Supply Chain Design Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supply Chain Design Paper - Essay Example This can be seen as both advantageous and disadvantageous. Advantages of Riordan’s manufacturing strategy Increases quality There is one major advantage with regard to this manufacturing strategy is the ability to increase the precision of the manufacturing process. Highly customised goods processes make it easier to increase quality as the employees will master the functions and ensure they are able to produce perfect products. Meeting individual needs of individual customers Customisation means that each customer can get a product that directly and closely meets their needs (Fogliatto & Silveira, 2011). However, firms involved in mass manufacturing find it harder to be able to customise their products to individual customer needs. However, with competition increasing and making it harder for firms to compete for the customers, it is necessary to increase the rates of satisfaction in customers. Mass customisation is an attempt to make mass production as customer customised as possible. It is looking at the needs of the customer as closely as possible and making sure that customers will get a product which is as close to their needs as possible. Mass customisation therefore increases customer satisfaction and this makes the firm more competitive in the market. Disadvantages Increased costs Customisation makes it is easier to deliver to the customers products they want but at an increased cost. In manufacturing, the biggest issue is that defects costs the firm a lot. It is the dream of every manufacturer to reduce the defect rate to as low as it can be possible so as to help the firm will not have losses. Every defective product is a loss to the firm because defective products cannot be sold. Mass customisation has the disadvantage of increasing the defect rates and therefore increasing the losses associated with the defects. Apart from increased defects rates making costs to go higher, mass customisation increases the cost of producing a single product ( Chandra & Kamrani, 2011). In other words, even in the absence of the issue of defects rates, customized manufacturing is not as cost effective as the mass production. Increasing the costs will mean that the firm will have to increase the prices of the product, and this may deny the firm the competitive edge in the market. Cannot be achieved wholly Mass customisation is usually a compromise that the firm has to make, and there is never a time where the firm will be able to fully customize the products. In regard to this, firm has to understand that not all products can be customised. In fact, as Blecke (2005) says, not all products need to be customized. Mass customisation only works where the product end customer is a mass buy. In cases where the end buyer is the individual, it becomes much harder to mass customize, and it becomes very impossible to meet the individual needs of millions of customers. Mass customisation is therefore an idea that is simple in theory and difficult in p ractice. In this regard, it is important to be able to understand that mass customisation may only be a hype which needs to be looked at critically. Flowchart Metrics to evaluate performance Issue Concern Impact Meeting customer needs It meets the customer needs High Cost management The costs associated with is are not prohibitive High Applicability It is applicable High Relevance It is relevant for the product High Market outlook It improves the market outlook Medium In the above metric, the most important thing is to determine whether the costs incurred in

Case Study of Business Strategy Of Marks And Spencer

Case Study of Business Strategy Of Marks And Spencer Marks and Spencer is one of the biggest traders having inheritance of more than one hundred and twenty years. It has more than 895 stores in more than 40 regions all over the world. Its head office is in U.K, in the city of Westminster. Michael Marks from Slonim, Russia and Thomas Spencer a cashier from Yorkshire are the pioneers of this U.Ks biggest retailers. At Leeds (Kirkgate market) in 1884, Michael Marks started his own business by opening a penny bazaar stall. Then to develop his business he opened a shop at Manchester with the partnership of Thomas Spencer. H:st college assingmentsMS assingq no 51201445_MarksSpencerSheffieldHistory.jpg After the death of both the pioneers of the company Michael Marks Simon became the chairman of company while William Chapman took the helm until 1960. During the Era of Michael Simon Company touch the highest point .The business was floated as a public limited company after 10 years. In 1998 it was the first company of U.K who earned the profit of one billion pounds after tax deduction. Marks and Spencer prohibited smoke first time in store that later on became a legal offence to smoke at public places. Marks and Spencer mainly deals in Clothing, Home Ware, Food, Technology, Beauty, Financial Services, Energy and Hospitality. PLAN A: The Customers are becoming more conscious about natural and environmental issues, so for this Marks and Spencer launched plan A, which consists of 180 commitments to overcome the challenges. Many problems are related with Climate Change, Waste Reduction, Ethical Trading, Sustainable Raw Material and Health. To tackle these changes Marks and Spencer is doing much effort. C:UsersFaisalDesktopimagesCAXD7DW8.jpg In March 2010 Marks and Spencer expanded plan A introduced 80 more commitments and added them up with the existing ones. In these commitments their primary focus is on climate changes, waste, natural resources, fair partner, health and well being. These five main pillars are described below: C:UsersFaisalPicturesimagesCAV6T6WW.jpg CLIMATE CHANGE: Due to an increase in greenhouse gases produced by the human activities the earth is getting warmer day by day causing many damaging consequences. In 2006/07 Marks and Spencer cut their carbon emissions to 8% by reducing the usage of energy. Marks n Spencer also committed that up to 2015, they will improve their energy efficiency by 35%. C:UsersFaisalDesktopimagesCA3FRFRV.jpg WASTE: Every year the U.K has to throw away 400 tonnes of waste that comes from construction, industry, households and discarded packaging. The waste that is not recycled ends up in landfill sites which take many years to decompose. Marks and Spencer claimed that in the year of 2009/10 they have achieved the recycling level to 88% while reducing the amount of waste to 16%.They have reduced the food waste by 29% as compared to the years 2006/07.Marks and Spencer collected 133 million clothes hangers and reused 76% of them and recycled the rest. C:UsersFaisalPicturesimagesCAM1CR39.jpg They have also recycled their construction waste up to 89%.Marks and Spencer are committed to do that by 2015 they want to landfill help their customers to recycle or reuse their packaging and products. They will also help their suppliers to reduce the waste and to gain zero rates as well. NATURAL RESORCES: In plan A Marks and Spencer aimed to get as much of their raw material from their natural resources as possible. It is the U.Ks first company who has signed the WWF sea food charter, with 62 % of their wild sea food. Marks Spencer also purchased Green palm certificate to cover all the palm oil to use their Marks and Spencer product. C:UsersFaisalPicturesimagesCAG3OZ2S.jpg Fair Partner: Marks and Spencer has a vision that they are very strong in their communities and ensure good working conditions. Marks and Spencer has the lowest employee turnover rate in UK retail i.e. 14%.Marks and Spencer is offering competitive salaries, discount to their employees, bonuses and share save options to their employees. It provides different training programmes to the employees. Every employee has to undertake Marks Spencer Career Path Training and learning programmes .While the managers have to attend the different workshops to boost their capabilities. Marks and Spencer is trying to provide the best salary packages for the employees. C:UsersFaisalDesktopimagesCAF15VPV.jpg Health and Wellbeing: Unhealthy food is one of the main factors of many health problems. According to the part of the commitment of Plan A Marks and Spencer encouraged its customers and employees to get healthy and nutritious food by developing new product ranges. Marks and Spencer has launched online diet forums and health newsletters to allow active dialogue with the customers on nutrition and health. Marks and Spencer has removed artificial flavours and colours from all of its food products and soft drinks. It has also removed 90% of salt in its products. Very few of the products still does not meet the required standard of health and nutrition but Marks and Spencer is working hard to bring it in line according to the required standard. C:UsersFaisalPicturesimagesCACFVO3Z.jpg Analysis of the external environment: According to plan A Marks and Spencer has also taken into consideration the external environment of the company. External environment means the factors that directly or indirectly affect the internal function and perhaps business strategy and objectives as well. Most common factors of external environment are political, social, economic and technical. These factors are totally out of control of the organisation, but the company could be able to take some steps to overcome these challenges. Basically the external environment defines the competitive situation of an organisation and potentially can have both positive and negative impacts on businesses. Target analysis has four major categories of external factors that affect the companys capability to grow. Based on operation region, external environment is divided into three interactive segments which is remote, industrial and operational environment. External factors produce different influences on the companys productivity. On the ot her hand some influences are inter-linked with each other. For example information technology completely changed the way of work, customer behaviour and life style as well. Based on PEST analysis four major factors are going to be discussed in detail. Political Environment: Political stability in a country attracts the investors to do investment and that is a very key factor to grow business. Secondly, government trade policy, is either flexible or hard. Every organisation operates under the government policy about trade and within the legal frame work. The legal frame work covers many areas like tax rates, employees benefits, wage legislation, trade regulation and tariff. Suppliers, customers and competitors are also affected by the political environment. Economical Environment: Economic conditions also affect organisations external environment. In this regard some factors that influence business are tax rates, inflation, money supply, government need, economic growth rate and the tendency to spend at international and national level. Social Environment: In social context, normally Britain customers lean towards a specific product. In every transaction product quality matters a lot, but it could easily be beaten by offering lower pricing of the same brand. Some fresh analysis about Britains customers is that they prefer some fashionable styles over classic trends. This can be seen in Marks Spencers case because they are still struggling to get a bigger market share. This indicates that British buyers are very keen about their wealth. Technological Environment: Now a days a large number of the population is able to use the internet. It means that by using e-commerce many organisations can widen their horizons and do many more operations. This can be seen in foremost companies like Sainsbury, Tesco and ASDA as well. These days most of the trading and purchasing is done through the internet, and it has also become a competitive advantage of Marks and Spencer. Analysis of External Environment of MS: The U.K retail market is very eye-catching. The company has full support from the government. Because Marks Spencer has rich historic values and has become a very powerful organisation in the business world, new competitors are finding it very challenging to keep up with the quality of products and services that Marks Spencer provide. Analysis of the organisations internal environment and identification: In Plan A Marks and Spencer has taken internal analysis, which is also called SWOT analysis. This is a very important part of business development. SWOT analysis is a simple structure for generating strategic alternative from a situation analysis. SWOT is an abbreviation for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In late 1960, Edmund defined SWOT structure. Learned, C. Roland, Christiansen, Kenneth Andrews and William d Goth in Business Policy, Text and Cases (Homewood, IL; Irwin 1969).In the 1980s General Electric Growth Council used this form of analysis. Basically, it throws light on thecompanys strengths weaknesses. The strengths highlight the different aspects that bring results in market value and the weaknesses draw the attention to those areas which need improvements. SWOT analysis is fruitful where you have to tackle a complex situation in a limited time frame. Organisation of an effective strategy is based on a clear definition of the organizations mission. For the success of an organization it requires some necessary ingredients which are listed below: Strategy must be carefully verbalized, applied, manageable and accomplished. Internal analysis of the organisation is an essential part in the strategic planning process. During 2005-06 Marks and Spencer had seventy thousand employees globally. The Company changed the employees structure according to the nature of the customers that used the products and services of Marks Spencer. Marks and Spencer also pledge to promoting equal opportunities regardless of age, disability,race, views about politics, working hours and religion. Marks and Spencer arrange flexible working schedules for fatherhood, adoption and IVF treatment, child and career break to boost their employees uniformity. Marks and Spencer also runs Business Involvement Group (BIG), which is a work demonstration forum in all their stores and offices that inspire their work force to share information and develop discussion about the companys business. If we talk about salary and welfare, the company has some incentive packages that include fundamental fixed pay. As for training, in 2005-06 more than 102,000 days were fixed for training purpose in which Marks and Spencer try to develop inner aptitude and skill of their workers. Marks and Spencer proved that they have great concern about health and safety of their employees by providing a wide range of work related health services. The companys code of ethics is also developing to give guideline to their member concerning their responsibilities towards customers, workers, stockholders, dealers, societies, government and the environment. Identification of the major issues challenging Marks Spencer: Marks and Spencer is one of the UKs biggest traders, giving different services to their customers in the field of food, clothing, and house hold products. They tried at their best level to give good customer service at an affordable price, but it is not always very easy. Marks and Spencer are losing their trend towards the youngstersand their other opponents in the market are taking advantage of this weak point. This is the biggest challenge that Marks and Spencer is facing nowadays. To overcome this weak point Marks and Spencer is also taking steps to provide cheaper products to their customer, but for this they have to import their raw materials, which also lessen the Marks and Spencers image of British Goods Seller. Cards and cash methods have been used for payment since 2001. Marks and Spencer have seen very tough times during the period of recession, but now it seems as though everything is going back to normal. The companys thirteen weeks before the start of OCT (2010) was very hope full. Homeware made an astonishing growth in sales up to 7% and food stuff which was last year 3.6%, this year it increases up to 3.7%.The clothing section is also growing and is the most rapidly expanding sales item of Marks and Spencer. During the autumn the women shoes sales touched a record, which Marks and Spencer claims that it was because of their strong advertisement. External environment and the impact on the strategic direction of the organisation: Strategic direction means those incentives that a company adopts for the achievement of its target i.e. how to produce, develop and sell its products. Basically strategic direction is the planning that an organisation follows for the marketing of its products. Marks and Spencer introduced a plan that they named as PLAN A the purpose behind which is to become worlds most sustainable retailer. For the success of any organisation it is very necessary to keep an eye on the environmental changes that occurs outside the organisation. As these changes affect the strategy of any organisation, it has to alter its rules and regulations according to the environmental changes. There are four main external environmental factors that effect the strategic direction of any organisation. a) Political b) Economic c) Technological d) Social The political condition plays a vital role to put an impact on the strategy of an organisation as it refers to the government policies. If the government introduces new laws and the organisation has some policies or rules and regulations that conflicts with the existing government laws, it has to alter its rules and regulations and make them according to the governments policy. The change in the political condition can affects the strategic direction of the organisation as every government has its own policies and the organisation cannot work against the laws of the country. Economic condition has also a deep effect on the strategic direction of an organisation. The economic condition of any country has a deep rooted effect. It includes taxation rates, economic growth rate and capability to invest at national and international levels. The rapid change in technology is another factor that can affect the strategic direction of an organisation .With the passage of time new techniques and machines are coming up and it is very important to adopt new techniques for the development of a business. In the social environment the consumer plays a vital role to affect on the strategic direction of the organisation. The organisation has to provide the products and services according to the requirements of the consumer. The lifestyle trends, ethical issues, media views, law changes, buying access, brand, religion beliefs, demographics and fashion are the social factors that can affect the strategy of the organisation. What should the organisation do to achieve or maintain competitive advantage in its industries? Competitive advantage: A companys competitive advantages are the features that give permission to do best even in average industry extensive performance and free entry into the industry as a whole. Every company has some definite abilities which make it different from other companies in the same industries. It has some unique competences that cannot be replicated by the opponents. Many companies complete their management price by using effective use of skills to organise their jobs. One example of such a company is Marks and Spencer. This company use technology to locate their goods. The company also use technology to coordinate between different departments. It brings more proficiency and less expenditure, and as a result production cost is low. On -the-counter payment was also introduced by Marks Spencer. It was very beneficial for the company as they need only a small amount of employees, so as a result labour cost was minimized and profit margin were increased. Marks and Spencer with more than 100 years of experience have a competitive advantage over most of their counter parts, because the company earn the trust and reputation among the customers, their workers and suppliers. Their customers have an extensive collection and are fully confident about the companys products and services.They also get value for money as well. Marks and Spencer demonstrates a shared sense of doing things, with their strong inner structure that moves around permanent employment relationships and strong organisational routines. In the external environment Marks and Spencer fully focus on product specification and design to continue their relationship with the customer, which lasts for many years. As part of their business accountability the company has strong conservational and communal responsibilities. TSE Stated that Marks and Spencer use modern methods of management like consumer research, planning, personal management, product innovation, staff training and many more and has proved itself as a founder and outshined among all other companies (1985).Marks Spencer maintain a strong organisational structure that is run by comparatively normal employees who get excellent results over many years, although many changes have occured in the economic environment (1995). Although, over the recent years, due to the big recession the company has had to face downfalls in some of their retailing areas, but they have managed to overcome all their uncertain hurdles through flexibility, that their opponents view as unnerving. According to an analyst Terhi Halme (2008) ,Even though Marks and Spencer has carried out extensive reformation over the past years, the companys competitive advantage has not been fully revived, so the firm could be able to answerable to the current down turn in British retail market. The decline rate during the past few months has been increased in their food unit and as a result revenue has dropped. Because of this, the food sector is also losing its market share. The management have to step up marketing and promotional spending to protect the market share. Additionally the team confidence is also diminish because of changed management, and therefore not been able to generate sustainable improvements. It is possible that Asian and Middle East companies that are in search of western products will take a look at the market shares of Marks and Spencer as presenting buying opportunities at the present price, especially during this recession. Conclusion: Marks and Spencers main aim is to become the worlds most sustainable retailer by 2015. To achieve this target Marks and Spencer introduce Plan A in which it has highlighted five factors to achieve their business goal that is climate change, waste, sustainable raw material, fair partnership and health. There are some internal and external environmental factors that affect the business strategy of the organisation. Internal factors are under the control of the organisation that deals with the strengths and weaknesses. But the external environmental factors are beyond the control of the organisation. Marks and Spencer has also taken initiative to maintain and improve its position. It provides good customer services, using modern techniques, and provides products according to the demand of the customers.

Analysis of Ethics and Values Essay

Values are defined as things that are important and of some value for others. Values are of utmost importance while formulating vision. Importance of value is not just for individuals but organizations also emphasize greatly on its core values and even their vision is consistent with the values of the organization. All the decisions about right and wrong are based on the values that an individual or organization has. Thus it is said that values are the rules that one follows both in personal and professional life. Value shows what is right and what is wrong whereas doing what is right or wrong is determined by ethics. When one says that behave ethically, they mean behave in the right way. (Portman, 2010). By ethics we mean certain standards of conduct that shows how one should behave and fulfill the duties and responsibilities Professional Values and Ethics: Professional values and ethics refer to set of standards of conduct that supports the prestige of various professions that exist in the society. These set of principles indicate that how a particular professional group should behave in the society and what personal qualities they need to develop and in what way they are supposed to communicate at the workplace as well as with others in the society. For example for scientists moral principles involve integrity and patriotism. Justice and sincerity are the ethics for judiciary. Professional ethics become an important part of an organization because it increases the productivity of the organization as it indicates the way people should communicate with each other and the way they should carry out their responsibilities. Ethics for Military Organization Everyone agrees to the fact that integrity, honesty and moral conduct are important elements in a good human being but what people don’t agree is that these standards are applied equally for both personal and professional lives. An employee thinks that as long as his task are fulfilled, his employer should not care about his private conduct and he has all the rights to drinks, cheat take drugs or whatever he wants to do in his personal life. This may be true for the civilian sector but in the military there is different view. They do not tolerate drugs or alcohol. They do not allow sexual involvement with others in the workplace and severe punishments are given for dishonesty. Senior leaders say that for them private and public line are erased they cannot do what they want to do even in private as they answerable for the entire act that they do in private life as well. Military Ethics and Ethical Concepts: Military ethics refers to the code of conduct of military personnel while performing military activities. This concept of military ethics revolves around three sub concepts. The first concept refers to suitable behavior of individual for their profession, proper understanding of their standard mission and the assignments given to them and the right manner through which they can achieve their missions. The second concept underlines the suitable conduct of the military which is based on the fact that military members belong to a specific profession. The third concept specifies proper conduct of military members as a citizen of a free society where people are expected to respect the dignity of humans and adhering to the values of the democratic society. Professionalism Concept: Military ethics is based on complete professionalism which identifies the military members as professionals. Just as all other professionals are expected to perform their duties in a certain manner; the same military members are also required to adhere to the values and principles of the society. Conception of Owing: There are three Os on which the military ethics rely. These include; owing, ordering and to ought. Military officers are indebted to a lot of people such as country people, their families and comrades therefore they should realize that it is a selfless service. Conception of Ordering: Concept of ordering is also very important in military ethics. It is about priorities and moral structures. For example a top ranking officer knows that there is certain defect in a weapon that military requires badly, should the military officer reveal this information to the committee which is analyzing the weapon or he should withhold this information and go ahead in getting the weapon for his men. Here the question of ethics and priority comes. Conception of Obligations: This means what military members ought to do. According to military ethics, soldiers are expected to obey all the orders of the seniors promptly. But sometimes this happen that these orders raise ethical question therefore the military men are usually stuck between obeying the command or doing what is right and needs to be done.

Essay on Analysis of Obamas Speech About Health Care Reform

It is amazing how one person’s hour long speech can change so many American views over our health care system. In 2008, Obama states that an average of 700,000 jobs were being lost per month (Obama). That means almost a million Americans were without a job! Obama later states in his speech that we are â€Å"the only advanced democracy on Earth that allows such hardship for millions of its people† (Obama). That statement is very true especially when it comes to health care issues. If Obama’s predicted outcome of his health care reform carries through, then millions of Americans will be greatly benefited. Obama gives an example in his speech stating â€Å"one in every three Americans goes without health care coverage at some point†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦That is just another perfect example on the average American going into debt due to the failing economy. My favorite statement that Obama makes is when he says â€Å"We spend one and a half times mor e per person on health care than any other country, but we aren’t any healthier for it† (Obama). No one could say that any better! That statement is very true, because America is said to be one of the most obese and unhealthy countries than any other. Many Americans want unnecessary operations and the obese individuals are eating so unhealthy so that in ten years they can go and have a gastric bypass surgery when they could have prevented that in their beginning stages of eating unhealthy foods. So, they will want a good health care provider to help cut the cost of that surgery down when they never should have needed it in the first place. Granted, some Americans can not control their diet; however, they could be seeing a fitness trainer or even a doctor before it gets so out of hand. In Obama’s speech, he talks about how this new plan will not insure any illegal immigrants, but only any American living here legally (Obama). After making this statement a member f rom the audience shouts out â€Å"You Lie!† but I feel quite honestly that he is making a 100% truth statement. There is a way to find out who is here legally and who is not and I believe there are ways doctors, insurance providers, etc. can prevent any illegal immigrant from benefitting fromShow MoreRelatedThe Affordable Care Act Or Aca Is A Federal Statute Initiated By President Obama Essay1582 Words   |  7 PagesThe Affordable Care Act or ACA is a federal statute initiated by President Barack Obama, its intended effects were to supply medical coverage at a low cost to millions of Americans who could not afford access to healthcare. There are a variety of economic and scholarly opinions regarding the ACA’s effect on the healthcare market. Many of these viewpoints have changed over the course of Obama’s presidency as the statute began to affect individuals and the healthcare market. When President Obama wasRead MoreEssay on President Obama’s speech at the University of Hartford 1792 Words   |  8 Pagesbroadcasting networks provided live coverage of President Obama’s speech, and a national audience listened as the president’s addressing the issues and the next steps forward for the country. The impact of this tragedy and previous massive shootings and Obama’s explanation have been a subject of a controversial debate. I plan on using the pentadic method to analyze President Obama’s speech regarding Sandy Hook and gun control. What we can learn about the method by using it to examine this particular artifactRead MoreAnalysis of the Leadership Style of President Obama3441 Words   |  14 PagesSummary President Barack Obama seems to be a transformational leader who wants to achieve a deep change and mobilises therefore a lot of followers. In his election campaign he had three principles: Respect! Empower! Include! He said â€Å"It’s not about me, it’s about you!†. The people felt attracted to Obama and were sure that he will be the perfect President. He received so many donations for his campaign like no president before in the history of the United Stated. He benefited from the big advantageRead Morerhetorical analysis of obamas political speeches5660 Words   |  23 PagesCritical Discourse Analysis of Obamas Political Discourse Juraj Horvà ¡th Abstract This paper examines the persuasive strategies of President Obamas public speaking as well as the covert ideology of the same, enshrined in his inaugural address. 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Obama seemed to be virtuousRead MoreBill Clintons Health Care Plan5084 Words   |  21 PagesIndependent study | Bill Clinton’s Health Care Plan | [Ide à ­rhatja a dokumentum alcà ­mà ©t] | | | | [Ide à ­rhatja be a dokumentum kivonatà ¡t, amely rendszerint a dokumentum rà ¶vid à ¶sszefoglalà ¡sa. Ide à ­rhatja be a dokumentum kivonatà ¡t, amely rendszerint a dokumentum rà ¶vid à ¶sszefoglalà ¡sa.] | Content 1. Why did he try to change? Why was it necessary? 2.1. The way towrds the reform†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 2.2. Theodore Roosevelt†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 2.3. 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His mother, Ann Dunham, was born in Wichita, Kansas, and was of mostly English ancestry. His father, Barack Obama, Sr., was a Luo from Nyang’oma Kogelo, Kenya. Obamas parents met in 1960 in a Russian classRead MoreA Linguistic Analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address9492 Words   |  38 PagesRhythm and Rhetoric: A Linguistic Analysis of Obama’s Inaugural Address Liilia Batluk Supervisor: Stuart Foster School of Humanities Halmstad University Bachelor’s thesis in English Acknowledgment My appreciations to my supervisor Stuart Foster for very helpful advice during the research. Abstract In this essay I shall analyze Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address, January, 2009 from the perspective of various linguistic techniques. More specifically, I shall propose and focus on the idea that theRead MoreObamacare : The Future Of Obamacare Essay2051 Words   |  9 Pagesraces in American history, the populous candidate Donald Trump has been elected by the American people as our next president. While campaigning, one of the first things that Trump vowed to accomplish in office was to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (donaldjtrump.com). Trump should have no trouble doing this with the support of both the Republican senate and the Republican House. The consequences of what exactly will be done is a constantly argued topic and the phrase â€Å"repeal and replace Obamacare†

Kids Must Do More Than Recite the Pledge of Allegiance Essay

Children in the United States go through many years of school reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, but does it encourage loyalty in their nation or fear of it? The years that I spent in school reciting the pledge did little to instill patriotism in me. I do not even remember the words to it. Having a more hands-on approach to community involvement would be a better way to teach children pride for their country. Encourage children to be concerned about their school, neighborhood, city and nation by letting them be a part of their community. It is the job of not just schools, but also the parents to play a part in showing the next generation what true devotion to their country is all about. True patriotism is the selfless giving of oneself†¦show more content†¦Reciting the pledge doesn’t prove loyalty and refusal to recite it doesn’t prove treason. We should take it for granted that our children love their country and nurture those ideas rather than make them recite an unnecessary, therefore meaningless pledge. I wish that my parents and my school did more to show me what true patriotism was instead of just teaching me to blindly recite the Pledge of Allegiance without asking why it was done, or what it meant. I think that if they would have encouraged me to be a part of my community, I would have more loyalty to my nation today. I would want the greater good for my country more so than I do now. Community service is a fantastic technique to show children that there is more to their world than their own backyard. Encourage them to get involved with or even plan community events such as helping to paint over graffiti in their neighborhood, cleaning up trash after an event, or help repair a run-down playground. Children may complain about spending their Saturday working rather than playing a video game or staring at a mind-numbing television set all day, but the lessons that they will learn and the way they feel after the event will be beyond compare. Chances are, they will feel so strongly a bout their newly found pride in what they have accomplished, they will continue to do bigger and better things to show pride in their community. The next generation can make a vast change in the world withShow MoreRelatedJehovah s Witness Home Has Its Ups And Its Downs1670 Words   |  7 Pagesparents are Jehovah s Witnesses or they started having a bible study, there are plenty of up sides and down sides. Religion is a strange thing to deal with; it is also a choice for each and every individual on this planet. As a Jehovah s Witness, you must put gods will first, before anything. 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Gender Inequality As A Key Indicator Of Economic Well...

Gender inequality as a key indicator of economic well-being and empowerment is major issue a large number of developing countries. At the same time, as stated by Axel Dreher (2014). there is a great deal of heterogeneity in gender inequality across countries consisting of sexism, sexual exploitation and sexual oppression, Furthermore, as Dreher states (2014), this focus on gender inequality is also at the core of the 1995 Beijing Platform of Action, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the 3rd Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on the promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women. The discrimination based on sex not only causes family problems, but also it leads to social inequity in various sorts. Gender inequity can affect both genders, but it particularly affects women and girls. 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Twilight 17. THE GAME Free Essays

string(39) " his thick lips as he considered that\." 17. THE GAME It was just beginning to drizzle when Edward turned onto my street. Up until that moment, I’d had no doubt that he’d be staying with me while I spent a few interim hours in the real world. We will write a custom essay sample on Twilight 17. THE GAME or any similar topic only for you Order Now And then I saw the black car, a weathered Ford, parked in Charlie’s driveway – and heard Edward mutter something unintelligible in a low, harsh voice. Leaning away from the rain under the shallow front porch, Jacob Black stood behind his father’s wheelchair. Billy’s face was impassive as stone as Edward parked my truck against the curb. Jacob stared down, his expression mortified. Edward’s low voice was furious. â€Å"This is crossing the line.† â€Å"He came to warn Charlie?† I guessed, more horrified than angry. Edward just nodded, answering Billy’s gaze through the rain with narrowed eyes. I felt weak with relief that Charlie wasn’t home yet. â€Å"Let me deal with this,† I suggested. Edward’s black glare made me anxious. To my surprise, he agreed. â€Å"That’s probably best. Be careful, though. The child has no idea.† I bridled a little at the word child. â€Å"Jacob is not that much younger than I am,† I reminded him. He looked at me then, his anger abruptly fading. â€Å"Oh, I know,† he assured me with a grin. I sighed and put my hand on the door handle. â€Å"Get them inside,† he instructed, â€Å"so I can leave. I’ll be back around dusk.† â€Å"Do you want my truck?† I offered, meanwhile wondering how I would explain its absence to Charlie. He rolled his eyes. â€Å"I could walk home faster than this truck moves.† â€Å"You don’t have to leave,† I said wistfully. He smiled at my glum expression. â€Å"Actually, I do. After you get rid of them† – he threw a dark glance in the Blacks’ direction – â€Å"you still have to prepare Charlie to meet your new boyfriend.† He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. I groaned. â€Å"Thanks a lot.† He smiled the crooked smile that I loved. â€Å"I’ll be back soon,† he promised. His eyes flickered back to the porch, and then he leaned in to swiftly kiss me just under the edge of my jaw. My heart lurched frantically, and I, too, glanced toward the porch. Billy’s face was no longer impassive, and his hands clutched at the armrests of his chair. â€Å"Soon,† I stressed as I opened the door and stepped out into the rain. I could feel his eyes on my back as I half-ran through the light sprinkle toward the porch. â€Å"Hey, Billy. Hi, Jacob.† I greeted them as cheerfully as I could manage. â€Å"Charlie’s gone for the day – I hope you haven’t been waiting long.† â€Å"Not long,† Billy said in a subdued tone. His black eyes were piercing. â€Å"I just wanted to bring this up.† He indicated a brown paper sack resting in his lap. â€Å"Thanks,† I said, though I had no idea what it could be. â€Å"Why don’t you come in for a minute and dry off?† I pretended to be oblivious to his intense scrutiny as I unlocked the door, and waved them in ahead of me. â€Å"Here, let me take that,† I offered, turning to shut the door. I allowed myself one last glance at Edward. He was waiting, perfectly still, his eyes solemn. â€Å"You’ll want to put it in the fridge,† Billy noted as he handed me the package. â€Å"It’s some of Harry Clearwater’s homemade fish fry – Charlie’s favorite. The fridge keeps it drier.† He shrugged. â€Å"Thanks,† I repeated, but with feeling this time. â€Å"I was running out of new ways to fix fish, and he’s bound to bring home more tonight.† â€Å"Fishing again?† Billy asked with a subtle gleam in his eye. â€Å"Down at the usual spot? Maybe I’ll run by and see him.† â€Å"No,† I quickly lied, my face going hard. â€Å"He was headed someplace new†¦ but I have no idea where.† He took in my changed expression, and it made him thoughtful. â€Å"Jake,† he said, still appraising me. â€Å"Why don’t you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I’ll leave that for Charlie, too.† â€Å"Where is it?† Jacob asked, his voice morose. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together. â€Å"I think I saw it in the trunk,† Billy said. â€Å"You may have to dig for it.† Jacob slouched back out into the rain. Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I could hear his wet wheels squeak against the linoleum as he followed. I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of the fridge, and spun around to confront him. His deeply lined face was unreadable. â€Å"Charlie won’t be back for a long time.† My voice was almost rude. He nodded in agreement, but said nothing. â€Å"Thanks again for the fish fry,† I hinted. He continued nodding. I sighed and folded my arms across my chest. He seemed to sense that I had given up on small talk. â€Å"Bella,† he said, and then he hesitated. I waited. â€Å"Bella,† he said again, â€Å"Charlie is one of my best friends.† â€Å"Yes.† He spoke each word carefully in his rumbling voice. â€Å"I noticed you’ve been spending time with one of the Cullens.† â€Å"Yes,† I repeated curtly. His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Maybe it’s none of my business, but I don’t think that is such a good idea.† â€Å"You’re right,† I agreed. â€Å"It is none of your business.† He raised his graying eyebrows at my tone. â€Å"You probably don’t know this, but the Cullen family has an unpleasant reputation on the reservation.† â€Å"Actually, I did know that,† I informed him in a hard voice. This surprised him. â€Å"But that reputation couldn’t be deserved, could it? Because the Cullens never set foot on the reservation, do they?† I could see that my less than subtle reminder of the agreement that both bound and protected his tribe pulled him up short. â€Å"That’s true,† he acceded, his eyes guarded. â€Å"You seem†¦ well informed about the Cullens. More informed than I expected.† I stared him down. â€Å"Maybe even better informed than you are.† He pursed his thick lips as he considered that. You read "Twilight 17. THE GAME" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"Maybe.† he allowed, but his eyes were shrewd. â€Å"Is Charlie as well informed?† He had found the weak chink in my armor. â€Å"Charlie likes the Cullens a lot,† I hedged. He clearly understood my evasion. His expression was unhappy, but unsurprised. â€Å"It’s not my business,† he said. â€Å"But it may be Charlie’s.† â€Å"Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think that it’s Charlie’s business, right?† I wondered if he even understood my confused question as I struggled not to say anything compromising. But he seemed to. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence. â€Å"Yes,† he finally surrendered. â€Å"I guess that’s your business, too.† I sighed with relief. â€Å"Thanks, Billy.† â€Å"Just think about what you’re doing, Bella,† he urged. â€Å"Okay,† I agreed quickly. He frowned. â€Å"What I meant to say was, don’t do what you’re doing.† I looked into his eyes, filled with nothing but concern for me, and there was nothing I could say. Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped at the sound. â€Å"There’s no picture anywhere in that car.† Jacob’s complaining voice reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were stained with the rain, his hair dripping, when he rounded the corner. â€Å"Hmm,† Billy grunted, suddenly detached, spinning his chair around to face his son. â€Å"I guess I left it at home.† Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically. â€Å"Great.† â€Å"Well, Bella, tell Charlie† – Billy paused before continuing – â€Å"that we stopped by, I mean.† â€Å"I will,† I muttered. Jacob was surprised. â€Å"Are we leaving already?† â€Å"Charlie’s gonna be out late,† Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob. â€Å"Oh.† Jacob looked disappointed. â€Å"Well, I guess I’ll see you later, then, Bella.† â€Å"Sure,† I agreed. â€Å"Take care,† Billy warned me. I didn’t answer. Jacob helped his father out the door. I waved briefly, glancing swiftly toward my now-empty truck, and then shut the door before they were gone. I stood in the hallway for a minute, listening to the sound of their car as it backed out and drove away. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and anxiety to subside. When the tension eventually faded a bit, I headed upstairs to change out of my dressy clothes. I tried on a couple of different tops, not sure what to expect tonight. As I concentrated on what was coming, what had just passed became insignificant. Now that I was removed from Jasper’s and Edward’s influence, I began to make up for not being terrified before. I gave up quickly on choosing an outfit – throwing on an old flannel shirt and jeans – knowing I would be in my raincoat all night anyway. The phone rang and I sprinted downstairs to get it. There was only one voice I wanted to hear; anything else would be a disappointment. But I knew that if he wanted to talk to me, he’d probably just materialize in my room. â€Å"Hello?† I asked, breathless. â€Å"Bella? It’s me,† Jessica said. â€Å"Oh, hey, Jess.† I scrambled for a moment to come back down to reality. It felt like months rather than days since I’d spoken to Jess. â€Å"How was the dance?† â€Å"It was so much fun!† Jessica gushed. Needing no more invitation than that, she launched into a minute-by-minute account of the previous night. I mmm’d and ahh’d at the right places, but it wasn’t easy to concentrate. Jessica, Mike, the dance, the school – they all seemed strangely irrelevant at the moment. My eyes kept flashing to the window, trying to judge the degree of light behind the heavy clouds. â€Å"Did you hear what I said, Bella?† Jess asked, irritated. â€Å"I’m sorry, what?† â€Å"I said, Mike kissed me! Can you believe it?† â€Å"That’s wonderful, Jess,† I said. â€Å"So what did you do yesterday?† Jessica challenged, still sounding bothered by my lack of attention. Or maybe she was upset because I hadn’t asked for details. â€Å"Nothing, really. I just hung around outside to enjoy the sun.† I heard Charlie’s car in the garage. â€Å"Did you ever hear anything more from Edward Cullen?† The front door slammed and I could hear Charlie banging around under the stairs, putting his tackle away. â€Å"Um.† I hesitated, not sure what my story was anymore. â€Å"Hi there, kiddo!† Charlie called as he walked into the kitchen. I waved at him. Jess heard his voice. â€Å"Oh, your dad’s there. Never mind – we’ll talk tomorrow. See you in Trig.† â€Å"See ya, Jess.† I hung up the phone. â€Å"Hey, Dad,† I said. He was scrubbing his hands in the sink. â€Å"Where’s the fish?† â€Å"I put it out in the freezer.† â€Å"I’ll go grab a few pieces before they freeze – Billy dropped off some of Harry Clearwater’s fish fry this afternoon.† I worked to sound enthusiastic. â€Å"He did?† Charlie’s eyes lit up. â€Å"That’s my favorite.† Charlie cleaned up while I got dinner ready. It didn’t take long till we were sitting at the table, eating in silence. Charlie was enjoying his food. I was wondering desperately how to fulfill my assignment, struggling to think of a way to broach the subject. â€Å"What did you do with yourself today?† he asked, snapping me out of my reverie. â€Å"Well, this afternoon I just hung out around the house†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Only the very recent part of this afternoon, actually. I tried to keep my voice upbeat, but my stomach was hollow. â€Å"And this morning I was over at the Cullens’.† Charlie dropped his fork. â€Å"Dr. Cullen’s place?† he asked in astonishment. I pretended not to notice his reaction. â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"What were you doing there?† He hadn’t picked his fork back up. â€Å"Well, I sort of have a date with Edward Cullen tonight, and he wanted to introduce me to his parents†¦ Dad?† It appeared that Charlie was having an aneurysm. â€Å"Dad, are you all right?† â€Å"You are going out with Edward Cullen?† he thundered. Uh-oh. â€Å"I thought you liked the Cullens.† â€Å"He’s too old for you,† he ranted. â€Å"We’re both juniors,† I corrected, though he was more right than he dreamed. â€Å"Wait†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He paused. â€Å"Which one is Edwin?† â€Å"Edward is the youngest, the one with the reddish brown hair.† The beautiful one, the godlike one†¦ â€Å"Oh, well, that’s† – he struggled – â€Å"better, I guess. I don’t like the look of that big one. I’m sure he’s a nice boy and all, but he looks too†¦ mature for you. Is this Edwin your boyfriend?† â€Å"It’s Edward, Dad.† â€Å"Is he?† â€Å"Sort of, I guess.† â€Å"You said last night that you weren’t interested in any of the boys in town.† But he picked up his fork again, so I could see the worst was over. â€Å"Well, Edward doesn’t live in town, Dad.† He gave me a disparaging look as he chewed. â€Å"And, anyways,† I continued, â€Å"it’s kind of at an early stage, you know. Don’t embarrass me with all the boyfriend talk, okay?† â€Å"When is he coming over?† â€Å"He’ll be here in a few minutes.† â€Å"Where is he taking you?† I groaned loudly. â€Å"I hope you’re getting the Spanish Inquisition out of your system now. We’re going to play baseball with his family.† His face puckered, and then he finally chuckled. â€Å"You’re playing baseball?† â€Å"Well, I’ll probably watch most of the time.† â€Å"You must really like this guy,† he observed suspiciously. I sighed and rolled my eyes for his benefit. I heard the roar of an engine pull up in front of the house. I jumped up and started cleaning my dishes. â€Å"Leave the dishes, I can do them tonight. You baby me too much.† The doorbell rang, and Charlie stalked off to answer it. I was half a step behind him. I hadn’t realized how hard it was pouring outside. Edward stood in the halo of the porch light, looking like a male model in an advertisement for raincoats. â€Å"Come on in, Edward.† I breathed a sigh of relief when Charlie got his name right. â€Å"Thanks, Chief Swan,† Edward said in a respectful voice. â€Å"Go ahead and call me Charlie. Here, I’ll take your jacket.† â€Å"Thanks, sir.† â€Å"Have a seat there, Edward.† I grimaced. Edward sat down fluidly in the only chair, forcing me to sit next to Chief Swan on the sofa. I quickly shot him a dirty look. He winked behind Charlie’s back. â€Å"So I hear you’re getting my girl to watch baseball.† Only in Washington would the fact that it was raining buckets have no bearing at all on the playing of outdoor sports. â€Å"Yes, sir, that’s the plan.† He didn’t look surprised that I’d told my father the truth. He might have been listening, though. â€Å"Well, more power to you, I guess.† Charlie laughed, and Edward joined in. â€Å"Okay.† I stood up. â€Å"Enough humor at my expense. Let’s go.† I walked back to the hall and pulled on my jacket. They followed. â€Å"Not too late, Bell.† â€Å"Don’t worry, Charlie, I’ll have her home early,† Edward promised. â€Å"You take care of my girl, all right?† I groaned, but they ignored me. â€Å"She’ll be safe with me, I promise, sir.† Charlie couldn’t doubt Edward’s sincerity, it rang in every word. I stalked out. They both laughed, and Edward followed me. I stopped dead on the porch. There, behind my truck, was a monster Jeep. Its tires were higher than my waist. There were metal guards over the headlights and tail-lights, and four large spotlights attached to the crash bar. The hardtop was shiny red. Charlie let out a low whistle. â€Å"Wear your seat belts,† he choked out. Edward followed me around to my side and opened the door. I gauged the distance to the seat and prepared to jump for it. He sighed, and then lifted me in with one hand. I hoped Charlie didn’t notice. As he went around to the driver’s side, at a normal, human pace, I tried to put on my seat belt. But there were too many buckles. â€Å"What’s all this?† I asked when he opened the door. â€Å"It’s an off-roading harness.† â€Å"Uh-oh.† I tried to find the right places for all the buckles to fit, but it wasn’t going too quickly. He sighed again and reached over to help me. I was glad that the rain was too heavy to see Charlie clearly on the porch. That meant he couldn’t see how Edward’s hands lingered at my neck, brushed along my collarbones. I gave up trying to help him and focused on not hyperventilating. Edward turned the key and the engine roared to life. We pulled away from the house. â€Å"This is a†¦ um†¦ big Jeep you have.† â€Å"It’s Emmett’s. I didn’t think you’d want to run the whole way.† â€Å"Where do you keep this thing?† â€Å"We remodeled one of the outbuildings into a garage.† â€Å"Aren’t you going to put on your seat belt?† He threw me a disbelieving look. Then something sunk in. â€Å"Run the whole way? As in, we’re still going to run part of the way?† My voice edged up a few octaves. He grinned tightly. â€Å"You’re not going to run.† â€Å"I’m going to be sick.† â€Å"Keep your eyes closed, you’ll be fine.† I bit my lip, fighting the panic. He leaned over to kiss the top of my head, and then groaned. I looked at him, puzzled. â€Å"You smell so good in the rain,† he explained. â€Å"In a good way, or in a bad way?† I asked cautiously. He sighed. â€Å"Both, always both.† I don’t know how he found his way in the gloom and downpour, but he somehow found a side road that was less of a road and more of a mountain path. For a long while conversation was impossible, because I was bouncing up and down on the seat like a jackhammer. He seemed to enjoy the ride, though, smiling hugely the whole way. And then we came to the end of the road; the trees formed green walls on three sides of the Jeep. The rain was a mere drizzle, slowing every second, the sky brighter through the clouds. â€Å"Sorry, Bella, we have to go on foot from here.† â€Å"You know what? I’ll just wait here.† â€Å"What happened to all your courage? You were extraordinary this morning.† â€Å"I haven’t forgotten the last time yet.† Could it have been only yesterday? He was around to my side of the car in a blur. He started unbuckling me. â€Å"I’ll get those, you go on ahead,† I protested. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he mused as he quickly finished. â€Å"It seems I’m going to have to tamper with your memory.† Before I could react, he pulled me from the Jeep and set my feet on the ground. It was barely misting now; Alice was going to be right. â€Å"Tamper with my memory?† I asked nervously. â€Å"Something like that.† He was watching me intently, carefully, but there was humor deep in his eyes. He placed his hands against the Jeep on either side of my head and leaned forward, forcing me to press back against the door. He leaned in even closer, his face inches from mine. I had no room to escape. â€Å"Now,† he breathed, and just his smell disturbed my thought processes, â€Å"what exactly are you worrying about?† â€Å"Well, um, hitting a tree -† I gulped â€Å"- and dying. And then getting sick.† He fought back a smile. Then he bent his head down and touched his cold lips softly to the hollow at the base of my throat. â€Å"Are you still worried now?† he murmured against my skin. â€Å"Yes.† I struggled to concentrate. â€Å"About hitting trees and getting sick.† His nose drew a line up the skin of my throat to the point of my chin. His cold breath tickled my skin. â€Å"And now?† His lips whispered against my jaw. â€Å"Trees,† I gasped. â€Å"Motion sickness.† He lifted his face to kiss my eyelids. â€Å"Bella, you don’t really think I would hit a tree, do you?† â€Å"No, but I might.† There was no confidence in my voice. He smelled an easy victory. He kissed slowly down my cheek, stopping just at the corner of my mouth. â€Å"Would I let a tree hurt you?† His lips barely brushed against my trembling lower lip. â€Å"No,† I breathed. I knew there was a second part to my brilliant defense, but I couldn’t quite call it back. â€Å"You see,† he said, his lips moving against mine. â€Å"There’s nothing to be afraid of, is there?† â€Å"No,† I sighed, giving up. Then he took my face in his hands almost roughly, and kissed me in earnest, his unyielding lips moving against mine. There really was no excuse for my behavior. Obviously I knew better by now. And yet I couldn’t seem to stop from reacting exactly as I had the first time. Instead of keeping safely motionless, my arms reached up to twine tightly around his neck, and I was suddenly welded to his stone figure. I sighed, and my lips parted. He staggered back, breaking my grip effortlessly. â€Å"Damn it, Bella!† he broke off, gasping. â€Å"You’ll be the death of me, I swear you will.† I leaned over, bracing my hands against my knees for support. â€Å"You’re indestructible,† I mumbled, trying to catch my breath. â€Å"I might have believed that before I met you. Now let’s get out of here before I do something really stupid,† he growled. He threw me across his back as he had before, and I could see the extra effort it took for him to be as gentle as he was. I locked my legs around his waist and secured my arms in a choke hold around his neck. â€Å"Don’t forget to close your eyes,† he warned severely. I quickly tucked my face into his shoulder blade, under my own arm, and squeezed my eyes shut. And I could hardly tell we were moving. I could feel him gliding along beneath me, but he could have been strolling down the sidewalk, the movement was so smooth. I was tempted to peek, just to see if he was really flying through the forest like before, but I resisted. It wasn’t worth that awful dizziness. I contented myself with listening to his breath come and go evenly. I wasn’t quite sure we had stopped until he reached back and touched my hair. â€Å"It’s over, Bella.† I dared to open my eyes, and, sure enough, we were at a standstill. I stiffly unlocked my stranglehold on his body and slipped to the ground, landing on my backside. â€Å"Oh!† I huffed as I hit the wet ground. He stared at me incredulously, evidently not sure whether he was still too mad to find me funny. But my bewildered expression pushed him over the edge, and he broke into a roar of laughter. I picked myself up, ignoring him as I brushed the mud and bracken off the back of my jacket. That only made him laugh harder. Annoyed, I began to stride off into the forest. I felt his arm around my waist. â€Å"Where are you going, Bella?† â€Å"To watch a baseball game. You don’t seem to be interested in playing anymore, but I’m sure the others will have fun without you.† â€Å"You’re going the wrong way.† I turned around without looking at him, and stalked off in the opposite direction. He caught me again. â€Å"Don’t be mad, I couldn’t help myself. You should have seen your face.† He chuckled before he could stop himself. â€Å"Oh, you’re the only one who’s allowed to get mad?† I asked, raising my eyebrows. â€Å"I wasn’t mad at you.† â€Å"‘Bella, you’ll be the death of me’?† I quoted sourly. â€Å"That was simply a statement of fact.† I tried to turn away from him again, but he held me fast. â€Å"You were mad,† I insisted. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But you just said -â€Å" â€Å"That I wasn’t mad at you. Can’t you see that, Bella?† He was suddenly intense, all trace of teasing gone. â€Å"Don’t you understand?† â€Å"See what?† I demanded, confused by his sudden mood swing as much as his words. â€Å"I’m never angry with you – how could I be? Brave, trusting†¦ warm as you are.† â€Å"Then why?† I whispered, remembering the black moods that pulled him away from me, that I’d always interpreted as well-justified frustration – frustration at my weakness, my slowness, my unruly human reactions†¦ He put his hands carefully on both sides of my face. â€Å"I infuriate myself,† he said gently. â€Å"The way I can’t seem to keep from putting you in danger. My very existence puts you at risk. Sometimes I truly hate myself. I should be stronger, I should be able to -â€Å" I placed my hand over his mouth. â€Å"Don’t.† He took my hand, moving it from his lips, but holding it to his face. â€Å"I love you,† he said. â€Å"It’s a poor excuse for what I’m doing, but it’s still true.† It was the first time he’d said he loved me – in so many words. He might not realize it, but I certainly did. â€Å"Now, please try to behave yourself,† he continued, and he bent to softly brush his lips against mine. I held properly still. Then I sighed. â€Å"You promised Chief Swan that you would have me home early, remember? We’d better get going.† â€Å"Yes, ma’am.† He smiled wistfully and released all of me but one hand. He led me a few feet through the tall, wet ferns and draping moss, around a massive hemlock tree, and we were there, on the edge of an enormous open field in the lap of the Olympic peaks. It was twice the size of any baseball stadium. I could see the others all there; Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie, sitting on a bare outcropping of rock, were the closest to us, maybe a hundred yards away. Much farther out I could see Jasper and Alice, at least a quarter of a mile apart, appearing to throw something back and forth, but I never saw any ball. It looked like Carlisle was marking bases, but could they really be that far apart? When we came into view, the three on the rocks rose. Esme started toward us. Emmett followed after a long look at Rosalie’s back; Rosalie had risen gracefully and strode off toward the field without a glance in our direction. My stomach quivered uneasily in response. â€Å"Was that you we heard, Edward?† Esme asked as she approached. â€Å"It sounded like a bear choking,† Emmett clarified. I smiled hesitantly at Esme. â€Å"That was him.† â€Å"Bella was being unintentionally funny,† Edward explained, quickly settling the score. Alice had left her position and was running, or dancing, toward us. She hurtled to a fluid stop at our feet. â€Å"It’s time,† she announced. As soon as she spoke, a deep rumble of thunder shook the forest beyond us, and then crashed westward toward town. â€Å"Eerie, isn’t it?† Emmett said with easy familiarity, winking at me. â€Å"Let’s go.† Alice reached for Emmett’s hand and they darted toward the oversized field; she ran like a gazelle. He was nearly as graceful and just as fast – yet Emmett could never be compared to a gazelle. â€Å"Are you ready for some ball?† Edward asked, his eyes eager, bright. I tried to sound appropriately enthusiastic. â€Å"Go team!† He snickered and, after mussing my hair, bounded off after the other two. His run was more aggressive, a cheetah rather than a gazelle, and he quickly overtook them. The grace and power took my breath away. â€Å"Shall we go down?† Esme asked in her soft, melodic voice, and I realized I was staring openmouthed after him. I quickly reassembled my expression and nodded. Esme kept a few feet between us, and I wondered if she was still being careful not to frighten me. She matched her stride to mine without seeming impatient at the pace. â€Å"You don’t play with them?† I asked shyly. â€Å"No, I prefer to referee – I like keeping them honest,† she explained. â€Å"Do they like to cheat, then?† â€Å"Oh yes – you should hear the arguments they get into! Actually, I hope you don’t, you would think they were raised by a pack of wolves.† â€Å"You sound like my mom,† I laughed, surprised. She laughed, too. â€Å"Well, I do think of them as my children in most ways. I never could get over my mothering instincts – did Edward tell you I had lost a child?† â€Å"No,† I murmured, stunned, scrambling to understand what lifetime she was remembering. â€Å"Yes, my first and only baby. He died just a few days after he was born, the poor tiny thing,† she sighed. â€Å"It broke my heart – that’s why I jumped off the cliff, you know,† she added matter-of-factly. â€Å"Edward just said you f-fell,† I stammered. â€Å"Always the gentleman.† She smiled. â€Å"Edward was the first of my new sons. I’ve always thought of him that way, even though he’s older than I, in one way at least.† She smiled at me warmly. â€Å"That’s why I’m so happy that he’s found you, dear.† The endearment sounded very natural on her lips. â€Å"He’s been the odd man out for far too long; it’s hurt me to see him alone.† â€Å"You don’t mind, then?† I asked, hesitant again. â€Å"That I’m†¦ all wrong for him?† â€Å"No.† She was thoughtful. â€Å"You’re what he wants. It will work out, somehow,† she said, though her forehead creased with worry. Another peal of thunder began. Esme stopped then; apparently, we’d reached the edge of the field. It looked as if they had formed teams. Edward was far out in left field, Carlisle stood between the first and second bases, and Alice held the ball, positioned on the spot that must be the pitcher’s mound. Emmett was swinging an aluminum bat; it whistled almost untraceably through the air. I waited for him to approach home plate, but then I realized, as he took his stance, that he was already there – farther from the pitcher’s mound than I would have thought possible. Jasper stood several feet behind him, catching for the other team. Of course, none of them had gloves. â€Å"All right,† Esme called in a clear voice, which I knew even Edward would hear, as far out as he was. â€Å"Batter up.† Alice stood straight, deceptively motionless. Her style seemed to be stealth rather than an intimidating windup. She held the ball in both hands at her waist, and then, like the strike of a cobra, her right hand flicked out and the ball smacked into Jasper’s hand. â€Å"Was that a strike?† I whispered to Esme. â€Å"If they don’t hit it, it’s a strike,† she told me. Jasper hurled the ball back to Alice’s waiting hand. She permitted herself a brief grin. And then her hand spun out again. This time the bat somehow made it around in time to smash into the invisible ball. The crack of impact was shattering, thunderous; it echoed off the mountains – I immediately understood the necessity of the thunderstorm. The ball shot like a meteor above the field, flying deep into the surrounding forest. â€Å"Home run,† I murmured. â€Å"Wait,† Esme cautioned, listening intently, one hand raised. Emmett was a blur around the bases, Carlisle shadowing him. I realized Edward was missing. â€Å"Out!† Esme cried in a clear voice. I stared in disbelief as Edward sprang from the fringe of the trees, ball in his upraised hand, his wide grin visible even to me. â€Å"Emmett hits the hardest,† Esme explained, â€Å"but Edward runs the fastest.† The inning continued before my incredulous eyes. It was impossible to keep up with the speed at which the ball flew, the rate at which their bodies raced around the field. I learned the other reason they waited for a thunderstorm to play when Jasper, trying to avoid Edward’s infallible fielding, hit a ground ball toward Carlisle. Carlisle ran into the ball, and then raced Jasper to first base. When they collided, the sound was like the crash of two massive falling boulders. I jumped up in concern, but they were somehow unscathed. â€Å"Safe,† Esme called in a calm voice. Emmett’s team was up by one – Rosalie managed to flit around the bases after tagging up on one of Emmett’s long flies – when Edward caught the third out. He sprinted to my side, sparkling with excitement. â€Å"What do you think?† he asked. â€Å"One thing’s for sure, I’ll never be able to sit through dull old Major League Baseball again.† â€Å"And it sounds like you did so much of that before,† he laughed. â€Å"I am a little disappointed,† I teased. â€Å"Why?† he asked, puzzled. â€Å"Well, it would be nice if I could find just one thing you didn’t do better than everyone else on the planet.† He flashed his special crooked smile, leaving me breathless. â€Å"I’m up,† he said, heading for the plate. He played intelligently, keeping the ball low, out of the reach of Rosalie’s always-ready hand in the outfield, gaining two bases like lightning before Emmett could get the ball back in play. Carlisle knocked one so far out of the field – with a boom that hurt my ears – that he and Edward both made it in. Alice slapped them dainty high fives. The score constantly changed as the game continued, and they razzed each other like any street ballplayers as they took turns with the lead. Occasionally Esme would call them to order. The thunder rumbled on, but we stayed dry, as Alice had predicted. Carlisle was up to bat, Edward catching, when Alice suddenly gasped. My eyes were on Edward, as usual, and I saw his head snap up to look at her. Their eyes met and something flowed between them in an instant. He was at my side before the others could ask Alice what was wrong. â€Å"Alice?† Esme’s voice was tense. â€Å"I didn’t see – I couldn’t tell,† she whispered. All the others were gathered by this time. â€Å"What is it, Alice?† Carlisle asked with the calm voice of authority. â€Å"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before,† she murmured. Jasper leaned over her, his posture protective. â€Å"What changed?† he asked. â€Å"They heard us playing, and it changed their path,† she said, contrite, as if she felt responsible for whatever had frightened her. Seven pairs of quick eyes flashed to my face and away. â€Å"How soon?† Carlisle said, turning toward Edward. A look of intense concentration crossed his face. â€Å"Less than five minutes. They’re running – they want to play.† He scowled. â€Å"Can you make it?† Carlisle asked him, his eyes flicking toward me again. â€Å"No, not carrying -† He cut short. â€Å"Besides, the last thing we need is for them to catch the scent and start hunting.† â€Å"How many?† Emmett asked Alice. â€Å"Three,† she answered tersely. â€Å"Three!† he scoffed. â€Å"Let them come.† The steel bands of muscle flexed along his massive arms. For a split second that seemed much longer than it really was, Carlisle deliberated. Only Emmett seemed unperturbed; the rest stared at Carlisle’s face with anxious eyes. â€Å"Let’s just continue the game,† Carlisle finally decided. His voice was cool and level. â€Å"Alice said they were simply curious.† All this was said in a flurry of words that lasted only a few seconds. I had listened carefully and caught most of it, though I couldn’t hear what Esme now asked Edward with a silent vibration of her lips. I only saw the slight shake of his head and the look of relief on her face. â€Å"You catch, Esme,† he said. â€Å"I’ll call it now.† And he planted himself in front of me. The others returned to the field, warily sweeping the dark forest with their sharp eyes. Alice and Esme seemed to orient themselves around where I stood. â€Å"Take your hair down,† Edward said in a low, even voice. I obediently slid the rubber band out of my hair and shook it out around me. I stated the obvious. â€Å"The others are coming now.† â€Å"Yes, stay very still, keep quiet, and don’t move from my side, please.† He hid the stress in his voice well, but I could hear it. He pulled my long hair forward, around my face. â€Å"That won’t help,† Alice said softly. â€Å"I could smell her across the field.† â€Å"I know.† A hint of frustration colored his tone. Carlisle stood at the plate, and the others joined the game halfheartedly. â€Å"What did Esme ask you?† I whispered. He hesitated for a second before he answered. â€Å"Whether they were thirsty,† he muttered unwillingly. The seconds ticked by; the game progressed with apathy now. No one dared to hit harder than a bunt, and Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper hovered in the infield. Now and again, despite the fear that numbed my brain, I was aware of Rosalie’s eyes on me. They were expressionless, but something about the way she held her mouth made me think she was angry. Edward paid no attention to the game at all, eyes and mind ranging the forest. â€Å"I’m sorry, Bella,† he muttered fiercely. â€Å"It was stupid, irresponsible, to expose you like this. I’m so sorry.† I heard his breath stop, and his eyes zeroed in on right field. He took a half step, angling himself between me and what was coming. Carlisle, Emmett, and the others turned in the same direction, hearing sounds of passage much too faint for my ears. How to cite Twilight 17. THE GAME, Essay examples