Italian Mafia Essay - 1356 Words

The Mafia was first developed in Sicily in feudal times to protect the estates of landlords who were out of town. The word Mafia, derived from the Sicilian word, Mafioso, means family. Today, Mafia is a name which describes a loose association of criminal groups. These groups can be bound together by blood, oath or sworn secrecy. Many people had considered the Sicilian Mafia as the most ruthless mobsters of the twentieth century. By the 1900‘s, the Mafia had become known as a network of criminal thugs that dominated the Sicilian countryside. Members of the Mafia were bound by Omerta. Omerta, an Italian word, stands for a strict code of conduct. The code include avoiding all contact or cooperation with authorities. In the beginning the†¦show more content†¦People immigrated for a number of reasons. Many of them dreamed of leaving behind their old worlds. Worlds of oppression, fear, and crime. Unfortunately, this dream was shattered for many of the immigrants. For those wh o migrated to Chicago, several found themselves living in urban ghettos filled with dangerous and deadly circumstances. Crime, along with the Mafia was brought into the new world. Due to the language barriers, cultures and people did not mix. The Italians remained with, socialized with, and committed crimes on other Italians within the Italian community. The Chicago Mafia remained in contact with the Mafia connections in Italy. Since each community had their own gang, there were several of them. There was the Chinese, Irish, Jewish, and Italian gangs. Each gang had their own style. For example: there was the Dead Rabbits gang. They were known for attacking regular civilians in broad daylight. They got their name by the unforgettable dead rabbits they carried on sticks while beating people up. There was also the Italian Mafia. They were recognized by the Black Hand. The Black Hand was a letter with a black hand print on it. The letter would simply ask for money. Every Italian knew that if you refused to pay, it would cost you your life. The only way to be immune to the terrifying Black Hand was to be a part of the Mafia. Even Italian tenor Enrico Coruso received a Black Hand letter demanding two thousand dollars. WithoutShow MoreRelated Italian Mafia Essay1315 Words   |  6 PagesItalian Mafia The Mafia was first developed in Sicily in feudal times to protect the estates of landlords who were out of town. The word Mafia, derived from the Sicilian word, Mafioso, means family. Today, Mafia is a name which describes a loose association of criminal groups. These groups can be bound together by blood, oath or sworn secrecy. Many people had considered the Sicilian Mafia as the most ruthless mobsters of the twentieth century. By the nineteenth century, the Mafia had becomeRead More American Mafia vs. Italian Mafia in Cinema Essay2645 Words   |  11 Pagesconcept to life within the Mafia from their point of view. Doing so, creating a positive association. Yet within Italy, the same topic contains a complete different view. Movies such as I Cento Passi demonstrate unenthusiastic view by those whom are outside yet negatively affected by those members. Unlike American films, the gangsters are not as often viewed at the protagonist and are the main causes for the problematic events. But how different is Italian Mafia and American Mafia in cinema? The GodfatherRead MoreThe Italian Mob And The Russian Mafia1323 Words   |  6 PagesWhen people think of organized crime they think of the Italian mob and the Russian mafia. They are the ones that they see in movies and on television, and the ones that they hear about the most. However, they were created a couple centuries after their Asian counterparts, the Yakuza in Japan, and the Triads in China. These Asian syndicates were founded in the sixteenth and seventeenth century and consisted of merchants and other people in what was basically the middle class. They were just groupsRead MoreThe Rise and Fall of the Italian Mafia1664 Words   |  7 Pagesfocuses on glamorizing the Mafioso lifestyle, distracting from the true nature of organized crime. Over the past decade, the key opportunities have been utilized by the Italian Mafia, resulting in a powerful behind-the-scenes dominance over many aspects we may not expect. Its gonna be a Cosa Nostra. The Honored Society, or Mafia, as it was less often called, was a vast criminal brotherhood that had developed in Palermo and western Sicily independently of the Camorra of Naples. They developedRead MoreTony Sopranos And The Italian Mafia777 Words   |  4 PagesIn popular American culture, the Italian Mafia has always been portrayed through romantic lenses. Almost as if mirroring the sentiments of the audience, Henry Hill in the movie The Goodfellas tells the viewers, â€Å"As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.† (Scorcese) The quintessential mafia movie, The Godfather, was made over forty years ago, yet Michael Corleone stays at the forefront of popular American icons. What’s not to love about a no-nonsense tough guy, willing to goRead MoreThe American Mafia, An Italian American Organized Crime Network Essay1730 Words   |  7 Pages The American Mafia, an Italian-American organized crime network with operations in cities across the U nited States, particularly New York and Chicago, rose to power and control through its success in the illegal liquor trade during the 1920s Prohibition era. After Prohibition, the Mafia moved into other criminal missions, from drug trafficking to illegal gambling, while also intruding with labor unions and legal businesses such as construction, and New York’s garment industry. The Mafia’s violentRead MoreThe Origins Of The American Mafia1711 Words   |  7 Pagessociety has been fascinated with the gangster lifestyle and the American Mafia is no exception to this trend. Mafia themed movies such as Scarface and Goodfellas have proven to be timeless classics. However, the American Mafia goes deeper than the media shows. While they do have the same name, the American Mafia is a group of Italian Americans and is not directly affiliated with the original Sicilian Mafia. The American Mafia is a highly organized and complex nationwide criminal network with a membershipRead MoreItalian Women in Violent Organizations Essay831 Words   |  4 PagesItalian Women in Violent Organizations The essay, Mafiosi and Terrorists: Italian Women in Violent Organizations, by Alison Jamieson, discusses the role women have played in violent organizations in Italy. Despite male exclusivity and authoritarianism, women involved in such organizations have come a long way in widening the horizons of female influence in administration and commercial roles. The paper looks at, analyzes and compares two main violent organizations in Italy, the leftistRead More Mafia Essay1422 Words   |  6 Pages The Mafia way of life may seem like a romantic updated version of the western movie played out on the streets of the big cities where the good guys and the wise guys who share the same instincts and values do battle before an enthralled public but it is actually very different. The Mafia is really just a group of uneducated thugs making money by victimizing the public. Initially, the Mafia was setup as a prominent supplier of bootlegged liquor, but it has spread into many different areas of crimeRead MoreEssay about Organized Crime1744 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica as well as the social state of its homeland, Europe. Our society is convinced that the so-called Mafia is a family of pure criminals, pimps, and murderers. Whatever the opinion, there is no doubt that the Mafia played a big part in the history of America and the way Americans view crime today. The origins of the secret society known as the Mafia are believed to be as old as the 9th century (Mafia History). During the 9th century, the Mafias main purpose was to strengthen themselves against enemies

Sir Gawain And The Green Knight Chivalry Essay - 796 Words

Knights and shining armor, is a modern day description of knights. These knights road on horseback, jousted, but more importantly, served by a code. This was a code dealing with chivalry, in which knights obeyed by. The article Nighthood and Chivalry, defines it by, â€Å"In modern English, chivalry means the ideals, virtues, or characteristics of knights,† (Velde). There is one specific knight who shows this code in the story, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The knight is Gawain, a noble and courageous man who makes a deal with the Green Knight. The story Sir Gawain and The Green Knight shows chivalry by respect, strength, and honesty. The story displays a type of chivalry by Gawain through respect. Knights respect women, their peers, as†¦show more content†¦In the story, he and the Green Knight have a deal where Gawain can either cut the Green Knight’s head, or slice it completely off. Whichever he chooses, Gawain must find the Green Knight a year later and the Green Knight gets to return the â€Å"favor†. Furthermore, the story explains, â€Å"Gawain grips his ax and gathers it aloft...brought it down deftly upon the bare neck...and cut the flesh cleanly and clove it in twain...the head was hewn off and fell to the floor,† (page 176, lines 192-198). Gawain decides to slice off the Green Knight’s head; however, the Green Knight is still alive, for he is magical. Although he is still alive, Gawain has to use his strength to slice the Green Knight’s head off. This is just one more way Gawain shows chivalry, through strength. The story also mentions the idea of chivalry by displaying honesty. Honesty, once again, is one of the main factors in the knight’s code. In the article, The Tenets of Chivalry -- The Knights Codeen, lightens, â€Å"A Knight doesnt make promises lightly, but once he gives his word, he always keeps it,† (VR-TechSolutions). After a year has passed in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, Gawain keeps the promise he made with the Green Knight. He stays honest to his word and promise in the deal and heads to the knight’s house. Before he does so, king Arthur has a celebration for Gawain winning the challenge. He then informs Gawain, â€Å"NowShow MoreRelatedSir Gawain and the Green Knight – A Test of Chivalry Essay2448 Words   |  10 PagesSir Gawain and the Green Knight – A Test of Chivalry Essay with Outline   Loyalty, courage, honor, purity, and courtesy are all attributes of a knight that displays chivalry. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is truly a story of the test of these attributes. In order to have a true test of these attributes, there must first be a knight worthy of being tested, meaning that the knight must possess chivalric attributes to begin with. Sir Gawain is self admittedly not the best knight around. HeRead MoreBritish Literature Essay: Macbeth vs. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight653 Words   |  3 Pagestheir surrounding history. Macbeth is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare in 1604; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written in the 1300’s by an unknown author. The following essay is going to compare and contrast the two stories mentioned above based on historical setting, cultural context, literary styles, and the aesthetic principles of the period in which they were written. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight were written in the late 14th century (1300’s) in Northwestern England. During this timeRead MoreSir Gawain Essay784 Words   |  4 Pages Sir Gawain Essay In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain continuously proves his knightly virtues and code of honor. Chivalry includes bravery, honor, and courtesy. He proves that he is in fact a real; Knight. He shows his bravery by shying away from nothing and no one. He proves his honor and courtesy to everyone he meets by showing respect to all whether he receives it back or not. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Sir Gawain shows his bravery the first moment he has the chance to, whenRead MoreEssay on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight804 Words   |  4 PagesSir Gawain Essay In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Sir Gawain continuously proves his knightly virtues and code of honor. Chivalry includes bravery, honor, and courtesy. He proves that he is in fact a quot;realquot; Knight. He shows his bravery by shying away from nothing and no one. He proves his honor and courtesy to everyone he meets by showing respect to all whether he receives it back or not. #9;Sir Gawain shows his bravery the first moment he has the chance to, when the GreenRead MoreEssay on The Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight5387 Words   |  22 PagesThe Role of Women in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In the Fourteenth Century, Feudalism and its offspring, chivalry, were in decline due to drastic social and economic changes. In this light, _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_ presents both a nostalgic support of the feudal hierarchies and an implicit criticism of changes, which, if left unchecked will lead to its ultimate destruction. I would suggest that the women in the story are the Gawain poets primary instruments in this critique andRead MoreThe Role of Lady Bertilak in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Essay1665 Words   |  7 PagesBertilak in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The role of women was a key role in medieval times. In the poem of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, two women represent this role. They are Lady Bertilak, who is Lord Bertilak’s wife, and Morgan La Faye. It all starts when Sir Gawain is welcomed to Lord Bertilak’s castle and then he meets these two women living there. At all times, Bertilak requests Gawain to feel at home and socialize with these women without problems. Bertilak trusts Gawain even thoughRead MoreSir Gawain And Don Quixote1373 Words   |  6 PagesFinal Essay Professor Meghan Evans 12/09/15 Who is More Chivalrous, Sir Gawain or Don Quixote? Sir Gawain and Don Quixote†¦these brave men bolster the honor, courage, and bravery which can be only demonstrated by that of the chivalrous knight. They face strong adversity, yet are able to use their wit and cunning in order to gain the upper hand. They uphold the laws of chivalry every knight must obey. First a knight must obey God. Then a knight must obey his King and his Lords. And then a knight mustRead More King Arthur Essay1428 Words   |  6 PagesRomano-Briton king who led the Celts against the Anglo-Saxons in the early 8th century (Americana, Arthurian Romances, 1972). The kings of the medieval period were warlords that protected a particular area of land. They surrounded themselves with knights, or thanes, who swore allegiance in battle in exchange for gifts of gold, armor, and land. There are stories that depict Arthur in this role, similar to that of Beowulf and Hrothgar in the poem Beowulf. However, later stories show Arthur in a differentRead MoreDon Quixote Es say1083 Words   |  5 PagesSue Kim 29 October 2012 Honors Literature Don Quixote Essay â€Å"With these word and phrases the poor gentleman lost his mind,† (Cervantes 20). In the beginning of Don Quixote, the reader is introduced to a man engulfed in chivalric books, who soon loses his mind in the stories of knighthood. Don Quixote is labeled as an insane man by the narrator who soon proves this statement through Don Quixote’s delusions and eccentric behaviors. As the narrator describes the delusions, the narrator’s tone isRead More Paganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight2350 Words   |  10 PagesPaganism and Christianity’s Roles in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Gawain’s belief by the end of â€Å"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight† is that he has failed—in honesty, fidelity, and faith. As a representative of an ideal Christian whose priority is to remain godly (and knightly), he sees the outcome of his quest quite differently than the Green Knight. The Green Knight also prizes honesty, though not always at the cost of life, a view not necessarily shared by Gawain. Strangely enough, King Arthur’s

Labor and American Football Free Essays

The development of labor relations in American football has been marked by two periods in its century of existence.   During its beginning labor organizations were weakened by the fractured nature of the football league itself.   Various upstart leagues consistently threatened and weakened the original league, the National Football League (NFL) and at times put in danger the growth of the sport in the America. We will write a custom essay sample on Labor and American Football or any similar topic only for you Order Now Yet, since the league consolidated in the second half of the century we have seen a new period in labor relations come to the forefront.   And while it was once held that players would probably never unionize, the player strikes in 1982 and 1987 and their results have proven past analysts predictions to be wrong.   The football of the 1980s and 90s was fraught with player/manager blowouts and the increasingly assertive nature of player’s organizations or player’s unions as they are now referred to came to the forefront. A Brief History of Football The big money problems facing the American football league today find its roots in the development of the sport and its growth in popularity as a notable aspect of American culture.   The incredible money making potential of professional football developed on principles of â€Å"rugby football ´Ã‚ ´ being played at universities in Eastern Canada and the United States. Professional American football can be said to have its starting point when William â€Å"Pudge ´Ã‚ ´ Heffelfinger was paid $500 by a club in Pittsburgh to play for them in a game.[1]   Towards the twentieth century the game would begin to accumulate loyal spectators across the country, though college football was the most popular form of spectator football.   Along with football’s growing popularity would come entrepreneurs eager to cash-in on the sport’s growth. The most significant signal of the sports growth was the forming of the National Football League (NFL) in 1920.   The NFL’s first official name was the American Professional Football Association and it was made up of five professional teams who’s main goal in uniting was to stop the stealing of team members from within their ranks.[2]   The cost of franchise was $25 and the teams met whenever it was determined that they could make money.[3]   In 1921 the group formally changed its name to the National Football league. It wasn’t long before the league was outshining college football and attendance at games went up radically.   Small-town teams got swallowed up by big-city teams and football and annual championships began in 1933.   The 1930s were extremely important in the development of the league. Gould and Staudohar state that, â€Å"Significant rules changes were introduced, most notably legalizing the forward pass from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Goal posts were put on the goal lines. And the league was divided into two divisions, leading to a championship playoff under regularized conditions at the end of the season.†[4] By the 1950s professional football was beating out college teams in the fight for spectators.   In addition, a new element had been added to the sport, television.   Television participation and attendance levels at games were constantly on the rise.   Fans turned on the tube and poured into stadiums to catch a glimpse of rising football stars such as Bobby Layne and Johnny Unitas.   In 1955 NBC paid $100,000, a 40 percent increase over the previous year, to televise the title game.[5] Since then football’s growth has been unstoppable and largely predominated by the NFL.   Currently the league is made up of thirty-two teams, which are divided into two conferences and then four sub-divisions.   At the nd of each year the league holds a twelve team tournament that eliminates the teams down to two teams which will play in the league’s most anticipated game of the year, the Super Bowl. Currently the NFL is â€Å"one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States, and has the highest per-game attendance of any domestic professional sports league in the world, drawing over 67,000 spectators per game for its most recently completed season in 2006.†[6] The Era of League Splits The rise of professional football and the revenues that came along with it would be accompanied by numerous attempts of upstart leagues to wrestle viewership from NFL games.   The first attempts were made under the auspice of a parallel group of teams titled the American Football Leagues (AFL).   Before 1941 there were three such attempts made by the AFL to upstage the NFL, none of which were successful. The last of these attempts was particularly unsuccessful and Gould and Staudohar claim that, â€Å"The new league was woefully undercapitalized and almost from its first games exhibited dire financial trouble. Missed payrolls became routine. Not surprisingly, the league folded early in its second season.†[7]   The most successful of these leagues was the All-American Football Conference which appeared at the close of the Second World War, when there was an influx of interest in spectator sports.   The league lasted for four years and at its close three of its teams joined the NFL and were moderately successful within that league. Continued growth in televised games and stadium attendance would result in the most significant attempts by alternate leagues to break in on the action in the mid-60s and later in the 80s.   Lamar Hunt created another version of the AFL, after his attempt to purchase an NFL franchise to bring to Texas backfired.   Hunt set out on an aggressive campaign to win spectator interest by introducing gimmicks such as â€Å"wider-open passing offenses, players’ names on their jerseys, and an official clock visible to fans so that they knew the time remaining in a period (the NFL kept time by a game referee’s watch, and only periodically announced the actual time).†[8] But it was the bidding war for players that almost brought the whole of American football on its knees.   Fortunately, and as a result of the expansion and costly players, the leagues merged in 1966.   By 1970 the teams from both leagues had formed to make up the NFL’s American Football Conference.   The AFL-NFL championship game became the Super Bowl.   The only other league to be created after that was the United States Football League that, despite heavy financing, important players and a television contract, went under within three years due to low revenues. Meanwhile the NFL, along with the Super Bowl and Monday Night Football became an important aspect of American life.   It was thought that a new era of co-operation between labor and football was on the rise but there were more problems to come. Part 2   The Era of the Player/Management Split For most of football’s beginning years the idea that sports professionals would form into unions was inconceivable to many.   Today it is clear that Unions are highly important to professional football and baseball players alike.   The forming of unions in so many walks of American life and their increasing power in society brought football players to the same conclusion millions of other working Americans came to: unions strengthened a worker’s rights and provided a buffer against the rampant financial interests of owners, whether they be factories or baseball franchises. Currently NFL players are members of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA).   The main duty of this organization is to help construct the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which sets the minimum contract for NFL players.   The association also helps to negotiate individual player contracts.   The association has been up and working since 1993 and has been integral in the player’s negotiations with team management.   It is also important to note that since its creation there has not been a full-out strike since the 1987 season, â€Å"which is much longer than Major League Baseball, the NBA or the NHL.†[9] With such a track record it is safe to say that unions are here to stay although it did not always look as though that would be the case.   Despite the positive outlook, after the NFL’s consolidation, some analysts predicted that there would be growing trouble between the franchises and their players.   Their predictions largely proved to be correct.   Gould and Staudohar claim that â€Å"This view was myopic†, and that in fact, â€Å"The mid- 1970s saw the emergence of arm’s-length bargaining and the resulting collective bargaining agreements in the major sports.   []   Despite progress toward resolving some long-standing disputes, the true character of player/ management splits was just being revealed.†[10] Before the seventies there had been little leeway made in player negotiations on issues such as pension funds and insurance coverage.   The first league wide strike would occur in 1968 and would be formed on these very issues.   As the situation reached never-before-seen levels of intensity, the players refused to show up for pre-season practices.   Managers responded with a lockout.   Eventually the players came back to the field after having gained almost nothing.   Yet this strike would set the stage for those to come in 1974, 1982 and 1987. For the last forty years changes in areas such as free agency rules and salary levels have largely been fought using anti-trust law.   Some analysts claim that, in fact, there are more anti-trust issues within professional sports cases than in many other industries.[11]   Scremin claims that, â€Å"As a result of antitrust litigation, professional sport leagues and teams had to abandon or at least modify rules and policies governing their businesses. This is a trend with no signs of slowing down.†[12]   Yet, despite headway made in various cases involving anti-trust measures, the 1977 and 1982 NFL collective bargaining agreements are â€Å"two of the least effective agreements in professional sports on the issue of player mobility.†[13] It was during the 1982 strike that players gained the greatest ground in their battle with owners.   After a 57 day strike and a nine game season the Players Association won big concessions including a considerable raise in pay and the right to copies of individual contracts.[14]   Yet, issues such as free agency, pensions and severance pay remained on the bargaining table. The 1987 strike was a continuation of the demands of 1982 but this time around the player’s union was badly organized and many were reluctant to go on strike in the first place.[15]   The end result was that the players lost their check off privelege, in addition to be replaced by aspiring NFL players for a time.   Staudohar claims that, â€Å"By striking when so many players preferred not to, the union may have harmed itself.†[16] The strike of 1987 would be the beginning of a bitter relationship between the NFL Players Association and the NFL Commission.   The end result was that playing went on for six years without a labor deal and with considerable distrust between Gene Upshaw, head of the Players Association and Paul Tagliabue, Commissioner for the NFL.[17] By 1993 both sides were ready to talk and the end result was the granting of unrestricted free-agency rights for the players and a salary cap for the owners.   Fisher claims that, â€Å"The trade gave each side a key concession it had sought for years, but also tied them together at the hip. Veteran players finally could take full charge of their careers and maximize their incomes, but only within the overall limits set by the salary cap, which in turn reflects league revenues.†[18] Since then the contract has been re-signed with ease four times since 1993.   Currently the CBA covers areas such as the minimum salary for the league, the salary cap, the annual collegiate draft, and free agency rules.[19]   In May of 2006 the CBA was negotiated again with a salary cap of 94.5 million, 56.5% of football revenue to the players association and free agency for the players.   The talks were complicated by the talks around revenue-sharing policies of the owners.[20] Conclusion Labor relations within American football was largely put on hold for the first half of the century.   Struggles between the NFL and various aspiring football leagues such as the AFL took precedence over the creation of player’s unions.   It wasn’t until the second half of the century that the NFL would have to come face to face with player demands backed by an ever-strong NFLPA.   While the union suffered a set back in the 1987 strike by 1993 it had negotiated an essential issue for its players, free-agency.   Throughout the past forty years player’s unions have consistently fought against anti-trust measures and have to a great extent come out on top.   We can only wait to see what the future holds for them. Works Cited â€Å"Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the NFL Management Council and the NFL Player’s Association.†Ã‚   March 8. 2006,   nflpa.org Fisher, Eric.   â€Å"MLB Can Learn from the NFL: The Game Would Benefit If Owners/players Emulated Their Football Counterparts.†Ã‚   Insight on the News   January 7. 2002,   32-34. Forbes, Gordon.   â€Å"82 strike changed salary dealings forever.†Ã‚   USA Today   August 6. 2001,   http://www.usatoday.com/sports/comment/forbes/2001-06-08-forbes.htm Gould, William, B and Staudohar, Paul, D.   Labor Relations in Professional Sports.   Dover: Auburn House,   1986. â€Å"NFL sets paid attendance record.†Ã‚   NFL News   April 13. 2007,   http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9908132 Scremin, Glaucio.   â€Å"Impact of Antitrust Laws on American Professional Team Sports.† United States Sports Academy: The Sports Journal   2005, http://www.thesportjournal.org/2005Journal/Vol8-No1/SCJ_04_antitrust.asp Staudohar, Paul, D.   â€Å"The Football Strike of 1987: A Question of Free Agency.†Ã‚   Monthly Labor Review   111 (1988):   26-35. Weisman, Larry.   â€Å"NFL labor talks stall, free agency postponed again.†Ã‚   USA TODAY   May 3.   2006,  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-03-05-labor-talks_x.htm [1] Gould, William, B and Staudohar, Paul, D.   Labor Relations in Professional Sports.   Dover: Auburn House,   1986: 88. [2] Gould and Staudohar, 89 [3] Gould and Staudohar, 89 [4] 91 [5] Gould and Staudohar, 92 [6] â€Å"NFL sets paid attendance record.†Ã‚   NFL News   April 13. 2007,   http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9908132 [7] Gould and Staudohar, 93 [8] Gould and Staudohar, 94. [9] â€Å"NFL sets paid attendance record.†Ã‚   NFL News   April 13. 2007,   http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9908132 [10] Gould and Staudahar, 2. [11] Scremin, Glaucio.   â€Å"Impact of Antitrust Laws on American Professional Team Sports.† United States Sports Academy: The Sports Journal   2005 [12] Scremin. [13] Gould and Staudohar, 109. [14] Forbes, Gordon.   â€Å"82 strike changed salary dealings forever.†Ã‚   USA Today   Aug 6. 2001,   http://www.usatoday.com/sports/comment/forbes/2001-06-08-forbes.htm [15] Staudohar, Paul, D.   â€Å"The Football Strike of 1987: A Question of Free Agency.†Ã‚   Monthly Labor Review   111 (1988): 26 [16] Staudohar, 26 [17] Fisher, Eric.   â€Å"MLB Can Learn from the NFL: The Game Would Benefit If Owners/players Emulated Their Football Counterparts.†Ã‚   Insight on the News   Jan 7. 2002: 33 [18] Fisher, 34 [19] â€Å"Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the NFL Management Council and the NFL Player’s Association.†Ã‚   March 8. 2006,   nflpa.org [20] Weisman, Larry.   â€Å"NFL labor talks stall, free agency postponed again.†Ã‚   USA TODAY   May 3.   2006,  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-03-05-labor-talks_x.htm How to cite Labor and American Football, Essay examples

The Taming of the Shrew - Katherinas Transformation free essay sample

Advanced English Essay By Morgan Clifford Discuss Katherinas Transformation Through-Out The Play Love can transform any individual into a new person. In William Shakespeares play, The Taming Of The Shrew, Katherina Minola starts off as a rebellious and unorthodox character (especially when compared to her pure sister Bianca), but ends up evolving from a stubborn shrew into a loyal and obedient wife to Petruchio. Shakespeare uses the plot as well as numerous other techniques such as metaphor, symbolism and tone to establish the transformation of Katherina to show the audience the impact that love can have on ones personality and human spirit. By the end of the play, we are left to believe that Katherina was a shrew that was waiting to be tamed by her male suitor all along; and thereby hangs a tale. Through-out the beginning of The Taming Of The Shrew (Act I and Act II), Shakespeare presents Katherina as a feisty and rebellious feminist which results in her father, Baptista, being constantly bombarded with criticism and rage by not only possible suitors for Bianca but other characters featured within Padua. An example of peoples animosity towards her is when Gremio declares her as a fiend of hell and states that any man is so very fool to be married to hell. These metaphorical quotes give the audience an understanding as to the type of wife Katherina would be at this stage of the play. Hortensio also says that Katherina is not likely to get a husband unless she is of gentler spirit and claims that she is renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue. These quotes give the audience an understanding as to how different people perceive her character before her transformation. Katherina proves to the audience her stubbornness and unwillingness to bow down to men when she says to Petruchio after being told to marry on Sunday Ill see thee hanged on Sunday first. Katherina shouts with such bitterness because she is not used to people telling her what to do in the forceful manner that Petruchio uses. Katherina claims her rebellious spirit is down to the fact that she is too independent and intelligent to allow any man to tell her what to do, but the audience is led to believe that it is because she has never had male attention. At this point in the story Katherina is still in the mindset that she must not be controlled by a man and therefore acts like a shrew to turn away any possible suitors. Once Petruchio and Katherina are wed in quite an eventful ceremony which takes place in Act III Scene I, the taming of the shrew officially begins. After the two of them leave their wedding and are en route to Petruchios home in Verona, he makes a start of trying to rid her of her wicked ways by making her ride a burrow through the rain while he rides a horse. When they arrive at Petruchios home, Katherina could not fulfil her need for food and sleep with Petruchio making up an excuse that the food was not good enough for her. Later on, Petruchio and Katherina are preparing themselves to go back to Padua for her sister Bianca and Lucentios wedding. When Petruchio tells Katherina that a tailor will be making her a new outfit for the wedding, she gets excited. That is until she comes home to see that her new outfit was ripped to shreds by Petruchio after he reacted with rage towards the tailor (which helps Katherina understand that violence is not the best solution to ones problem) because the fabric was not good enough and she will have to wear her old outfit. Petruchios hateful behaviour teaches Katherina obedience without her even noticing the game that he is playing on her. Through the taming, Katherina learns obedience but more importantly she learns to see herself as others see her. On their journey to Padua, Petruchio demands that Katherina call the sun the moon and an old man a young virgin. Katherina does exactly what Petruchio tells her to and that part alone proves that Petruchio has succeeded in taming Katherina from an unpredictable shrew to a respectful wife. By the end of The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio has succeeded in taming Katherina by making her a compliant and loyal wife. Katherinas obedience is tested when Petruchio says that the sun is the moon and that Vincentio is a young lady. Katherina proves her new-found subservience by saying What you will have it named, even that it is, and so it shall be so for Katherine. By saying this, Katherina shows Petruchio and the audience that she will adhere to whatever he says, whether it be true or not, simply because he is a man this proves how far she has come since the opening of the play where we saw her smashing windows when being quizzed on her love life. Katherina also passes the last test of obedience in the play, when Petruchio sends for her, while celebrating with Hortensio and Lucentio at his wedding reception, and she comes immediately. She then delivers a monologue to the women that attended the wedding about how she has been tamed by Petruchio and then she goes on to tell the women listening to her to place your hands below your husbands foot; in token of which duty, if he please. Katherina is saying that the wives must submit themselves to their husbands, a completely different attitude to the one that she possessed at the start of The Taming Of The Shrew. In her final speech, she also chastises Bianca and the widow for their disobedience to their duties as a wife. This shows that Katherina has not only been tamed but no longer acts like a shrew. Bianca has an outburst in front of the large crowd which proves to the audience that Bianca was the shrew all along. Now everyone knows the real Katherina. contrast conclusion edit presentation The significance of the change in Katherines behavior at the end of the play proves to be very important. It shows that people can change. It also shows that certain people can bring   out the best in somebody. In this case Petruchio brought out the best in Katherine after taming her and making her an obedient wife. Throughout most of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine is portrayed as a stubborn shrew that will never be tamed; however, Petruccio does end up taming her and making her obedient to him. Kate is at first stubborn to Petruccios methods of taming her but soon obeys, thus becoming obedient to him. Katherine shows that though someone may seem to be a shrew, that they are really capable changing, an important part to human nature.

The Taming of the Shrew - Katherinas Transformation free essay sample

Advanced English Essay By Morgan Clifford Discuss Katherinas Transformation Through-Out The Play Love can transform any individual into a new person. In William Shakespeares play, The Taming Of The Shrew, Katherina Minola starts off as a rebellious and unorthodox character (especially when compared to her pure sister Bianca), but ends up evolving from a stubborn shrew into a loyal and obedient wife to Petruchio. Shakespeare uses the plot as well as numerous other techniques such as metaphor, symbolism and tone to establish the transformation of Katherina to show the audience the impact that love can have on ones personality and human spirit. By the end of the play, we are left to believe that Katherina was a shrew that was waiting to be tamed by her male suitor all along; and thereby hangs a tale. Through-out the beginning of The Taming Of The Shrew (Act I and Act II), Shakespeare presents Katherina as a feisty and rebellious feminist which results in her father, Baptista, being constantly bombarded with criticism and rage by not only possible suitors for Bianca but other characters featured within Padua. An example of peoples animosity towards her is when Gremio declares her as a fiend of hell and states that any man is so very fool to be married to hell. These metaphorical quotes give the audience an understanding as to the type of wife Katherina would be at this stage of the play. Hortensio also says that Katherina is not likely to get a husband unless she is of gentler spirit and claims that she is renowned in Padua for her scolding tongue. These quotes give the audience an understanding as to how different people perceive her character before her transformation. Katherina proves to the audience her stubbornness and unwillingness to bow down to men when she says to Petruchio after being told to marry on Sunday Ill see thee hanged on Sunday first. Katherina shouts with such bitterness because she is not used to people telling her what to do in the forceful manner that Petruchio uses. Katherina claims her rebellious spirit is down to the fact that she is too independent and intelligent to allow any man to tell her what to do, but the audience is led to believe that it is because she has never had male attention. At this point in the story Katherina is still in the mindset that she must not be controlled by a man and therefore acts like a shrew to turn away any possible suitors. Once Petruchio and Katherina are wed in quite an eventful ceremony which takes place in Act III Scene I, the taming of the shrew officially begins. After the two of them leave their wedding and are en route to Petruchios home in Verona, he makes a start of trying to rid her of her wicked ways by making her ride a burrow through the rain while he rides a horse. When they arrive at Petruchios home, Katherina could not fulfil her need for food and sleep with Petruchio making up an excuse that the food was not good enough for her. Later on, Petruchio and Katherina are preparing themselves to go back to Padua for her sister Bianca and Lucentios wedding. When Petruchio tells Katherina that a tailor will be making her a new outfit for the wedding, she gets excited. That is until she comes home to see that her new outfit was ripped to shreds by Petruchio after he reacted with rage towards the tailor (which helps Katherina understand that violence is not the best solution to ones problem) because the fabric was not good enough and she will have to wear her old outfit. Petruchios hateful behaviour teaches Katherina obedience without her even noticing the game that he is playing on her. Through the taming, Katherina learns obedience but more importantly she learns to see herself as others see her. On their journey to Padua, Petruchio demands that Katherina call the sun the moon and an old man a young virgin. Katherina does exactly what Petruchio tells her to and that part alone proves that Petruchio has succeeded in taming Katherina from an unpredictable shrew to a respectful wife. By the end of The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio has succeeded in taming Katherina by making her a compliant and loyal wife. Katherinas obedience is tested when Petruchio says that the sun is the moon and that Vincentio is a young lady. Katherina proves her new-found subservience by saying What you will have it named, even that it is, and so it shall be so for Katherine. By saying this, Katherina shows Petruchio and the audience that she will adhere to whatever he says, whether it be true or not, simply because he is a man this proves how far she has come since the opening of the play where we saw her smashing windows when being quizzed on her love life. Katherina also passes the last test of obedience in the play, when Petruchio sends for her, while celebrating with Hortensio and Lucentio at his wedding reception, and she comes immediately. She then delivers a monologue to the women that attended the wedding about how she has been tamed by Petruchio and then she goes on to tell the women listening to her to place your hands below your husbands foot; in token of which duty, if he please. Katherina is saying that the wives must submit themselves to their husbands, a completely different attitude to the one that she possessed at the start of The Taming Of The Shrew. In her final speech, she also chastises Bianca and the widow for their disobedience to their duties as a wife. This shows that Katherina has not only been tamed but no longer acts like a shrew. Bianca has an outburst in front of the large crowd which proves to the audience that Bianca was the shrew all along. Now everyone knows the real Katherina. contrast conclusion edit presentation The significance of the change in Katherines behavior at the end of the play proves to be very important. It shows that people can change. It also shows that certain people can bring   out the best in somebody. In this case Petruchio brought out the best in Katherine after taming her and making her an obedient wife. Throughout most of The Taming of the Shrew, Katherine is portrayed as a stubborn shrew that will never be tamed; however, Petruccio does end up taming her and making her obedient to him. Kate is at first stubborn to Petruccios methods of taming her but soon obeys, thus becoming obedient to him. Katherine shows that though someone may seem to be a shrew, that they are really capable changing, an important part to human nature.

Asthma in Australia Illness and Treatment Essay Example

Asthma in Australia: Illness and Treatment Paper Asthma is said to be a chronic disease that is affecting more and more australians today.   Australia is the second highest country in terms of the prevalence of asthma.   One in every four children, one out of seven young adults, and one in every ten adults are said to have asthma (NAC, 2005). Typically, it is characterized by wheezing and shortness of breath.   The shortness of breath is caused by the narrowing of the airways within the lungs and obstruction to airflow.   Inflammation of the air passages is said to be the underlying reason for this narrowing of the airways (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005).   Symptoms of asthma are usually seen in very young children or the elderly.   Also, those whith other diseases seem to show the symptoms of asthma.   In the 1980’s, the National Asthma Management Plan of Australia was started.   In 1999, asthma became a high priority of the government (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005). According to the Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (2005)   asthma is almost on the same priority as injuries, slightly lower than cardiovascular disorders and arthritis.   This is mainly because the prevalence of the diseases are of the same level or slightly varying from one another. In the Journal of Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring (2005), the definition of Asthma that has been adopted for most international expert organizations is Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways in which many cells and cellular elements play a role, in particular, mast cells, eosinophils, T lymphocytes, macrophages, nutrophi and epithelial cells.   In susceptible individuals this inflammation causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing, particularly at night or in the early morning.   These episodes are usually associated with widespread but variable airflow obstruction that is often reversible either spontaneously or with treatment.   The inflammation also causes an increase in existing bronchial hyperresponsiveness to a variety of stimuli (p. 4) We will write a custom essay sample on Asthma in Australia: Illness and Treatment specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Asthma in Australia: Illness and Treatment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Asthma in Australia: Illness and Treatment specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are two types of asthma.   One is considered intermittent patients and the other, persistent asthma (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005).   It could be said that the distinction between the two is based on the periodical nature of the exposure to triggers.   Asthma can also be classified according to how severe the problem is to a patient.   In relation to this, the severity could be measured by how well the patient responds to treatment.   Subgroups of the illness are also cases for classification.   Although most subgroup represent how asthma is triggered, like exercise-induced asthma or aspirin-sensitive asthma, it is still significant to know this since it may help in the treatment of the problem. There are also different risk factors for asthma.   One is the constitutional factors.   This is the general reference to the predisposition of an individual to factors such as having family members with asthma, genetic mutations, sex and age group.   On the other hand, environmental exposures refer to the risk of acquiring asthma and the necessary interventions needed to be taken (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005). There are different tests to check if patients have asthma.   One of the many is the skin prick test.   This test is given to those who are suspected to have persistent asthma.   Skin prick testing is said to be the gold standard for allergy testing.   This is because it is more sensitive than blood tests (NAC, 2005).   More than relying of the history of patients, skin prick test is more accurate for the identification of allergens of a patient.   It is also very safe and can be tolerated even by small children because it causes little discomfort.   Results are given just after 20 minutes. People with asthma often seek health care and attention for non-urgent concerns such as routine review or prescription of asthma therapy.   According to the National Asthma Council of Australia (2005), effective management helps in the maintenance of the quality of life.   This is the key aim of the treatment.   The main goal is to improve and make sure that the capacity to carry out everyday tasks is normal and not limited by asthma (NAC, 2005). On the other hand, the role of the health professionals is to be aware of the impact of the treatment on short term and long term outcomes of the illness to the patient (NAC, 2005). The impact of asthma on the quality life of people suffering from it report poorer general health than normal people.   They suffer from anxiety and depression.   Not being able to sleep properly is a common problem among adults and children with asthma.   It can also be a hindrance in performing well in the workplace and in school.   (Asthma.org, 2007). Such is the reason why there is a great need to control asthma and its onset.   The goal to stabilize and allow people to perform everyday tasks with ease is just the main answer to the concern of having difficulty in life. The objective of self management is to empower patients with the knowledge and skills they need to treat their own illness. A first step towards this is to have patients share responsibility for their treatment with their caregivers. There are self-management plans for people with asthma.   The main objective of this is to empower patients and equip them with the right knowledge and skills to address and treat their illness (Thoonen and Van Weel, 2000).   The first step that should be taken to carry this out is to have patients feel that they are sharing the responsibility of their treatment with their health professionals (Thoonen and Van Weel, 2000).   .  Ã‚   It aims to monitor their daily activities to pinpoint what stressors trigger their attacks.   It is important for patients to steer clear of these stressors.   Therefore, identification of the triggers is necessary for self-management.   Also, they have to be familiar with how to properly use inhalers and other medical resources that they have to employ. Asthma Action Plans (AAP) plays a big role in the management and treatment of asthma.   It is a written manifestation of asthma symptoms and recognition of patient of how their bodies deteriorate due to asthma.   Due to this written possession of each asthma patient, better medical attention, self-management treatments and interventions are given to patients.   There is also sufficient evidence to say that treatment outcomes positively increase when patients have the AAP (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005). Unfortunately, the majority of people with asthma still do not have a written asthma action plan.   The 1990’s showed a tremendous increase in the possession of the AAP, however, it is enough to sustain it to present time.   There has also been campaigns of the National Asthma Council that seem to improve awareness of the public regarding asthma, sadly, they have difficulty in reaching the outer regional and remote areas, including the socioeconomically disadvantaged regions (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005).   Management of asthma is also done through medication.   This is where the role of health professionals is emphasized.   Medication is used primarily to relieve symptoms during times when they occur, control the disease and treat exacerbations of the disease (Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring, 2005). In a study by Hawley (2001), she concluded that in asthma care, there is no one perspective that is better than the others.   Different ways of knowing, beliefs and understandings should be taken into consideration.   When one acknowledges that a patient may be different culturally and have distinct beliefs different from the health professional, then there would be a better, safer and more competent treatment to asthma (Hawley, 2001). According to a study by Stoloff and Janson (1997), information, awareness and skills training can improve asthma control.   Control is very important for patients because, as earlier mentioned, it helps the affected people perform everyday tasks like normal people.   Education regarding asthma are proven to be very cost-effective and can lead to a decrease in morbidity among patients of all ages (Janson and Stoloff, 1997).   Asthma education is carried out by health professionals such as nurses and doctors.   This is very important.   It has been noted that there is an increased patient knowledge, improved skills in using inhalers, improvement in clinical status and lesser emergency cases due to asthma (Janson and Stoloff, 1997). Such are the reasons why the health professionals have a role in managing asthma.   The patients turn to them for primary knowledge regarding their illness and to prevent worsening of such problems.   This is a two-way relationship and it is important that each one’s tasks are performed appropriately for better outcomes. Unfortunately, there are problems that could arise in the hand-in-hand patient-health professional treatment of asthma.   According to one study, nurses’ comments on self-management were largely about the importance of patient education and for follow up and monitoring.   They said that this could be achieved through attendance in asthma clinics where nurses could explain and elaborate on the condition and treatment.   Self management treatment is also more advisable for people who have had the disease for a longer time, as compared to the newly diagnosed. Problems arise when nurses see that patients are not to be trusted to take care of themselves properly.   The study cited by Thoonen and Van Weel, mentioned that the nurses considered every patient different from the others.   Ergo, different treatment is much more suited for them. (Thoonen and Van Weel, 2000).   Finally, self-management plans are only effective if the patients themselves still continue to attend follow ups, check ups and coordinate with health professionals.   Otherwise, they will just fall into bad habit if they are not closely monitored.   (Thoonen and Van Weel, 2000). Bibliography Australian Centre for Asthma Monitoring. (2005) Asthma in australia. Asthma series. 2(6). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2007). Statistical snapshot of people with asthma, 2001. Asthma series. 8. Department of Health and Ageing, Australian Government (2007). Why asthma is a national priority. Retrieved on August 6, 2007 from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pq-asthma-why.htm Hawley, R. (2001). Voices in time: The role of the nurse in asthma management-past, present and future. (Doctoral Dissertation. University of Sydney, 2001). Virginia Henderson National Nursing Library. Health Insite (2006). Asthma statistics. Retrieved on August 6, 2006, from http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/content/internal/printpage.cfm?ObjID=0000E624-0403-1D2D-81CF83032BFA006Dstartpage=1 Hendeles, L. (1995). The role of the pharmacist in improving asthma care. National Institutes of Health Publication. 95(3280), pp. 1-16. Janson, S. and Stoloff, S. (1997). Providing asthma education in primary care practice-includes self-management plans and patient information. American Family Physician. July. Laurant, M., Reeves, D. and Sibbald, B. (2006). Advanced nurse roles in uk primary care. Medical Journal Association. 185(1), pp. 10-12. National Asthma Council (2005). Asthma management handbook 2006. Retrieved on August 6, 2007 from http://www.nationalasthma.org.au/cms/index.php?option=com_contenttask=viewid=16 Itemid=54 Thoonen, B. and Van Weel, C. (2000). Self management in asthma care. British Medical Journal. 2000(321), pp.1482-1483

Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick

Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick Glory (1989) is an American war movie that narrates the story of the first all black volunteer infantry in the North, the 54th Massachusetts. The account in this film is told from the point of view of Robert Gould Shaw, who was the commanding officer of this contingent for the duration of the American Civil War. This movie reminds the viewer of the role played by the African American soldiers in the Civil War and in the obliteration of slavery. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This article will explore the movie, bringing out the relationship between the stories as reflected on the film in correlation to the actual occurrences that are documented in history books regarding these same episodes. The article will also tackle other features of the films such as the title, settings, and main characters along with how the movie functions as histo ry. The Cast of the movie includes Mathew Broderic who plays the part of Colonel Shaw, Morgan Freeman who plays the grave digger, and Cary Elves who is Major Forbes in this movie, Denzel Washington who plays the character of Trip, and Jimmy Kennedy who plays the field hand’s role. The other characters are Andre Braugher (Corporal Searless), John Finn (Surgent Mulcahy), Domovan Leitch (Captain Morse), JD Cullum (Henry Russell), Jay Sanders (Brigadier Strong), Cliffe De Young (colonel Montogomery), Alan North (Governer Andrew), and Bob Gunton (General Harker). The movie is filmed in Georgia and Florida and is facilitated by hundreds of Civil War historical re-enactors so as to bring out the historical background of the Civil War. The early scenes of the movie reveal Captain Shaw, who is portrayed as being dismayed and bewildered by the violence of the battleground. The captain is then shown to be slightly wounded in combat and faints due to his injuries. A character christene d as the gravedigger wakes him up and he is taken for treatment. While getting treatment, Captain Shaw is informed that President Abraham Lincoln is about to make an announcement that will see the setting free of some of the slaves held in rebel areas. As the movie develops, Shaw is promoted to the rank of a colonel while he is on leave in Boston and given the responsibility of leading the first all blacks regiment, which was to be formed following Abraham Lincoln’s declaration speech. As the leader of his regiment, Colonel Shaw requests his friend from childhood, Cabot Forbes, to deputize him. Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other volunteers, who are mostly freed black men, offer to join Colonel Shaw’s regiment. In those days, whites enjoyed more privileges compared to blacks and this is well depicted in the movie by the tension that arises between Trip and Thomas. They however resolve their differences and become closer friends. While at the camp, the 54th regiment undergoes a lot of difficulties due to the discrimination of their group. They are compelled to tolerate the unfaltering strict punishment of Sergeant Major Mulcahy. Among the challenges they experience in the camp were inadequate suitable equipments and the open racial discrimination that was prevalent in the camp. In the camp, the African American soldiers were singled out by their white counterparts. There were no black soldiers in command and it seemed like such positions were preserved for only the whites. After a long period carrying out their duties, Colonel Shaw realizes that his regiment was to be used to perform menial duties. This angered him so much that he threatened to report the unfair treatment to the war department. His request to have his regiment allowed to go to war like the rest of the regiments is then approved by his commanding officers. Follow ing his regiment’s first successful participation in the combat, Colonel Shaw volunteers his 54th Massachusetts to lead an assault on Fort Wagner. Subsequent to being honored by white soldiers and officers, Shaw leads his men to ambush a well guarded enemy’s fort but while trying to lead his men, Shaw is unfortunately shot at and killed instantly. Unfortunately, this also happens to a member of his regiment known as Trip, who attempted to raise the flag and lead his other black men in absence of Shaw. The next scene of the movie opens with a morning scene in which the confederate banner is hoisted on top of the fort. This is followed by a burial of the deceased members of the 54th regiment together with that of Shaw and Trip are buried in a mass grave. This movie is filled with imaginary character and incidences, presenting the viewers with a convincingly emotional story of togetherness between the African American soldiers and certain whites during the American Civil War. Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Glory a American War Movie by Edward Zwick specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Of the many characters in this move, only one character, Colonel Robert Shaw, is non fictional. From the onset of this movie, Robert Shaw is depicted as the main character and his presence is observed almost in all scenes of the movie. Another white character who is as well equally featured in this movie is Cabot Forbes, who is the second in command from Shaw. The whites in this movie are shown as racists and this is clearly reflected in the movie by the way the white soldiers and officers relate to their African American counterparts. Instead of being paid thirteen dollars as the white soldiers are, the black soldiers are paid ten dollars. The black soldiers are also not accorded enough equipment to fight the war yet the whites have more than enough. Yet another scene that portrays the racism theme is shown when the African American soldiers are initially subjected to menial jobs instead of equally being given a chance to play a part in active combat as the whites are. Not all whites are shown as racists and Shaw and Forbes, who are portrayed as sympathizers of the blacks to the extent of demanding equal salary for their regiment. This is shown when, as earlier stated in this article, Shaw threatens to report the unfair treatment of the blacks to the war department. One is left wondering whether under normal circumstances in those days, Shaw and Forbes would really have behaved in similar comportment or if the movie was trying to depict them as good guys while in reality they were not. Most of the Africa Americans individuals during the civil war era were depicted as violent and people who always had problems taking orders. It is no wonder that many people were perplexed by their ability to make good soldiers given that solders always act by the orders given to them. This nat ure of being disobedient is also contrasted in this movie when the blacks protest against racism and their unequal salaries only to quickly soften their stand and accept disciplinary actions from their white counter parts. The blacks are also depicted as being obedient to military orders which eventually led most of them to their death. There are some scenes in this movie that do not accurately portray the occurrences in the American Civil War. For instance, Shaw’s regiment did not actually triumph over the rival forces at Fort Wagner, but in this movie, we are shown the confederate flag flying high on top of the fort as a sign that the regiment was successful in defeating their enemies. Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another inaccurate depiction of the Civil War events is the duration of time it took Colonel Shaw to accept the offer of leading the African American Regiment. In the â€Å"Glory,† Shaw is shown as accepting the leadership offer right away while historical documentations illustrate that he accepted the offer after many days of careful deliberation. The number of the 54th regiment soldiers killed in battle is also not captured accurately. The inaccuracies shown in this movie could have been due to the challenges in terms of cost that were encountered while producing this movie. To produce a movie that would capture all the occurrences of the war accurately would have been very costly. Even with the inaccuracies mentioned above, a great extent almost every major incidence that took place in the 54th regiment has been accurately captured in this movie. As one watches the movie, it can be difficult not to notice how this movie is able to capture how unfairly African Americans w ere treated during the war just because of their skin color. The â€Å"Glory† can therefore be said to be a movie that almost accurately portrays the occurrences in the American Civil War particularly the challenges faced by the African Americans in the war. The movie â€Å"Glory† is reflection is of historical importance since it portrays the role of African Americans in fighting for the Union army in the historical American Civil War. Moreover, the â€Å"Glory† shows that the Union victory, which is an important milestone in the history of America, took place with the assistance of African Americans. Despite being put through a lot of suffering in the form of slavery and other forms of discrimination, the movie portrays the African Americans as being capable of fighting in a war, just as their white counterparts and as such, they should be recognized as having greatly contributed to the history of the US. At the time of the Civil War, it was a common belief a mong many whites that the blacks were incapable of properly fighting in a war and therefore should not be allowed to participate in the war. This belief was however proven wrong by history just as shown in â€Å"Glory,† which honors the African Americans for their role in the war. There were also some fears about the loyalty of the blacks during the war given their history of being slaves but once again, just as shown in the movie, the black fighters in the war proved very loyal and worthy to be in the battle despite their group being openly discriminated against. The movie Glory is a celebration of the less known acts of courage and sacrifice during the Civil War. As shown by the movie, as much as the Civil War was about ending slavery and setting free the blacks, it is ironical that the blacks in the movie were not free to fight the war as shown by their bad treatment during the war. This was perhaps a sign that the war would not mark the end of discrimination of the Afri can Americans. In fact, most historians who write about the Civil War tend to ignore the crucial role played by the blacks yet more than 200 thousand of them actively fought and helped secure victory for the northerners. A big part of the movie accurately portrays the exact happenings as they took place during the Civil War. After watching the movie, a viewer cannot fail to notice the huge effort put towards correctly portraying the details of the war. The main scene in the movie occurred just as it is portrayed in the movie and some of the main characters, including Douglas, Shaw and Frederick, actually existed and fought in the war as shown in the movie. Even though a good number of the secondary characters are fictional, they have been included in the movie to represent the wide cross-section of individuals who joined the 54th Regiment. The movie can therefore be said to be an almost accurate representation of African American participation in the war and their struggles. Some o f the scary scenes in the movie, including the one showing an explosion of a soldier’s head, are included in an effort to show the gore and bloodshed that took place in the battlefield. Even with such scary scenes, the movie’s accurate depiction of an important historical occurrence has made it a perfect movie to be shown during history classes. However, the version shown in schools is edited to reduce extreme violence. The movie is among the most shown movies in high school history classes to increase awareness of the important role played by blacks in the Civil War. Apart from telling the story of an important occurrence in US history, the movie contains elements associated with a great motion picture which leaves its viewers with a lot of memories.

Business ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business ethics - Essay Example ctive of the business ethics is to whether the practice of supporting the failing financial institutions through the tax money is morally correct given the fact that financial institutions failed to perform their duties. After the financial crisis of 2008, US and other governments from the developed nations bailed-out their financial institutions by pouring in the public money. This issue created significant moral debate regarding the role of the financial institutions and the government in having allowed the bailing out of the financial institutions. Most of the arguments were based upon the notion that public money should not be spent on those who behaved irresponsibly and are the very cause of the crisis itself. The role of the financial managers in managing the money and engaging into business practices which were risky and speculative was also being deplored. This business ethics issue will therefore be explored from the perspective of the utilitarianism as well as deontology. Both these philosophical theories will be discussed first and applied to this issue in greater details. Deontological ethics are based upon the moral evaluation of the actions based upon whether the actions actually followed or adhered to any rules or not. It is also because of this reason that the deontology is often considered as rule based ethics as it stresses upon the adherence to the rules if any action is to be considered as ethical or not. There are however, different theories of deontology which outline as to how to actually treat an issue from certain perspectives. Kantian ethics of deontology suggests that the morally right way of doing things is as to whether the individuals actually performed from the perspective of the duty or not. Kant also suggests that the morality of actions shall be based upon the motives of the individuals rather than the overall consequences of taking such actions. (Shaw) Utilitarianism however, is an alternative philosophical theory which

The role of managers and clinical leaders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The role of managers and clinical leaders - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that the performance of all individuals is based on a large number of factors including internal as well as external ones. It is the responsibility of managers to make sure that all individuals within the organization are motivated enough and their goals are aligned with those of the company. All work done by the employees must be directed towards the objectives of the organization. Mostly all organizations now have a human resource department to improve the motivational level, performance as well as the productivity of the employees. This would improve the overall performance of the organization and would also result in higher profits due to improved quality of the task work. The factors related to the performance of an employee working in a company are similar to those working in a health organization. The motivation of employees is dependant on many factors including environmental factors etc. It also includes factors such as the task st ructure, the workplace environment as well as how the managers treat the employees and other subordinates. The process of performance management aims to improve the effectiveness of employees in order to achieve the organizational goals and objectives. It includes planning, developing as well as rewarding to increase the overall motivation of employees. Planning includes setting the expectations of employees and monitoring the overall performance of the employees. The management should also rate the performance of employees and provide rewards for good performance.... If an employee is continuously facing problems then the manager should change the tasks assigned to the employee involved. This would give the employee chances to use his potential and portray his skills. However, if the employee continues to face the same problems then the manager should realize that the problem is not with the tasks assigned but other factors within the employees such as the motivational level. Therefore, the manager should try to motivate the employees in order to improve his performance for the assigned task. In order to keep the staff motivated, managers all over the world follow a number of strategies. These strategies include performance appraisals, commission pays, other intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards etc. These rewards act as tools for the motivation of employees in all kinds of organizations. These increased levels of motivation in employees would increase the productivity and improve performance of the organization as a whole. This would also impro ve the employee morale and the organization would be able to retain talented employees as well. It would also improve the image of the organization in the business world. Managers should place a lot of importance on the motivation of employees as they themselves might be the reasons for low motivation and they need to understand what problems the employees are placing in their workplace (Motivation and productivity in the workplace, Web). Managers and clinical leaders have a lot of responsibilities to fulfill to improve staff morale as well as motivation of the staff employees. In order to improve staff morale and motivation, managers can develop clear cut rules and goals for the staff employees. They can even employ

Major problems and issues of an organization analyzed through a case Essay

Major problems and issues of an organization analyzed through a case study - Essay Example The two thus form a good case study through which the major problems that face organizations can be studied. An in-depth analysis of the companies will be undertaken through a brief background on the two in the movie rental market followed by diagnosis of their situations. A competitive and performance analysis will then be undertaken with recommendations on the way forward being generated. Netflix was started in 1997 by Reed Hastings and 10 years later had already taken over market leadership in movie rental services. Figures such as $1.2 billion in revenues, 100,000 movies in their catalogue and 7 million subscribers are quite enviable in the market. The main source of their dominance has been pioneering online movie renting through subscriptions (Thompson, Strickland and Gamble). Blockbuster on the other hand enjoyed early market domination since its inception in 1985 by David Cook (Blockbuster.com 2009). Its main source of advantage was availing movies at a much cheaper rental rates through negotiating deals with the major film studios thus reducing its rates to even just a tenth of competitors’. Blockbuster’s competitive advantage was nullified by Netflix’s focus on internet adoption. The two firms are still competing in a highly competitive market as stated by Netflix Inc. (6). Diagnosis of Netflix’s and Blockbuster’s Competitive Situations. Netflix is at the moment the market leader but is facing cutthroat competition from a resurgent Blockbuster which re-strategized and started slicing Netflix’s market share to an extent that forced the later to reduce its subscription fees leading to drop in its stock prices from panic. Other competition is also being felt from other albeit smaller rivals such as Redbox. Netflix (6) is also in recognition that the movie rental market is subject to drastic and rapid changes since

Definition of Recession and the Predicted Recession in the Malaysian economy

Definition of Recession and the Predicted Recession in the Malaysian economy What is economic recession? Economic recession is defined as a decline in the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth for about two or more consecutive quarters in a particular year. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) consists of the monies spent by consumers, the investments made by private companies and the government, government spending on labor and products, and the net total of a countrys exports. As a part of a normal business lifecycle, when an economy that grows over a period of time tends to slow down. An economy typically grows for 6 to 10 years and later is likely to go into a recession for about 6 months to 2 years. Thus, economic recession is a declining phase of the business life cycle when there decline in economic activities spread across the economy, lasting for more than a couple of months, normally visible in Gross Domestic Product or GDP, employment, real income, industrial production and wholesale or retail sales. A recession has many characteristics that can occur simultaneously and can include declines in real-time measures of overall economic activities. Recessions are the result of reduction in the demand and may also be associated with falling prices also known as deflation, or on the other hand it could also be due to increasing prices also known as inflation or a combination of increasing prices and stagnant economic growth. A prolonged or severe recession is referred to as an economic depression. Although the difference between a recession and a depression is not clearly stated, it is often believed that a decline in Gross Domestic Product or GDP of more than 10% constitutes a depression. The cause of an economic recession primarily depends on the actions taken to control the money supply in an economy. The Federal Reserve is the agency responsible for maintaining the delicate balance between money supply, interest rates, and inflation. When this delicate balance is tipped, the economy is forced to correct itself. Furthermore, the Federal Reserve sometimes deals with these situations by dumping huge amounts of money supply into the money market. This helps to keep interest rates low, even as inflation rises. Inflation is the rise in the prices of goods and services over a period of time. So, if inflation is increasing, it means that goods and services are costing more now than they did before. The higher the level of inflation, the smaller the percentage of goods and services is which can be bought with a certain amount of money. There can be many contributing factors for inflation, which include but are not limited to increased costs of production, higher costs of energy and the national debt. In an environment where inflation is prevalent, people tend to cut out things like leisure spending. They also budget more, spend less on things they usually indulge in, and start saving more money than they did. As people and businesses start finding ways to cut costs and derail unneeded expenditures, the GDP begins to decline. Then, unemployment rates will rise because companies start lying off workers to cut more costs, because consumers are not spending like they were. It is these combined factors that manage to drive the economy into a state of recession. An economic recession can be expected before it actually happens. There are many ways to spot a recession before it actually happens. For instance, by observing the changing economic landscapes in quarters that come before the actual onset we can predict whether a recession is about to occur or not. You will still see GDP growth, but it will be coupled with signs like high unemployment levels, housing price declines, stock market losses, and the absence of business expansion. When an economy sees more extended periods of economic recession, it goes beyond a recession and is declared that the economy is in a state of depression. On the other hand, the benefit of an economic recession is that it will help to cure inflation. As a matter of fact, the delicate balancing act that the Federal Reserve struggles to pursue is to slow the growth of the economy enough so that inflation will not occur, but also so that a recession will not be triggered in the process. Now, the Federal Reserve performs this balancing act without the help of fiscal policy. Fiscal policy is usually trying to stimulate the economy as much as is possible through such things as lowering taxes, spending on programs, and ignoring account deficits. Currently the global economy is facing a downturn; In Malaysia the economy has been spotted declining since the first-half of 2008 .This decline may spell bad news for us as it may result as a recession. However, it has been predicted by the government that the economy is not going to be insulated from the global downturn. It was clearly stated by the current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Malaysia would be able to weather the storm brought on by the U.S. credit crisis as we still have strong economic fundamentals as well as being politically stable. In his statement he said We have very strong reserves, our surplus is still strong, our domestic savings are also very high and our currency is also stable and not subject to fluctuation, He also said We have the strength and the resilience of Malaysians as we have faced it before and our banking system is still strong, theres stability in the country and predictability in terms whats going to develop politically,. The Prime Minister admitted that it was not going to be easy, but with good cooperation with the public and the government our country could get through the recession with not much damage. On the other hand, it has also been predicted that the Malaysian economy will most probably see a full blown recession this year given the steep deterioration in recent economic activities both locally and globally. Based on an article in The Star Online of 5th March 2009, it was predicted that the economy may contract by1.19% in 2009. It was clearly stated in the phrase A poll of economists expectations for 2009 projects the economy would contract by 1.19% this year as the slump in exports and slowing domestic demand bite hard especially in the first half of the year. However, there were also predictions that the contractions of the Malaysian economy would be temporary and would recover later in this year. The Affin Investment Bank economist Alan Tan said The first half will be weak but I am expecting stabilization late in the year on a recovery in exports and domestic demand. This statement was also supported by another statement by the RHB Investment Bank Bhd economist Peck Boon S oon, however this time the economy was predicted to rebound in 2010. The table below shows the forecast growth of the Gross Domestic Product by Malaysias top financial institutes. Besides that, in view of the deteriorating global economy and as a step to be ready for an economic recession, the Central Bank of Malaysia (Bank Negara Malaysia) has lately reduced the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) by 25 basis points to 3.25 per cent. Its clearly stated in the Malaysian Economy-Update Blog that the Malaysian economy is getting or expecting to get worse if no monetary and fiscal policy changes. To add liquidity into the system and reduce the cost of funds, the statutory reserve requirement (SRR) has been cut from 4.0 per cent to 3.5 per cent effective Dec08. If domestic conditions worsen, amid subsiding inflation, the OPR may be slashed to 3.0 per cent or even lower. The reduction of interest rate has to be done cautiously as it may unintentionally lead to a weaker ringgit that would push up the cost of imports. The deficit fiscal target for 2009 has also been raised to 4.8 per cent of GDP, from 3.6 per cent previously. This may be justified as difficult times call for drastic measures. However, there are concerns that government revenue would be adversely affected by the falling commodity prices, which could subsequently enlarge the deficit to even exceed 5.0 per cent of GDP. All of this signs clearly states that the Malaysian economy is going into a recession. The graph below shows the decline of the GDP growth. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) has also defined Malaysias current economic situation as a recession. Based on the article in the Malaysian Economy-Update Blog dated 5th of March 2009, MIER says Malaysia stands on the brink of recession as falling demand hits exports and manufacturing with growth expected to reach 0.5% this year. MIER forecast the economic growth for first half of 2009 will be negative which will put Malaysia in a technical recession, but will show positive figures in the second half of 2009. The Executive Director of MIER Mohamaed Ariff said overall, it will be 0.5% growth for this year in the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is there is a 50% chance of a full-blown recession this year. Furthermore, this has also lead to the reduction of employments which results in the downfall in the Consumer Sentiments Index (CSI). This is shown in the graph below. Based on all the evidence provided above, it could be seen that the current Malaysian economy is going into a downfall and may result in a recession. Even though the government has not officially declared a recession its very important for us to be ready to face one as we do not know how bad it may result as. The predicted contraction of the economy by 1.19% will be one of the major causes of the recession as there will be a massive reduction in exports and domestic demands. The reduction of the Overnight Policy Rate by the Central Bank (Bank Negara Malaysia) is also one of the signs that Malaysia is going into a recession, this is because the reduction of the Overnight Policy Rate would result in the reduction of the GDP growth because less money would be invested in the economy and would lead to the downfall of the economy. On the other hand, as stated by the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) the reduction of employments and downfall of the Consumer Sentiments Index (CSI) shows that Malaysia would be facing a recession. However, as said by our respected Prime Minister, the downfall that is about to be faced by our country may not last long as, because Malaysia has very strong reserves, high domestic savings and also our currency is quite stable. This forecast recession is predicted to rebound in the third or fourth quarter this year this year or latest by 2010. To sum it all up, a recession is not an event that is waited for, however its a part of a normal business lifecycle and its natural for it to occur in an economy every 6 to 10 years once. The best step to take during a recession is to minimize all of our expenditures and save as much as we can. Therefore we should always be prepared to face such situations as we may not know how bad the recession may be and how long it may last.

The Role of Sugar and Insulin in Weight Gain Essay -- Health Nutrition

The Role of Sugar and Insulin in Weight Gain The Atkin’s diet is one of the most popular diets that emphasizes weight lose in a short amount of time without the need for exercise. Patients under the diet need to consume foods that are high in fat and protein such as cheeses, hamburgers, bacon and heavy creams. Foods that are high in starches and sugar are not to be consumed within the diet because they will affect the two main causes of weight gain within the body. The two main causes of weight gain are high concentration levels of sugar and insulin within the body. To decide which cause can increase weight gain can difficult decision to decipher. As one of the main external causes of obesity and overweight, the level of sugar within the body is based on the amount of sugar concentration within the body’s bloodstream. Sugar concentration found within the body is usually attained from the consumption of food, such as sweets, fruits, bread, pasta and grain. The sugar from the food consumption is broken down by the body in order to give energy for the body which allows it to function. The energy broken down from the sugar is used to help the body to carry on with daily functions such as moving or thinking. In comparison to the sugar level, insulin is an internal cause of weight gain. Insulin is a hormonal substance that is produced and dispersed within the body in order to regulate the flow of blood sugar through the conversion of sugar molecules into energy. The energy converted from the sugar molecules are either needed immediately for the body or fat cells. Fat cells are sugar molecules stored within the body for use at a time when the body needs more energy to function. Fat cell... ...d 1. S. Warshaw, H. (2004, July). The Diabetes Food Pyramid: Starches. Retrieved November 7, 2004 from http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/starches.jsp 2. Mehta, P., & Mehta, P. (n.d.). Blood Sugar, Low Blood Sugar or High Blood Sugar. Retrieved November 14, 2004. http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/blood-sugar.html 3. R. Hertzler, S. & Kim, Y. (2003). Glycemic and Insulin responses to different types of energy bars. Glycemic and insulinemic responses to energy bars of differeing macronutrient composition in healthy adults, 9(2). Retrieved November 17, 2004, from http://www.MedSciMonit.com/pub/vol_9/no_2/3230.pdf 4. Berland, T. & Consumer Guide. (1974). Rating the Diets. Chicago: Rand McNally & Company 5. R. Eades, M. & D. Eades, M. (1996). Protein Power. New York: Bantam Books

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 1

8 months later†¦ Ella I despise mirrors. Not because I hate my reflection or that I suffer from Eisoptrophobia. Mirrors see straight through my facade. They know who I used to be; a loud spoken, reckless girl, who showed what she felt to the world. There were no secrets with me. But now secrets define me. If a reflection revealed what was on the outside, I'd be okay. My long auburn hair goes well with my pale complexion. My legs are extensively long and with heels, I'm taller than most of the guys I know. But I'm comfortable with it. It's what's buried deep inside that frightens me because it's broken, like a shattered mirror. I tape one of my old sketches over the mirror on the dorm wall. It's almost completely concealed by drawings and obscures all of my reflection except for my green eyes, which are frosted with infinite pain and secrets. I pull my hair into a messy bun and place my charcoaled pencils into a box on my bed, packing them with my other art supplies. Lila skips into the room with a cheery smile on her face and a drink in her hand. â€Å"Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm so glad it's over.† I pick up a roll of packing tape off the dresser. â€Å"Oh my God! Oh my god!† I joke. â€Å"What are you drinking?† She tips the cup at me and winks. â€Å"Juice, silly. I'm just really excited to be getting a break. Even if it does mean I have to go home.† She tucks strands of her hair behind her ear and tosses a makeup bag into her purse. â€Å"Have you seen my perfume?† I point at the boxes on her bed. â€Å"I think you packed them in one of those. Not sure which one, though, since you didn't label them.† She pulls a face at me. â€Å"Not all of us can be neat freaks. Honestly, Ella, sometimes I think you have OCD.† I write â€Å"Art Supplies† neatly on the box and click the cap back on the sharpie. â€Å"I think you might be on to me,† I joke. â€Å"Dang it.† She smells herself. â€Å"I really need it. All this heat is making me sweat.† She rips some photos off her dresser mirror and throws them into an open box. â€Å"I swear it's like a hundred and ten outside.† â€Å"I think it's actually hotter than that.† I set my school work in the trash, all marked with A's. Back in High School, I used to be a C student. I hadn't really planned on going to college, but life changes – people change. Lila narrows her blue eyes at my mirror. â€Å"You do know that we're not going to have the same dorm when we come back in the fall, so unless you take all your artwork off, it's just going to be thrown out by the next person.† They're just a bunch of doodles; sketches of haunting eyes, black roses entwined by a bed of thorns, my name woven in an intricate pattern. None of them matter except one: a sketch of an old friend, playing his guitar. I peel that one off, careful not to tear the corners. â€Å"I'll leave them for the next person,† I say and add a smile. â€Å"They'll have a predecorated room.† â€Å"I'm sure the next person will actually want to look in the mirror.† She folds up a pink shirt. â€Å"Although, I don't know why you want to cover up the mirror. You're not ugly, El.† â€Å"It's not about that.† I stare at the drawing that captures the intensity in Micha's eyes. Lila snatches the drawing from my hands, crinkling the edges a little. â€Å"One day you're going to have to tell me who this gorgeous guy is.† â€Å"He's just some guy I used to know.† I steal the drawing back. â€Å"But we don't talk anymore.† â€Å"What's his name?† She stacks a box next to the door. I place the drawing into the box and seal it with a strip of tape. â€Å"Why?† She shrugs. â€Å"Just wondering.† â€Å"His name is Micha.† It's the first time I've said his name aloud, since I left home. It hurts, like a rock lodged in my throat. â€Å"Micha Scott.† She glances over my shoulder as she piles the rest of her clothes into a box. â€Å"There's a lot of passion in that drawing. I just don't see him as being some guy. Is he like an old boyfriend or something?† I drop my duffel bag, packed with my clothes, next to the door. â€Å"No, we never dated.† She eyes me over with doubt. â€Å"But you came close to dating? Right?† â€Å"No. I told you we were just friends.† But only because I wouldn't let us be anything more. Micha saw too much of me and it scared me too much to let him in all the way. She twists her strawberry blonde hair into a ponytail and fans her face. â€Å"Micha is an interesting name. I think a name really says a lot about a person.† She taps her manicured finger on her chin, thoughtfully. â€Å"I bet he's hot.† â€Å"You make that bet on every guy,† I tease, piling my makeup into a bag. She grins, but there's sadness in her eyes. â€Å"Yeah, you're probably right.† She sighs. â€Å"Will I at least get to see this mysterious Micha – who you've refused to speak about our whole eight months of sharing a dorm together – when I drop you off at your house?† â€Å"I hope not,† I mutter and her face sinks. â€Å"I'm sorry, but Micha and I†¦ we didn't leave on a good note and I haven't talked to him since I left for school in August.† Micha doesn't even know where I am. She heaves an overly stuffed pink duffle bag over her shoulder. â€Å"That sounds like a perfect story for our twelve hour road trip back home.† â€Å"Back home†¦ † My eyes widen at the empty room that's been my home for the last eight months. I'm not ready to go back home and face everyone I bailed on. Especially Micha. He can see through me better than a mirror. â€Å"Are you okay?† Lila asks with concern. My lips bend upward into a stiff smile as I stuff my panicked feeling in a box hidden deep inside my heart. â€Å"I'm great. Let's go.† We head out the door, with the last of our boxes in our hands. I pat my empty pockets, realizing I forgot my phone. â€Å"Hold on. I think I forgot my phone.† Setting my box on the ground, I run back to the room and glance around at the garbage bag, a few empty plastic cups on the bed, and the mirror. â€Å"Where is it?† I check under the bed and in the closet. The soft tune of Pink's â€Å"Funhouse† sings underneath the trash bag – my unknown ID ringtone. I pick up the bag and there is my phone with the screen lit up. I scoop it up and my heart stops. It's not an unknown number, just one that was never programmed into my phone when I switched carriers. â€Å"Micha.† My hands tremble, unable to answer, yet powerless to silence it. â€Å"Aren't you going to answer that?† Lila enters the room, her face twisted in confusion. â€Å"What's up? You look like you just saw a ghost or something.† The phone stops ringing and I tuck it into the back pocket of my shorts. â€Å"We should get going. We have a long trip ahead of us.† Lila salutes me. â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† She links arms with me and we head out to the parking lot. When we reach the car, my phone beeps. Voicemail. Micha â€Å"Why is Ella Daniels such a common name,† Ethan grunts from the computer chair. His legs are kicked up on the desk as he lazily scrolls the internet. â€Å"The list is freaking endless, man. I can't even see straight anymore.† He rubs his eyes. â€Å"Can I take a break?† Shaking my head, I pace my room with the phone to my ear, kicking the clothes and other shit on my floor out of the way. I'm on hold with the main office at Indiana University, waiting for answers that probably aren't there. But I have to try – I've been trying ever since the day Ella vanished from my life. The day I promised myself that I'd find her no matter what. â€Å"Are you sure her dad doesn't know where she is?† Ethan flops his head back against the headrest of the office chair. â€Å"I swear that old man knows more than he's letting on.† â€Å"If he does, he's not telling me,† I say. â€Å"Or his trashed mind has misplaced the information.† Ethan swivels the chair around. â€Å"Have you ever considered that maybe she doesn't want to be found?† â€Å"Every single day,† I mutter. â€Å"Which makes me even more determined to find her.† Ethan refocuses his attention to the computer and continues his search through the endless amount of Ella Daniels in the country. But I'm not even sure if she's still in the country. The secretary returns to the phone and gives me the answer I was expecting. This isn't the Ella Daniels I'm looking for. I hang up and throw my phone onto the bed. â€Å"God Dammit!† Ethan glances over his shoulder. â€Å"No luck?† I sink down on my bed and let my head fall into my hands. â€Å"It was another dead end.† â€Å"Look, I know you miss her and everything,† he says, typing on the keyboard. â€Å"But you need to get your crap together. All this whining is giving me a headache.† He's right. I shake my pity party off, slip on a black hoodie, and a pair of black boots. â€Å"I've got to go down to the shop to pick up a part. You staying or going?† He drops his feet to the floor and gratefully shoves away from the desk. â€Å"Yeah, but can we stop by my house. I need to pick up my drums for tonight's practice. Are you going to that or are you still on strike?† Pulling my hood over my head, I head for the door. â€Å"Nah, I got some stuff to do tonight.† â€Å"That's bull.† He reaches to shut off the computer screen. â€Å"Everyone knows the only reason you don't play anymore is because of Ella. But you need to quit being a pussy and get over her.† â€Å"I think I'm going to†¦ † I smack his hand away from the off button and squint at a picture of a girl on the screen. She has the same dark green eyes and long auburn hair as Ella. But she has on a dress and there isn't any heavy black liner around her eyes. She also looks fake, like she's pretending to be happy. The Ella I knew never pretended. But it has to be her. â€Å"Dude, what are you doing?† Ethan complains as I snatch my phone off my bed. â€Å"I thought we were giving up for the day.† I tap the screen and call information. â€Å"Yeah, can I get a number for Ella Daniels in Las Vegas, Nevada.† I wait, worried she's not going to be listed. â€Å"She's been down in Vegas.† Ethan peers at the photo on the screen of Ella standing next to a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes in front of the UNLV campus. â€Å"She looks weird, but kinda hot. So is the girl she's with.† â€Å"Yeah, but she's not your type.† â€Å"Everyone's my type. Besides, she could be a stripper and that's definitely my type.† The operator comes back on and she gives me a few numbers listed, one of the numbers belongs to a girl living on the campus. I dial that number and walk out into the hall to get some privacy. It rings and rings and rings and then Ella's voice comes on the voicemail. She still sounds the same, only a little unemotional, like she's pretending to be happy, but can't quite get there. When it beeps, I take a deep breath and pour my heart out to the voicemail.