Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology

Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology Names of Animals and Insects Formed by Folk Etymology By Mark Nichol This post lists words derived from words in other languages as a result of folk etymology, a process by which speakers adopt the foreign terms after revising them by using existing elements from their native language. bumblebee: This word stems from the Middle English word humbul-be, but by association with bombeln, meaning â€Å"boom† or â€Å"buzz,† the initial sound changed. caterpillar: The word for a butterfly or moth larva stems from the Old French word catepelose (â€Å"hairy cat†); the alteration of the third and fourth syllables to -pillar (from Middle English piller, meaning â€Å"plunderer†) may have developed from the notion of its destructive effect on plants. cockroach: This word is derived from the Spanish term cucaracha and employs two words that, when combined, sound similar to the original word. cockatoo: This bird’s name is from the Malay word kakatua by way of the Dutch term kaketoe. crawfish/crayfish: Although these are variations of a name for an aquatic animal, the second syllable in each is not equivalent to the word fish; the entire word, ultimately from a Germanic language, stems from the Anglo-French term creveis by way of the Middle English word crevis and is related to crab (and perhaps to carve). geoduck: This name for a Pacific Northwest clam, which comes from a local Native American term, has nothing to do with ducks- or with the Latin prefix geo-, meaning â€Å"earth†; also, the spelling of the first two syllables is inexplicable, since they are pronounced like gooey. greyhound: The first syllable of this word does not refer to the dogs color; it is from the Old English term grieg, referring to a female dog. lapwing: This word for a species of bird started out as the Old English term hlÄ“apewince (â€Å"leap wink†), inspired by the bird’s flapping mode of flight. mandrill: This word for a type of baboon derived from attempts of English speakers to pronounce the name of the animal in an African language. mongoose: The animal’s name stems from mamgusa in Prakrit, an Indic language. (It has nothing to do with geese, so the plural is mongooses.) muskrat: This animal is a rodent, but its name is not derived from its scent or its kinship with rats; the word from which it derives is of Algonquian origin. peacock/peahen/peafowl: The first syllable of these words comes from pavo, the Latin (and Spanish) name for it. Peafowl is redundant, while peacock and peahen denote the male and female of the species. polecat: The first syllable of this name for a mammal in the weasel family (also an alternative name for the polecat’s relative, the skunk) is derived from the French term poul (the base of poultry), from its barnyard depredations. popinjay: This older term for a parrot, now exclusively applied to an arrogant person, is ultimately from the Arabic word babghÄ . quahog: This word for a type of clam stems from poquauhock, from the Narragansett language, and has no relation to pork. sockeye: The name for a type of salmon does not refer to its eyes; it originates from an attempt to pronounce a Native American word for the fish. wheatear: This thrush was originally called a wheatears; that name is a euphemism for â€Å"white arse,† a reference to its light-colored rump. white rhinoceros: White, in the name of this animal, is not a reference to its color; it stems from the Afrikaans adjective weit, meaning â€Å"wide,† a description that distinguishes its wide upper lip from the pointed lip of the black rhinoceros. woodchuck: This alternative name for the groundhog derives from the assignment of two English words whose sounds resemble those of a Cree word. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Homograph ExamplesAmong vs. AmongstComma Before Too?

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Use Facebook Retargeting Ads With Nick Steeves [PODCAST]

How to Use Facebook Retargeting Ads With Nick Steeves [PODCAST] It’s a challenge to get traffic to your website. Even after you put in the effort to build traffic, many visitors don’t buy what you’re selling the first time they visit. What you want to do is get your visitors to return so they make that purchase. Today’s guest is Nick Steeves, the chief product officer at Wishpond. He is going to talk to us about retargeting, video ads, and how to measure your digital advertising success. If you want to get more people to come back to your site to buy your product or service, you won’t want to miss today’s show! Information about Wishpond and what Nick does there. Retargeting: What it is and why it’s important. Nick also talks about two ways to do retargeting one way that is basic and one way that is more advanced. How Wishpond comes up with retargeting ad ideas. The types of retargeting ads that work the best for Display and Facebook. Tips on making great videos that will result in conversion. Why it makes good business sense to â€Å"pay to play† on Facebook. Why Wishpond calls their marketing team â€Å"the growth team.† What the Wishpond growth team’s workflow looks like and how they keep it all organized. How to test ads to know what works best, as well as what to look for to know whether the ad is working or not working and how to learn from the ads that just didn’t work. Nick’s best advice for someone just starting out with retargeting ads. Links: Nick Steeves Wishpond AdEspresso Google AdWords

Thursday, November 21, 2019

E-Commerce in Project Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

E-Commerce in Project Integration - Essay Example These applications use electronic communications systems and technology of internet (world wide web) and local area networks.1 These depend on computer and non computer technologies. The usage of non computer technologies can be speed up using the e commerce applications. For example the sales and transportation activities can be speeded up by timely communication using computer technologies. According to a survey the ecommerce business applications generated $12.3 billion sales in 2003. this sales is apart from the general sales. The concept of electronic commerce was not same as it was now when compared to 30 years back. The concept has changed with the change of technology. In the present day usage and the needs the e - commerce applications usually integrate various activities in the project management. 30 years back, the interchange of data and funds transfer used to be the meaning of e commerce. They included the transmission of purchase orders and invoices electronically. The process of integration is not present in the beginning. E - Commerce is combination of technology and business. The name itself will represent that combination. It can be defined as the set of processes that execute the business. The analysis of the information available also is part of e commerce. 20 years back, the initiation of credit cards and ATMs occurred. This increased the speed of transaction. After that the e commerce introduced the enterprise resource planning systems. These included data mining and ware housing of data. The increase of databases resulted in increasing the capacity of analysing by the e commerce applications. At present the e commerce includes a wide range of business activities. These activities include number of processes like e banking, offshore manufacturing and e logistics. The growth of the economies of the countries started to speed up when the industries in those countries used e commerce for the integration of their activities. The reason is that it speeded up the execution of transactions and deliver y and production of goods. In this paper the application and advantage of using e commerce for integrating the construction project management will be discussed. 2. E-Commerce in Construction Business Like any other business, the construction business involves the sales, purchase, cash and information transfer and transportation of goods. Along with the aforesaid topics, the process of tenders was also involved. All the above mentioned activities, transactions and processes involved in them can be speeded up by the integration using the e commerce applications. As the groceries are ordered online by customers, similarly the construction material also can be ordered online using e commerce applications. This is possible if the vendor of the construction material also have e commerce applications and using them. This entry of e commerce into number of sectors removed the barriers of selling in number of types of goods. This decreased the investment in establishment of showrooms for many small sized and big sized businesses and industries. As the usage of e commerce decrease the flow of customers to the showroom along with

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Multiple choice Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Multiple choice - Coursework Example Jesse Jackson, on the other hand, is a politician known for his active participation in the civil rights movement. Both claimed to be disciples of the Martin Luther King’s brand of Civil Rights activism yet, a closer look on their respective views on Affirmative Action revealed their conflicting outlook. Pendleton vehemently criticized affirmative action because he felt that it took away the honor and the glory from deserving and talented African-Americans and referred to its supporters as new racists who wanted assured outcomes sans the competition. The underpinning of Pendleton’s argument was that he wanted the African-Americans to rise above the rest on the strength of their own talent, hard work and perseverance competing with the rest of the country. He wanted them to stand toe to toe with everybody and not be isolated – a part of mainstream America. Jesse Jackson, on the other hand, who defended and supported the extension of affirmative action during the height of the US Supreme Court Affirmative Action case saw it as an assurance of African-Americans in achieving the American Dream. He saw it as a means of equal opportunity. To Jackson, Affirmative Action was still relevant because the issue at stake was not only racial but also economic justice and social equa lity. He believed that society must enter into a compromise to ensure that peace and harmony prevail. The conflicting views of these two civil rights activists were a mere reflection of their personalities: Pendleton was a conservative, a pacifist and a proud man while Jackson is a go-getter and a realist who will leave no stone unturned to get what he wants. Their respective views may have different relevance then but today, with an African-American at the helm of the most powerful country in the world there is no doubt that the African-Americans have no need to be treated as a race with inferior surviving wits. It is time that they be

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Personal Development in Health Essay Example for Free

Personal Development in Health Essay Outcome 1: Understand what is required for competence in own work role Describe the duties and responsibilities of own work role. On a day to day basis the daily jobs are as follows: Daily weekly jobs Am Check money tins Visual check of home and exterior Support clients in Breakfast Support Clients in getting up and showering if needed Medication at 9am Handover form Early to Mid shift if needed Support clients in their jobs Own administration jobs to be completed throughout day inc SWIMS, Time Sheets, Emails, objectives, my way forward etc. Link working with clients Answer phone, and complete anything as it comes in Prepare lunch and dinner Medication at 1pm Handover to PM staff at 2pm as long as is needed PM need to check money tins Check jobs and clean etc if needed Support clients as needed 4.45 medication before M shift goes 5.30 evening meal is served Any PM specific cleaning jobs 9pm Sleep shift comes on with Handover 9.30 Evening Medication is given Sleep shift checks fridge and freezer temperatures Sleep specific jobs see cleaning list by microwave Closing checks of Home Assist clients to bed if needed On the wider scale my job is as follows: JOB PURPOSE To provide care and support to individuals residing in a Registered Care Home setting. CLIENT SUPPORT †¢ To actively seek to empower service users to gain and maintain control over all aspects of their lives †¢ To support clients with personal care as detailed in care plans developed by others ensuring they are treated with dignity and respect at all times †¢ To undertake tasks as directed by Senior Registered Support Worker and/or Service Manager †¢ To support clients with laundry activities †¢ To order food for the RCH and/or support clients with shopping †¢ To support and /or accompany clients to collect benefits or other Continues for 9 more pages  » Read full document Full access is free for premium users. Add to Library (0) DownloadPrint Report this Essay Facebook Twitter Google+ Send Rate This Document 4.5 12345 Read full document Full access is free for premium users. Document Details Views: 168 Words: 2433 Related Essays Unit 332 – Engage in p Page 1 – Kathryn Di Terlizzi Unit 332 – Engage in personal development in health, social care 10 Pages October 2013 Engage in Personal Devel Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings. 6 Pages October 2012 Sc32: Engage in Personal SC32: Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s 10 Pages March 2013 SHC 32: Engage in person SHC 32: Engage in personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s 6 Pages March 2014 Unit Shc22 Introductio SHC 22 1.1 Describe and explain the duties and responsibilities of your own work role. 7 Pages November 2011

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Liberty, Value, and the Liberal Perspective Essay -- Politics Politica

Liberty, Value, and the Liberal Perspective ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the nature of liberty from the point of view of value. Liberty is the highest value for liberals. The root of this liberal view is their particular conception of self. Rawls says 'the self is prior to the ends which are affirmed by it.' This is also the Kantian view of the self: the self is prior to its socially given roles and relationships. Therefore, no end is exempt from possible revision by the self. There is nothing wrong with this basic idea. In fact, all theories agree on free choice of life plan or self-determination. But they disagree about what package of rights and resources best enables people to pursue their own conceptions of the good. However, the liberal view of liberty is based on a metaphysically reasoned idealism. This results in a conception of liberty that is absolute, supreme, and has infinite value compared with other things. Communitarians have several arguments against the liberal view. I consider the following two points to be of utmost import: (1) The liberal view of the self is empty; (2) The liberal view ignores our embeddedness in communal practices. My reasoning is not exactly that of the communitarians. I view 'emptiness' as freedom associated with the substance of an action, which has a value that does not lie in itself. I. Introduction This paper discusses the nature of liberty in terms of value and starts from the nature of value. Every good has a value. Physical goods have economic or material values. Social goods have non-economic or non-material values. I find that some social goods each have a value quite different from the value of most goods in that its value does not lie in itself, but lie in its functi... ... liberty is finite, the metaphysical conception that liberty is something absolute and supreme seems nonsensical. Notes (1) John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1971), 560. (2) Will Lymlicka, Contemporary Pliltical Philosophy (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990), 208. (3) C. L. Sheng, A Utilitarian General Theory of Value (Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi International Publisher, 1997), 33-44. (4) C. L. Sheng, "On the Flexible Nature of Morality," Philosophical Research Archives, Vol. 12 (1986-1987), 125-142. (5) C. L. Sheng, "On Charitable Actions," in C. L. Sheng, Philosophical Papers (Taipei: Tamkang University Press, 1993), 131-153. (6) Joseph Raz, "Right-Based Moralities," in Utility and Rights, ed. R. C. Frey (Minneapolis, Minnesota: The University of Minnesota Press, 1984), 42-60. (7) See note 4. Liberty, Value, and the Liberal Perspective Essay -- Politics Politica Liberty, Value, and the Liberal Perspective ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the nature of liberty from the point of view of value. Liberty is the highest value for liberals. The root of this liberal view is their particular conception of self. Rawls says 'the self is prior to the ends which are affirmed by it.' This is also the Kantian view of the self: the self is prior to its socially given roles and relationships. Therefore, no end is exempt from possible revision by the self. There is nothing wrong with this basic idea. In fact, all theories agree on free choice of life plan or self-determination. But they disagree about what package of rights and resources best enables people to pursue their own conceptions of the good. However, the liberal view of liberty is based on a metaphysically reasoned idealism. This results in a conception of liberty that is absolute, supreme, and has infinite value compared with other things. Communitarians have several arguments against the liberal view. I consider the following two points to be of utmost import: (1) The liberal view of the self is empty; (2) The liberal view ignores our embeddedness in communal practices. My reasoning is not exactly that of the communitarians. I view 'emptiness' as freedom associated with the substance of an action, which has a value that does not lie in itself. I. Introduction This paper discusses the nature of liberty in terms of value and starts from the nature of value. Every good has a value. Physical goods have economic or material values. Social goods have non-economic or non-material values. I find that some social goods each have a value quite different from the value of most goods in that its value does not lie in itself, but lie in its functi... ... liberty is finite, the metaphysical conception that liberty is something absolute and supreme seems nonsensical. Notes (1) John Rawls, A Theory of Justice (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1971), 560. (2) Will Lymlicka, Contemporary Pliltical Philosophy (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990), 208. (3) C. L. Sheng, A Utilitarian General Theory of Value (Amsterdam and Atlanta: Rodopi International Publisher, 1997), 33-44. (4) C. L. Sheng, "On the Flexible Nature of Morality," Philosophical Research Archives, Vol. 12 (1986-1987), 125-142. (5) C. L. Sheng, "On Charitable Actions," in C. L. Sheng, Philosophical Papers (Taipei: Tamkang University Press, 1993), 131-153. (6) Joseph Raz, "Right-Based Moralities," in Utility and Rights, ed. R. C. Frey (Minneapolis, Minnesota: The University of Minnesota Press, 1984), 42-60. (7) See note 4.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 12. Complications

â€Å"Complications,† Jacob read. â€Å"I don't like the sound of that.† â€Å"I'm sure it's not as bad as it sounds,† Bella shrugged. Bella and I walked silently to biology. I was trying to focus myself on the moment, on the girl beside me, on what was real and solid, on anything that would keep Alice's deceitful, meaningless visions out of my head. â€Å"It's not meaningless,† Jacob muttered, â€Å"don't underestimate it.† We passed Angela Weber, lingering on the sidewalk, discussing an assignment with a boy from her Trigonometry class. I scanned her thoughts perfunctorily, expecting more disappointment, only to be surprised by their wistful tenor. Ah, so there was something Angela wanted. Unfortunately, it wasn't something that could be easily gift-wrapped. â€Å"She must like the guy,† Bella said. â€Å"This should be interesting,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"It will only work if the guy likes her back though,† Bella said. â€Å"But Angela is cool†¦ who wouldn't like her,† Jacob said. I felt strangely comforted for a moment, hearing Angela's hopeless yearning. A sense of kinship that Angela would never know about passed through me, and I was, in that second, at one with the kind human girl. â€Å"What does he mean by that†¦ your yearning isn't hopeless, Edward!† Bella huffed. It was oddly consoling to know that I wasn't the only one living out a tragic love story. Heartbreak was everywhere. â€Å"Argh,† Bella groaned. â€Å"Only if you keep thinking that way.† In the next second, I was abruptly and thoroughly irritated. Because Angela's story didn't have to be tragic. She was human and he was human and the difference that seemed so insurmountable in her head was ridiculous, truly ridiculous compared to my own situation. There was no point in her broken heart. What a wasteful sadness, when there was no valid reason for her not to be with the one she wanted. â€Å"Yeah, wasteful,† Bella muttered, thinking that Edward's was wasteful too, though he did have more of a reason to be so cautious. Why shouldn't she have what she wanted? Why shouldn't this one story have a happy ending? I wanted to give her a gift Well, I would give her what she wanted. Knowing what I did of human nature, it probably wouldn't even be very difficult. I sifted through the consciousness of the boy beside her, the object of her affections, and he did not seem unwilling, he was just stymied by the same difficulty she was. Hopeless and resigned, the way she was. â€Å"Come on, people, have faith in yourselves,† Jacob said. Bella, however, was thoughtful. She wondered if this was a mirror of how she and Edward felt†¦ both of them not fully realizing what they other felt. She was sure that her book self couldn't have known how much he loved her†¦ there was no possible way for her to know that. And she could see clearly that Edward didn't understand how much she lo†¦ er†¦ however she felt about him. She stopped that train of thought as something else seemed to go through her. She was wondering how strongly did she feel about this guy that she had yet to meet†¦ and she longed for that meeting to happen already. Jacob started reading then, drawing her concentration back to the book. All I would have to do was plant the suggestion The plan formed easily, the script wrote itself without effort on my part. I would need Emmett's helpgetting him to go along with this was the only real difficulty. Human nature was so much easier to manipulate than vampire nature. â€Å"You've got to watch out for this guy, Bells, he's definitely a speciesist,† Jacob said. â€Å"Whatever,† Bella rolled her eyes. I was pleased with my solution, with my gift for Angela. It was a nice diversion from my own problems. Would that mine were as easily fixed. My mood was slightly improved as Bella and I took our seats. Maybe I should be more positive. Maybe there was some solution out there for us that was escaping me, the way Angela's obvious solution was so invisible to her. Not likely But why waste time with hopelessness? I didn't have time to waste when it came to Bella. Each second mattered. Mr. Banner entered pulling an ancient TV and VCR. He was skipping through a section he wasn't particularly interested ingenetic disordersby showing a movie for the next three days. Lorenzo's Oil was not a very cheerful piece, but that didn't stop the excitement in the room. No notes, no test-able material. Three free days. The humans exulted. â€Å"It sounds kind of boring to me,† Bella mumbled and Jacob looked at her oddly. It didn't matter to me, either way. I hadn't been planning on paying any attention to anything but Bella. I did not pull my chair away from hers today, to give myself space to breathe. Instead, I sat close beside her like any normal human would. Closer than we sat inside my car, close enough that the left side of my body felt submerged in the heat from her skin. â€Å"I get it! She's hot!† Jacob said and laughed when Bella blushed and glared at him. It was a strange experience, both enjoyable and nerve-racking, but I preferred this to sitting across the table from her. It was more than I was used to, and yet I quickly realized that it was not enough. I was not satisfied. Being this close to her only made me want to be closer still. The pull was stronger the closer I got. I had accused her of being a magnet for danger. Right now, it felt like that was the literal truth. Bella rolled her eyes but chuckled at this. I was danger, and, with every inch I allowed myself nearer to her, her attraction grew in force. And then Mr. Banner turned the lights out. It was odd how much of a difference this made, considering that the lack of light meant little to my eyes. I could still see just as perfectly as before. Every detail of the room was clear. â€Å"That's cool,† Jacob said. â€Å"I wish I could see in the dark like that.† So why the sudden shock of electricity in the air, in this dark that was not dark to me? â€Å"Shock of electricity?† Bella raised an eyebrow. What was he talking about and why did that make her think of the first time he touched her in the second chapter (the first time he talked to her in the books)? Was it because I knew that I was the only one who could see clearly? That both Bella and I were invisible to the others? Like we were alone, just the two of us, hidden in the dark room, sitting so close beside one another My hand moved toward her without my permission. Just to touch her hand, to hold it in the darkness. Would that be such a horrific mistake? If my skin bothered her, she only had to pull away I yanked my hand back, folded my arms tightly across my chest and clenched my hands closed. No mistakes. I'd promised myself that I would make no mistakes, no matter how minimal they seemed. If I held her hand, I would only want moreanother insignificant touch, another move closer to her. I could feel that. A new kind of desire was growing in me, working to override my self-control. Jacob and Bella were thinking the complete opposite thing here. No mistakes. Bella folded her arms securely across her own chest, and her hands balled up into fists, just like mine. â€Å"You feeling this too, aren't you?† Jacob questioned, â€Å"and I know it didn't happen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yeah, I think I am feeling this,† Bella answer before he could say any more. â€Å"I wonder what it means.† â€Å"It seems like you're calling to each other somehow,† Jacob said, and then he bit his lip. It seemed like some kind of instinctual reaction that went way beyond human†¦ whatever that means. What are you thinking? I was dying to whisper the words to her, but the room was too quiet to get away with even a whispered conversation. The movie began, lightening the darkness just a bit. Bella glanced up at me. She noted the rigid way I held my bodyjust like hersand smiled. Her lips parted slightly, and her eyes seemed full of warm invitations. Or perhaps I was seeing what I wanted to see. I smiled back; her breathing caught with a low gasp and she looked quickly away. That made it worse. I didn't know her thoughts, but I was suddenly positive that I had been right before, and that she wanted me to touch her. She felt this dangerous desire just as I did. Between her body and mine, the electricity hummed. Bella blushed, still not sure what this all meant, but had a good idea. She was also wondering what would happen if he did touch her. She didn't move all through the hour, holding her stiff, controlled pose as I held mine. Occasionally she would peek at me again, and the humming current would jolt through me with a sudden shock. â€Å"Um†¦ stop looking at him,† Jacob said. â€Å"I doubt I can help it,† Bella said. â€Å"Besides, he's looking at me nonstop†¦ I should be allowed to look too.† The hour passedslowly, and yet not slowly enough. This was so new, I could have sat like this with her for days, just to experience the feeling fully. â€Å"So the electricity was pleasant,† Jacob said. â€Å"Apparently,† Bella said evenly, but she was still blushing. I had a dozen different arguments with myself while the minutes passed, rationality struggling with desire as I tried to justify touching her. Finally, Mr. Banner turned the lights on again. In the bright fluorescent light, the atmosphere of the room returned to normal. Bella sighed and stretched, flexing her fingers in front of her. It must have been uncomfortable for her to hold that position for so long. It was easier for mestillness came naturally. â€Å"So now you're trying to mimic the vampires,† Jacob said shaking his head, trying to laugh. â€Å"Well, they are the coolest thing around,† Bella smiled when he made a face at that. I chuckled at the relieved expression on her face. â€Å"Well, that was interesting.† â€Å"Umm,† she murmured, clearly understanding what I referred to, but making no comment. What I wouldn't give to hear what she was thinking right now. â€Å"I would like to know that too,† Bella said. â€Å"I wouldn't have guessed that by your smug expression,† Jacob chuckled. I sighed. No amount of wishing was going to help with that. Both Bella and Jacob were chuckling at that. â€Å"Shall we?† I asked, standing. She made a face and got unsteadily to her feet, her hands splayed out as if she were afraid she was going to fall. I could offer her my hand. Or I could place that hand underneath her elbowjust lightlyand steady her. Surely that wouldn't be such a horrible infraction No mistakes. â€Å"How would that be a mistake?† Bella questioned. â€Å"Even with hearing his thoughts, I can't really understand most of his thinking,† Jacob shrugged. â€Å"Though it's clear that he's afraid of touching you.† She was very quiet as we walked toward the gym. The crease was in evidence between her eyes, a sign that she was deep in thought. I, too, was thinking deeply. One touch of her skin wouldn't hurt her, my selfish side contended. I could easily moderate the pressure of my hand. It wasn't exactly difficult, as long as I was firmly in control of myself. My tactile sense was better developed than a human's; I could juggle a dozen crystal goblets without breaking any of them; I could stroke a soap bubble without popping it. As long as I was firmly in control â€Å"And you're always in control, so it will be fine,† Bella said. â€Å"He's not always in control†¦ we've seen him out of control,† Jacob said anxiously. Bella just frowned at that and Jacob read on. Bella was like a soap bubblefragile and ephemeral. Temporary. How long would I be able to justify my presence in her life? How much time did I have? Would I have another chance like this chance, like this moment, like this second? She would not always be within my arm's reach Bella turned to face me at the gym's door, and her eyes widened at the expression on my face. She didn't speak. I looked at myself in the reflection of her eyes and saw the conflict raging in my own. I watched my face change as my better side lost the argument. â€Å"Who's to say what the better said is, Edward?† Bella mumbled to herself but Jacob heard. My hand lifted without a conscious command for it to do so. As gently as if she were made of the thinnest glass, as if she were fragile as a bubble, my fingers stroked the warm skin that covered her cheekbone. It heated under my touch, and I could feel the pulse of blood speed beneath her transparent skin. Enough, I ordered, though my hand was aching to shape itself to the side of her face. Enough. â€Å"He doesn't sound too controlled now,† Jacob muttered. â€Å"He's touch is gentle†¦ it's not hurting me,† Bella said. â€Å"But his mind doesn't seem to have control over his actions,† Jacob countered. â€Å"His instincts do.† â€Å"And what instinct is he following now?† Bella raised her eyebrows. â€Å"It's not to hurt me.† â€Å"Right,† Jacob mumbled, â€Å"but there still is an instinct in him that wants to hurt you†¦ don't forget that.† â€Å"I won't,† Bella sighed. â€Å"But that isn't the only instinct he has towards me now.† It was difficult to pull my hand back, to stop myself from moving closer to her than I already was. A thousand different possibilities ran through my mind in an instanta thousand different ways to touch her. The tip of my finger tracing the shape of her lips. My palm cupping under her chin. Pulling the clip from her hair and letting it spill out across my hand. My arms winding around her waist, holding her against the length of my body. Enough. I forced myself to turn, to move away from her. My body moved stiffly unwilling. I let my mind linger behind to watch her as I walked swiftly away, almost running from the temptation. I caught Mike Newton's thoughtsthey were the loudestwhile he watched Bella walk past him in oblivion, her eyes unfocused and her cheeks red. He glowered and suddenly my name was mingled with curses in his head; I couldn't help grinning slightly in response. â€Å"Too bad Mikey,† Jacob said, trying to chuckle again. My hand was tingling. I flexed it and then curled it into a fist, but it continued to sting painlessly. No, I hadn't hurt herbut touching her had still been a mistake. It felt like firelike the thirsting burn of my throat had spread throughout my entire body. The next time I was close to her, would I be able to stop myself from touching her again? And if I touched her once, would I be able to stop at that? â€Å"Yes,† Bella answered, there was no doubt in her, though Jacob wasn't totally convinced. No more mistakes. That was it. Savor the memory, Edward, I told myself grimly, and keep your hands to yourself. That, or I would have to force myself to leavesomehow. Because I couldn't allow myself near her if I insisted on making errors. I took a deep breath and tried to steady my thoughts. Emmett caught up to me outside the English building. â€Å"Hey, Edward.† He's looking better. Weird, but better. Happy. â€Å"Ah†¦ and him being happy is weird,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Hey, Em.† Did I look happy? I supposed, despite the chaos in my head, I felt that way. Way to keep your mouth shut, kid. Rosalie wants to rip your tongue out. â€Å"I like to see her try†¦ and then get beaten down,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"That's not very nice,† Bella glared at him and he shrugged. I sighed. â€Å"Sorry I left you to deal with that. Are you angry with me?† â€Å"Naw. Rose'll get over it. It was bound to happen anyway.† With what Alice sees coming â€Å"Don't mention that,† Jacob flinched. Alice's visions were not what I wanted to think about right now. I stared forward, my teeth locking together. As I searched for a distraction, I caught sight of Ben Cheney entering the Spanish room ahead of us. Ahhere was my chance to give Angela Weber her gift. â€Å"Ben Cheney,† Bella mumbled and got out her year book to look at him. He was cute enough, though not her type at all. Still she studied the picture, if Angela and Ben liked each other she wanted them to be together in this reality, too. She thought that things might be different now that she knew what Edward was thinking about her, so she might have to be the one to help Ben and Angela out†¦ argh†¦ that wasn't really her strong point. Oh well, it will have to happen someway. I stopped walking and caught Emmett's arm. â€Å"Hold on a second.† What's up? â€Å"I know I don't deserve it, but would you do me a favor anyway?† â€Å"What is it?† he asked, curious. Under my breathand at a speed that would have made the words incomprehensible to a human no matter how loud they'd been spokenI explained to him what I wanted. He stared at me blankly when I was done, his thoughts as blank as his face. â€Å"That sound interesting,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"So?† I prompted. â€Å"Will you help me do it?† It took him a minute to respond. â€Å"But, why?† â€Å"C'mon, Emmett. Why not?† Who are you and what have you done with my brother? Bella and Jacob both chuckled at this. â€Å"Aren't you the one who complains that school is always the same? This is something a little different, isn't it? Consider it an experimentan experiment in human nature.† He stared at me for another moment before he caved. â€Å"Well, it is different, I'll give you that Okay, fine.† Emmett snorted and then shrugged. â€Å"I'll help you.† I grinned at him, feeling more enthusiastic about my plan now that he was on board. Rosalie was a pain, but I would always owe her one for choosing Emmett; no one had a better brother than mine. â€Å"Aw,† Jacob said in teasing voice but Bella smiled at what Edward had just said. Emmett didn't need to practice. I whispered his lines to him once under my breath as we walked into the classroom. Ben was already in his seat behind mine, assembling his homework to hand in. Emmett and I both sat and did the same thing. The classroom was not quiet yet; the murmur of subdued conversation would continue until Mrs. Goff called for attention. She was in no hurry, appraising the quizzes from the last class. â€Å"So,† Emmett said, his voice louder than necessaryif he were really speaking only to me. â€Å"Did you ask Angela Weber out yet?† â€Å"Oh†¦ I get it,† Jacob said laughing. â€Å"This should work.† The sound of papers rustling behind me came to an abrupt stop as Ben froze, his attention suddenly riveted on our conversation. Angela? They're talking about Angela? â€Å"Hm†¦ it definitely makes it easy that Edward knows what he's thinking,† Bella muttered. Good. I had his interest. â€Å"No,† I said, shaking my head slowly to appear regretful. â€Å"Why not?† Emmett improvised. â€Å"Are you chicken?† I grimaced at him. â€Å"No. I heard that she was interested in someone else.† Edward Cullen was going to ask Angela out? But No. I don't like that. I don't want him near her. He'snot right for her. Notsafe. â€Å"You got that right,† Jacob chuckled and Bella glared at him. â€Å"What? You want him to go out with Angela?† â€Å"Don't be ridiculous,† Bella rolled her eyes and Jacob laughed louder. I hadn't anticipated the chivalry, the protective instinct. I'd been working for jealousy. But whatever worked. â€Å"You're going to let that stop you?† Emmett asked scornfully, improvising again. Jacob laughed even more at that. â€Å"Not up for the competition?† I glared at him, but made use of what he gave me. â€Å"Look, I guess she really likes this Ben person. I'm not going to try to convince her otherwise. There are other girls.† The reaction in the chair behind me was electric. â€Å"Who?† Emmett asked, back to the script. â€Å"My lab partner said it was some kid named Cheney. I'm not sure I know who he is.† â€Å"That's rude†¦ the guy's right behind you,† Jacob muttered. â€Å"Um†¦ Jake, that's the point,† Bella said. â€Å"I know,† Jacob rolled his eyes. â€Å"I'm just saying it makes him sound like a stuck up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Whatever,† Bella rolled her eyes. I bit back my smile. Only the haughty Cullens could get away with pretending not to know every student at this tiny school. Ben's head was whirling with shock. Me? Over Edward Cullen? But why would she like me? â€Å"Edward,† Emmett muttered in a lower tone, rolling his eyes toward the boy. â€Å"He's right behind you,† he mouthed, so obviously that the human could easily read the words. â€Å"Oh,† I muttered back. Jacob and Bella were laughing at this again. I turned in my seat and glanced once at the boy behind me. For a second, the black eyes behind the glasses were frightened, but then he stiffened and squared his narrow shoulders, affronted by my clearly disparaging evaluation. His chin shot out and an angry flush darkened his golden-brown skin. â€Å"Huh,† I said arrogantly as I turned back to Emmett. He thinks he's better than me. But Angela doesn't. I'll show him â€Å"Well, there's that problem solved,† Jacob chuckled. Perfect. â€Å"Didn't you say she was taking Yorkie to the dance, though?† Emmett asked, snorting as he said the name of the boy that many scorned for his awkwardness. â€Å"That was a group decision apparently.† I wanted to be sure that Ben was clear on this. â€Å"Angela's shy. If Bwell, if a guy doesn't have the nerve to ask her out, she'd never ask him.† â€Å"You like shy girls,† Emmett said, back to improvisation. Quiet girls. Girls likehmm, I don't know. Maybe Bella Swan? Jacob laughed at this line of teasing as Bella blushed. I grinned at him. â€Å"Exactly.† Then I returned to the performance. â€Å"Maybe Angela will get tired of waiting. Maybe I'll ask her to the prom.† No, you won't, Ben thought, straightening up in his chair. So what if she's so much taller than me? â€Å"Oh†¦ it's because he's short†¦ poor guy,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"I suppose that's not a problem you have to deal with,† Bella said, Jacob seemed pretty tall for his age. â€Å"Not at all,† Jacob said. â€Å"I think I might even have grown an inch since yesterday.† â€Å"Sure you did, Jake,† Bella rolled her eyes. If she doesn't care, then neither do I. She's the nicest, smartest, prettiest girl in this school and she wants me. I liked this Ben. He seemed bright and well-meaning. Maybe even worthy of a girl like Angela. â€Å"Well, it looks like there're three humans that he might think highly of,† Jacob chuckled. I gave Emmett a thumbs up under the desk as Mrs. Goff stood and greeted the class. Okay, I'll admit itthat was sort of fun, Emmett thought. I smiled to myself, pleased that I'd been able to shape one love story's happy ending. I was positive that Ben would follow through, and Angela would receive my anonymous gift. My debt was repaid. How silly humans were, to let a six inch height differential confound their happiness. â€Å"That is a pretty big difference,† Jacob said. â€Å"That guy must be a midget.† â€Å"Jake!† Bella reprimanded him. â€Å"Sorry,† Jacob sighed. My success put me in a good mood. I smiled again as I settled into my chair and prepared to be entertained. After all, as Bella had pointed out at lunch, I'd never seen her in action in her gym class before. â€Å"No,† Bella groaned and Jacob laughed in anticipation. Mike's thoughts were the easiest to pinpoint in the babble of voices that swarmed through the gym. His mind had gotten far too familiar over the last few weeks. With a sigh, I resigned myself to listening through him. At least I could be sure that he would be paying attention to Bella. I was just in time to hear him offer to be her badminton partner; as he made the suggestion, other partnerings ran through his mind. My smile faded, my teeth clenched together, and I had to remind myself that murdering Mike Newton was not a permissible option. â€Å"Hm†¦ I'm not so sure about that,† Jacob laughed. â€Å"It's not,† Bella said firmly. â€Å"Thanks, Mikeyou don't have to do this, you know.† â€Å"Don't worry, I'll keep out of your way.† They grinned at each other, and flashes of numerous accidentsalways in some way connected to Bellaflashed through Mike's head. Jacob started chuckling and Bella groaned. Mike played alone at first, while Bella hesitated on the back half of the court, holding her racket gingerly, as if it was some kind of weapon. Then Coach Clapp ambled by and ordered Mike to let Bella play. â€Å"Why?† Bella moaned, didn't the coach understand yet? Uh oh, Mike thought as Bella moved forward with a sigh, holding her racquet at an awkward angle. Jennifer Ford served the birdie directly toward Bella with a smug twist to her thoughts. Mike saw Bella lurch toward it, swinging the racket yards wide of her target, and he rushed in to try to save the volley. I watched the trajectory of Bella's racquet with alarm. Sure enough, it hit the taut net and sprung back at her, clipping her forehead before it spun out to strike Mike's arm with a resounding thwack. Jacob was howling with laughed and Bella turned bright red and held her head in her hands. That was a new all time low for her. â€Å"You really are awful,† Jacob choked out some time later. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, now can you continue reading,† Bella tried to sound as if this wasn't bothering her, but she was still red and her voice was too weak to pull that off. Ow. Ow. Ungh. That's going to leave a bruise. â€Å"Good,† Jacob said, his dying laughter starting again. Bella was kneading her forehead. It was hard to stay in my seat where I belonged, knowing she was hurt. But what could I do, if I were there? And it didn't seem to be serious I hesitated, watching. If she intended to continue to try to play, I was going to have to manufacture an excuse to pull her out of class. â€Å"Overreaction,† Bella rolled her eyes. The coach laughed. â€Å"Sorry, Newton.† That girl's the worst jinx I've ever seen. Shouldn't inflict her on the others More laughter for Jacob, but Bella was pleased that the coach seemed to get it better now. He turned his back deliberately and moved to watch another game so that Bella could return to her former spectator's role. Ow, Mike thought again, massaging his arm. He turned to Bella. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"Yeah, are you?† she asked sheepishly, blushing. â€Å"I think I'll make it.† Don't want to sound like a crybaby. But, man, that hurts! â€Å"Crybaby,† Jacob laughed. Mike swung his arm in a circle, wincing. â€Å"I'll just stay back here,† Bella said, embarrassment and chagrin on her face rather than pain. Maybe Mike had got the worst of it. I certainly hoped that was the case. At least she wasn't playing anymore. She held her racquet so carefully behind her back, her eyes wide with remorse I had to disguise my laugh as coughing. What's funny? Emmett wanted to know. â€Å"You know†¦ if you were in Emmett's Gym class, I bet he would have liked you from the first day,† Jacob teased. â€Å"Shut up,† Bella hissed at him. â€Å"Tell you later,† I muttered. Bella didn't venture into the game again. The coach ignored her and let Mike play alone. I breezed through the quiz at the end of the hour, and Mrs. Goff let me go early. I was listening intently to Mike as I walked across the campus. He'd decided to confront Bella about me. Jessica swears they're dating. Why? Why did he have to pick her? He didn't recognize the real phenomenonthat she'd picked me. â€Å"Don't go overboard with that,† Bella rolled her eyes, it was more of a phenomenon that he had picked her after a hundred years after all. â€Å"So.† â€Å"So what?† she wondered. â€Å"You and Cullen, huh?† You and the freak. I guess, if a rich guy is that important to you†¦ Bella was glaring at the book, she didn't like this assumption at all, but what was really getting to her was how very wrong Mike was†¦ Edward was so much more than just a rich guy. I gritted my teeth at his degrading assumption. â€Å"That's none of your business, Mike.† Defensive. So it's true. Crap. â€Å"I don't like it.† â€Å"You don't have to,† she snapped. Why can't she see what a circus sideshow he is? Like they all are. Bella was glaring more at the book than before, not liking his way of thinking at all. The way he stares at her. It gives me chills to watch. â€Å"He looks at you likelike you're something to eat.† Bella and Jacob both tensed a little at that†¦ it wasn't good that Mike was able to notice that. I cringed, waiting for her response. Her face turned bright red, and her lips pressed together like she was holding her breath. Then, suddenly, a giggle burst through her lips. â€Å"You laughed?† Jacob looked at her incredulously. â€Å"Um†¦ the irony of that must have gotten to me,† Bella said. â€Å"I'm sure it was a nervous laugh if that makes you feel any better.† â€Å"It doesn't,† Jacob said and then started reading again. Now she's laughing at me. Great. Mike turned, thoughts sullen, and wandered off to change. I leaned against the gym wall and tried to compose myself. How could she have laughed at Mike's accusationso entirely on target that I began to worry that Forks was becoming too aware Why would she laugh at the suggestion that I could kill her, when she knew that it was entirely true? Where was the humor in that? What was wrong with her? â€Å"Nothing's wrong with me,† Bella huffed. â€Å"I beg to differ,† Jacob chuckled, though he was giving her an odd look, too. Did she have morbid sense of humor? That didn't fit with my idea of her character, but how could I be sure? Or maybe my daydream of the giddy angel was true in the one respect, in that she had no sense of fear at all. Bravethat was one word for it. â€Å"I'm not brave,† Bella mumbled. Others might say stupid, â€Å"So I guess you're stupid then,† Jacob chuckled and Bella glared at him. but I knew how bright she was. No matter what the reason, though, this lack of fear or twisted sense of humor wasn't good for her. Was it this strange lack that put her in danger so constantly? Maybe she would always need me here Just like that, my mood was soaring. If I could just discipline myself, make myself safe, then perhaps it would be right for me to stay with her. When she walked through the gym doors, her shoulders were stiff and her lower lip was between her teeth againa sign of anxiety. But as soon as her eyes met mine, her rigid shoulders relaxed and a wide smile spread across her face. It was an oddly peaceful expression. She walked right to my side without hesitation, only stopping when she was so close that her body heat crashed over me like a tidal wave. â€Å"Hi,† she whispered. The happiness I felt in this moment was, again, without precedent. â€Å"Hello,† I said, and thenbecause with my mood suddenly so light I couldn't resist teasing herI added, â€Å"How was gym?† â€Å"Argh†¦ did he have to mention that?† Bella groaned. â€Å"Yep,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Besides, isn't it better that you know he's watching you†¦ not as creepy that way at least.† â€Å"Whatever,† Bella shrugged. Her smile wavered. â€Å"Fine.† She was a poor liar. â€Å"True,† Jacob and Bella both said. â€Å"Really?† I asked, about to press the issueI was still concerned about her head; was she in painbut then Mike Newton's thoughts we so loud they broke my concentration. I hate him. I wish he would die. I hope he drives that shiny car right off a cliff. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Stick to his own kindto the freaks. â€Å"What does he mean, his own kind?† Jacob asked. â€Å"He doesn't know that Edward is a vampire.† â€Å"I suppose he means rich?† Bella said slowly, not sure of the answer herself. â€Å"That or he instinctively knows that Edward is different.† â€Å"What?† Bella demanded. My eyes refocused on her face. She looked at Mike's retreating back, and then at me again. â€Å"Newton's getting on my nerves,† I admitted. Her mouth fell open, and her smile disappeared. She must have forgotten that I'd had the power to watch through her calamitous last hour, or hoped that I hadn't utilized it. â€Å"More likely the latter,† Bella said, after all he had demonstrated that gift quite well during their last few encounters. â€Å"You weren't listening again?† â€Å"How's your head?† â€Å"You're unbelievable!† she said through her teeth, and then she turned away from me and stalked furiously toward the parking lot. Her skin flushed dark redshe was embarrassed. â€Å"You got that right,† Jacob said. â€Å"Well, no one asked him to watch me in Gym,† Bella grumbled, her clumsiness was always a sore spot for her. I kept pace with her, hoping that her anger would pass soon. She was usually quick to forgive me. â€Å"You were the one who mentioned how I'd never seen you in Gym,† I explained. â€Å"It made me curious.† She didn't answer; her eyebrows pulled together. She came to a sudden halt in the parking lot when she realized that the way to my car was blocked by a crowd of male students. I wonder how fast they've gone in this thing Look at the SMG shift paddles. I've never seen those outside of a magazine Nice side grills Sure wish I had sixty thousand dollars laying around â€Å"Um†¦ Jacob do you want me to leave,† Bella chuckled as Jacob was practically drooling at the description of the car. â€Å"No, but I want you to get me into the Cullen garage sometime in the future,† Jacob said. â€Å"You do realize that's Rosalie's car†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bella said smirking. â€Å"Argh,† Jacob groaned. â€Å"Why did you have to remind me of that?† This was exactly why it was better for Rosalie to only use her car out of town. I wound through the throng of lustful boys to my car; after a second of hesitation, Bella followed suit. â€Å"Ostentatious,† I muttered as she climbed in. â€Å"What kind of car is that?† she wondered. â€Å"An M3.† She frowned. â€Å"I don't speak Car and Driver.† â€Å"Come on, Bella!† Jacob groaned. â€Å"You should know that at least.† â€Å"Sorry,† Bella shrugged, chuckling at his behavior. â€Å"It's a BMW.† I rolled my eyes and then focused on backing out without running anyone down. I had to lock eyes with a few boys that didn't seem willing to move out of my way. A half-second meeting my gaze seemed to be enough to convince them. â€Å"Is that car really that special?† Bella rolled her eyes. Jacob just stared at her incredulously. â€Å"I guess it is,† Bella mumbled. â€Å"Are you still angry?† I asked her. Her frown had relaxed. â€Å"Definitely,† she answered curtly. I sighed. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up. Oh well. I could try to make amends, I supposed. â€Å"Will you forgive me if I apologize?† She thought about that for a moment. â€Å"Maybeif you mean it,† she decided. â€Å"And if you promise not to do it again.† â€Å"Don't hold your breath,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"I know†¦ that's never going to happen,† Bella chuckled too. I wasn't going to lie to her, and there was no way I was agreeing to that. Perhaps if I offered her a different exchange. â€Å"How about if I mean it, and I agree to let you drive this Saturday?† I cringed internally at the thought. â€Å"Oh†¦ that works,† Bella said. The furrow popped into existence between her eyes as she considered the new bargain. â€Å"Deal,† she said after a moment of thought. Now for my apology I'd never tried to dazzle Bella on purpose before, but now seemed like a good time. â€Å"Oh great,† Bella mumbled, blushing already. The thought of him actually trying to dazzle her was too much for her. I stared deep into her eyes as I drove away from the school, wondering if I was doing it right. I used my most persuasive tone. â€Å"Then I'm very sorry I upset you.† Her heartbeat thudded louder than before, and the rhythm was abruptly staccato. Her eyes widened, looking a little stunned. I half-smiled. It seemed like I'd gotten it right. Of course, I was having a bit of difficulty looking away from her eyes, too. Equally dazzled. It was a good thing I had this road memorized. â€Å"What?† Bella said, snapping out of her daze†¦ she liked thinking of them both being dazzled by each other†¦ but still, â€Å"He's not even looking at the road!† â€Å"But he has it memorized†¦ that's just as good,† Jacob laughed at her expression. â€Å"That is not good at all!† Bella snapped, note to self, no dazzling in the car†¦ um†¦ while it's moving at least. â€Å"And I'll be on your doorstep bright and early Saturday morning,† I added, finishing the agreement. She blinked swiftly, shaking her head as if to clear it. â€Å"Um,† she said, â€Å"it doesn't help with the Charlie situation if an unexplained Volvo is left in the driveway.† â€Å"He's not going to take his car,† Bella said, how little she understood him in this book. Ah, how little she still knew me. â€Å"I wasn't intending to bring a car.† Bella blinked at that and then smiled, it was nice knowing they could think alike. â€Å"How† she started to ask. I interrupted her. The answer would be hard to explain without a demonstration, and now was hardly the time. â€Å"Don't worry about it. I'll be there, no car.† She put her head on one side, and looked for a second like she was going to press for more, but then she seemed to change her mind. â€Å"Is it later yet?† she asked, reminding me of our unfinished conversation in the cafeteria today; she'd let go of one difficult question just to return another that was more unappealing. â€Å"Yeah, isn't that nice of her,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"I suppose it is later,† I agreed unwillingly. I parked in front of her house, tensing as I tried to think of how to explainwithout making my monstrous nature too evident, without frightening her again. Or was that wrong? To minimalize my darkness? She waited with the same politely interested mask she'd worn at lunch. If I'd been less anxious, her preposterous calm would have made me laugh. â€Å"And you still want to know why you can't see me hunt?† I asked. â€Å"Well, mostly I was wondering about your reaction,† she said. â€Å"Did I frighten you?† I asked, positive that she would deny it. â€Å"No.† I tried not to smile, and failed. â€Å"I apologize for scaring you.† And then my smile vanished with the momentary humor. â€Å"It was just the very thought of you being therewhile we hunted.† Jacob shivered at that. â€Å"That would be bad?† The mental picture was too muchBella, so vulnerable in the empty darkness; myself, out of control I tried to banish it from my head. â€Å"Well, you don't have to send it our way,† Jacob snapped. â€Å"Extremely.† â€Å"Because† I took a deep breath, concentrating for one moment on the burning thirst. Feeling it, managing it, proving my dominion over it. It would never control me againI willed that to be true. I would be safe for her. I stared at the welcome clouds without seeing them, wishing I could believe that my determination would make any difference if I were hunting when I crossed her scent. â€Å"When we huntwe give ourselves over to our senses,† I told her, thinking through each word before I spoke it. â€Å"Govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way† Jacob and Bella both shivered at that. No, she could definitely never see him hunt. I shook my head in agony at the thought of what wouldnot what could, but what wouldsurely happen then. I listened to the spike in her heartbeat, and then turned, restless, to read her eyes. Bella's face was composed, her eyes grave. Her mouth was pursed just slightly in what I guessed was concern. But concern for what? Her own safety? Or my anguish? I continued to stare at her, trying to translate her ambiguous expression into sure fact. â€Å"Your anguish, I'm sure,† Jacob mumbled. â€Å"She puts others before herself.† â€Å"You don't have to make it sound like a bad thing,† Bella sighed. She gazed back. Her eyes grew wider after a moment, and her pupils dilated, though the light had not changed. My breathing accelerated, and suddenly the quiet in the car seemed to be humming, just like in the darkened biology room this afternoon. The pulsing current raced between us again, and my desire to touch her was, briefly, stronger even than the demands of my thirst. â€Å"Um†¦ this really is pretty freaky,† Jacob muttered and Bella rolled her eyes, curious to know what this really meant. The throbbing electricity made it feel like I had a pulse again. My body sang with it. Like I was human. More than anything in the world, I wanted to feel the heat of her lips against mine. For one second, I struggled desperately to find the strength, the control, to able to put my mouth so close to her skin Bella froze in place†¦ waiting in anticipation†¦ heart hammering. Jacob shifted uncomfortably and was wary about how dangerous that would be. She sucked in a ragged breath, and only then did I realize that when I had started breathing faster, she had stopped breathing altogether. I closed my eyes, trying to break the connection between us. No more mistakes. Bella sighed sadly. Bella's existence was tied to a thousand delicately balanced chemical processes, all so easily disrupted. The rhythmic expansion of her lungs, the flow of oxygen, was life or death to her. The fluttering cadence of her fragile heart could be stopped by so many stupid accidents or illnesses orby me. I did not believe that any member of my family would hesitate if he or she were offered a chance backif he or she could trade immortality for mortality again. Any one of us would stand in fire for it. Burn for as many days or centuries as were necessary. â€Å"But you can't go back,† Bella said sadly, which meant that if they were ever going to be equal she would have to change†¦ Most of our kind prized immortality above anything else. There were even humans who craved this, who searched in dark places for those who could give them the blackest of gifts Not us. Not my family. We would trade anything to be human. â€Å"Right,† Jacob said, and he believed what Edward was saying, it really did explain why they did what they did. But none of us had ever been as desperate for a way back as I was now. I stared at the microscopic pits and flaws in the windshield, like there was some solution hidden in the glass. The electricity had not faded, and I had to concentrate to keep my hands on the wheel. My right hand began to sting without pain again, from when I'd touched her before. â€Å"Bella, I think you should go inside now.† She obeyed at once, without comment, getting out of the car and shutting the door behind herself. Did she feel the potential for disaster as clearly as I did? â€Å"Um†¦ I'm sure I felt the electricity†¦ and noticed that you don't want to touch me,† Bella sighed, â€Å"I'm probably just following your lead.† Did it hurt her to leave, as it hurt me to let her go? The only solace was that I would see her soon. Sooner than she would see me. I smiled at that, then rolled the window down and leaned across to speak to her one more timeit was safer now, with the heat of her body outside the car. She turned to see what I wanted, curious. Still curious, though she'd asked me so many questions today. â€Å"Oh there're so many more questions I have for you,† Bella said. My own curiosity was entirely unsatisfied; answering her questions today had only revealed my secrets â€Å"It looks like he's thinking the same thing,† Jacob chuckled. I'd gotten little from her but my own conjectures. That wasn't fair. â€Å"Oh, Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Tomorrow it's my turn.† Her forehead puckered. â€Å"Your turn to what?† â€Å"Ask the questions.† Tomorrow, when we were in a safer place, surrounded by witnesses, I would get my own answers. I grinned at the thought, and then I turned away because she made no move to leave. Even with her outside of the car, the echo of the electricity zinged in the air. I wanted to get out, too, to walk her to her door as an excuse to stay beside her No more mistakes. I hit the gas, and then sighed as she disappeared behind me. It seemed like I was always running toward Bella or running away from her, never staying in place. I would have to find some way to hold my ground if we were ever going to have any peace. â€Å"Well, that's most definitely true,† Bella said. â€Å"I wonder what he's going to ask me.† â€Å"Well, it looks like you're going to have to wait a long time to figure out,† Jacob said putting the book down. â€Å"Why?† Bella said looking at the clock, it was nine. â€Å"We still have some time.† â€Å"That's not why,† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"It's because that was the end of the book.† â€Å"What?† Bella said. â€Å"That can't be the end†¦ there so much more†¦ I don't know what happens!† â€Å"Sorry, Bells, that's it,† Jacob shrugged. â€Å"Is there at note or anything like that?† Bella asked, picking up the book and noticing a small note and read: I'm sorry that this was all that I could give you, but this was all I could write before you got to school. But there is no need to worry; your story goes on for a long time after this. Bella frowned as she read this, how could this person end the book here but promise that there is a lot more for her to find out? â€Å"Who is this SM person?† â€Å"Um†¦ I'm not sure, but it's the person that left me the note in the first place,† Jacob said. â€Å"Yeah, I figured,† Bella rolled her eyes. â€Å"So†¦ um†¦ what do we do now?† Jacob asked. â€Å"I'm not sure,† Bella said. â€Å"But you're planning on meeting this Edward guy for real, aren't you,† Jacob said. â€Å"Of course,† Bella looked at him suspiciously. He had promised at one time that he wouldn't let that happen. She hoped he had changed his mind because there was no way she would allow that. â€Å"And how do you plan on meeting him at first?† Jacob questioned. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bella said, she didn't think of that but he was right†¦ the first meeting really was something that she had to think about†¦ Edward was, after all going to be deathly attracted to her. â€Å"I suppose we'll just have to think of something.†

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Lord’s Prayer

Introduction Matthew 6:9-13 is commonly referred as the â€Å"Lord’s Prayer†. In this paragraph, Jesus presented a pattern of prayer to the disciples, thus suggesting the manner in which God should be addressed and the petition we are entitled to present to Him. What is it about this paper that intrigues so many people to dig into the meaning of it? It is interesting to see from the verses above that Jesus’ prayer puts God in the first place. The first half of the prayer focuses exclusively on God and His agenda as believers adore, worship, and submit to His will before they introduce their own personal petitions.The second half of the prayer focuses on how should disciple invite God to their daily life and live upon God’s continuous spiritual provision. Even with the second half where their wills are introduced, God still takes dominant position in the relationship. The discipleship of the followers thus is being presented through day-to-day prayers. Soci o-Historical Background To fully understand the meaning of the text, the first thing to do is to step back to examine the society where the text was written, back to the time where the incident happened, thus we can fully grasp the context of the paragraph.The Gospel of Matthew as we know it was almost certainly written before A. D 100. It is quoted by Ignatius (Smyrn. 1. 1), writing in approximately 110-115 A. D. , and probably referred to in the Didache, which may date to sometime in the late 90s. 2 External evidence helps us to confirm that Matthew wrote primarily to Jewish Christian congregation or congregations either on the verge of or just recovering from a substantial break from Judaism as a whole. 3 If Matthew depends on Mark, it must obviously be later than Mark, but the dating of Mark is equally uncertain.Most would place Mark under the Neronian persecution in the mid- to late-60s, but the evidence is highly inferential. 4 Various data within Matthew’s Gospel might also support an earlier dating. Why would only Matthew include references to the temple tax (17:24-27), offering (5:23-24) and ritual (23:16-22), or to Sabbath keeping in Judea (24:20) in an era (after 70) in which none of these was practiced any longer? Why would he stress Jesus’ antagonism against the Sadducees in an age in which they had died out? One answer is that these things happened that way during Jesus’ lifetime.But given the evangelists’ consistent pattern of selecting episodes from Jesus’ life that were theologically meaningful for their communities, one wonders if these data are not indirect pointers to a pre-70 date. The evidence is finely balanced, but it is believed there is a slight weight in favor of opting for a date in the 60s, sometime after the composition of Mark. The above surveys of the probable circumstances of its composition lead a majority today to conclude that the author was a Jewish Christian. 5 Strictly speaking, this Gos pel, like all four canonical Gospels, is anonymous.Canonical Matthew is written in relatively good Greek, better than Mark, but not as polished as that of the native Greek writer, Luke. Given the amount of Hellenization that had infiltrated Galilee by the first century, and given that regular contacts with Gentiles that a toll collector would have had, the apostle Matthew would have become reasonably cosmopolitan Jew, quite capable of this kind of writing. 6 Some have inferred from reference like 13:52 that Matthew himself was a scribe, either before or after becoming a Christian, and that he therefore could not  also have been a toll collector.7 In fact, if he were a Christian scribe or teacher, his previous experience with an occupation that required writing and record keeping might even have helped better prepare him for his later responsibilities. Without any ancient traditions to the contrary, Matthew remains the most plausible choice for author. This author, at least of an o riginal draft of this book, seems quite probably to have been the converted toll collector, also named Levi, who became one of Jesus’ Twelve apostles (cf.10:3; 9:9-13; Mark 2:14-17).Literary Context Suggestions for Matthew’s Gospel have always involved apologetic design to try to convince non-Christian Jews of the truth of the Gospel, encouragement to the church’s witness in a hostile world, and deepening Christian faith by supplying more details about Jesus’ words and works. 8 All of these proposals make good sense and may well form part of Matthew’s intention. To what kind of church under what circumstance would such a Gospel to be addressed?The text itself never says. It is usually assumed that all of the Gospels are first of all addressed to Christian communities, since from the earliest days of Christian testimony that is where these documents are read. Suggestions about the church to which Matthew presumably is writing usually try to relate t he circumstances of that body of believers to the large Jewish world. Most of the testimony states merely that Matthew wrote â€Å"to the Hebrews,† although occasionally a place in Palestine is suggested.Modern scholars have often suggested Syria, especially its central city of Antioch, 9 which was up to one-seventh Jewish and a center of early Christian missionary effort. More fruitful is discussion of the type of situation within Judaism that would have provoked this Gospel. Some have argued for Gentile audience, and interpreted Matthew’s Jewish emphasis as teaching Gentile Christians how to appropriate their Jewish heritage and Scriptures. Others have remained content just to label the community â€Å"mixed†.Most interpreters recognize Matthew’s audience as Jewish-Christian congregation or congregations either on the verge o or just recovering from a substantial break from Judaism as a whole. Graham Stanton suggests the concept of the church having bro ken from but still in debate with the synagogue. 10 Studies of â€Å"formative Judaism† point out how diverse Jewish thought and practice were before AD 70. After the destruction of the temple, however, only two primary branches emerged: rabbinic Judaism and Christian Judaism.The tension was quite high as each of these groups competed in the same communities to defend the claim that they alone were the true heirs to their religious heritage. 11 A situation like this can explain how Matthew could be so concerned to show Jesus as the fulfillment of all things Jewish and yet stress the rebellion of Israel’s leaders, comparable in Matthew’s mind to the hostility of the synagogue leadership in his day. Passage Analysis/Implication The paragraph selected is commonly known as the â€Å"Lord’s Prayer†. Versions of this prayer appear in both Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4.â€Å"Pray then like this† is rendered similarly by most translation. Translato rs may have â€Å"When you pray, you should pray in this way,† â€Å"Your praying should be like this,† or â€Å"When you pray, this is the kind of prayer you should make. † The form of address in Matthew (Our Father who art in heaven) appears in Luke simply as â€Å"Father† (Luke 11:2). The modifier â€Å"Our† reminds us that no believer stands alone, while â€Å"in heaven† serves both to differentiate the heavenly Father from earthly fathers and at the same time to preserve the distant between God and man.The use of first-person plural pronouns through out the prayer reminds us that our praying ought to reflect the corporate unity, desires, and needs of the entire church. â€Å"Hallowed be thy name† is translated â€Å"may your name be honored† by Phps and â€Å"May your name be held in reverence† by Brc. With regard to the last part of this verse and the entirety of the following verse, it is observed that the three p etitions are parallel in thought, and both the passive form and the use of â€Å"name† reflect the attitude of reverence found in Jewish prayers. â€Å"Thy kingdom come† is parallel to the first petition.The reference is to the final establishment of God’s reign on earth. And the prayer requests that God establish his reign for us, not that we establish for him. The next petition, â€Å"Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven†, is not found in Luke’s presentation of the Lord’s prayer. This petition is an exact parallel to the first petition concerning the honoring of God’s name, and as such it also stands parallel with the second petition. The meaning of the petition may be expressed in a variety of ways: â€Å"May people obey you as you are obeyed in heaven† (MACL),â€Å"May you to obeyed all over the earth as your are obeyed in heaven† (INCL). â€Å"Thy will be done† is a passive and does not specify who i s to do God’s will. Many translations have to say â€Å"may people do what you will† or â€Å"the things you will, may people carry them out on earth, just as those in heaven do. † Some translations have understood the prayer to be asking that God’s will be done on earth and be done in heaven, whereas it is probably better to assume that his will is already done in heaven, and that the prayer is that people on earth carry out his will just as it is already carried out in heaven.The first half of the prayer thus focuses exclusively on God and his agenda as believers adore, worship, and submit to his will before they introduce their own personal petitions. â€Å"Give us this day our daily bread† is a short verse but difficult to interpret. The problem concerns the meaning of the word rendered â€Å"daily†. The word appears only in Christian literature, and its origin and meaning have never been explained to the satisfaction of all. Several sol utions have been offered and are summarized in the commentaries.One of the standard Greek lexicons presents them in the following order: (1) â€Å"Necessary for existence. † Some commentators say that this interpretation makes the petition less than spiritual, but Jesus and his followers took seriously the needs of the body. (2) â€Å"For the current day, for today. † This seems to be the interpretation favored by translations that render â€Å"daily†. (3) â€Å"For the following day. † This would refer to the daily ration of bread, given for the next day; therefore, â€Å"give us today our daily portion.†Mft translates â€Å"give us to-day our bread for tomorrow,† while Brc renders â€Å"Give us today our bread for the coming day. † There are several possibilities of meaning. If the prayer was said in the morning, the â€Å"coming day† would be the day in progress. If future reference would permit an eschatological interpretat ion as well, in which case the â€Å"coming day† could be the coming Messianic banquet. However, in this context such an interpretation is highly unlikely. (4) â€Å"Bread for the future. † This is discussed under (3). It is so called eschatological interpretation.The first two alternatives are similar to each other. The third alternative, if taken as a reference to the present day, comes to mean essentially the same as the first two possibilities. The fourth interpretation, though attractive, does not seem to be in focus in the present passage. Since an eschatological interpretation should be rejected, the translation of â€Å"this day† should not be â€Å"in these days† or â€Å"in this age†. It means simply â€Å"today†, although it can be â€Å"each day† or â€Å"day by day† in some constructions, depending on how â€Å"daily† is dealt with.The Greek word for â€Å"bread† is here used with the wider meaning of â€Å"food†. Some have wanted to take â€Å"bread† to mean more than â€Å"food†, feeling it represents all our needs, spiritual and physical. Most translators will follow the examples listed under the first two interpretations: â€Å"Give us each day the food we need. † â€Å"Forgive† has proved very difficult to translate. It can be expressed with some figure of speech such as â€Å"Forget the wrong,† â€Å"no longer see the wrong†. â€Å"Debts† represents a literal rendering of the Greek word.However, commentators note that the word is here sued figuratively for â€Å"sins†. Spiritual debts to God are first of all in view. Our plea for continued forgiveness as believers, requesting the restoration of fellowship with God following the alienation that sin produces, is predicated on our having forgiven those who have sinned against us. As verse 15 stressed, without this interpersonal reconciliation on the human level, n either can we be reconciled to God. In the clause â€Å"As we also have forgiven†, the pronoun â€Å"we† is emphatic.The verb â€Å"have forgiven† represents an aorist indicative in Greek. A number of translations give it a habitual or timeless force. Other specify that the action is past in reference to the petition for God to forgive. The word â€Å"as† is important. Some translators have taken it to mean â€Å"because† or â€Å"since†. But it is better to have â€Å"in the same way† or â€Å"just as†. That is, we ask God to forgive us in the same manner we forgive other. The final petition is especially difficult to interpret. The Greek word translated â€Å"temptation† may also means â€Å"trial, persecution.†The petition does not imply â€Å"don’t bring us to the place of temptation† or â€Å"don’t allow us to be tempted. † God’s spirit has already done both of these with Je sus (4:1). Nor does the clause imply â€Å"don’t tempt us† because God has promised never to do that anyway. Rather, in light of the probable Aramaic underlying Jesus’ prayer, these words seem best taken as â€Å"don’t let us succumb to temptation† or â€Å"don’t abandon us to temptation. †12 We do of course succumb to temptations every once in a while but never because we have no alternative (1 Corinthians 10:13).Thus when we give in, we have only ourselves to blame. The second clause translates a verb that may mean either â€Å"rescue from† or â€Å"protect against. † â€Å"Evil† translates a noun that may also mean â€Å"the evil one†. The New Testament scholars are divided on their judgment. Some are of the opinion that the word is a neuter, inasmuch as neither Hebrew nor Aramaic uses â€Å"the evil one† to denote Satan. Others, basing their judgment upon 13:19, believe that the phrase may refer to the Evil One, that is, the Devil. In either case, the power of evil is here spoken of as a reality.Numerous late manuscripts add various forms of a conclusion to Jesus’ prayer, probably based on 1 Chr 29:11-13, no doubt to give the prayer a proper doxology that otherwise lacked. This well-known conclusion appears in the NIV margin but almost certainly did not appear in Matthew’s original text. 13 14 Conclusion The â€Å"Lord’s Prayer† is in fact closer to a disciple’s prayer in its content. As the sinless One, Jesus cannot ask God to forgive his sin. However, Jesus sets up an example of prayer for us to follow.Only with the fulfillments of various petitions can we reconcile with God in unity. We are called to honor God’s name in our daily life. We are called to be used by God and obey Him in building His kingdom. We shall pray to God everyday for the needs of our body, and ask for forgiveness of our sin. Jesus is calling disciples to pray for deliverance from and protection in testing. We surely cannot avoid testing as such. God lets us to be tested by the evil one to confirm our faith in Him. When such testing comes, only God’s strength can see us through.We may note that the use of plural pronoun â€Å"our† reminds us that just as we approach God as our heavenly Father, we must remember God’s other children as our brothers and sisters. I must seek not only my daily bread but also the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ. 15 Application This prayer is a great reminder for a highly individualized society we have. We pray for everything in our lives no matter big or small. There’s nothing wrong with praying all the time, but often times most of the prayers we say are about ourselves.We prayer for better grades, better health, more time, more patience, better lives, etc. It’s always about us. We often fail to realize that we are trying to take control of everything. We pray to God for His â€Å"help† instead of letting Him be in control of the situation. Through the studying of this prayer, I realize that only through God’s power can we stand against the storms in our lives, and through him can we find the true peace. Also, we must seek not only the provision for ourselves, but also those around us. Our own intimacy with God must lead to prayer for and active commitment to the needs of all his people.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays

Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essays Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Assignment Essay Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report Ashley Gatt Glen Providence XCOM/285 July 31, 2011 Tuition Reimbursement Implementation Report What can a company do in order to boost the employees’ morale, to improve productivities, to enhance efficiencies, and to retain good employees for a long-term? What can a company do to ensure that the business succeed (goals)? Companies cannot operate their businesses without the employees. For this reason, companies need to provide their employees a benefit package that will promote the companies’ concern and consideration for employees’ well being. Many companies offer standard employee benefits package that the employees take it as a typical employment package. Instead of offering common employee benefits package, those that provide tuition reimbursement (employee educational assistance) program experience positive results in organizational development and employee retention. Many successful companies that provide tuition reimbursement program showed that they have low employee turnover rate while enjoying high productivities and enhanced efficiencies from the employees (Babcock, 2009). In this paper, new professional opportunities that the employees with the business and communication bachelor’s degree can pursue are identified. Detailed information of types of careers and the earning potential of people with the degree often have are presented. At the same time, this paper elaborates both tangible and intangible benefits that the company can realize by implementing the tuition reimbursement program. As soon as employees earn the bachelor’s degree in business and communication, the opportunities for a new profession will become tangible and within reach. The employees with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication can explore new professional opportunities to work in the areas of advertising, marketing, business management (administration), human resources, and corporate training. The bachelor’s degree programs in business and communication require students to take courses in sociology, finance, business management, economics, marketing, and other business related courses that will round out the candidate’s business and communication skills in order to advance within the workplaces. Additionally, the employees with the business and communication specialties (skills) can take aim in research and development or public relations division to grow into a professional public relations manager, trainer, or director (executive). The employees with the newly attained bachelor’s degree were taught and trained to develop diverse skill set. In addition to gaining the skill set to handle the administrative tasks, the newly minted graduates would have gained additional skills that may include: * Marketing and public relations * Speech presentation * Responding to public and consumer inquiries Maintaining contacts * Critical thinking and creativity * Strong research skills * Problem solving * Competitiveness and enthusiasm * Learning how to work with a wide range of clients * Understanding market demands * Research and analysis * Conflict management * Strong writing skills (ULinks. com, 2007) People with the degree often work as a mediator, buyer, sales manager, supervi sor, development officer, labor relations specialist, business trainer, benefits administer, mediator, corporate relations officer, communication specialist, customer sales representative, college recruiter, and others. People with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication have choices of professions that vary in range from government agency jobs to Fortune 500 company jobs. Employers who are seeking to hire people with the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are mainly looking for people with strong relational skills, computer skills, writing skills, and critical thinking abilities along with specialized business education that includes accounting, finance, economics, business law, management, public relations, marketing, and sociology. The undergraduates in business and communication majors are especially adapted to the latest computer technologies such as Internet, e-commerce, e-mails, and other electronic communication. Two of the most desired skills many employers seek are social and writing skills learned from the business and communication courses. Because business and communication skills are in demand in the diverse industries, those with the bachelor’s degree in the field do not need to limit their prospects. Other industries that offer employment opportunities for the undergraduates are technology, government, education, social services, broadcasting, and even religious professions (ULinks. com, 2007). When it comes to work, the employment benefits are one of the criteria that people seriously weigh before making the final decision. The employment benefits college-graduates are typically offered are quite different from those offered to employees without a degree. While high school graduates try to hold on to their low paying jobs, people with higher degrees tend to weigh on the potential benefits the companies offer. A college degree offers graduate students extra benefits (earning potential) such as wider career options, better promotion opportunities, and lower chance of unemployment. Many college graduates can work in the fields that are unrelated to their major field of study while people without college degrees struggle to keep the ones they already have. Companies are more favorable toward promoting college graduates because those employees with college degrees are perceived as more dependable and serious about their jobs. People with degrees have higher chances of keeping their jobs than those people without the college degrees. Earning potential of people who have the bachelor’s degree is proven to be higher than those who do not. According to the an article in USA TODAY, Census Bureau conducted a survey among people with and without college degrees and discovered that the people with the degrees earn nearly $1 million more over his or her lifetime than a high school graduate (USA TODAY, 2002). Moreover, a college graduate can earn $2. million working full-time job during the typical period of work-life (between ages 25 to 64) whereas a high school graduate can expect to earn $1. 2 million during the working years (USA TODAY, 2002). Implementing tuition reimbursement program not only benefits the employees who take the advantage of such program, but it also benefits the company. The tuition reimbursement program, sometimes known as employee educational assistance program, can boost employee mo rale while generating greater work efficiency resulting from highly motivated and knowledgeable employees. Many human resources gurus believe that tuition reimbursement program is one of the best and most affordable employee retention tools around (Business and Legal Reports, Inc. , 2010). While employees gain new skills and knowledge by completing the degree courses, the company (employer) spends less money by supporting its employees earn college degrees than paying for the employees to attend seminars, classes (marketing or language), or training new employees. According Jodi Albin, a human resource specialist for Pacific Continental Bank, the investment in upgrading employees’ educational levels actually translate into long-term employee loyalty (low employee turnover rate) (Shufffler, J. , 2008). The companies can use tuition reimbursement program as an effective recruitment means. The employees who work for the company that demonstrates its appreciation by boosting the company morale and culture will be more productive and efficient; thus, the company will benefit due to the improved production and efficiency. Successful companies recognize that investing in employees in attaining new skills and education is beneficial for the companies as well as for the employees. Companies that extend their employee benefits package by including the tuition reimbursement program have lower rate of employee turnovers, higher productivities, and improved company morale. To be specific, the tuition reimbursement program, a worthy investment, improves the workplace environment, increases productivities and efficiencies, and, turns around, brings many intangible benefits to the company. Employees who earned college degrees in business and communication can elevate higher flexibility to apply their newly learned skills in other departments. Overall, the companies that implemented the tuition reimbursement program reap benefits also because most of the employees who attain the bachelor’s degrees in business and communication are highly motivated and productive, tend to stay loyal (employee retention), and look for advancement within the companies. References Babcock, P. (2009). Always more to learn. HRMagazine, 54(9), 51-56. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. Business and Legal Reports, Inc. (2010). Does tuition reimbursement benefit employers? Retrieved July 31, 2011, from http://hr. blr. com Shuffler, J. (2008). Tuition programs are good investments. Oregon Business Magazine, 31(9), 51, Retrieved July 31, 2011, from EBSCOhost database. ULinks. com. (2007). Business Communication Degree: Business Communication Class, Business Communication Training. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from ulinks. com USA TODAY. (2002). Amount of schooling affects earning potential. Retrieved July 31, 2011, from usatoday. com

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

LinkedIn Buzzwords from 2010

LinkedIn Buzzwords from 2010 As a companion piece to my Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010 Id like to share with you LinkedIns list of overused buzzwords in year 2010 LinkedIn profiles.   Is it even possible to avoid using these popular words?   What a challenge for a LinkedIn profile writer! Sometimes words are overused because they work.   Its an ongoing challenge to stay ahead of the curve, and to stay grounded enough in accomplishments and concrete facts that even if these buzzwords appear, they do not come across as trite or cliche. The most overused words varied by country.   Heres the list in the United States: Extensive experience Innovative Motivated Results-oriented Dynamic Proven track record Team player Fast-paced Problem solver Entrepreneurial I challenge you to spot these words in your profile and find other ways to describe yourself and your accomplishments.   And I promise if we work together on your LinkedIn profile, we will find ways to avoid using most if not all of these words.   What a great way to make your profile stand out! Did you make changes to your profile based on this tip?   How did your writing transform?   Please share in the comments section! Category:Archived ArticlesBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 30, 2011 2 Comments Paul Novak says: February 2, 2011 at 3:23 pm Oh no. Oh no no no! No the marketer speak, anything but that! Seriously, that is ONE thing I have avoided like the plague. If I see someone use synergistic one more time Im going to blow an artery. I have found that clients dont care one bit out how well your profile conveys your knowledge of marketing jargon. Once connected and communicating, they want to talk in terms that are easily understood and as casual as possible. They want a human being, not a marketing machine. If anything, Id suggest people simply lighten up and put more of themselves into their profile rather than worry about how they can jazz it up. You CAN be professional and candid at the same time. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 19, 2011 at 11:58 pm Love this comment Paul and I dont know how I missed it when you posted in February! YES you can be professional AND candid. I once wrote in a college students resume summary, Plays well with others. She got many interviews. Log in to Reply

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Legalizing Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Legalizing Marijuana - Essay Example The first argument implies freedom of action, because those actions which do not harm others, should not be banned by the government. Use of marijuana as a means of relaxing is purely a personal choice, therefore, the prohibition of marijuana possession and control of the government should be abolished. Any democratic state can not legally prohibit the citizen to use these or other substances to manage their own health one way or another, so marijuana should be legalized. Everyone has the right to decide for himself whether he will use marijuana or not. The second argument implies misallocation of resources. Strengthening laws against marijuana is usually ineffective. Now the market for illicit substances is under complete and undivided control of organized crime, trafficking in extracting excess profits from illicit substances. Politics of prohibitionism not only revealed their inability to curb the process of drug use and reducing related victims, but on the contrary, contributed to enhancing the drug market. The fight against drug trafficking implies inefficient spending of billions of dollars. During the struggle the huge sums spent on paying the police, lawyers, courts, prisons, but the rate of use of the whole is not reduced, on the contrary, is growing steadily. I believe that the legalization of marijuana is the only one reasonable approach, the only approach that will bring the cannabis from illegal mafia economy sphere, completely indifferent to the health of their customers. Only in this way may lead radical fighting dru g trafficking, taking into account respect for civil liberties. Also I should mention that social tolerance has increased considerably over the last decade. The third argument is that marijuana has useful medicinal properties. Studies show that marijuana is less dangerous than tobacco, legalized drugs, and has a number of medicinal properties (for the treatment