BlackBoard On Line Assignment #3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BlackBoard On Line #3 - Assignment Example In essence, the video is a pitch for new employees by Walmart. The company is selling itself to any potential employees out there, and showing the current ones that it still values them even when actively trying to recruit others. I was particularly impressed by the narrator’s discussion of Walmart’s culture and how new employees can grow in her company where all the right conditions are available for employee development. The video is trying to send a message that it is easy to grow at Walmart. This is a very good initiative that will surely have an impact, and Walmart should be commended for it. Page 324 of chapter 11 talks about the value of motivation. A majority of people hold a perception that only current employees should always be motivated by companies. This is a fallacy because potential employees also need to feel motivated enough to want to work for a firm. Job seekers have to have reasons other than money for wanting to work for a particular company, and one of the biggest reasons should be motivation that is driven by factors other than money (work environment, culture, ethics, and growth). Page 342 of chapter 11 talks about personalizing motivation and the importance of applying motivation in different cultures around the world. This is because companies nowadays have employees from all over the globe, and their diverse cultures cannot be receptive to the same motivation techniques. Smart managers and firms know that they have to tweak and adapt their motivation approaches to suit everybody, regardless of their culture/background. Page 356 of chapter 12 talks about how to recruit employees from a diverse population, something that Walmart is trying to do in the discussed video. The company is basically selling itself to everyone, regardless of where you are from. Because its culture is conducive

Travel and Don George Essay Example for Free

Travel and Don George Essay The writer, Don George, gets a surprise every time he travels. Even though he has been a certain place before, he still gets surprised. He calls travelling his â€Å"mental picture-puzzle of the world†. The reason he has been travelling around the world was because he would like to understand everything by experiencing it. After some of his first trips, he got a job as a travel writer so he could continue travelling and writing about it. Now Don George has a daughter which globe he uses to point out how many countries he has travelled to – which is more than sixty countries. As he travels he keeps on gathering more pieces to his picture-puzzle. He believes that the travels bring him closer to God. Don George ends up believing that maybe the puzzle is God and all his travels and learning’s are incantations, prayers and koans. He thinks that the best thing we can do in life is to learn the things into ourselves and then give it back to all the new places and new people we encounter. If you keep travel and live enough, you would contain everything inside you. Travelling For me, travelling are many things and it can include recreation, vacation, tourism and many other possibilities. Travelling for me also means stepping out of my comfort zone. It means expanding my horizon, literally and figuratively. I’m also very amazed and surprised every time I travel. There are so many different cultures and people have so many different traditions. I always learn something when I travel. I can chose to let it slip away or I can choose to take my experiences and learn it into myself. It’s about challenging the things I thought I knew. Travelling is lying down at the pool relaxed with a cold drink, it? s feeling welcome somewhere, even if I don’t know anyone. Travelling means taking my camera with me everywhere I go. Travelling is walking so much that my feet hurts but you keep saying to yourself â€Å"there are so much more to experience†. I don? t have to go to another country to experience something new. Travelling can be local, regional or international. It doesn’t matter where I am in the world, I will always come home with new wisdom. But travelling can also be something else. I live in a small provincial town where the possibilities for youngsters to experience and get educated are limited. After I’ve graduated high school I would like to move to Copenhagen to study. For me, going to Copenhagen to be educated and live there would be a travel. Frederikshavn and Copenhagen are from my point of view totally different. Even though I’ve been to Copenhagen many times, I still see it as a travel. I can go there as a tourist, I can go there to be in a tournament, it can be a business travel or I can go visit my family and friends. And if I lived in Copenhagen I would travel around the city experiencing, learning and seeing new things everyday. For me traveling can also be boring. Travelling by train, bus, plain, ship, cars such as public transport can be a downside. I don’t like to sit in a train for several hours getting bothered by the person besides or in front of me talking about the party the have been to or about their grandkids or asking me a thousand questions – Jesus am I going to hear your ignorant voice for five more hours? Besides that I absolutely love to travel. It doesn’t matter if it’s near me or far away, whether the climate is cold or warm, it is about living and learning. Soon I’m travelling to USA for two weeks, I can’t wait to experience the culture and the pulse of the land of opportunities. The best times in my life has been while travelling, alone, together with my family, with friends, classmates or my teammates. So the wise words of the great Danish author – Hans Christian Andersen: â€Å"to travel is to live† are 5 words covering my attitude to travelling.

Symbolism in the Glass Menagerie Essay -- Theatre, Tennessee Williams

In â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†, written by Tennessee Williams, symbolism is very prevalent throughout the text. Laura’s glass menagerie was the most easily identifiable symbol because of how relatable it was to the world she lived in. The fire escape was also another symbol that made its presence in the play along with the dance hall that was located just outside. The candles and rainbows mentioned also have some symbolic meaning, in my opinion, which could be left to the interpretation of the reader. Each of the symbols that Williams places in the text can be used to express a specific idea or theme as well as a character in a concrete manner. These subtle symbols that Williams provides create a better and more distinguished understanding of the characters relationships with one another. We are introduced to Laura Wingfield at the beginning of play and can gather from her personality throughout the story that she seems to be living the furthest away from reality in comparison to the other characters. She has a glass collection that she takes extensive care of and because of her dedication to this glass menagerie, it’s almost as if she believes that the reality she lives in no longer exists and she can completely escape into this false world that she has made herself believe is real. Because of this belief, it has negated her chance to complete high school and it has also caused her to fail a typing class that she was taking. Laura’s mother also believes that her infatuation with her glass objects and distance from reality is what is keeping any â€Å"gentlemen callers† from contacting her. The nickname, â€Å"Blue Rose†, given to Laura in high school by Jim, is another symbol for her personality. In my opinion, this has symbolic m... ...o their own fantasy worlds. With all the characters, excluding Jim, trying to each escape reality in their own way, escape, or the idea of, was never truly reached by any of them. Based on this outcome, I feel that Williams is trying to say that in life you must face any problems that you have head-on, rather than to run away and avoid them completely. In conclusion, escape and illusion, are two very prominent themes to be taken away from â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†. How these themes are portrayed by the author, though they aren’t blatant, they can be easily interpreted by the reader based on the context of the story. Understanding how the characters each used their own way of dealing with the monotony of their everyday lives by finding their own source of false reality, really attributes to the effectiveness of Tennessee Williams and his unique writing style.

Aeeta Riddles

The first one was written by the Etas language and followed by an English translation. The answer key follows: 1. Multimedia It wears a crown but isn't a queen It has scales but isn't a fish. 2 . Cassini nag pià ±atas in Pap Nag mismanage you lulu an? There Is a cave with a bolo In It Full of bones It Isn't a grave. 3. Ajar Tanganyika nag nick Away Piccalilli. When you cut it It is mended without a scar. 4. Appeal Gait Awn an did maillot. The thigh of Gatherer all scrape at. 5. Bulgarian aka Agenda Lilliputian mammal. Black stone at Agenda, surrounded by little fishes. 1 OFFThis creature never leaves unless he brings his home. 7. Nu baby ay canvassing; nu areola ay mammalian. It is noisy when shallow, and silent when deep. 8. Nu Babylonian ay embedded. If I open it, it gossips. 9. You Anza y gaff an capacity an nanas. The child is the cause of his mother's death. 10. Nu gaff eBay, nu aha totals Sea by night, tube by day. 1 1 . Nu maturated, attendant, nu metadata, phobia. Standing i t is short, sitting it is tall. 12. Ana data sinology name Mikado nu mature. There's a creature that does not close its eyes when asleep. 13. Incur sauna, manmade Anatolia.If he says he goes, he means he comes. 14. Goanna nu using y mama; managerial pay sill y mina. If you pull your daddy's penis, your mommy's vagina screams too. 15. Cabana you nag an; nasals-assist you Allan an. Inside is full of stones, outside is full of thorns. 16. Titian is canny; dude meme Maida-tit. You stare at it often, yet you never have seen it. 17. Citation SE gaffing; Inca SE anion. Come now, it is dark; go now, it's dawn. 18. Immaculate-latte, mean macaroon. It Jumps and Jumps but cannot move out of its place. 19. Nu manure ay mallow, nu unanimous ay maybug.If it comes it's slow, if it goes up, it's fast. 20. Asana way packet data queue lag. 21 . Is like a managing, ambulated; cabling cue managing, amphibians. Before meals, I am full, after meals I am hungry. ANSWERS 1. Pippin (Pineapple) Simi ( Mouth) 2. 3. Datum (Water) 4. Honey 5. Mortar 6. Adage (turtle) mahatma (river) 7. 8. Bionic (fan) 9. Baht (bananas) 10. AFC (mat) 11. Tat (dog) 12. Durum (grasshopper) 13. Load (shrimp) 14. Company (bell) 15. Imaging Kiwifruit) 16. Sinai (sun) sawing (window) 17. Making (sewing machine) 18. 19. Duggan (booger) 20. Cop (cup) 21 . Caldera (kettle, pot) 1.Mandamuses A instantiating. There is a cave with a bolo in it Full of bones it isn't a grave. Away piccalilli. The thigh of Gait, where all scrape at. 6. Ion sinology, name manna nu name, pan ion bally an. There's a creature that does not close its eyes when asleep. 13. Incur sauna, gammed Anatolia. If you pull your daddy's penis, your mommy's vagina screams too. Inside is full of stones, outside is full of thorns. 16. Titian is canny; dude meme Maida-tit. It Jumps and Jumps but cannot move out of its place. 19. Nu manure ay mallow, nu unanimous ay maybug. Who is he that has but one ear?

Bighorn Sheep

~ The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for it‘s large horns. ~ Their horns can weigh up to 30 pounds , while the sheep themselves weigh up to 300 pounds. ~ Ovis Canadensis is the scientific name of the bighorn sheep. ~ Male bighorn sheep or â€Å"rams† are easily identified by their large spiral horns which grow throughout their lives. An adult ram's horns may measure over 30 inches each in length and reach 15 inches in circumference at the base. Female bighorn or â€Å"ewes† have slender, straighter horns that grow throughout their lives to lengths of 8-10†³ for Rocky Mountain bighorn ewes and 12-17†³ for desert bighorn ewes. Young bighorn that are less than 1 year of age are referred to as lambs. ~ At the beginning of the nineteenth century, bighorn sheep in North America were estimated to number between 1.5 and 2 million, but today less than 70,000 remain. In the late 1800's, hunting, competition from livestock grazing, and diseases introduced by domestic livestock devastated bighorn populations. Although problems with domestic livestock are subsiding, they still exist and are now accompanied by accelerating habitat loss and human disturbance. Habitat loss and fragmentation are recognized as the most significant threats facing bighorn sheep today. Natural predation from mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats also pose a risk to bighorn populations that have dwindled to low numbers. ~ An entire subspecies of bighorn sheep, the Audubon bighorn, which inhabited parts of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska was extirpated by 1925. At various times in the early 1900's, bighorn sheep were extirpated from the states of Washington, Oregon, Texas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila.Fortunately, many populations have been re-established through transplanting bighorn sheep from healthy populations to vacant habitat ~ Rams typically live 9-12 years, while ewes usually live 10-14 years ~ Although the diet of bighorn sheep varies according to the habitat and season, bighorn primarily eat grasses, shrubs, and forbs. Some favorite shrubs for desert bighorn sheep are acacia or catclaw, encelia, sweetbush, and krameria. Generally, bighorn sheep are opportunistic feeders that adapt their diet to the forage available. ~Mountain lions, wolves, bobcats, coyotes and golden eagles are predators of bighorn sheep. Eagles have been known to prey upon lambs, but they are unable to kill adult bighorn. Predation is usually not a problem for healthy bighorn populations; however, when bighorn are supressed by other factors, predation can limit recovery and potentially drive a population to extinction ~ The breeding season, or rut, generally extends from August-November for desert bighorn sheep and October-January for Rocky Mountain and California bighorn sheep. It is during this time that rams clash heads to fight for dominance. In each band of rams there is a dominance order, and the higher ranking rams do most of the breeding. Genetic studies are currently underway to determine the percentage of breeding completed by dominant and subordinate rams. Bighorn sheep have an approximately 6 month gestation period and most ewes give birth to one lamb per year.

Free Essays on John Grisham

The Life and Times of John Grisham John Grisham is a southern man born and raised. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1955 Grisham was raised southern Baptist. Grisham’s family roots run deep in the south, so deep in fact that he is actually a distant cousin to Bill Clinton (Pringle 1). He was one of five siblings that are in his family. Grisham’s family lived on a rather short income having seven people and his father being a construction worker. When he was 12 he and his family moved to Southaven, Mississippi. Having moved around a lot as a child Grisham remembers the first thing his family did when moving into town was visiting the local church, and they would also go to the library to get their library cards. Once is Mississippi his family settled down and Grisham finished the rest of his school. Grisham’s writing was influenced so much by his life experiences that his famous legal thrillers were due to the fact he was a lawyer before he became a famous novelist. Due to the advanced kn owledge he has on the subjects he writes about it is no wonder that John Grisham is one of the greatest novelist that the twentieth century has produced. Grisham’s life was fairly normal growing up, and it has stayed that way throughout his life and career. In middle school Grisham’s grades were average, but most of his attention was focused towards baseball. Grisham did well all the way through school until, ironically, he got a D in freshman English in college (Pringle 1). Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University majoring in Accounting. From there he went to law school at the University of Mississippi aspiring to be a tax attorney. After he took is first class towards becoming a tax attorney he decided that the numbers were too difficult, and he then decided to try criminal law. He graduated from the University of Mississippi and passed the bar in 1981. Once out of school he married his wife Renee, and began... Free Essays on John Grisham Free Essays on John Grisham The Life and Times of John Grisham John Grisham is a southern man born and raised. Born in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in 1955 Grisham was raised southern Baptist. Grisham’s family roots run deep in the south, so deep in fact that he is actually a distant cousin to Bill Clinton (Pringle 1). He was one of five siblings that are in his family. Grisham’s family lived on a rather short income having seven people and his father being a construction worker. When he was 12 he and his family moved to Southaven, Mississippi. Having moved around a lot as a child Grisham remembers the first thing his family did when moving into town was visiting the local church, and they would also go to the library to get their library cards. Once is Mississippi his family settled down and Grisham finished the rest of his school. Grisham’s writing was influenced so much by his life experiences that his famous legal thrillers were due to the fact he was a lawyer before he became a famous novelist. Due to the advanced kn owledge he has on the subjects he writes about it is no wonder that John Grisham is one of the greatest novelist that the twentieth century has produced. Grisham’s life was fairly normal growing up, and it has stayed that way throughout his life and career. In middle school Grisham’s grades were average, but most of his attention was focused towards baseball. Grisham did well all the way through school until, ironically, he got a D in freshman English in college (Pringle 1). Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University majoring in Accounting. From there he went to law school at the University of Mississippi aspiring to be a tax attorney. After he took is first class towards becoming a tax attorney he decided that the numbers were too difficult, and he then decided to try criminal law. He graduated from the University of Mississippi and passed the bar in 1981. Once out of school he married his wife Renee, and began...

The Feminization Of Poverty Essays - Economy, Feminist Economics

The Feminization Of Poverty Essays - Economy, Feminist Economics The Feminization Of Poverty The Origins of the Feminization of Poverty The United Nations Development Fund for Women reports that women are still the poorest of the worlds poor, representing 70% of the 1.3 billion people who live in absolute poverty. They also estimate that nearly 900 million women in the world have incomes of less than $1 a day. In the United States alone, women are about 50 percent more likely to be poor than men. The feminization of poverty in America has steadily increased since the 1950s. Researchers have investigated the reasons for this increase, citing everything from teenage pregnancy to the rise in deadbeat dads. Over the last thirty-five years there have been several trends in our society that have contributed to the feminization of poverty. In 1978, Diana Pearce published a paper citing that poverty in America was becoming more and more feminized. She cited that almost two-thirds of the poor over the age of 16 were women. Pearce also claimed that even though there were more women entering the labor force between 1950 and the mid-1970s, womens economic status had declined. She argued that the blame for this feminization of poverty belonged to the government because of their lack of support for divorced and single women. She argued, for many the price of that independence has been their pauperization and dependence on welfare (McLanahan 1). Further examination of the issue has shown that various changes in the family have contributed to the feminization of poverty. The last thirty years has seen a steady increase in the amount of children born outside of wedlock. In 1960, about six percent of all births were to unmarried couples whereas by 1996 over a third fell into this category (McLanahan 5). This influx of births to single mothers has weighed greatly on women in poverty. The statistics of children born to unmarried black couples is even more dramatic increasing from 22% in 1960 to 70% in 1996 (McLanahan 5). Most women in the lowest quintile of the population have come from generations of poverty before them and their only hope of survival is to get on their own and try to get education or job training. With the birth of children, these impoverished women now have two or three dependents to support and the cycle of poverty continues. Most of these women do not have families to support them and they are left with only one option government support. This has contributed a great deal to the rise of single mother households. Another contribution to the rise in female-headed households has been the increase in divorces. Sarah McLanahan, a researcher at Princeton University, noted that in 1950, most people remained married until they or their spouses died, but today over half of all couples end their marriages voluntarily. The divorce rate the number of divorces each year per 1,000 married women rose steadily during the first half of the twentieth century and increased dramatically after 1960. Over half of all marriages contracted in the mid-1980s were projected to end in divorce. After the marriages are ended the custody of the children almost always goes to the mother. Now the mother becomes the single provider in her family, facing a job that pays far less than the job her male counterparts have, and on top of that her needs are greater because she has custody of their children. Karen Holden and Pamela Smock noted the problems women face after their marriages have ended: Women's post-dissolution economic hardship is due to multiple interrelated factors, often only superficially coupled with the marital dissolution event. In particular, the division of labor during marriage, lower wages paid to women both during and after marriage, and the lack of adequate post-dissolution transfers to women imply that unless changes in women's work roles are mirrored by social policy initiatives and men's assumption of equal responsibility for children (both within and out of marriage), economic prospects for previously married women will remain poor (Holden 52). As single mothers, these women are thrown into unfamiliar territory, and the outcome has been a greater amount of women below the poverty threshold. With this rise in female-headed households below the poverty line has come an increase

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Pragmatism 2 questions, very urgent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pragmatism 2 questions, very urgent - Essay Example Rorty refers to the traditional identifications of truth as â€Å"only descriptions of the world† (Fukuyama). Rorty suggests that language should not be a sign of representation. By suggesting so, Rorty essentially wants to say that people should abandon the religion, and not worship God. Instead, human conscience, language and community should be understood as a joint outcome of luck and time according to Rorty. To put it in simple words, Rorty means to negate the existence of truth altogether. By doing so, Rorty tends to evaluate a belief on the basis of its effects instead of its causes. Rorty places more emphasis upon the association of the statements’ truth with their applicability in practical terms. In this way, Rorty’s suggestion is necessarily a restoration of pragmatism. Rorty’s truth is more of a metaphor which provides solutions for troubles, resolves the issues and eases the tension. In reality, this may not be always so. In fact, in a vast ma jority of cases, people lie in order to escape temporal damage. To them, truth is devastating and demeaning. Nonetheless, the importance of truth can not be denied in any case as the ultimate effects of truth are always better than those of lie. Truth does exist and is not just an outcome of certain events. I totally disapprove of Rorty’s atheism. Explain Rorty's view of education and discuss (in detail) at least one possible objection to Rorty's view.

Platos Theory of Knowledge Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Platos Theory of Knowledge - Term Paper Example The final theory that he arrived at was that knowledge is true belief which has been â€Å"given an account of† – which means some kind of an explanation of definition has been provided of it. The theory of knowledge being justified true belief says that if one is to know that some scheme is indeed correct, the person should not just simply think it to be true but he should be having a logical excuse for that. One effect resulting from such an idea is that one would not be gaining knowledge simply because he believes something that was true. Platonic Version Plato’s theory of knowledge has been given in Theaetetus and it proves to be a substitute to the theory that Protagoras had proposed. Plato’s theory depicts reality to be the standard and belief and perception can be measured against it. It is how we perceive reality that leads to the creation of belief. One thing to consider here, before moving ahead, is that Plato’s theory of knowledge happens to be a theory of error as well as there is always a possibility of misperceiving reality and leading to an incorrect belief. Another thing is that there is no similarity between true belief and knowledge, although there could be a true belief merely through luck. For there to be an honest and actual knowledge of reality there is a requirement of there being a correct belief as well as enough proof for that belief. Plato has acknowledged that justification and belief do not have any real relation with each other. There cannot be any perfect way of making sure that the proof we have is enough. The history of philosophy has divulged several struggles undertaken for the correction of this absence. Scientific method is a system of building evidence by testing belief against observation (perception).   This was the account of Plato. Protagorean relativism says: Of all things the measure is Man, of the things that are, that they are, and of the things that are not, that they are not (L loyd and Pellegrin 204) According to Plato a theory by Protagoras was the basis of this statement and it considers that knowledge and perception are one and same (Schmitt 11). Plato pointed out that the implication drawn from this statement is that there is no difference between appearance and truth and a person can never say what he knows is wrong. As a metaphor, someone healthy and fine would find a wine to be sweet but the same person, when unwell, might find the very same wine to taste bitter. The truth of the matter is that the wine is not sweet of bitter in itself; the taste arises just when the person perceives it to be such and such due to certain circumstances. Actually, there is no permanent, immortal, truth at all. The reality comes into being and forms into objects and features when the person acts on it after having perceived it. There is a notion of our minds creating our own reality. This idea is quite popular in the current world and literature and besides this even in the modern accounts of constructivist educational theory. Knowledge as Perception If we bring out a comparison between this concept of knowledge and the one that Plato suggested through his theory we would find them to be extremely different; in fact, they are opposing each other in many ways. Protagorean theory is known as Relativism due to the fact that knowledge and being itself holds its dependency on relations that exist

Jaguar Land Rover Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Jaguar Land Rover Management - Essay Example Supply chain is defined as the a system involving the use of information, activities, people, organization and resources that work to ensure that products or services is moved from the supplier to the consumer. They are the link between the supplier and the consumer by ensuring that the supplier gets the goods to the target market and that the consumer can easily access the goods and services they need with ease. With this in mind, supply chain management would therefore refer to all attempts by the management and planning department of an organization to procure, coordinate, and convert and all other management activities that will ensure the success of the supply. It fosters coordination of activities with and across the various sectors of production, transportation, storage and distribution of goods and services. Channel partners may include intermediaries, suppliers, service provider and consumers which form a chain-like link through which the producer and the consumer are connec ted.Supply chain management has continued to be the most convenient way through which organizations can be able to gain knowledge they need in decision making (Wu & Blackhurst, 2009). The decision making process includes all activities which help us make informed choices that will lead to the overall success of the organization. In the automotive sector, there has been consumer demand for better quality product which meets the client needs of security, comfort, class, and has reduced negative effects on the environment

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

If You Need Love, Get a Puppy - Case Study Example Notable issues related to the Court’s accounting practices and financial reporting were identified during the audit process such as, a) misstatements and missing documents or signatures on paid receipts for misdemeanor traffic violations, and b) missing cash deposits for ticket revenues. The observed misstatements and the incorrect filing of documents are considered as immaterial since most of the inconsistencies are insignificant and unintentional. However, it is best to practice a tighter control on documentation of receipts to allow accuracy and transparency of government records. On the other hand, I found out that some payments for traffic violation tickets were marked as paid in cash in both the receipt book and on the sheriff’s computer records but do not reflect on the bank deposit. Possible explanations include the inadvertent mixing of the collections the previous day to the next transaction day due to time constraints. To correct this issue, I am recommending that the cash payments should be deposited to the bank not later than a week after the original transaction date. To properly conclude the auditing process, I will be further investigating the ticket revenue records for any missing cash deposits by vouching a bigger number of samples in the coming days. Still, I am open for clarifications and reasons behind such inconsistencies as your staff has been very helpful in providing me with necessary access to records and information to essential data. Thank you for your assistance and I please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries regarding the

IMC PLAN - PURINA PRO PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IMC PLAN - PURINA PRO PLAN - Assignment Example Purina Pro Plan had already run few successful campaigns too in the market, and this drive also has a potential to gain probable customers and can increase sales. Purina Pro Plan is a trustworthy brand from the experts’ point of view and has apparently an image of healthy and nutritious pet food over pet keeper’s mind, providing complete range of cat and dog food. The idea to generate this campaign is that people find difficulties in carrying their pet in flight, a campaign of Purina Pro Plan is offering a two-way fare on International travelling with the validity of 45 days. The company will print two series of code; one in descending order and other one in ascending order. Every pack will have a hidden code. For example: any customer has 67899 and other will have 99876. A person has to post their pet’s picture with his pet food pack, using hashtag #mypurinastarpet and code number. When two people can match their inverse series they can claim with picture and code number to the company and then both pet keepers can have a two-way international ticket for their pet with validity of 45 days. Communication and continuous interaction between the company’s personnel and Purina Pro Plan buyer will increase the visibility of a Brand in the market, it will help to retain brand loyalty and Potential buyers will switch to this Brand. The company is going to run its Advertisements via traditional and nontraditional ways, Internet marketing through social media ads, direct marketing and fliers in college and university campuses and bus stops, teaser advertisements on TV and radio. In nontraditional, Picture booth will be placed at bus stops, public places and at veteran hospitals. The company’s personnel will look over sales, before the campaign start and compare with every passing month. Social engine optimization tool will be used on regular basis to check the users’ response. In case of low engagement, more attractive ads and content will

Does the availability of photographs significantly change what we can Essay

Does the availability of photographs significantly change what we can know about the U.S. Civil War - Essay Example The other states that had not seceded were known as the North or the union. The civil war erupted from the slavery issues and the fact that slavery had been extended to the west. This internal conflict that came to be the great civil war led to the loss of 600000 Confederate and the Union soldiers and great destruction of the southern infrastructure. It continued for four years after which the Confederacy was finished, and slavery abolished. Then followed the reconstruction of the United States as one nation, reconstruction of the south and restoring unity. The freed slaves were promised to be given equal rights (civil rights.) Abraham Lincoln, who took the presidency of America in 1860 elections, was opposed by the drivers of slavery, and his name did not appear on the southern ballots (Brown & Shannon, 2011). But a different view is created in the people as they come into contact with the pictures that were taken or developed during that time. The picture vividly portrays many truths and shocking facts about the American civil war either drawn by those who experienced or capture on cameras. The advancement of the American civil war can be viewed through a scientific field that was taking its roots at that age. This is photography. From the national archives, over 6000 digitized photos from the civil war are now available on the internet. Great works were done by Matthew Brady and his associates. They photographed many areas, battlefields and people affected by the civil war. Their pictures significantly depict many aspects of the war excluding the battle itself. These aspects include the events and preparation prior to the battle, camp life, routines and the aftermath of the battle. The battlefield movements were difficult to be taken as the cameras of that time require the object to be still during the movement of the shutter (Brown & Shannon, 2011). Pictures from this time as taken by Matthew Brady

IMC PLAN - PURINA PRO PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

IMC PLAN - PURINA PRO PLAN - Assignment Example Purina Pro Plan had already run few successful campaigns too in the market, and this drive also has a potential to gain probable customers and can increase sales. Purina Pro Plan is a trustworthy brand from the experts’ point of view and has apparently an image of healthy and nutritious pet food over pet keeper’s mind, providing complete range of cat and dog food. The idea to generate this campaign is that people find difficulties in carrying their pet in flight, a campaign of Purina Pro Plan is offering a two-way fare on International travelling with the validity of 45 days. The company will print two series of code; one in descending order and other one in ascending order. Every pack will have a hidden code. For example: any customer has 67899 and other will have 99876. A person has to post their pet’s picture with his pet food pack, using hashtag #mypurinastarpet and code number. When two people can match their inverse series they can claim with picture and code number to the company and then both pet keepers can have a two-way international ticket for their pet with validity of 45 days. Communication and continuous interaction between the company’s personnel and Purina Pro Plan buyer will increase the visibility of a Brand in the market, it will help to retain brand loyalty and Potential buyers will switch to this Brand. The company is going to run its Advertisements via traditional and nontraditional ways, Internet marketing through social media ads, direct marketing and fliers in college and university campuses and bus stops, teaser advertisements on TV and radio. In nontraditional, Picture booth will be placed at bus stops, public places and at veteran hospitals. The company’s personnel will look over sales, before the campaign start and compare with every passing month. Social engine optimization tool will be used on regular basis to check the users’ response. In case of low engagement, more attractive ads and content will

White Paper on the film Henry V Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

White Paper on the film Henry V - Essay Example Setting a concrete example for this leadership is the leadership of Henry V during his term. Perhaps during his motivational rhetoric before he and his people went off to a battle what made his leadership notable. The content of his speech had a power to move or compel his member toward his vision. To scrutinize the content of his inspiring â€Å"St. Crispin† speech will help this study to understand Charismatic Leadership. Citing the reality of life and death in his speech, King Henry V’s St. Crispin’s speech appealed truthful. Thus it brought another dimension to view life, enough to motivate people to move in his direction. To have his people not to fear regarding their number, he made them realized that greater honor was waiting for the few people rather than the multitude. The share of honor in multitude will be a lesser credential than to a group of fewer people. Perhaps in his speech, King Henry V’s charisma was emphasized when he cited and imply about God’ will with his own vision and plans. This just signified humility on his part towards a more Greater Power than his own that he was acknowledging. In a study of trait of charismatic leadership done by Quarterman Lee (2008), he came up with certain descriptions to describe such kind of leaders. The descriptions will also served as categorical arrangement to analyze the context of King Henry V’s St. Crispian’s speech in this study. In order to present to people being governed a leader’s compelling vision, a certain means of transmission will be needed. Speech or rhetoric to address the people is one of those (Nelson, Megill, and McCloskey, 1987). King Henry V used a persuasive rhetoric in his St. Crispian’s Day speech. Apparently, after the speech were given, the cited expected effect of such act manifested towards King Henry V’s people. He declared that certain day to be the St. Crispian’s Day,

Mrs Morel, and How She Ruined Lives in Sons and Lovers Essay Example for Free

Mrs Morel, and How She Ruined Lives in Sons and Lovers Essay Gertrude Morel, a mother whose possessive love for her sons hinders their ability to establish fulfilling relationships with other women, and her detest of her husband closes him out of their lives. Gertrude can not bear to see her children live the life that her husband Walter does so she makes sure that they detest him, especially William and Paul. Mrs Morel did ruin three lives in this novel, Walters, Williams, and Pauls. Walter was a simple miner with simple needs and no motivation or want to advance, when he and Gertrude first met he had thick flowing black hair and a full beard and he also laughed a lot suggesting a happy, relaxed figure. He also portrayed himself as bold and a senior in the mines making a good stable wage, owning his own house and everything in it as well. Gertrude finds her self strangely attracted, despite being described as â€Å"opposite† to her new found love. They rush into marriage but the lust that they had soon fades as the lies that were told are uncovered. Gertrude starts to despise the man she married because he lied to her and goes and spends the money he makes on alcohol instead of on his family. When William is born Gertrude smothers him in love and tries her hardest to keep him away from her husband which makes Walter jealous and angry with her that he can not have the same connection with the child that she does. Gertrude does this with all the children that she and Walter have. The eldest boys are so enveloped by their mother that they can not hold a stable relationship when they grow older because their mother wants to keep them for herself, â€Å"..William and Paul Morel are unable to love when they come to manhood, because their dominant mother holds them back, so that a split occurs between body and soul – their sweethearts getting the former; their mother getting the latter; while the boys themselves are shattered; inwardly in the course of the struggle.† (Spilka, 51) William is the first born son and so he in the one that Gertrude idolizes, he is perfect to her and she wants him to be her little boy forever. When he grows older William soon gets a job in London and moves away leaving his mother and family behind. William send his mother a letter telling her about his new job and his new found girl-friend whom he will be engaged to. William and his betrothed come to visit his family at Christmas, they seem less than impressed with her and her lifestyle especially Gertrude because she treats his family as though they are somehow inferior to her. This does not discourage William to stop loving her. William becomes sick of her when they return to see his family on a vacation, his mother has the same feelings toward her, but he refuses to call off the marriage seeing how far they had come. Later in the year William dies of pneumonia with his mother by his side. Paul is a less important to his mother until William dies, then he becomes her favourite. Paul is more frail than his brother was, and he is very artistic rather than athletic. As Paul grows in sight of his mother her love for him grows stronger because of his stature, and he grows in a way that he cares of what other people feel, especially his mother. He develops an Oedipus Complex towards his mother. â€Å"Oedipus complex makes mother a lover of her son. During childhood it seems normal and acceptable but it is abnormal and almost absurd, when he grows up, to keep such feelings. He will surely have no real love for a woman and no marriage in his life and is doomed to have a tragic ending with his love affairs and to suffer spiritually the rest of his life when his mother is gone.† (Wang) When Paul is older he starts a relationship with a woman named Miriam who wants him to love her as she loves him, she wants his soul, for him to love her with every ounce of his being as she does. Gertrude sees this and feels threatened by her because Pauls soul should belong to her, she believes Miriam can have him physical but not spiritually. Gertrude confronts her son about this matter and Paul tells her that he does not love Miriam, that he loves only his mother and no one else. When Paul breaks things of with Miriam and starts a relationship with Clara, Gertrude is content with them together because Clara is only interested in a physical relationship. When the relationship with Clara fades Miriam tries her luck with Paul again, she says that she wants to marry him but Paul is so fixated with his love for his mother that when he feels the slightest feelings for Miriam he feels as though he is betraying her. He declines the proposal from Miriam and goes back to his mother. Gertrude Morel was a strong woman and mother but stubborn with her children in a way that she would want them to only look to her and not to walter, no matter what the situation was. Throughout the novel Gertrude ruins three lives, that of her her husbands, and her two eldest sons. Her husband Walter was not the best man for her but he did try to be a father to his children, but his wife made it almost impossible for him to do so. He is ostracized from the family throughout the novel, his life is ruined because Gertrude made him loose the only family he had before he had a chance of being a part of it. Her eldest son and first born child William, is so fixated on his mothers approval that he learns to hate the woman that he will be married to, that marriage would become like his parents. In that way Williams life is ruined by his own mother. Her third child and second son Paul can not have a stable relationship with women because he loves his mother too much, his life is ruined because once his mother is gone he is left with nothing and still can not hold a relationship together. References Spilka, Mark. Counterfeit Loves Twentieth Century Interpretations of Sons and Lovers. A Collection of Critical Essays Ed.Judith Farr, Prentice-Hall, INC., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: 1970. 51-63. Print. Wang, Yi . â€Å"Should I Use Underlining or Italics?† College of Foreign Languages, Hebei University, China . ,29 March 2001. Web. 21 November 2012. http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTotal-HBDS200103029.htm.

Production History of Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Production History—Hamlet William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to name only a few creative liberties modern productions of Hamlet have taken. The story is brilliant. A brooding young prince, scorned by those he loves, betrayed by his Uncle, and yet â€Å"too much in the Sun† to accept defeat. Revenge, sexual tension, bloodshed, and tears—Hamlet has it all. Hamlet is a relatable character to an audience on a multitude of levels. Whether one is coming into their own, accepting major changes in their lives, feeling betrayed by loved ones, or merely experiencing a lover’s quarrel, they can certainly relate to Hamlet. Above all, Hamlet exudes the one element inherent to all human beings—a strong sense of pride, perhaps excessively so. Hamlet begins on a dark night in Denmark’s Elsinore Castle. The ghost of recently deceased king, Hamlet’s father, is discovered by a pair of watchmen, followed by Horatio, and eventually Hamlet. The ghost informs Hamlet that he has been wronged by his brother Claudius, who coveting the throne, and after successfully plotting and murdering... ..., Kean made no such revolutionary changes. He is credited with being the first to break from the psychological consistency the Hamlet character always seems to have. Kean’s Hamlet reacted calmly, with affection and eagerness upon seeing his father’s ghost. Also, Kean is the first to depict Hamlet as treating Ophelia lovingly, rather than somewhat brutally. Ophelia was portrayed as a significant character in this production, which was a first. In later productions, Ophelia’s character gains incredibly prominence, as women’s rights progress. In the early 1900s, Hamlet was â€Å"rediscovered.† A resurgence of productions came about, and with the creation of a modern director now in place, several alternations were made. Hamlet was converted into movies, opera, condensed plays, parodies, and even later offshoots were created, such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

The Song Dynasty :: essays research papers

The Song Dynasty The Song dynasty lasted over 300 years, from 960 to 1279. Their history is divided into two periods of Northern and Southern Song. The Song period was one of China's most peaceful and prosperous era. However the Song government was corrupt and weak.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Song Dynasty, or Sung Dynasty was a period in which the Chinese government was very weak. In the beginning General Chao K'uang-yin, also known as Sung T'ai Tsu, was forced to become emperor in order to unify China. Sung T'ai Tsu created a national army under his direct control. He, and only he had control of the military. Once he had passed away his less competent successors were unable to keep the military under control, the military increasingly lost prestige. The weakening of China's military, coincided with the rise of strong nomadic nations on the boarders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the same time of the military's loss of prestige, the civil service rose in dignity. This was an examination system that had been restored in Sui and T'ang and was further elaborated and regularized. Selection examinations were help every three years at the district, provincial, and metropolitan levels.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Only 200 out of thousands of applicants were granted the jinshi degree. This was the highest degree and appointed on government posts. From this time on, civil servants became China's most envied elite, replacing the hereditary nobles and landlords.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Song dynasty only extended over to the parts of earlier Chinese empires. The Khitans controlled the northeastern territories and the His Hsia controlled the northwestern territories. The Song emperors were unable to recover these lands so they were forced to make peace with the Khitans and the Hsi Hsia. They gave massive amounts of payments to the barbarians, under these peace terms, it depleted the state treasury and cause heavy payments on taxpaying peasants.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  About 100 years after the Songs first started ruling over China, their government started to go through a major decline. Officials that held important government positions were corrupt. Wealthy merchants that became rich from foreign trade found ways to avoid paying taxes. The peasants began to rebel when the heavy taxes were placed on them. The Song Dynasty had a lot of problems, in 1069 Emperor Shen Tsung appointed Wang An-shi as chief minister. Wang was a scholar who studied earlier Chinese governments. Wang noticed the corrupt government and made huge reform in the government. His reforms were based on the text of 'Rites of Chou'. Wang tried to get honest, intelligent officials by improving the university system. He made civil examinations more practical and reformed the merit system to reduce corruption among government officials.

The Twilight Saga 2: New Moon Chapter 1 PARTY

I WAS NINETY-NINE POINT NINE PERCENT SURE I WAS dreaming. The reasons I was so certain were that, first, I was standing in a bright shaft of sunlightthe kind of blinding clear sun that never shone on my drizzly new hometown in Forks, Washingtonand second, I was looking at my Grandma Marie. Gran had been dead for six years now, so that was solid evidence toward the dream theory. Gran hadn't changed much; her face looked just the same as I remembered it. The skin was soft and withered, bent into a thousand tiny creases that clung gently to the bone underneath. Like a dried apricot, but with a puff of thick white hair standing out in a cloud around it. Our mouthshers a wizened pickerspread into the same surprised half-smile at just the same time. Apparently, she hadn't been expecting to see me, either. I was about to ask her a question; I had so manyWhat was she doing here in my cream? What had she been up to in the past six years? Was Pop okay, and had they found each other, wherever they werebut she opened her mouth when I did, so I stopped to let her go first. She paused, too, and then we Goth smiled at the little awkwardness. â€Å"Bella!† It wasn't Gran who called my name, and we both turned to see the addition to our small reunion. I didn't have to look to know who it was; this was a voice I would know anywhereknow, and respond to, whether I was awake or asleep or even dead, I'd bet. The voice I'd walk through fire foror, less dramatically, slosh every day through the cold and endless rain for. Edward. Even though I was always thrilled to see himconscious or otherwiseand even though I was almost positive that I was dreaming, I panicked as Edward walked toward us through the glaring sunlight. I panicked because Gran didn't know that I was in love with a vampirenobody knew thatso how was I supposed to explain the fact that the brilliant sunbeams were shattering off his skin into a thousand rainbow shards like he was made of crystal or diamond? Well, Gran, yon might have noticed that my boyfriend glitters. It's just something he does in the sun. Don't worry about it What was he doing? The whole reason he lived in Forks, the rainiest place in the world, was so that he could be outside in the daytime without exposing his family's secret. Yet here he was, strolling gracefully toward mewith the most beautiful smile on his angel's faceas if I were the only one here. In that second, I wished that I was not the one exception to his mysterious talent; I usually felt grateful that I was the only person whose thoughts he couldn't hear just as clearly as if they were spoken aloud. But now I wished he could hear me, too, so that he could hear the warning I was screaming in my head. I shot a panicked glance back at Gran, and saw that it was too late. She was just turning to stare back at me, her eyes as alarmed as mine. Edwardstill smiling so beautifully that my heart felt like it was going to swell up and burst through my chestput his arm around my shoulder and turned to face my grandmother. Gran's expression surprised me. Instead of looking horrified, she was staring at me sheepishly, as if waiting for a scolding. And she was standing in such a strange positionone arm held awkwardly away from her body, stretched out and then curled around the air. Like she had her arm around someone I couldn't see, someone invisible Only then, as I looked at the bigger picture, did I notice the huge gilt frame that enclosed my grandmother's form. Uncomprehending, I raised the hand that wasn't wrapped around Edward's waist and reached out to touch her. She mimicked the movement exactly, mirrored it. But where our fingers should have met, there was nothing but cold glass With a dizzying jolt, my dream abruptly became a nightmare. There was no Gran. That was me. Me in a mirror. Meancient, creased, and withered. Edward stood beside me, casting no reflection, excruciatingly lovely and forever seventeen. He pressed his icy, perfect lips against my wasted cheek. â€Å"Happy birthday,† he whispered. I woke with a startmy eyelids popping open wideand gasped. Dull gray light, the familiar light of an overcast morning, took the place of the blinding sun in my dream. Just a dream, I told myself. It was only a dream. I took a deep breath, and then jumped again when my alarm went off. The little calendar in the corner of the clock's display informed me that today was September thirteenth. Only a dream, but prophetic enough in one way, at least. Today was my birthday. I was officially eighteen years old. I'd been dreading this day for months. All through the perfect summerthe happiest summer I had ever had, the happiest summer anyone anywhere had ever had, and the rainiest summer in the history of the Olympic Peninsulathis bleak date had lurked in ambush, waiting to spring. And now that it had hit, it was even worse than I'd feared it would be. I could feel itI was older. Every day I got older, but this was different, worse, quantifiable. I was eighteen. And Edward never would be. When I went to brush my teeth, I was almost surprised that the face in the mirror hadn't changed. I stared at myself, looking for some sign of impending wrinkles in my ivory skin. The only creases were the ones on my forehead, though, and I knew that if I could manage to relax, they would disappear. I couldn't. My eyebrows stayed lodged in a worried line over my anxious brown eyes. It was just a dream, I reminded myself again. Just a dream but also my worst nightmare. I skipped breakfast, in a hurry to get out of the house as quickly as possible. I wasn't entirely able to avoid my dad, and so I had to spend a few minutes acting cheerful. I honestly tried to be excited about the gifts I'd asked him not to get me, but every time I had to smile, it felt like I might start crying. I struggled to get a grip on myself as I drove to school. The vision of GranI would not think of it as mewas hard to get out of my head. I couldn't feel anything but despair until I pulled into the familiar parking lot behind Forks High School and spotted Edward leaning motionlessly against his polished silver Volvo, like a marble tribute to some forgotten pagan god of beauty. The dream had not done him justice. And he was waiting there for me, just the same as every other day. Despair momentarily vanished; wonder took its place. Even after half a year with him, I still couldn't believe that I deserved this degree of good fortune. His sister Alice was standing by his side, waiting for me, too. Of course Edward and Alice weren't really related (in Forks the story was that all the Cullen siblings were adopted by Dr. Carlisle Culler and his wife, Esme, both plainly too young to have teenage children), but their skin was precisely the same pale shade, their eyes had the same strange golden tint, with the same deep, bruise-like shadows beneath them. Her face, like his, was also startlingly beautiful. To someone in the knowsomeone like methese similarities marked them for what they were. The sight of Alice waiting thereher tawny eyes brilliant with excitement, and a small silver-wrapped square in her handsmade me frown. I'd told Alice I didn't want anything, anything, not gifts or even attention, for my birthday. Obviously, my wishes were being ignored. I slammed the door of my '53 Chevy trucka shower of rust specks fluttered down to the wet blacktopand walked slowly toward where they waited. Alice skipped forward to meet me, her pixie face glowing under her spiky black hair. â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† â€Å"Shh!† I hissed, glancing around the lot to make sure no one had heard her. The last thing I wanted was some kind of celebration of the black event. She ignored me. â€Å"Do you want to open your present now or later?† she asked eagerly as we made our way to where Edward still waited. â€Å"No presents,† I protested in a mumble. She finally seemed to process my mood. â€Å"Okay later, then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom sent you? And the camera from Charlie?† I sighed. Of course she would know what my birthday presents were. Edward wasn't the only member of his family with unusual skills. Alice would have â€Å"seen† what my parents were planning as soon as they'd decided that themselves. â€Å"Yeah. They're great.† â€Å"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience.† â€Å"How many times have you been a senior?† â€Å"That's different.† We reached Edward then, and he held out his hand for mine. I took it eagerly, forgetting, for a moment, my glum mood. His skin was, as always, smooth, hard, and very cold. He gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. I looked into his liquid topa2 eyes, and my heart gave a not-quite-so-gentle squeeze of its own. Hearing the stutter in my heartbeats, he smiled again. He lifted his free hand and traced one cool fingertip around the outside of my lips as he spoke. â€Å"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?† â€Å"Yes. That is correct.† I could never quite mimic the flow of his perfect, formal articulation. It was something that could only be picked up in an earlier century. â€Å"Just checking.† He ran his hand through his tousled bronze hair. â€Å"You might have changed your mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts.† Alice laughed, and the sound was all silver, a wind chime. â€Å"Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you today and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?† She meant it as a rhetorical question. â€Å"Getting older,† I answered anyway, and my voice was not as steady as I wanted it to be. Beside me, Edward's smile tightened into a hard line. â€Å"Eighteen isn't very old,† Alice said. â€Å"Don't women usually wait till they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?† â€Å"It's older than Edward,† I mumbled. He sighed. â€Å"Technically,† she said, keeping her tone light. â€Å"Just by one little year, though.† And I supposed if I could be sure of the future I wanted, sure that I would get to spend forever with Edward, and Alice and the rest of the Cullens (preferably not as a wrinkled little old lady) then a year or two one direction or the other wouldn't matter to me so much. But Edward was dead set against any future that changed me. Any future that made me like himthat made me immortal, too. An impasse, he called it. I couldn't really see Edward's point, to be honest. What was so great about mortality? Being a vampire didn't look like such a terrible thingnot the way the Cullens did it, anyway. â€Å"What time will you be at the house?† Alice continued, changing the subject. From her expression, she was up to exactly the kind of thing I'd been hoping to avoid. â€Å"I didn't know I had plans to be there.† â€Å"Oh, be fair, Bella!† she complained. â€Å"You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?† â€Å"I thought my birthday was about what I want.† â€Å"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school,† Edward told her, ignoring me altogether. â€Å"I have to work,† I protested. â€Å"You don't, actually,† Alice told me smugly. â€Å"I already spoke to Mrs. Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you ‘Happy Birthday.'† â€Å"II still can't come over,† I stammered, scrambling for an excuse. â€Å"I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English.† Alice snorted. â€Å"You have Romeo and Juliet memorized.† â€Å"But Mr. Berty said we needed to see it performed to fully appreciate itthat's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented.† Edward rolled his eyes. â€Å"You've already seen the movie,† Alice accused. â€Å"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr. Berty said it was the best.† Finally, Alice lost the smug smile and glared at me. â€Å"This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other† Edward interrupted her threat. â€Å"Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday.† â€Å"So there,† I added. â€Å"I'll bring her over around seven,† he continued. â€Å"That will give you more time to set up.† Alice's laughter chimed again. â€Å"Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see.† She grinnedthe wide smile exposed all her perfect, glistening teeththen pecked me on the cheek and danced off toward her first class before I could respond. â€Å"Edward, please† I started to beg, but he pressed one cool finger to my lips. â€Å"Let's discuss it later. We're going to be late for class.† No one bothered to stare at us as we took our usual seats in the back of the classroom (we had almost every class together nowit was amazing the favors Edward could get the female administrators to do for him). Edward and I had been together too long now to be an object of gossip anymore. Even Mike Newton didn't bother to give me the glum stare that used to make me feel a little guilty. He smiled now instead, and I was glad he seemed to have accepted that we could only be friends. Mike had changed over the summerhis face had lost some of the roundness, making his cheekbones more prominent, and he was wearing his pale blond hair a new way; instead of bristly, it was longer and gelled into a carefully casual disarray. It was easy to see where his inspiration came frombut Edward's look wasn't something that could be achieved through imitation. As the day progressed, I considered ways to get out of whatever was going down at the Cullen house tonight. It would be bad enough to have to celebrate when I was in the mood to mourn. But, worse than that, this was sure to involve attention and gifts. Attention is never a good thing, as any other accident-prone klutz would agree. No one wants a spotlight when they're likely to fall on their face. And I'd very pointedly askedwell, ordered reallythat no one give me any presents this year. It looked like Charlie and Renee weren't the only ones who had decided to overlook that. I'd never had much money, and that had never bothered me. Renee had raised me on a kindergarten teacher's salary. Charlie wasn't getting rich at his job, eitherhe was the police chief here in the tiny town of Forks. My only personal income came from the three days a week I worked at the local sporting goods store. In a town this small, I was lucky to have a job. Every penny I made went into my microscopic college fund. (College was Plan B. I was still hoping for Plan A, but Edward was just so stubborn about leaving me human) Edward had a lot of moneyI didn't even want to think about how much. Money meant next to nothing to Edward or the rest of the Cullens. It was just something that accumulated when you had unlimited time on your hands and a sister who had an uncanny ability to predict trends in the stock market. Edward didn't seem to understand why I objected to him spending money on mewhy it made me uncomfortable if he took me to an expensive restaurant in Seattle, why he wasn't allowed to buy me a car that could reach speeds over fifty-five miles an hour, or why I wouldn't let him pay my college tuition (he was ridiculously enthusiastic about Plan B). Edward thought I was being unnecessarily difficult. But how could I let him give me things when I had nothing to reciprocate with? He, for some unfathomable reason, wanted to be with me. Anything he gave me on top of that just threw us more out of balance. As the day went on, neither Edward nor Alice brought my birthday up again, and I began to relax a little. We sat at our usual table for lunch. A strange kind of truce existed at that table. The three of usEdward, Alice, and Isat on the extreme southern end of the table. Now that the â€Å"older† and somewhat scarier (in Emmett's case, certainly) Cullen siblings had graduated, Alice and Edward did not seem quite so intimidating, and we did not sit here alone. My other friends, Mike and Jessica (who were in the awkward post-breakup friendship phase), Angela and Ben (whose relationship had survived the summer), Eric, Conner, Tyler, and Lauren (though that last one didn't really count in the friend category) all sat at the same table, on the other side of an invisible line. That line dissolved on sunny days when Edward and Alice always skipped school, and then the conversation would swell out effortlessly to include me. Edward and Alice didn't find this minor ostracism odd or hurtful the way I would have. They barely noticed it. People always felt strangely ill at ease with the Cullens, almost afraid for some reason they couldn't explain to themselves. I was a rare exception to that rule. Sometimes it bothered Edward how very comfortable I was with being close to him. He thought he was hazardous to my healthan opinion I rejected vehemently whenever he voiced it. The afternoon passed quickly. School ended, and Edward walked me to my truck as he usually did. But this time, he held the passenger door open for me. Alice must have been taking his car home so that he could keep me from making a run for it. I folded my arms and made no move to get out of the rain. â€Å"It's my birthday, don't I get to drive?† â€Å"I'm pretending it's not your birthday, just as you wished.† â€Å"If it's not my birthday, then I don't have to go to your house tonight† â€Å"All right.† He shut the passenger door and walked past me to open the driver's side. â€Å"Happy birthday.† â€Å"Shh,† I shushed him halfheartedly. I climbed in the opened door, wishing he'd taken the other offer. Edward played with the radio while I drove, shaking his head in disapproval. â€Å"Your radio has horrible reception.† I frowned. I didn't like it when he picked on my truck. The truck was greatit had personality. â€Å"You want a nice stereo? Drive your own car.† I was so nervous about Alice's plans, on top of my already gloomy mood, that the words came out sharper than I'd meant them. I was hardly ever bad-tempered with Edward, and my tone made him press his lips together to keep from smiling. When I parked in front of Charlie's house, he reached over to take my face in his hands. He handled me very carefully, pressing just the tips of his fingers softly against my temples, my cheekbones, my jawline. Like I was especially breakable. Which was exactly the casecompared with him, at least. â€Å"You should be in a good mood, today of all days,† he whispered. His sweet breath fanned across my face. â€Å"And if I don't want to be in a good mood?† I asked, my breathing uneven. His golden eyes smoldered. â€Å"Too bad.† My head was already spinning by the time he leaned closer and pressed his icy lips against mine. As he intended, no doubt, I forgot all about my worries, and concentrated on remembering how to inhale and exhale. His mouth lingered on mine, cold and smooth and gentle, until I wrapped my arms around his neck and threw myself into the kiss with a little too much enthusiasm. I could feel his lips curve upward as he let go of my face and reached back to unlock my grip on him. Edward had drawn many careful lines for our physical relationship, with the intent being to keep me alive. Though I respected the need for maintaining a safe distance between my skin and his razor-sharp, venom-coated teeth, I tended to forget about trivial things like that when he was kissing me. â€Å"Be good, please,† he breathed against my cheek. He pressed his lips gently to mine one more time and then pulled away, folding my arms across my stomach. My pulse was thudding in my ears. I put one hand over my heart. It drummed hyperactively under my palm. â€Å"Do you think I'll ever get better at this?† I wondered, mostly to myself. â€Å"That my heart might someday stop trying to jump out of my chest whenever you touch me?† â€Å"I really hope not,† he said, a bit smug. I rolled my eyes. â€Å"Let's go watch the Capulets and Montagues hack each other up, all right?† â€Å"Your wish, my command.† Edward sprawled across the couch while I started the movie, fast-forwarding through the opening credits. When I perched on the edge of the sofa in front of him, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me against his chest. It wasn't exactly as comfortable as a sofa cushion would be, what with his chest being hard and coldand perfectas an ice sculpture, but it was definitely preferable. He pulled the old afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over me so I wouldn't freeze beside his body. â€Å"You know, I've never had much patience with Romeo,† he commented as the movie started. â€Å"What's wrong with Romeo?† I asked, a little offended. Romeo was one of my favorite fictional characters. Until I'd met Edward, I'd sort of had a thing for him. â€Å"Well, first of all, he's in love with this Rosalinedon't you think it makes him seem a little fickle? And then, a few minutes after their wedding, he kills Juliet's cousin. That's not very brilliant. Mistake after mistake. Could he have destroyed his own happiness any more thoroughly?† I sighed. â€Å"Do you want me to watch this alone?† â€Å"No, I'll mostly be watching you, anyway.† His fingers traced patterns across the skin of my arm, raising goose bumps. â€Å"Will you cry?† â€Å"Probably,† I admitted, â€Å"if I'm paying attention.† â€Å"I won't distract you then.† But I felt his lips on my hair, and it was very distracting. The movie eventually captured my interest, thanks in large part to Edward whispering Romeo's lines in my earhis irresistible, velvet voice made the actor's voice sound weak and coarse by comparison. And I did cry, to his amusement, when Juliet woke and found her new husband dead. â€Å"I'll admit, I do sort of envy him here,† Edward said, drying the tears with a lock of my hair. â€Å"She's very pretty.† He made a disgusted sound. â€Å"I don't envy him the girljust the ease of the suicide,† he clarified in a teasing tone. â€Å"You humans have it so easy! All you have to do is throw down one tiny vial of plant extracts† â€Å"What?† I gasped. â€Å"It's something I had to think about once, and I knew from Carlisle's experience that it wouldn't be simple. I'm not even sure how many ways Carlisle tried to kill himself in the beginning after he realized what he'd become† His voice, which had grown serious, turned light again. â€Å"And he's clearly still in excellent health.† I twisted around so that I could read his face. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I demanded. â€Å"What do you mean, this something you had to think about once?† â€Å"Last spring, when you were nearly killed† He paused to take a deep breath, snuggling to return to his teasing tone. â€Å"Of course I was trying to focus on finding you alive, but part of my mind was making contingency plans. Like I said, it's not as easy for me as it is for a human.† For one second, the memory of my last trip to Phoenix washed through my head and made me feel dizzy. I could see it all so clearlythe blinding sun, the heat waves coming off the concrete as I ran with desperate haste to find the sadistic vampire who wanted to torture me to death. James, waiting in the mirrored room with my mother as his hostageor so I'd thought. I hadn't known it was all a ruse. Just as James hadn't known that Edward was racing to save me; Edward made it in time, but it had been a close one. Unthinkingly, my fingers traced the crescent-shaped scar on my hand that was always just a few degrees cooler than the rest of my skin. I shook my headas if I could shake away the bad memoriesand tried to grasp what Edward meant. My stomach plunged uncomfortably. â€Å"Contingency plans?† I repeated. â€Å"Well, I wasn't going to live without you.† He rolled his eyes as if that fact were childishly obvious. â€Å"But I wasn't sure how to do itI knew Emmett and Jasper would never help so I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi.† I didn't want to believe he was serious, but his golden eyes were brooding, focused on something far away in the distance as he contemplated ways to end his own life. Abruptly, I was furious. â€Å"What is a Volturi?† I demanded. â€Å"The Volturi are a family,† he explained, his eyes still remote. â€Å"A very old, very powerful family of our kind. They are the closest thing our world has to a royal family, I suppose. Carlisle lived with them briefly in his early years, in Italy, before he settled in Americado you remember the story?† â€Å"Of course I remember.† I would never forget the first time I'd gone to his home, the huge white mansion buried deep in the forest beside the river, or the room where CarlisleEdward's father in so many real wayskept a wall of paintings that illustrated his personal history. The most vivid, most wildly colorful canvas there, the largest, was from Carlisle's time in Italy. Of course I remembered the calm quartet of men, each with the exquisite face of a seraph, painted into the highest balcony overlooking the swirling mayhem of color. Though the painting was centuries old, Carlislethe blond angelremained unchanged. And I remembered the three others, Carlisle's early acquaintances. Edward had never used the name Volturi for the beautiful trio, two black-haired, one snow white. He'd called them Aro, Caius, and Marcus, nighttime patrons of the arts â€Å"Anyway, you don't irritate the Volturi,† Edward went on, interrupting ray reverie. â€Å"Not unless you want to dieor whatever it is we do.† His voice was so calm, it made him sound almost bored by the prospect. My anger turned to horror. I took his marble face between my hands and held it very tightly. â€Å"You must never, never, never think of anything like that again!† I said. â€Å"No matter what might ever happen to me, you are not allowed to hurt yourself!† â€Å"I'll never put you in danger again, so it's a moot point.† â€Å"Put me in danger! I thought we'd established that all the bad luck is my fault?† I was getting angrier. â€Å"How dare you even think like that?† The idea of Edward ceasing to exist, even if I were dead, was impossiblypainful. â€Å"What would you do, if the situation were reversed?† he asked. â€Å"That's not the same thing.† He didn't seem to understand the difference. He chuckled. â€Å"What if something did happen to you?† I blanched at the thought. â€Å"Would you want me to go off myself?† A trace of pain touched his perfect features. â€Å"I guess I see your point a little,† he admitted. â€Å"But what would I do without you?† â€Å"Whatever you were doing before I came along and complicated your existence.† He sighed. â€Å"You make that sound so easy.† â€Å"It should be. I'm not really that interesting.† He was about to argue, but then he let it go. â€Å"Moot point,† he reminded me. Abruptly, he pulled himself up into a more formal posture, shifting me to the side so that we were no longer touching. â€Å"Charlie?† I guessed. Edward smiled. After a moment, I heard the sound of the police cruiser pulling into the driveway. I reached out and took his hand firmly. My dad could deal with that much. Charlie came in with a pizza box in his hands. â€Å"Hey, kids.† He grinned at me. â€Å"I thought you'd like a break from cooking and washing dishes for your birthday. Hungry?† â€Å"Sure. Thanks, Dad.† Charlie didn't comment on Edward's apparent lack of appetite. He was used to Edward passing on dinner. â€Å"Do you mind if I borrow Bella for the evening?† Edward asked when Charlie and I were done. I looked at Charlie hopefully. Maybe he had some concept of birthdays as stay-at-home, family affairsthis was my first birthday with him, the first birthday since my mom, Renee, had remarried and gone to live in Florida, so I didn't know what he would expect. â€Å"That's finethe Mariners are playing the Sox tonight,† Charlie explained, and my hope disappeared. â€Å"So I won't be any kind of company Here.† He scooped up the camera he'd gotten me on Renee's suggestion (because I would need pictures to fill up my scrap-book), and threw it to me. He ought to know better than thatI'd always been coordinationally challenged. The camera glanced off the tip of my finger, and tumbled toward the floor. Edward snagged it before it could crash onto the linoleum. â€Å"Nice save,† Charlie noted. â€Å"If they're doing something fun at the Cullens' tonight, Bella, you should take some pictures. You know how your mother getsshe'll be wanting to see the pictures faster than you can take them.† â€Å"Good idea, Charlie,† Edward said, handing me the camera. I turned the camera on Edward, and snapped the first picture. â€Å"It works.† â€Å"That's good. Hey, say hi to Alice for me. She hasn't been over in a while.† Charlie's mouth pulled down at one corner. â€Å"It's been three days, Dad,† I reminded him. Charlie was crazy about Alice. He'd become attached last spring when she'd helped me through my awkward convalescence; Charlie would be fore'ter grateful to her for saving him from the horror of an almost-adult daughter who needed help showering. â€Å"I'll tell her.† â€Å"Okay. You kids have fun tonight.† It was clearly a dismissal. Charlie was already edging toward the living room and the TV. Edward smiled, triumphant, and took my hand to pull me from the kitchen. When we got to the truck, he opened the passenger door for me again, and this time I didn't argue. I still had a hard time finding the obscure turnoff to his house in the dark. Edward drove north through Forks, visibly chafing at the speed limit enforced by my prehistoric Chevy. The engine groaned even louder than usual as he pushed it over fifty. â€Å"Take it easy,† I warned him. â€Å"You know what you would love? A nice little Audi coupe. Very quiet, lots of power† â€Å"There's nothing wrong with my truck. And speaking of expensive nonessentials, if you know what's good for you, you didn't spend any money on birthday presents.† â€Å"Not a dime,† he said virtuously. â€Å"Good.† â€Å"Can you do me a favor?† â€Å"That depends on what it is.† He sighed, his lovely face serious. â€Å"Bella, the last real birthday any of us had was Emmett in 1935. Cut us a little slack, and don't be too difficult tonight. They're all very excited.† It always startled me a little when he brought up things like that. â€Å"Fine, I'll behave.† â€Å"I probably should warn you† â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"When I say they're all excited I do mean all of them.† â€Å"Everyone?† I choked. â€Å"I thought Emmett and Rosalie were in Africa.† The rest of Forks was under the impression that the older Cullens had gone off to college this year, to Dartmouth, but I knew better. â€Å"Emmett wanted to be here.† â€Å"But Rosalie?† â€Å"I know, Bella. Don't worry, she'll be on her best behavior.† I didn't answer. Like I could just not worry, that easy. Unlike Alice, Edward's other â€Å"adopted† sister, the golden blond and exquisite Rosalie, didn't like me much. Actually, the feeling was a little bit stronger than just dislike. As far as Rosalie was concerned, I was an unwelcome intruder into her family's secret life. I felt horribly guilty about the present situation, guessing that Rosalie and Emmett's prolonged absence was my fault, even as I furtively enjoyed not having to see her Emmett, Edward's playful bear of a brother, I did miss. He was in many ways just like the big brother I'd always wanted only much, much more terrifying. Edward decided to change the subject. â€Å"So, if you won't let me get you the Audi, isn't there anything that you'd like for your birthday?† The words came out in a whisper. â€Å"You know what I want.† A deep frown carved creases into his marble forehead. He obviously wished he'd stuck to the subject of Rosalie. It felt like we'd had this argument a lot today. â€Å"Not tonight, Bella. Please.† â€Å"Well, maybe Alice will give me what I want.† Edward growleda deep, menacing sound. â€Å"This isn't going to be your last birthday, Bella,† he vowed. â€Å"That's not fair!† I thought I heard his teeth clench together. We were pulling up to the house now. Bright light shined from every window on the first two floors. A long line of glowing Japanese lanterns hung from the porch eaves, reflecting a soft radiance on the huge cedars that surrounded the house. Big bowls of flowerspink roseslined the wide stairs up to the front doors. I moaned. Edward took a few deep breaths to calm himself. â€Å"This is a party,† he reminded me. â€Å"Try to be a good sport.† â€Å"Sure,† I muttered. He came around to get my door, and offered me his hand. â€Å"I have a question.† He waited warily. â€Å"If I develop this film,† I said, toying with the camera in my hands, â€Å"will you show up in the picture?† Edward started laughing. He helped me out of the car, pulled me up the stairs, and was still laughing as he opened the door for me. They were all waiting in the huge white living room; when I walked through the door, they greeted me with a loud chorus of â€Å"Happy birthday, Bella!† while I blushed and looked down. Alice, I assumed, had covered every flat surface with pink candles and dozens of crystal bowls filled with hundreds of roses. There was a table with a white cloth draped over it next to Edward's grand piano, holding a pink birthday cake, more roses, a stack of glass plates, and a small pile of silver-wrapped presents. It was a hundred times worse than I'd imagined. Edward, sensing my distress, wrapped an encouraging arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. Edward's parents, Carlisle and Esmeimpossibly youthful and lovely as everwere the closest to the door. Esme hugged me carefully, her soft, caramel-colored hair brushing against my cheek as she kissed my forehead, and then Carlisle put his arm around my shoulders. â€Å"Sorry about this, Bella,† he stage-whispered. â€Å"We couldn't rein Alice in.† Rosalie and Emmett stood behind them. Rosalie didn't smile, but at least she didn't glare. Emmett's face was stretched into a huge grin. It had been months since I'd seen them; I'd forgotten how gloriously beautiful Rosalie wasit almost hurt to look at her. And had Emmett always been so big? â€Å"You haven't changed at all,† Emmett said with mock disappointment. â€Å"I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always.† â€Å"Thanks a lot, Emmett,† I said, blushing deeper. He laughed, â€Å"I have to step out for a second†he paused to wink conspicuously at Alice†Don't do anything funny while I'm gone.† â€Å"I'lltry.† Alice let go of Jasper's hand and skipped forward, all her teeth sparkling in the bright light. Jasper smiled, too, but kept his distance. He leaned, long and blond, against the post at the foot of the stairs. During the days we'd had to spend cooped up together in Phoenix, I'd thought he'd gotten over his aversion to me. But he'd gone back to exactly how he'd acted beforeavoiding me as much as possiblethe moment he was free from that temporary obligation to protect me. I knew it wasn't personal, just a precaution, and I tried not to be overly sensitive about it. Jasper had more trouble sticking to the Cullens' diet than the rest of them; the scent of human blood was much harder for him to resist than the othershe hadn't been trying as long. â€Å"Time to open presents,† Alice declared. She put her cool hand under my elbow and towed me to the table with the cake and the shiny packages. I put on my best martyr face. â€Å"Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything† â€Å"But I didn't listen,† she interrupted, smug. â€Å"Open it.† She took the camera from my hands and replaced it with a big, square silver box. The box was so light that it felt empty. The tag on top said that it was from Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper. Selfconsciously, I tore the paper off and then stared at the box it concealed. It was something electrical, with lots of numbers in the name. I opened the box, hoping for further illumination. But the box was empty. â€Å"Um thanks.† Rosalie actually cracked a smile. Jasper laughed. â€Å"It's a stereo for your truck,† he explained. â€Å"Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it.† Alice was always one step ahead of me. â€Å"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie,† I told them, grinning as I remembered Edward's complaints about my radio this afternoonall a setup, apparently. â€Å"Thanks, Emmett!† I called more loudly. I heard his booming laugh from my truck, and I couldn't help laughing, too. â€Å"Open mine and Edward's next,† Alice said, so excited her voice was a high-pitched trill. She held a small, flat square in her hand. I turned to give Edward a basilisk glare. â€Å"You promised.† Before he could answer, Emmett bounded through the door. â€Å"Just in time!† he crowed. He pushed in behind Jasper, who had also drifted closer than usual to get a good look. â€Å"I didn't spend a dime,† Edward assured me. He brushed a strand of hair from my face, leaving my skin tingling from his touch. I inhaled deeply and turned to Alice. â€Å"Give it to me,† I sighed. Emmett chuckled with delight. I took the little package, rolling my eyes at Edward while I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. â€Å"Shoot,† I muttered when the paper sliced my finger; I pulled it out to examine the damage. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. â€Å"No!† Edward roared. He threw himself at me, flinging me back across the table. It fell, as I did, scattering the cake and the presents, the flowers and the plates. I landed in the mess of shattered crystal. Jasper slammed into Edward, and the sound was like the crash of boulders in a rock slide. There was another noise, a grisly snarling that seemed to be coming from deep in Jasper's chest. Jasper tried to shove past Edward, snapping his teeth just inches from Edward's face. Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind in the next second, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper struggled on, his wild, empty eyes focused only on me. Beyond the shock, there was also pain. I'd tumbled down to the floor by the piano, with my arms thrown out instinctively to catch my fall, into the jagged shards of glass. Only now did I feel the searing, stinging pain that ran from my wrist to the crease inside my elbow. Dazed and disoriented, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arminto the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires.

Buddhism and Christianity

Buddhist and Christians are among the world’s larges religions. They are characterized by different teachings and practices that they observe. They both have different origins and beliefs that form part of their structures. The two characteristics that I am going to look at are: the ethical teachings of both Christians and Buddhists and their religious scriptures. Ethical teachings: Ethics is one of the issues which stand out among the teachings of both religions. The two religions emphasize on the need for proper ethics through believes, practices and worship.Despite the emphasis that they both put on ethics, differences emerge between the two in their theoretical and practical aspects. There are several areas in which the differences can be evident such as: their ideas concerning sin, the notion and model of ethics together with the codes of ethics. Sin: in both religions, human beings are regarded as sinful beings. Sin is the basis of religious doctrines and without it: it is possible that ethical religious believes could not be there. According to both religions, human beings are characterized by sin, imperfection and guilty.It is only through moral religious principles that one can be made pure and perfect. The births of both Buddha and Christ were good news to both the Buddhist and Christians respectively. Jesus was born to bring salvation and love from God while Buddha was born to bring the message of wisdom and compassionate to mankind as well as show them the path to enlightenment (King, P. 3). Christians believe that all human beings are connected to the first sin in the Garden of Eden by the first parents: Adam and Eve. This sin has over the years been passed down from one generation to the other.This story explains the origin of sin which according to the story was human disobedience to God. Therefore, Adam and Eve went against God’s wishes when they decided to ignore the orders He had given them of not eating the fruit they ate. Becau se God is perceived as a model for perfect ethics, then going against his wishes will be the same as sinning. Therefore, according to Christians, sin is not only the original sin that has been passed down though generations but also the heart’s disobedience in following or practicing the divine morals, ethical codes and spirit.Hence the base of Christian ethics is not only believing in Christ but also living according to his teachings (Locke, P. 237). In Buddhism, there is no that kind of â€Å"original sin† as in Christianity. They instead believe that every individual is born of craving and ignorance which results to human beings being born in a cycle referred to as samsara: a birth and death cycle. It is only through enlightenment that an individual can overcome craving and ignorance. According to Buddha’s personal experiences, sin is originally caused by impunity, bad karmas and imperfection: there is no any other source.In the Buddhist structure, it is beli eved that sin originates from oneself and can therefore be overcome by oneself. Therefore, the basis of Buddhist’s ethical teachings is the mind: that sin originates from the mind and can only be overcome by the mind (Smart, p. 77). Model and ethical notion: both Christianity and Buddhism take the perfect model of ethics to be an important aspect of religious morality. Ethical teachings of both religion focus on Christ and Buddha because both of their lives were full of noble virtues and love that cannot be compared with any other.These models are the foundations of both religions although there are different ideas concerning ethics between them (Locke, P. 237). For Christians, love (agape) is the basis of moral life which is shown clearly in the life and teachings of Christ as well as in the bible. They believe that God is love and it is what constitutes his heart. Therefore, it is through his grace and forgiveness of human sins that ethical values can be cultivated in indiv iduals and salvation can be attained. Christian moral standards are basically established on sin, forgiveness, belief and the love of God.They also believe that belief must go with actions: a Christian can best be recognized by his/her deeds as compared to what he/she says. Contrary to the Christians, Buddhist morality is not based upon the power or the life of Buddha but instead it is based upon his teachings about â€Å"cause and effects†. They believe that an individual’s positive or negative attitude is determined by his/her actions and thoughts. Buddha taught people to: â€Å"make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge,† (King, P.3) Therefore, in both religions: human beings are perceived to be sinful. The mind’s purity is perceived to be the basic step in ethics through which suffering and impunity which has been created in individuals can b e overcome. If the overall aim is transformation from the evil nature to divine: then Christians could achieve it through uniting with Christ while Buddhist could achieve the same by observing Buddhahood. Religious scriptures: According to the interviews I conducted with a Christian and a Buddhist leader, I found out the following about their religious scriptures:Teachings concerning God: conservative Buddhists’ scriptures teach nothing about existence of God. It does not affirm or deny existence of God and does not state who is divine not even Gautama himself. Liberal ones do not put emphasis on this concept but they pay homage to Buddha, Buddhist teachers, deities and ancestors. They worship using images, bow before them, give offerings to them, chant and pray to them. Although earlier Buddhism did not recognize Buddha to be omniscient, they now consider him and other teachers to be omniscience.Contrary to Buddhist scripture teachings, Christians refer to the bible that tea ches them that God exists. It states that the fact that there is a universe is an indication that there is a God somewhere. Psalm 19:1 – â€Å"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. † & Romans 1:20 – Though God is invisible, His power and divinity can be seen through the things that are made. The only way the universe could exist is because there is a supernatural being powerful and wiser than anybody else (Scott, p. 87).Purpose of religion: The purpose of religion was to better man’s relationship with God. Buddhism scriptures do not teach anything about God while the bible teaches that the whole purpose of humanity is to serve and have a better relationship with Christ. Ecclesiastes 12:13 – The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep his commands. Ephesians 1:7-9 – The will and purpose of God was to redeem man by the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus. Teaching about a true and supreme G od: Buddhism teachings allow for worship of many gods while the biblical teachings forbid the worship of more than one God.Matthew 4:10 – â€Å"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him ONLY shalt thou serve. † We are not to worship many gods, nor any god other than Jehovah [2 Corinthians 6:18; Colossians 1:19-22]. Destiny of man: Buddhist scriptures teach about reincarnation (rebirth), Karma which teaches that the future lives are influenced by current actions and that what happens currently is the result of previous actions and nirvana which teaches that the ultimate purpose of man is to get out of the birth and rebirth cycle characterized by suffering.While the bible teaches that: an individual only lives once and physically dies once after which there will be resurrection, judgment and eternal rewards. 1 Corinthians 15:22, 23 – All die as a result of Adam's sin; as a result of Jesus, all live again. Resurrection is the opposite of death; hence the spirit is reunited with the body. Matthew 25:31-46 – The wicked go to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Buddhist scriptures do not teach about death and resurrection (Scott, p. 87).Suffering: Buddhist scriptures teach that suffering is essential in life, it’s brought about by human desires and they can be eliminated by getting rid of earthly desires by not wanting to exist as an individual. The bible teachings teach that suffering is part of life; it is a consequence of sin physical desires are neither good nor bad, it depends on how you seek to satisfy them, an individual’s desire to exist is not bad and it’s through trust in God that you can be able to overcome suffering and not through defeating yourself.The Buddhist teaching of not to desire to be an individual can be considered to blasphemy God’s work by Christians. Works cited King, L. Winston. Buddhism and Christianity: Some Bridges of Understanding. Taylor and Francis. 2008, p . 3. Locke, A. Kenneth, â€Å"The Foundation for Ethical Behavior: A Christian perspective for a dialogue with Buddhism,† Hsi Lai Journal of Humanistic Buddhism 3 (2002): 327. Scott, Archibald. Buddhism and Christianity; A Parallel and a Contrast, Being the Croall Lectures for 1889-90. General Books LLC. (2009): p. 87. Smart, Ninian. Buddhism and Christianity: rivals and allies. University of Hawaii Press. (1993): p. 77.