futur II: The Basics  (Future Perfect) The  future perfect  is somewhat rare in German. To form the future perfect (das Futur II) in German, you take the past participle of the verb being conjugated (for example,  gespielt/played) and use it with a conjugated form of  werden. The infinitive of the helping verb (haben  or  sein) is placed at the end of the sentence: â€Å"Wir werden die ganze Nacht gespielt haben.† (We will have played all night.) Spielen - To PlayFuture Perfect -   Futur II / vollendete Zukunft Deutsch English Sample Sentence SINGULAR ich werde gespielt haben I will have played Ich werde Gitarre gespielt haben. du wirst gespielt haben you (fam.) will have played Wirst du Schach gespielt haben? er wird gespielt haben he will have played Er wird mit mir gespielt haben. sie wird gespielt haben she will have played Sie wird Karten gespielt haben. es wird gespielt haben it will have played Es wird keine Rolle gespielt haben. (It will not have mattered.) PLURAL wir werden gespielt haben we will have played Wir werden Basketball gespielt haben. ihr werdet gespielt haben you (guys) will have played Werdet ihr Monopoly gespielt haben? sie werden gespielt haben they will have played Sie werden Golf gespielt haben. Sie werden gespielt haben you will have played Werden Sie gespielt haben?

In the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

In the instruction - Essay Example Each of these components is essential when understand the information an image portrays. The ability to derive meaning from any image of everything we see—to write and read visual language— is known as visual literacy. It refers to being vision-competence a person can develop by viewing and while having and integrating the other sensory experiences. Developing these competencies is important to normal human learning since they allows a visually literate human being to discriminate and interpret visible objects, symbols, or actions that he or she encounters in the environment. By creatively using these competencies, the person is capable of communicating with others. Another form of literacy is new Literacies. These are digital literacies (online, phones, messaging, sms, and computers. New Literacies comprises of letters, symbols, sounds, colors, and graphics to extend our language and how we communicate. On the contrary, information Literacy refers to the ability to recognize what information is required, understand how that information is organized, find the best sources of the information for any given need, discover those sources, assess the sources analytically, and share that information. In simple terms, it is the know-how of universally used research

The Myth of the Latin Woman - Author Judith Ortiz Cofer Essay

The Myth of the Latin Woman - Author Judith Ortiz Cofer - Essay Example Having the Latin origin, the author had very closely witnessed the hatred her community had been experiencing for the last several decades. Cofer declares her own community as equally responsible of its pathetic condition provided they failed to adopt the norms, mores, values, taboos and traditions prevailing in the mainstream culture. Lastly, she emphasized upon the difficulties of the single mothers during the brought up of her children and is determined to transfer the same filial love to her next generation she was bestowed upon as a child from her loving parents. Cofer’s splendid essay wide opens the cultural values of Latin American families in a very powerful manner, from where the readers can learn a lot about the cultural and social activities of the Hispanic community. It conveys the message of love, sacrifice and courage to the readers. Cofer strives to reveal the Latin parents’ passion during child-rearing. Being the highly dedicated and enthusiastic parents, the Latin individuals take notice of each and every action performed by their children and teach their next generation the religious obligations by taking them to the churches regularly. The readers learn that the Latin families eat, dine, move and enjoy in congregation and pay due attention to the dressing, and mannerism of the young members. Consequently, the Latin children are brought up under extreme care. Similarly, the readers learn about the continuation of the Puerto Rican customs, norms and traditions followed by the Latin mothers while preparing their daug hters for church prayers, parties, functions and ceremonies, which are quite different from the mainstream cultural traits of the USA. The sweet memories of family life, described by the author serve as the fresh, enticing breeze for the readers. The unflinching support rendered by the older ladies to the young girls of their family fill the hearts of the readers with deep

Children literacy Essay Example for Free

Children literacy Essay The purpose of this story is to improve children literacy. This story helps children to learn different animal names and different things. User can listen and read to story as well. Audience: The audience of this story are children age 4 7 and this story will help them to learn names of different things and animals and will improve their grammar. I found that by reading the story and it also has been mentioned on the website. The purpose of final product is to provide entertainment so I will need to include this feature however I will make sure that the text on my animation is appropriate and simple so that the audience can understand it easily. Techniques used: This animation has used a number of techniques to make it professional and attractive which eventually makes it successful. The animation has used buttons to navigate from scene to other by clicking the story bear or next. Users can start the story again if by clicking back to the start. This buttons are very useful as it allows the user to skip the scene or start the story again if they have missed any scene. I will also make that I use buttons on my animation so that user have some flexibility and can navigate easily. These features will make my animation professional and suitable for my audience. At the start of the animation there are two options to watch the story with sound or without sound. This is the technique used by most professional websites, it helps user to understand the story more easily and make the animation suitable for its purpose. This animation asks user to click on different things, when user click on an object the next scene can be watch. This means this animation has used different objects on different scenes as a button. I will use this technique on my animation as it will allow user to interact with the animation which will keep the user interested in the animation. This technique also makes the animation very professional which is a positive aspect about this animation. The object to click on An effect has been added to some objects so when a user is going to click on it and pointer is on it. The appearance of the object will change; a white border will surround this object. This technique will help users to show that this is the right object to click on to watch next scene. This technique is shown on the above screen shot. In this animation the objects has been used as buttons to make it interactive I will use this technique in my animation. I will also use objects or characters as buttons, which will allow users to watch next scene. I will use buttons on my animation and add effect so that the appearance of these buttons can be change when the pointer is on it. This technique will make my animation more eye-catching and aesthetic. The zoom in and out technique has been used several times in this animation. This technique helps user to see the close of the objects which will help them to understand the story. This is a very useful technique as it clearly shows what is happening in the story. I will use this technique where it is important. This will help me to meet the professional standard. This animation has used clouds and question mark to show that the characters are thinking. The face expression also shows that the characters are thinking because of the eye movement and hands position. Below the screen shots shows the two different characters of the story thinking. This animation is very professional because it shows the face expressions. The face of the Micky becomes red when he is angry. Below the screen shots are showing two different emotions. This is a high quality technique as this makes the story interesting and realistic. I will use this technique in my animation; I will show the facial expression of my characters to make my animation attractive to its audience and professional. This animation used a lot of motion tweens to show the movements. The legs of the characters move forward to show the walking effects, hands move to show that they are talking and thinking. At the start of the story the leaves are falling down. The birds beak is moving to show the talking effect, the eye balls of almost all characters are moving and the story bear is moving his one foot while thinking. This is a positive aspect on this animation as it makes the animation more interesting and realistic. I will definitely use motion tweens in my animation to show the characters walking and playing and to show the movements of objects. This will help me to create a realistic and appealing final product. Navigation and interaction: This animation is users friendly as its navigation is very effective. To watch the next scene users have to click next or story bear button, this button will also helps user to skip scene. There is another button start the story again which allow user to watch the story again. This gives the user some flexibility. This animation interacts with the users a lot as user have to click the button to watch the next scene and it also asks user to click on different objects. This animation allow user to get involve in the story which will keep their interest till the end. Strengths: Techniques: There are number of good points about this story. These strengths make the animation suitable for its purpose and audience. First of all the animation has used range of techniques. Such as motion tweens, zoom in, face expressions and user interaction. These techniques made the story interesting and professional. This animation also uses clouds to show what the characters are thinking. I will be using some of these techniques to ensure that my product is to the best possible standard. Another good point about this animation is that the scenes flow in a sequence which makes it suitable for its audience, as it is very easy for its audience to understand what is going in the story. I will make sure that the sequence of scenes of my animation is easy to understand and appropriate for my target audience so that they can enjoy the story. Characters and objects: This animation has got six different characters and used a lot of objects. The number of characters are appropriate as they not too much which makes the animation crowdy and audience would not be able to understand whats happening in the story or there not very few characters which makes the story boring. I will also make sure that the number of characters in my animation is appropriate so that my animation is not boring or crowded. This will make my animation suitable for its audience. Sound and text: The story has an option which allow user to listen to the story as well as reading. This is a good point of this animation because it makes the animation suitable for the purpose it has made for by improving their listening skills. The text of this animation is appropriate for its audience and help to keep the users interest till the end. I will include sound and text on my animation so that the users can understand the story easily by listening or reading it. This will give users some flexibility. I will also include some other sounds for example sound of a ball kick to make my animation vibrant and professional.

Sponsership Speech :: essays research papers

Sponsership Speech   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In which direction does the future lead us? What obstacles will we have to overcome to survive? Many of these questions and many others are pondered and weighed by scientists and economists throughout origins around the world. They have described that slowly, but surely, our beautiful planet will come to it?s end. Our polution and destruction of the ozone layer has caused a great deal of damage to to life on earth, from plants to animals. Certain causes of destruction include vehicular polution, forrest fires and other related causes, leathal and nonleathal gasses produced by factories and other objects, and many others. It is slowly reducing the percentage of servival, yet it is a well known fact that the world is becoming overpopulated. For every minute that passes by, more and more infants are brought into this world. Our ambition to expand and grow may very well bring us to our end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said time and time agian that every parents dream is to see their children grow old and have children of their own. What if the world enforces a law that restricts the sexual activity between males and females? Will there be a planet left to continue lives of our own as well as the lives of our future loved ones? These reasons have lead us to believe that our bill should be enforced allowing increased funding and focus on space exploration to find a new home; allowing us to begin anew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The era through this time period has been intellegent names by our scientists as ?Mankinds Future Iinto Space.? It has been shown through current budget proposals for the year 2002, made by President Clinton, that more will be spent towards the NASA Corporation rather than environmental protection agencies. An increase from 14.3 billion dollars to 14.5 billion dollars towards NASA will be on of the drastic changes pleading to take place. A decrease of .5 billion dollars will be given to environmental agencies giving them only 7.3 billion dollars. Billions of dollars alone have been put towards the recovery from the terrorist attacks on the United States. Also, more money has been wasted by the attack on Afganistan due to the fact of expensive and unnecessary bombing. [Description of Visual]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the devices made by our Federal and Executive branches of government are going to play key rolls in our future. Our research and development team will also play a key roll in the future we wish to have. This is because they will determine if it is Sponsership Speech :: essays research papers Sponsership Speech   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In which direction does the future lead us? What obstacles will we have to overcome to survive? Many of these questions and many others are pondered and weighed by scientists and economists throughout origins around the world. They have described that slowly, but surely, our beautiful planet will come to it?s end. Our polution and destruction of the ozone layer has caused a great deal of damage to to life on earth, from plants to animals. Certain causes of destruction include vehicular polution, forrest fires and other related causes, leathal and nonleathal gasses produced by factories and other objects, and many others. It is slowly reducing the percentage of servival, yet it is a well known fact that the world is becoming overpopulated. For every minute that passes by, more and more infants are brought into this world. Our ambition to expand and grow may very well bring us to our end.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It has been said time and time agian that every parents dream is to see their children grow old and have children of their own. What if the world enforces a law that restricts the sexual activity between males and females? Will there be a planet left to continue lives of our own as well as the lives of our future loved ones? These reasons have lead us to believe that our bill should be enforced allowing increased funding and focus on space exploration to find a new home; allowing us to begin anew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The era through this time period has been intellegent names by our scientists as ?Mankinds Future Iinto Space.? It has been shown through current budget proposals for the year 2002, made by President Clinton, that more will be spent towards the NASA Corporation rather than environmental protection agencies. An increase from 14.3 billion dollars to 14.5 billion dollars towards NASA will be on of the drastic changes pleading to take place. A decrease of .5 billion dollars will be given to environmental agencies giving them only 7.3 billion dollars. Billions of dollars alone have been put towards the recovery from the terrorist attacks on the United States. Also, more money has been wasted by the attack on Afganistan due to the fact of expensive and unnecessary bombing. [Description of Visual]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many of the devices made by our Federal and Executive branches of government are going to play key rolls in our future. Our research and development team will also play a key roll in the future we wish to have. This is because they will determine if it is

What techniques do the writers of the British Red Cross use to influence and have a powerful effect on their readers?

Both adverts, the British Red Cross appeal and the Amnesty International appeal are written for the same reason†¦ to get sympathy from the readers and to persuade them to financially support the charity. The reader needs to be convinced there is a strong reason to commit to the charity if they are to hand over part of their income. Although the two appeals are both very, very affective, they are both laid out in totally different ways. The writer's of both appeals have created highly persuasive appeals using emotive and intensely personal language. It is very carefully and cleverly constructed and a logical reason to donate to the charity is developed throughout both. The Amnesty International appeal is set out in columns which makes it look like a newspaper advertisement, it is very attention grabbing and this style really breaks up the content, this makes the readers want to read it as it's not just a bunch of words all together. The British Red Cross appeal is set out in a letter format which makes the plea more personal to the reader, this makes the reader want to read it as it's addressing them. In the British Red Cross appeal, they contain a logo in the top corner which makes the appeal creditable, the readers know it's an official company and the money will be going to a good cause. Both the British Red Cross and the Amnesty International appeals contain images which give a sense of reality. The British Red Cross appeal has an image of an old woman who the case study is based upon. She looks very fragile and vulnerable, and is wearing rag type clothing and it looks like she has most of her belongings in a little sack which is thrown over her shoulder, this tells the reader that she doesn't own many belongings and shows her poor status in life. The Amnesty International appeal has two boxes, one filled with black and one filled with white, these colours totally contrast each other. This appeal also has a cartoon drawing of a man hanging from the word â€Å"you'll† , this suggests that it will be you hanging unless you agree. In the British Red Cross appeal the paragraphs are nice and short, therefore easy to read. This means that people won't get bored of reading it, and will probably read the whole letter, rather than the first couple of lines. The first thing the writer does is try to earn the reader's trust. From the very start the letter opens an intensely direct and personal contact, the writer uses direct appeal quite a lot through-out the appeal. In the opening paragraph the writer instantly mentions the vulnerable old lady, he tries to create a sympathetic mood from the reader instantly. We see this in the quote â€Å"But few of us, thankfully, will never have to endure what 74-year-old Slana Djujic is going through.† this quote tries to get the reader to think what she could be going through, it tempts us to read on to find out what she's having to endure. In the next paragraph he says â€Å"Slana lives with her disabled son in Javdranj† the fact that her son is disabled makes us think that although she is old an vulnerable she has her son to look after as well. The quote â€Å"they are the only ones left in this once bustling village† tells us that they are the sole survivors of the village, no one else has been able to cope with the situation. â€Å"When 200,000 people left the Krajina in 1995, fleeing the ethnic fighting, Slana and her son were too weak to join the exodus. She said goodbye to her daughter, Nadia, knowing she might never see her again.† this quote shows the massive scale of people that left the Krajina, it also shows us that Slana is having to make sacrifices by saying goodbye to her daughter because she along with her son are too weak to leave with the crowd. They are now stuck in a wooden shack which has probably been thrown together, it has no electricity or gas. This shows the lack of money and the poor state of life. The quote â€Å"Slana's story shows only too well that, in winter, people depend on the Red Cross even more.† shows us that people are desperate for help and are completely dependant on charities for help. â€Å"With a gift of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15, a mobile Red Cross team could ensure that someone like Slana has fuel for cooking and heating. Could you give that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15?† the writer has made this quote bold so it really stands out, the writer uses a rhetorical question here to make us think ‘can we give that 15?' , the fact that this isn't a huge amount of money to us, but can do so much for the people like Slana makes us feel that its worth giving it to them so they can change someone's life. â€Å"Let me tell you about 77-year-old Percy Jones. Percy was admitted to hospital†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this quote starts off in a very conversational way, ‘let me tell you', it sounds like the writer is having a one on one talk with you, the fact he's 77 and has been admitted to hospital makes us feel sympathy for him. â€Å"he couldn't even bend to light the fires in his house.† this tells us that he is too old and too un-able to do basic every day things. â€Å"with no heat in the dead of winter, this frail, elderly man could have succumbed to hypothermia† the writer uses a technical term here to show the extent of the situation. â€Å"Thankfully, the local branch of the British Red Cross was alerted, and a volunteer was assigned to help. He made sure that the fires were kept alight and that Percy was kept warm.† this quote tells us basically exactly what the people at the British Red Cross do. We instantly feel that what their doing is great and we think back to the rhetorical question of whether or not we could give that à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½15 to change their lives. â€Å"Separated by thousands of miles and two different cultures, Slana and Percy are united in one thing: their need for the Red Cross to be there in winter.† this shows us that this is a world wide problem, and that they need the Red Cross. â€Å"Just as we need you to be there for us.† this is very direct to the reader and makes us think that the Red Cross can't help the people like Slana and Percy without us helping the Red Cross and donating some money. â€Å"Whatever you can give today will help us deliver the extra supplies of fuel, food or blankets that people urgently need at this time of year.† this tells us that any donations at all are appreciated and welcomed. â€Å"For the sake of people like Slana and Percy, please be as generous as you can.† this makes us feel that the Red Cross just want to help people like them out and make their lives better. In the Amnesty International appeal the writer says â€Å"what matters is that you conform, and to make you conform the State had only one weapon. Fear.† in this quote the word ‘conform' is repeated to make sure you hear it. The word ‘fear' is isolated at the end to give it great impact. â€Å"You are one of the few prepared to speak out against the State† this is direct appeal, it makes us feel as though the writers talking about us. In the quote â€Å"Initially it's just harassment, threats and phone calls.† the key word is ‘just' this makes it seem like nothing, and the situation seems calm. â€Å"To continue to speak out against the State at this stage takes enormous courage.† this quote uses emotive language and tells us that the State is very strong and it will take something with a lot of guts to stand up to the State and speak their mind. â€Å"You're simply ‘lifted' from the street in full public view† this suggests that you are just an object, humiliated in front of the public. â€Å"It serves as a useful warning to anyone else who may be thinking the same dangerous thoughts.† this quote suggests that it's showing others what happens if you talk you mind and stand up against the State. Overall both of the charities are very effective, however I think that the British Red Cross appeal is more persuasive and shows how genuine the charity actually is, where as the Amnesty International appeal is more like a law book and doesn't look very good. If I was to choose a charity to donate to I would choose the British Red Cross advert because you've seen two different examples of people it's helping.

Use Word’s Replace to Transpose a Column of Names

Use Word's Replace to transpose a column of names Available from:http://blogs. techrepublic. com. com/msoffice/? p=4156 Date: November 22nd, 2010 Author: Susan Harkins Category: Microsoft Word You’ll often see a column of names entered in a Word document either as a list or part of a table. Listing the names is no problem, but changing their order after they’re entered could be. For instance, let’s say your document contains a list of names entered in firstname lastname format, but you want them in lastname, firstname format. Do you have to re-enter them?No, there’s a simple wildcard trick you can use with Word’s Replace feature that will take care of the transposing for you. To get Word to transform a list or column of names, do the following: Select the list of names you want to transpose. From the Edit menu, choose Replace. In Word 2010, click Replace in the Editing group on the Home tab. Click the More button and check the Use Wildcards option. This is an important step—if you miss it, this technique won’t work. In the Find What control, enter () (), with a space character between the two sets.In the Replace With control, enter the following characters 2, 1, with a space character before the second slash character. Click Replace All. Word will transpose the first and last names and separate them with a comma character. When Word asks you to expand the search, click No, and then Close to return to the document. Wildcard explanation Once you understand the wildcards, the whole trick is easily exposed: (): The parentheses aren’t true wildcards, not in a matching sense. They allow you to divide a pattern into logical sequences. :The brackets mark the beginning and ending of a word or phrase. : The slash character replaces characters, and is used with a number that specifies a bracketed component (above). In this case, the Find What code splits the two names into two separate sequences. The 2 component in t he Replace What code replaces the contents of the first sequence with the contents of the second sequence. The 1 component replaces the contents of the second sequence with the contents of the first. As you can see, you’re not limited to just transposing first and last names. With these wildcard tools, you can rearrange quite a bit of content!

How to Use the Word However - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog

How to Use the Word However - Proofread My Papers Academic Blog How to Use the Word â€Å"However† The adverb â€Å"however† is one that causes some confusion, so it’s important to use it correctly in your academic writing. But how is this term used? And how do you make its meaning clear in your written work? It’s all a matter of punctuation†¦ However (Whatever) This sense of â€Å"however† typically means â€Å"to whatever extent† or â€Å"in whatever manner†: I’ll catch you one day, however far you run! It’s not a formal event, so dress however you want. Note that in the examples above, there’s no punctuation between â€Å"however† and the thing it’s modifying (i.e., distance/mode of dress). Another (less common) use of this term is as a synonym for â€Å"how.† More specifically, it means â€Å"how under the circumstances,† so is typically used when referring to something challenging: However do proofreaders remember all those grammatical rules? As above, you’ll notice there is no punctuation between â€Å"however† and the rest of the sentence. However (Nevertheless) When this term is used as a conjunctive adverb to connect two contrasting points, it should be followed by a comma: I had planned to go out today. It was rainy, however, so I stayed inside. The initial results were positive. Further testing, however, is still required. Here, it is being used to contrast the latter sentence with the former. As such, we can reformulate these sentences to use â€Å"but† instead: I had planned to go out today, but it was rainy, so I stayed inside. The initial results were positive, but further testing is still required. Can I Start a Sentence with However? Since â€Å"however† can substitute for â€Å"but,† some claim it shouldn’t be used at the beginning of a sentence. Nevertheless, even if the idea that you shouldn’t use a conjunction like this were true, it wouldn’t apply in this case. Unlike the coordinating conjunction â€Å"but,† â€Å"however† is not used to link two independent clauses in a single sentence. As such, if you want to use it to contrast two points, you need to make sure they are both complete sentences. Beginning a sentence with â€Å"however† can even emphasize a contrast, since it flows more smoothly, foregrounds the comparison and ensures clarity: The initial results were positive. However, further testing is still required. But if you don’t want to use this term at the beginning of a new sentence, you can also connect two sentences with a semicolon: The initial results were positive; however, further testing is still required. However you choose to use â€Å"however,† however, make sure you punctuate correctly so that your reader will understand what you mean.

Get Your Mariners Safety Training Certification

Get Your Mariners Safety Training Certification If you are looking for a job in a maritime field, you may consider obtaining your  Standards for Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) certification. This certification is a basic safety training but it can be an important stepping stone to landing your dream job. Step 1: Determine How You Will Use Your Training Your ultimate goal will determine the best path to your  STCW certification. If youre not sure about the exact job you want thats okay because most of the following steps apply to everyone seeking this basic safety training. The two main exceptions are employer specific courses like those designed for cruise ships and post-military personnel who want to transfer their skills to civilian certifications. Even if you fall into one of these categories there are advantages to following these steps. Step 2: Determine the Job Requirements for Your Goal Position If you have a target employer and job it should be very easy to get a job description plus minimal and preferred requirements. STCW certification is recognized internationally and varies little from the original IMO convention. Not every operation will have a written description of requirements and some may simply adopt a standardized description from a third party or government agency. If you are on your own in this adventure then it will take a bit more work to find out what you need to do. Well use a common example of crew on a private vessel. Recreational Boating is a common entry point into the commercial side of the industry. Many positions for crew are offered each year and some in exotic destinations can be a satisfying way to travel and still generate income. Almost all of these crew positions require STCW certification at a minimum. In order to reduce insurance costs and assure the safety of the vessel and passengers everyone working aboard must be STCW certified. The skills of STCW are the very basics but compromise some of the most important training a sailor will receive in their career. If you cannot determine what the exact qualifications are needed for the job look for some equivalent vessels and compare minimum qualifications. Schools can offer some advice too. Step 3: Identify a Training Location This is easy since there is only one option these days. In the past, an STCW certification could be gained on experience alone. Today the opposite is true, all of the training takes place in the classroom and occasionally demonstrated in the field. If you are new to boats you may want to look for a course that is hands-on and offers some time on the water. Hands-on courses are more expensive but worth it if you dont have significant practical experience. For some employers, a course with real-world conditions may take the place of some sea hours. The cost of any of these courses is significant and in places like the United States, the cost to obtain some certifications is even higher due to extra security measures. Look around, know what sort of product you are shopping for, read reviews, talk to potential employers; you may need to travel but that can be included in expenses if you are receiving financial aid. Financial aid can be used for maritime education and most schools make that process as easy as possible for potential students. Step Four: Obtain Experience This is the most important step of all. There are many graduates of STCW programs that have no job experience and wonder why they cant get that job in the Mediterranean. Simple, those jobs go to tested STCW graduates. Get any job you can that gives you some time on the water that can be documented. Maybe your area only has a short tourist season and local jobs produce few hours every year. Take those few hours, have your employer document them, and include them on your resume or CV.

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 21

Accounting - Essay Example From the annual report 2011 of the Toyota, it is clear that company attained $214,318 million in sales of products. The net income of the company for the financial year 2011 is $4,909 million. When the company’s net income per share is $1.57, its cash dividends per share is $0.60. In addition, Toyota’s total current assets stand at $142,270 while total current liabilities represent the figure $129,778. The annual report 2011 indicates that the company’s total assets or total liabilities are $358,607 million. Finally, the consolidated balance sheet also shows that the total shareholder’s equity of Toyota for the year 2011 is $131,329 (Toyota, 2011). While assessing the management discussion and analysis section of the annual report, it is clear that the company management greatly emphasizes on automotive operations as this segment accounts for 89% of the Toyota’s total revenues. The report specifically states that Japan and North American are the potential market segments for the company on the basis of vehicle unit sales for the fiscal year 2011. The general tone of the management’s comments indicates that the firm would have attained much more profitability if its operations had not been affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake (Toyota, 2011). The company’s vehicle unit sales declined in its major markets including Japan and North America. However, Toyota could achieve notable improvements in Asia and other market segments as compared to the previous year. This trend indicates that Asia is developing as a potential market segment for Toyota while the company is gradually losing its roots in North Ameri ca. However, the overall vehicle unit sales have been increased from 72, 37,000 in 2010 to 73, 08,000 in 2011 despite the adverse impacts of the earthquake (Toyota, 2011). In total, the fiscal 2011 was good year for the company. The discussion summary shows that the

Monstrous Discourse & the Cultural Moment Research Paper

Monstrous Discourse & the Cultural Moment - Research Paper Example The paper will appoint the good works of Francisco De Goya artistic work – Sleep of Reason, which in this case is a prophetic outlook of how human nature will create monsters, and monsters rule the world. Another close appointment is the literal works by Scott Poole Monster in America, in which the author attempts to examine how America has created its own, social, economic and political problems. The paper is structured into four main parts. Firstly, Goya presentation of Sleep of Reason; secondly, Poole discuss on Monsters in America. Thirdly, the paper will appoint the application of artifacts, which in this case, the research will elaborate how artifacts initiate monsters into action. Fourthly, the document will present an argument on the freedom monster and how it has been applied to continuously cause belligerence against humans. Table of Contents Part I 5 Cultural moment to in the understanding the context 5 PART II 6 Poole’s Monsters in America 6 PART III 8 Appoi ntment of Artifacts in the interpretation of the two parts 8 PART IV 9 The Monsters of Freedom and development 9 The Metaphor of Monsters 10 Ambiguity and the Gates of difference 11 How Man create Monsters 12 The Presence of Monsters 13 The act of Self Consumption 14 Death and Mutation 15 Summary 16 Conclusion 17 PART I Cultural moment to in the understanding the context Scholarly, dreams present a vivid description, in which the writer focuses on social, economic and political issues. A dream may fail on the account of realism; however, descriptions presented in the dream may be applied to provide a coherent reflection of real life situations. In this case, the dream is consciously developing vivid description by applying logics and fact verification in the general concept of how practices, beliefs, and institutions are based. To present description, the combined application of art and science is so much influential in a dream, and in this case, the dream is analyzed on a rationali ty scale (Snow, 23). This exegesis will attempt to explore how a cultural moment – in this case influenced by dreams- creates substantive effects on the scope of social anxiety. The dream is largely applied by Goya to reflect on a given global revolution of Monsters, and how on several presentations social anxiety of the people is based on the economic and political account (Snow, 44). This reflection attempts to present how citizens consider and analyze themselves based on â€Å"self-fear, rejection, embarrassments, and criticism. Based on the setting period of the context, it is cognitive to understand, that the society was attacked diverse challenges, which by use of imagery they are presented by bats. The American cultural moment presented by sleep of reason has deep relation with scholarly aspect of thinking, intellect and cognition. Man attempts to comprehend the prevailing challenges, and analyzes them with cause, truth, effect and falsehood. However, it coherent to u nderstand that Sleep of Reason present a personal evaluation mechanism, at which the dreamer (read a citizen) will attempt to review his inner personal feeling, for the general good of the society. As this document will endeavor, self- conscious will attempt to alter attitudes, beliefs, institutions and beliefs of the society. The individual will evaluate personal self beliefs based on the prevailing cultural moment, and in this case, establish whether he meets the required humanism threshold of that

Sociology of Marriage and Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sociology of Marriage and Family - Essay Example As Andrew Sullivan has argued, if the future of marriage is a critical ground of contestation in the wider world, it is hardly surprising that lesbians and gays should focus their demands on it. If parenting is perceived as in major need of rethinking, then why should non-heterosexuals be excluded from the debate? They should be given equal rights and norms like heterosexuals. If families get ever more complex as a result of divorce, remarriage, recombination, and step-parenting, why should the chosen families of lesbians and gays be denied a voice? Even the ghost of uncontrolled homosexuality has been downplayed in today’s recent sexual world, it is amazing that despite the greater public presence of homosexual couples, researchers suggest that self-identified non-heterosexuals from a tiny percentage of a given population. There is still a surprisingly high degree of stability in family relationships, even if, as the form is changing. One of the most fundamental issues lies in the decline of the traditional heterosexual centrality of marriage as it is seen that heterosexual marriages involve the contribution of two partners more tended towards the family issues. At its most evocative, this type is seen as a haven of trust, mutual involvement and shared responsibilities, which many argue offers the best hope for a communitarian culture. But the fact, which is neglected today, is this haven of trust which builds communitarian culture serves as the basis for today’s major issues like a break-up, divorce, separation etc.... If families get ever more complex as a result of divorce, remarriage, recombination and step-parenting, why should the chosen families of lesbians and gays, composed of lovers, ex-lovers and friends, be denied a voice (Catherine, 2001, p. 25) Even the ghost of uncontrolled homosexuality has been downplayed in today's recent sexual world, it is amazing that despite the greater public presence of homosexual couples, researchers suggest that self-identified non-heterosexuals form a tiny percentage of a given population. There is still a surprisingly high degree of stability in family relationships, even if, as the form is changing. (Catherine, 2001, p. 25) One of the most fundamental issue, lies in the decline of the traditional heterosexual centrality of marriage as it is seen that heterosexual marriages involves the contribution of two partners more tended towards the family issues. At its most evocative, this type is seen as a haven of trust, mutual involvement and shared responsibilities, which many argue offers the best hope for a communitarian culture. But the fact, which is neglected today, is this haven of trust which builds communitarian culture serves as the basis for today's major issues like break-up, divorce, separation etc. So, in these circumstances what is the harm if one seeks his/her satisfaction in homosexual affair. The privileging of homosexual patterns is vividly apparent even in the most liberal discussions of the family and sexual diversity. On the one hand, many theoreticians give verbal recognition to the variety of family forms, and shift their concerns to the quality of relationships, and to the care of

Motivations for the Age of Exploration

Motivations for the Age of Exploration During the 1400s, Europeans started venturing beyond their borders to foreign places. This period of time when Europeans explored, colonized, and settled in foreign countries is known as the Age of Exploration. It began in the 15th century and lasted until the 17th century. The event led to numerous advancements in geographic knowledge, and also improved the interactions and trade between countries. Several factors favored Europe as the starting place of exploration. Medieval religious fervor made captains feel it was their duty to convert everyone they met to Christianity. Europe was also in good conditions economically, and its geographic position drove it to find routes to Asia, which then led to the Americas. Both the Renaissance and the Crusades were crucial in the development of the Age of Discovery. Renaissance ideas motivated the Europeans to experience and observe other cultures, giving them the courage to interact with different people. The Crusades also opened the minds of the Europeans which brought them in contact with different goods and religious ideas. After the Renaissance and the Crusades, the Age of Exploration began due to the Europeans’ urge to spread Christianity, their eagerness for fame, their desire for wealth, and the improvements in technology that allowed voyages. A major motive for the Age of Discovery was the religious desire to convert people to Christianity. Bartolomeu Dias, an early Portuguese explorer, stated his motives for voyage: â€Å"To serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to (Miller).† The first two motives stated were both religious goals that Christians hoped to accomplish. Another story that they believed in also motivated them to explore. This was the myth of Prester John (The Myth of Prester John). Although fake, the Europeans believed in this story where the king of the legendary Christian nation had ordered all Christians to join him in a religious battle against the infidels. This myth persuaded many Christians to join the holy wars, or the Crusades, which were extremely important factors of the Age of Exploration. Europeans thought that it was their duty to fulfill God’s wishes and save souls by spreading Christianity. The Crusades played a significant role in building up to the Age of Exploration (The European Voyages of Exploration). It exposed the Europeans to new people and places, giving them the new objective to convert more people to Christianity. Setting up missions was one of the religious goals of exploration. Missionaries that traveled with explorers preached to the natives of different areas to achieve their religious wishes. Francis Xavier was a Jesuit missionary that went to India with the Portuguese explorers (McGrath). He learned the local languages and was able to preach in their native tongue. This was a more effective way of spreading religion which made thousands of people convert to Christianity. Missionaries like Xavier were influential in saving the souls of people from all around the world, completing an objective of exploration. The Age of Exploration developed along with the Renaissance, as these ideas influenced their desires for individual glory. The Renaissance stressed the individual human being, so explorers wanted to earn fame and honor for themselves with successful explorations. People during this time wanted to live enjoyable lives, unlike people during the medieval times who wanted to reach heaven. Because of this, people during the Renaissance worked for themselves and worked to become rich in order to live an enjoyable life. Explorers also wanted to voyage in search of individual wealth and fame. Explorer Christopher Columbus was an example as he worked to achieve fame and fortune (Christopher Columbus). His contract with the Spanish rulers agreed that when he discovered land, he would be given a noble title, could keep ten percent of the riches he found, and would be able to govern the lands he discovered. Kings and queens also wanted glory for their countries, so they promoted exploration. Wit h the invention of the printing press, it became possible for one to become famous for what he or she did. With this in mind, explorers became motivated by personal glory to discover lands in the New World. The â€Å"rebirth† of classical Greek and Roman values that brought many changes to how people thought was created by the Crusades. The holy wars let the Europeans see beyond their own world, sparking their interest in learning which led to the Renaissance. The secular outlook made people think more about religious authority, and also gave them scientific curiosity (Brotton). It was a time when people wanted to learn more about the world. Humanism brought intellectual curiosity about the world to people’s minds, and the discoveries made led to a new age in search of scientific knowledge. The will and courage to learn and understand different cultures made people want to explore and see more around the world (Lecture 2). This idea links with the Renaissance in general, and also the human nature to explore and gain information on the unknown. The search for trade routes that led to wealth was an indispensable cause of European exploration. The Crusades and trade brought the Europeans to spices, silk, and other luxuries. The Europeans demanded spices from the East to add flavor to their bland food, making it extremely valuable. When important trade routes to the East were blocked by the Turks, the explorers embarked to find better ones (FC67). Better trade routes could increase the profit made in the markets of luxuries. Thomas Mun’s ideas on the effects of foreign trade stated in England’s Treasure by Foreign Trade showed how he supported foreign trade since it increased England’s treasury (Koeller). He tells of how England exports more goods than it imports, thus increasing the profit they made from trade. This idea links to mercantilism, where people thought that there was only a limited amount of money in the world. In order to make the kingdom strong, they had to have more wealth than other countr ies. Mercantilism motivated the Europeans to explore and search for trade routes, which could then help them become wealthy and powerful. Before the newer trade routes existed, trade for goods in the East was controlled by the Italians and Muslims. The Muslims sold the goods they got from the East to the Italians at a raised price, and then the Italians also increased the price of the goods sold to Europe in order to make profit. The Europeans were not happy with the amount they had to pay, so they wanted to find a route directly to Asia to bypass the middlemen. Before trade routes were found, a pound of cinnamon cost twenty-four pence, which would have taken a master carpenter three days to earn (Kelley). Although costly, Europeans still considered spices a necessity and were willing to pay large amounts of money for them. In order to acquire these goods and more wealth, explorers searched for trade routes, and the Portuguese accomplished this with their trading empire. Previous costs of spices could be anywhere from ten to a hundred times the original price, so a huge difference was made to these prices after the tra ding empire was created (Munro). It allowed merchants to bring back goods at the original price paid at the source, making it affordable to more Europeans. The Age of Discovery would not have been possible without the geographical knowledge gained during this time. Before maps had improved and included locations on global scales, sailors used the color of skies and waters, the types of vegetation, and also the types of sea birds in the area to identify their location. Later, portolan charts, coastal maps of Europe and the Mediterranean, and global projections were created, giving the Europeans better ideas of the world (FC81). With clear ideas of direction, sailing became a lot easier and explorers were also less likely to sail to the wrong place. Prince Henry the Navigator helped improve the techniques used to explore and map the new lands. He developed the first nautical map that replaced the portolan charts (Briney). The portolan charts kept sailors close to the shore, but the nautical maps allowed them to sail away from land which improved the results of travel, because more could be seen and discovered. Prince Henry also introduced navigational schools to improve the geographical knowledge of explorers. Furthermore, various naval inventions and advancements allowed the oceans to be sailed. Some of the most important were the magnetic compass, the astrolabe, and the changes in shipbuilding (FC81). The compass invented by the Chinese gave a better sense of direction. The astrolabe, perfected by the Muslims, helped determine latitude. Great changes were also made to the European ships. The hulls of the caravels were bulkier and sturdier, allowing voyage in large waves. The southern triangle or lateen sail allowed ships to sail against the wind, which was not possible before. These inventions made sailing overseas an attainable task, leading to the discovery of the various areas separate from Europe. The Age of Exploration was a crucial period of time that made influential differences in not only the history of Europe, but the history of almost the entire world. This event would never have occurred without the Crusades, Renaissance, and advancements in technology. The will to fulfill religious desires, search for wealth, and pursue personal fame drove the Europeans out of the Old World in search of new places over the seas. All the voyages made helped link different countries together, and even influenced the basis of knowledge nowadays. Although the Age of Discovery ended in the 1600s, the effects of it still make significant changes to the world today. Works Cited Briney, Amanda. â€Å"A History of the Age of Exploration.† About Education. About.com, n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2014. Brotton, Jeremy. â€Å"The Myth of the Renaissance in Europe.† BBC History. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. Butler, John. â€Å"FC67: The Crusades Their Impact.† The Flow of History. Chris Butler, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2014. . â€Å"FC81: Early voyages of Exploration.† The Flow of History. Chris Butler, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. â€Å"Christopher Columbus.† History.com. AE Television Networks, n.d. Web. 21 May 2015. Kelley, Laura. â€Å"The Silk Road Roots of the Age of Exploration.† The Silk Road Gourmet, 24 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 May 2015. Koeller, David. â€Å"Thomas Mun: England’s Treasure by Foreign Trade.† Then Again†¦ David Koeller, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. Kreis, Steven. â€Å"Lecture 2: The Age of Discovery.† The History Guide. Steve Kreis, 2 May 2011. Web. 12 Oct. 2014. . â€Å"The Myth of Prester John.† The History Guide. Steve Kreis, 11 Oct. 2006. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. McGrath, Jane. â€Å"How Missionaries Work.† HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks, 4 June 2009. Web. 24 May 2015. Miller, Jane. â€Å"Explorer Bartolomeu Dias.† ThingLink. ThingLink, n.d. Web. 21 May 2015. Munro, John. â€Å"Oriental Spices and Their Costs in Medieval Cuisine: Luxuries or Necessities?† Spices and Their Costs in Medieval Europe, n.d. Web. 21 May 2015. â€Å"The European Voyages of Exploration: Introduction.† Saylor.org Academy. Saylor Foundation, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2014.

Buffalo Wild Wings :: essays research papers

In order for us to obtain our goal of increasing the profit by 3% in a 12 month period we needed to come up with who, what, how, and why we are going to get this goal accomplished. There are four different major categories of people that we are going to try and target. The first are the local sports families. The second are the typical sports fanatic. The third are the College Students. And the fourth are the traffic goers on route 24.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Our slogan at the time is â€Å"ALL THE ESSENTIALS†. But in order for us to reach different types of target market we need to add maybe another phrase after our slogan. For instance tagging on the phrase â€Å"Food, Fun, Beverages and your favorite sports† for the sports families and college students. But for the older group of sports fanatics and people who are looking for a cold one with the boys or with the gals, tagging on the phrase â€Å"Wings, Beer, and your favorite sports†. We will use these different phrases with the places that we are going to advertise to these specific targets, which we will get to next.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first type of media we are going to use is event sponsorship to reach to sports fanatics and older men and women. Year around there are bowling leagues and softball leagues and soccer leagues that need to have team sponsors in order to pay for their equipment. This would be a perfect way to get our logo on a jersey and to promote coming to hang out after the game. I know that if I was sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings that me and the boys would head to our sponsors place after the game. My personal favorite that we are going to do is our support media outdoor signage on route 24 targeting the flowing traffic coming from Fort Wayne, IN and Toledo, OH. There are going to be ten signs involved, five coming from either direction. One sign will be placed at the 69-24 loop and the other placed at the 75-24 loop just stating the Buffalo Wild Wings logo and promotion for Defiance, OH. Then when you are a mile out from each direction another promotion sign saying Buffalo Wild Wings next exit and another line saying â€Å"Count With Us!†. Then three more signs with the numbers 3, 2, and 1.

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Four

Whatever snide comments Dorian and Maiwenn might make, Tucson is the best place in the world to live. Standing at the desert crossroads the following evening, I paused a moment to take in my surroundings before crossing over. Dorian's kingdom was certainly beautiful, but it just wasn't the same. It wasn't home. A soft wind cut through the dry air, ruffling my hair and whispering that spring would yield to summer soon. The breeze carried all the delicious smells of the desert, and I caught the sweet scent of mesquite – not the barbecue kind but the delicate perfume emitted by its fuzzy yellow blooms. Above me, the sun beat down without remorse, warning the weak to get the hell out. The tourist season tended to drop off with the sharp increase in temperatures, but I loved this time of year. And all around me, in this dry and unforgiving heat, I could feel the unseen water. It was in the saguaros and the cactus wrens and the mesquite trees' tap roots. There were even tiny bits in the air, despite the ostensible aridness. Everywhere there was life, there was water. Sensing it was second nature to me now. Calling it still remained a challenge. Closing my eyes, I let my mind reach through the boundaries and send me into the Otherworld. Practice really did make perfect with these transitions; they were effortless now, just like sensing water. My body slipped through, pulled toward the corresponding thin spot near Dorian's home. Before I could arrive there, however, I reached out toward the Slinky, using my stored essence as a magnet to pull me there instead of the road. Moments later, I appeared on Dorian's bed. â€Å"Presumptuous,† I muttered, swinging off of it and standing up. I picked up the Slinky and tossed it around, watching its rings arch and fall. â€Å"Is that you, my lady?† I heard a tentative voice call. Seconds later, Nia's young face peeked in from the other room. â€Å"His majesty is in the conservatory. If you'll follow me?† Wow. I'd never heard of anyone actually having a conservatory, outside of the game Clue. When Nia led me inside, I found Dorian standing in front of a canvas with a painter's palette and brush in his hands. Dorian, in the conservatory, with the candlestick, I thought. Er, paintbrush. He smiled when he saw me. â€Å"Lady Markham, you're just in time. Perhaps you can amuse Rurik. He's become terribly unreasonable.† I glanced over to the side of the room where Rurik, the massive warrior with platinum blond hair, sat on a delicate chaise lounge upholstered in lavender velvet. He wore full leather and copper armor, and the entire juxtaposition made me wince. â€Å"I don't mean to be unreasonable, your majesty.† He spoke through gritted teeth. â€Å"But sitting here and not moving – while in armor – isn't all that easy.† â€Å"Bah, you're whining. Most unseemly for a man of your station. Why, Lady Markham can stay still for hours – and in far more uncomfortable circumstances too, I might add.† Rurik glanced at me, both startled and pleasantly intrigued. â€Å"Don't move! Look back here.† Rurik's leer faded as he turned back toward his king. Dorian's canvas faced away from me, so I had no idea what his masterpiece looked like. I started to walk around and check it out, but he waved me off with the brush. â€Å"No, no. Not until I'm finished.† Shrugging, I pulled up another lavender chair – the entire room was that color, actually – and slouched into it. Dorian spoke without looking up from his work. â€Å"So what have you done today, my dear? Anything entertaining?† â€Å"Not really. Slept in. Banished a shade. I actually read for most of the day. Kind of lame.† â€Å"What are you reading? I really enjoy that one human's works†¦oh, I forget his name. He was very popular for a while. Shakemore?† â€Å"Shakespeare?† â€Å"Yes, that's the one. Has he written anything new?† â€Å"Um, not in, like, four or five centuries.† â€Å"Ah, pity. So what did you read about instead?† â€Å"The weather.† He paused midstroke. â€Å"And what did you learn?† â€Å"Storm-formation stuff. How water molecules build up and condense, how charged particles discharge to form lightning. Oh, and there was something else about high and low pressure, but I've got to go back and reread that. Kind of confusing.† Both men treated me to brief, blank looks, and then Dorian returned to his work. â€Å"I see. And do you think this will facilitate your learning?† â€Å"Not sure. But I kind of like knowing what the end result is supposed to be.† Silence fell as Dorian continued painting. Rurik persisted in looking miserable, occasionally sighing loudly to express his discontent. I'd never entirely forgiven him for the ice elemental thing, so seeing him suffer had its perks. Unfortunately, it grew boring after a while. I crossed my arms and slumped farther into the chair, catching his notice. â€Å"Sire, your lady's restless. I'm sure you have more interesting things to do with her. We can work on this another time. I don't mind.† â€Å"Nonsense. I'm almost done.† The first happy expression I'd seen since arriving showed on Rurik's face. It vanished when Dorian turned the canvas around to display his work. We stared. â€Å"Sire, am I†¦wearing a bow?† I cocked my head. â€Å"It does kind of look that way. But the rest†¦man, that's actually pretty good. I didn't know you could do faces so well.† Dorian glowed. â€Å"Why, thank you. I can paint you too someday if you'd like.† â€Å"It's a bow,† protested Rurik. Dorian glanced at the canvas, then back to the warrior. â€Å"It matches the chaise. I had to add it; otherwise you would have clashed.† Back in his bedroom, Dorian went through his usual motions, flinging off his silver-gray cloak and pouring a glass of wine. He drank some type of blush tonight. â€Å"Ready to start?† I nodded, sitting down in the chair in the middle of the room. As I'd said, I didn't really think the meteorology books would give me that much of an edge yet, but I felt more empowered after reading them. Like I was starting to take my training into my own hands. He took another drink of his wine, procured more cords, and approached me. Putting one hand on his hip, he surveyed me carefully, not unlike how he'd scrutinized his canvas. â€Å"That's a very pretty shirt.† I glanced down. It was a black tank top with a chain of red daisies embroidered near the top. â€Å"Hmm. Let's try this.† He abandoned the pastel-colored ties he held and replaced them with red and black ones. Placing my arms flat against the chair's arms, he wrapped each of mine down with black first, making X patterns. The style reminded me of the way a ballerina's slippers laced up. When that was finished, he went back over each arm with red. â€Å"These are more like ribbons than your usual ones,† I observed. â€Å"Or maybe sashes. Do you own, like, every possible form of constraint known to man?† â€Å"Nearly,† he said. â€Å"All right. Let's get started. The water's over there.† He indicated a table near the window where my old friend the pitcher sat, but I'd already known it was there. Settling as comfortably as I could in the chair, I stared at the pitcher and immediately let my mind reach out to the water. It flared like a beacon to me. Beyond it, I could sense all the other water in the room too. Me and Dorian, the wine, water vapor. I directed my attention to the pitcher's water. I can feel you, now come to me. But, as many practices had already demonstrated, wanting didn't make things happen. God, that pissed me off. I honestly didn't know how Dorian could stand waiting around through all of these sessions. It had to be boring as hell. I was bored, and I actually got to do something. Sort of. No, no. That was a bad attitude. Forget the boredom. Focus on the task at hand. Hours passed again. If Dorian was still awake – which I doubted – I knew he'd close off the session soon. The knowledge irritated me, but I understood. I was already feeling tired, my eyes bleary. I kept blinking a lot to regain focus and keep them from drying. I think that made me notice what happened next. â€Å"Dorian, look at the pitcher.† He sat up right away and followed my gaze. A moment later, he walked over and touched the pitcher, brushing his fingers along its side. Water quietly ran down the ceramic surface, pooling on the table's glass surface. A slow, delighted smile spread over his face. â€Å"You've seized it. It's listening to you. Now make it come farther – all the way out of the jug.† With tangible progress before me, my excitement grew. I thought hard about what I'd been doing, trying to repeat it. About a minute later, I could see water spilling down the sides of the jug, much faster and in greater amounts. The puddle on the table grew too full, dripping onto the floor. â€Å"I'm ruining your carpet.† â€Å"Never mind the carpet. Bring it farther.† I could hear the anticipation in his voice. Some logical part of me saw carpet as tough terrain to navigate, and the water's progress slowed. Soon, I decided, that was only in my head. The carpet had nothing to do with anything. Only my control of the water mattered. As soon as I made that leap, the water shot over the carpet in a curving rivulet, almost like a snake. It reached my feet, and I could feel it waiting for some further instruction. Only, I didn't know what to tell it. I simply wanted it to come to me. I'd barely given form to that thought when the water sprang up before me and hovered in the air. My mouth dropping, I watched it splinter into hundreds of drops. They hung there, suspended like strings of crystal beads. I gaped, fascinated, but had no idea what to do next. My grasp on them slipped away, and the drops disintegrated further into a fine fog. Seconds later, the cloud dispersed altogether, evaporating into the rest of the air. As they faded, so did the tingly, euphoric feeling racing through my blood. Neither Dorian nor I did anything right away. Then, I started laughing. And I couldn't stop. It was too wonderful. I wanted to do it again and again but had no more water. The wine would be too messy. An idea occurred to me. Sensing the moisture in the air, I sent my power out to the air right in front of me. Suddenly, tiny flecks of water condensed on my skin, like I'd been sprayed by a light mist. I laughed again. Dorian, grinning as broadly as me, walked over and ran his fingers over each of my cheeks. Touching his fingers together, he rubbed the water into his skin, almost as if testing it was real. â€Å"I did it.† â€Å"You did do it.† His eyes shone with unadulterated pleasure. You might have thought he'd been the one to do this. Funny that he should take such joy in this, I thought, when it was a paltry thing compared to his magic. He untied me and clasped my hands to help me rise. â€Å"I think a celebration is in order.† He poured another glass of wine and handed it over. We clinked our glasses together. â€Å"To clever pupils.† â€Å"With good teachers.† He took a sip. â€Å"Hardly. I actually slept most of tonight.† I laughed as I drank. â€Å"Do you†¦when you use your magic, do you feel something†¦I don't know, something good burning in you? Like pleasure or exhilaration†¦and not just from, like, mental satisfaction either†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't put it into words, but his face told me I didn't have to. â€Å"Yes. I know exactly what you mean. Wonderful, isn't it?† I drank more of the wine. â€Å"Yes. Yes, it is.† â€Å"Just wait. You've just had a sip of it. Once you come into your full power, you won't know how you did without.† I grinned at him. I felt so thoroughly pleased with myself and life, I could hardly stand it. When had I been this happy? Aside from being with Kiyo? And if I had this kind of reaction now, what would happen when I really moved into the big leagues? Dorian spoke of it like an addiction, but it sure sounded like a good one. Looking up, I saw his eyes all over me. He set his glass down and spoke in a soft voice, almost wonderingly. â€Å"You shine†¦did you know that? Power suits you.† He made me as happy as everything else in the world just then. Warmth built in my chest and radiated out through the rest of my body. I don't know how that feeling expressed itself on my face, but it must have conveyed something because he leaned over and kissed me. I could taste wine in that soft kiss, wine and heat. One of his hands pulled me against him while the other carefully removed my glass. Still pressing us together, he eased me onto the bed. I answered his sweet, taunting kisses with hard, demanding ones. It didn't take him long to adjust to this shift in style. He rolled me to my back and lay down on top of me, twining one hand in my hair to hold my head in place as an eager need suddenly filled his kisses. He consumed my mouth with them while his other hand slid unabashedly between my thighs, rubbing me through my jeans. My body arched up against his, and I felt an aching cry rise up in my throat, only to be lost in the pressure of his mouth on mine. I knew then it would finally happen. The dangerous allure of this†¦the exoticness of sleeping with someone who was still such an unknown quantity†¦it all enflamed me that much more. We would do this. We would come together, and I would give myself to him. Give myself to him. A tightness seized my chest, conflicting sharply with the burning pleasure in the rest of my body. His touch made me crave more, almost made me beg for it, and yet that angry part in the back of my mind was screaming again. It told me if I made this choice, if I deliberately chose to do this with him, then I was giving in to the enemy. I didn't really know who that enemy was exactly, but it didn't matter. The instinct pulsed through me, defensive and afraid. It warred against the rest of me, against my body's needs and even against my own conscious wishes. I knew and liked Dorian. Why couldn't I overcome that base fear? In some ways, the fear was titillating. I had a feeling if I could just get over that first crest of difficulty, the problems would go away. But damn it, that was a high peak to get over. And like last time, Dorian could feel my reluctance. He broke our embrace, almost jerking away from me. Before he turned his face from mine, I saw emotions I'd never seen before. Frustration. Unhappiness. â€Å"Dorian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said. â€Å"Dorian†¦I'm so sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He rubbed his face with both hands and exhaled. His voice was flat when he spoke. â€Å"It's late, Eugenie. Too late for you to leave.† He stood up and stretched, and when he finally turned around, he'd once more cleared his face of its dark expression. His cheerful countenance was also missing; he simply looked tired. â€Å"I'll take the sofa in the parlor; you stay on the bed.† â€Å"No, I – â€Å" He gestured me off as he walked into the other room without a backward glance, saying only, â€Å"Take it. It'll be the best night of sleep you've ever had.† Elaborate French doors connected the two rooms. He closed them, leaving me to my own misery. I sat on his massive bed, attempting to sort out a tangle of warring emotions. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I make this work? I'd slept with guys I liked a lot less than Dorian. Why couldn't I cross this last line? Why keep fighting it? I blew out all the candles and torches in the room before taking off my jeans and sliding under the covers. Dorian was right. This had to be the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in. Unfortunately, there was no way I could sleep. I kept thinking about my magical elation, alleged desire, and subsequent breakdown. My body wanted him. My mind did too. Only my instincts still fought it. The world's most comfortable bed must have felt insulted over all the tossing and turning that followed. At least its size gave me all the fidgeting room I could want. My eyes grew accustomed to the darkness very quickly, and I could discern the shapes of furniture and corners in the partial moonlight. Outside the giant window, stars glittered – thousands more than I'd seen the night with the astronomers. We'd lost the stars in the human world, despite our success in reaching them. Humans and gentry were almost like two sides of a coin, each supplying what the other lacked. The answer to my problems with Dorian was a long time in coming, but come it did. It was still pitch black when I finally got up and padded into the adjoining room. The doors opened silently, and I paused upon reaching him. He couldn't quite fit on the sofa, so his legs dangled off the end. He still wore the same clothes and had pulled a flimsy throw blanket over his body. He faced the direction I stood, eyes closed. One hand draped above him, and his hair spilled onto his cheek, its fiery color indiscernible in the poor lighting. He was a king, with thousands of people who answered to him, yet he lay crammed onto this couch because of me. I had hurt someone I didn't think could be hurt. I stood there thinking about this in the still, dark room before finally kneeling down beside him. I tentatively reached out a hand, but his eyes opened before I made contact. â€Å"What's the matter?† he asked. He sounded alert, concerned. I couldn't talk right away. Silence pooled as thick as the blackness around us. He neither spoke nor moved as I deliberated; he simply watched and waited. â€Å"I want you to tie me up.† That was the great thing about Dorian. Most people would have hesitated or asked questions. Not him. He followed me out to the other room and promptly retrieved the same sashes he'd used earlier in the chair. I settled on the bed, unsure where to position my body, but he gently adjusted me. He started to extend my arms up over my head but then stopped. Moving his hands down to my stomach, he caught the edges of my shirt and gave me a questioning look. I nodded, and he carefully pulled it off and over my head. Returning to my arms, he raised them above me toward the headboard and tied my wrists together, still incapable of rushing his careful bindings. With the next sash, he bound my wrists to the intricate scalloping of the headboard and then used another to reinforce the binding. When he finished, my arms lay somewhat relaxed on the pillows above me, but my hands and wrists were tightly secured. Weirdly, something inside of me eased upon realizing I was trapped. The length of the tying process surprised me. I would have thought he would want to expedite things, but his patience seemed undaunted. He settled back on his knees and studied me, just as he always did after completing one of his tie-ups. Near darkness or no, I felt exposed in just my underwear and wondered if it was my naked skin or the silk sashes that so captivated him. Probably the combination of both. He slid off the bed and stood up so he could take his own clothes off. As they fell to the ground, more and more of his body was revealed. The moonlight caught his white skin, and it practically gleamed. He reminded me of some ancient Grecian or Roman statue, all marble and smooth lines. He crawled back onto the bed, looking down on me, and my heart started racing again. Shadows bathed him now that he was away from the window's full light, and he seemed larger and more powerful compared to me. I had no means of getting out of this unless I wanted to attempt some crazy kicking maneuvers. The time and tension stretched out between us. It made me anxious yet stimulated as well. Why the delay? Why wouldn't he touch me? Why did he just keep looking at me like that? Finally, he knelt by my feet and kissed my toes. Such a small touch, but it made my body shudder after all that waiting. He alternated between both feet, his lips caressing toes and ankles before steadily moving up my legs. Kiyo had done a similar physical examination during our first night together. I wondered if there was some sort of psychological or personality analysis you could make based on whether a guy started at the top or the bottom. Up, up. Dorian's mouth moved on. My pelvic muscles tightened in anticipation, and I felt wetness growing between my thighs. But then, he simply skipped past my underwear, continuing with my stomach. He ran his hands along the smooth skin, still taking his time, cautious around the healing fachan cut. When he finished there, he moved to my neck, bypassing my breasts. My neck was pretty sensitive too, and his mouth's intensity had increased. The sensation forced my breathing into anxious, ragged gasps, but a frustrated complaint slipped out nonetheless. â€Å"Why are you skipping all the good parts?† He paused, just barely lifting his lips from my skin. â€Å"Do you want me to go back?† I bit my lip. He was trying to make me dictate the terms here, but that wasn't what I wanted. For once, I didn't want the power here. That was why I'd asked to be tied up. I wanted the choice taken away from me. I stayed quiet. He returned to my neck, moving his mouth along my collarbone and shoulder, then up to my cheek and ears. Our lips soon came together again, and I tried to channel my eagerness and passion into that kiss, as I had done earlier. But now he kept himself just out of reach, just enough to tease but not fulfill. I shifted my body upward, touching as much of his as I could. That, too, he held slightly away. It was frustrating, and in my need, I forgot about who was supposed to be in control. â€Å"Okay – go back.† He complied as efficiently and quickly as he had to my initial bondage request. His hands and their delicate fingers cradled my breasts, holding them in place for his mouth. I closed my eyes and tilted my neck back, lost in those burning twirls of his tongue as he woke the nerves in my flesh and delicately sucked the nipples. When he finally broke away, I made a soft sound of protest until I realized where he went next. Looping his fingers through the sides of my panties, he pulled them down, stopping abruptly when they reached midthigh. For a moment, I thought it was more of his teasing until I suddenly grasped the situation. â€Å"It's, um, called a Brazilian wax,† I explained, voice still breathy. â€Å"Oh.† His own voice held wonder. â€Å"Oh my.† His fingers ran over that delicate area, both for sensuality and his own curious exploration. With a happy sigh, he removed the underwear altogether and carefully spread my thighs apart. Then, his mouth was upon me, his tongue running along that most sensitive of spots in one smooth motion. It was like a spark to a powder keg. My whole body bucked up as heat exploded throughout me, and I made some sound vaguely like a whimper. Both of his hands slid up and held me firmly in place, reminding me again that I'd given up the power here. That same conflicting mix of fear and need flared up inside of me, scared that he could do anything he wanted to me and half-hoping he would. When he grew convinced I wouldn't thrash anymore, he let one hand slide back to my thighs. His mouth had never stopped in its fervent feeding, and now his fingers moved in, pushing into me with smooth motions timed to work with his mouth. I moaned against his touch, my head thrown back and upper body arched. He had an uncanny knack for pulling back each time orgasm was about to occur. So, when he finally allowed me that release, it almost caught me by surprise. My flesh ignited, electric and glorious. I shivered as my muscles contracted, as that scorching ecstasy poured through my body. Even when that tide broke, he kept his mouth down there licking and probing until I begged him to stop, too overcome by the flood of sensation. He took his time in obeying the request, finally moving away and laying his body on top of mine. Every part of him pressed against me, hard and wonderful, and I writhed under him, yearning for more. He moved his hands back up to my arms, again firmly pinning me in place. His mouth crushed mine, forcing me to taste myself on his lips. Struggling did no good. When he released me from the kiss at last, his face moved only a fraction of an inch away from mine. â€Å"I know why you're doing this,† he said. â€Å"Why you wanted to be bound. It's because you want the decision taken out of your hands. You knew once you were here, there'd be no turning back. You wouldn't have to be burdened with the decision of willfully coming together with me. You would have no choice in the matter and hence relieve yourself of any guilt or anticipation.† He kissed my cheek and then lingered on my ear a little. â€Å"In a moment, I swear I can ravage and take you as much as you want, if that's what makes it easier. But your choices aren't gone yet. We can stop if you want. Or I can untie you. You can tell me you want this and join with me not in submission, but as an equal.† The words were on my lips. Yes, untie me. Make love to me. Fuck me. I want to be with you. I could have said any number of things to change the balance of power. I could have gained both control and freedom again. Yet, I said or did nothing. Maybe it was because it was the only way I could go through with this. Or maybe I just wanted it this way. Maybe I even enjoyed it. Regardless, I stayed quiet, and he read the answer in that. He rose up, looming over me. He was a conqueror, coming to collect, and I was a prize, open flesh waiting to be seized. That fear lurched up in me, and I thrived on it. It was delicious. Thrilling. I gave up my power. I gave myself to him. Almost on his knees, he spread my legs apart and pushed in. I screamed, almost more from mental than physical sensation, my arms straining uselessly against the ties. He filled me, punctuating each powerful movement into me with a soft grunt in his throat I thought even he wasn't aware of. I wanted to reach up and wrap my arms around him, pull him against me. But all I could do was lay there, lay there and let him push into me over and over, the enemy I'd somehow come to crave. He shifted his body so that he was completely on top of me, still moving urgently and possessively, save that now I had even less mobility than before. He held me down, grip tight. And me? I was all aching and burning flesh, letting him take whatever he wanted from me. I floated in a warm, liquid place. It was like being wrapped in golden silk, molten bliss spreading over my body. â€Å"I told you,† he said through his labored breathing. â€Å"I told you you'd come to me. And now†¦now I realize I could have simply taken you the instant I'd tied you up. You didn't need any of the rest. You've had this desire and never even known it†¦this desire to simply be had in any way your lover wanted.† He paused a moment, swallowing and catching his breath. â€Å"I'm right, aren't I? I could move you into any position I wanted, make love to you in any place I wanted, and you'd love every moment of it†¦.† I couldn't really manage any coherent answers, and most of my noises had lapsed into primal, unintelligible cries. All I wanted to focus on was us being together, the way it felt to have him pushing and rubbing, the way it must feel for him to be inside of me. I'd slid up on the bed; my head was practically in danger of hitting the headboard soon. Suddenly, he pulled out abruptly and hovered back over me. His eyes, dark in this light, watched me, and I sensed that laconic, playful expression on his face. Both of us panted. I waited for him to return, feeling irate at this interruption. I'd been on the verge of coming again. Somehow I suspected he'd known that. â€Å"What are you doing?† â€Å"Waiting. Waiting for you to tell me to keep going.† He wasn't being cruel or mean. He was teasing me, toying with me the way he so enjoyed among the people around here. â€Å"You fucking bastard,† I said. Somehow the profanity carried mild affection. He laughed. â€Å"Should I take that to mean you want me to continue?† â€Å"You know I do.† â€Å"Then say it outright. Unless you're going to get up and take me yourself.† â€Å"Did I mention you're a bastard?† â€Å"Tell me you don't want me to stop. Beg me. Beg me, and we'll do this for the rest of the night.† It was merely a game, another dimension of this power play and his dominance over me. And, much to my chagrin, it was a turn-on. â€Å"Please,† I whispered. â€Å"Please what?† â€Å"Please†¦don't stop. I want†¦I want you to keep†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Keep what?† I sighed. â€Å"I want you to keep fucking me.† He was back in me almost before the words had left my lips. I yelled out again as moments later, the delayed orgasm exploded in me. I shook and burned as that glittering sensation crackled through me. All the while, our bodies kept moving together. His face was near mine, watching with pleasure as I panted and struggled against a joy that was almost too intense. â€Å"I hate you,† I gasped out. He laughed and rained kisses down on my face. â€Å"No, you don't.† He was right.