Timeline of Rockets - Leaving Earth Behind

Course of events of Rockets - Leaving Earth Behind 3000 BCE Babylonian celestial prophet cosmologists start mentioning efficient objective facts of the skies. 2000 BCE Babylonians build up a zodiac. 1300 BCE Chinese utilization of firecracker rockets gets across the board. 1000 BCE Babylonians record sun/moon/planetary developments - Egyptians use sun clock. 600-400 BCE Pythagoras of Samos sets up a school. Parmenides of Elea, an understudy, proposes a circular Earth produced using dense air and isolated into five zones. He likewise presents thoughts for stars being made of packed fire and a limited, still, and circular universe with deceptive movement. 585 BCE Thales of Miletus, a Greek cosmologist of the Ionian school, predicts the rakish distance across of the sun. He additionally successfully predicts a sunlight based shroud, terrifying Media and Lydia into haggling for harmony with the Greeks. 388-315 BCE Heraclides of Pontus clarifies the day by day pivot of the stars by accepting that the Earth turns on its hub. He likewise finds that Mercury and Venus spin around the Sun rather than the Earth. 360 BCE Flying Pigeon (gadget that utilizations push) of Archytas made. 310-230 BCE Aristarchus of Samos suggests that the Earth spins around the Sun. 276-196 BCE Eratosthenes, a Greek space expert, quantifies the periphery of the Earth. He additionally finds the contrasts among planets and stars and readies a star index. 250 BCE Herons aeolipile, which utilized steam power, was made. 150 BCE Hipparchus of Nicaea attempts to gauge the size of the sun and the moon. He likewise takes a shot at a hypothesis to clarify planetary movement and creates a star index with 850 passages. 46-120 AD - Plutarch goes ahead in his De facie in orbe lunae (On the Face of the Moons Disk) 70 AD, that the moon is a little Earth occupied by insightful creatures. He likewise advances hypotheses that lunar markings are because of imperfections in our eyes, reflections from the Earth, or profound gorges loaded up with water or dim air. 127-141 AD Ptolomy distributes Almagest (otherwise known as Megiste Syntaxis-Great Collection), which expresses that the Earth is a focal globe, with the universe spinning around it. 150 AD Lucian of Samosatas True History is distributed, the main sci-fi tale about Moon journeys. He likewise later does Icaromenippus, another moon-journey story. 800 AD Baghdad turns into the galactic investigation focal point of the world. 1010 AD The Persian writer Firdaus distributes a 60,000-section epic sonnet, Sh_h-N_ma, about vast travel. 1232 AD Rockets ( bolts of flying fire) utilized at the attack of Kai-fung-fu. 1271 AD Robert Anglicus endeavors to archive surface and climate conditions on planets. 1380 AD T. Przypkowski considers rocketry. 1395-1405 AD Konrad Kyeser von Eichstdt produces Bellifortis, depicting numerous military rockets. 1405 AD - Von Eichstdt expounds on skyrockets. 1420 AD - Fontana structures different rockets. 1543 AD - Nicolaus Copernicus distributes De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Orbs), resuscitating Aristarchus heliocentric hypothesis. 1546-1601 AD - Tycho Brahe estimates places of stars and planets. Supports heliocentric hypothesis. 1564-1642 AD - Galileo Galilei first uses the telescope to watch the skies. Finds sunspots, four significant satellites on Jupiter (1610), and Venus stages. Guards Copernican hypothesis in Dialogo sopra I due massimi sistemi del mondo (Dialog of the Two Chief Systems of the World), 1632. 1571-1630 AD - Johannes Kepler infers the three extraordinary laws of planetary movement: planetary circles are ovals with the sun as one focal point of the straightforwardly identified with its good ways from the Sun. Discoveries were distributed in Astronomia nova (New Astronomy), 1609, and De harmonice mundi (On the Harmony of the World), 1619. 1591 AD - Von Schmidlap composes a book about non-military rockets. Proposes rockets balanced out by sticks and rockets mounted on rockets for additional force. 1608 AD - Telescopes concocted. 1628 AD - Mao Yuan-I makes the Wu Pei Chih, portraying black powder and rocket production and use. 1634 AD - After death distribution of Keplers Somnium (Dream), a sci-fi section protecting heliocentrism. 1638 AD - After death distribution of Francis Goodwins The Man in the Moon: or a Discourse of Voyage Thither. It advances the hypothesis that the fascination from the Earth is more noteworthy than that from the moon Publication of John Wilkins Discovery of a New World a talk about existence on different planets. 1642-1727 AD - Isaac Newtonâ synthesizes ongoing cosmic revelations through all inclusive attractive energy in his celebrated, Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy), 1687. 1649, 1652 AD - Cyranos reference to fireworks in his books, Voyage dans la Lune (Voyage to the Moon) and Histoire des États and so forth Empires du Soleil (History of the States and Empires of the Sun). Both allude to the most current logical speculations. 1668 AD - Rocket tests close to Berlin by the German colonel, Christoph von Geissler. 1672 AD - Cassini, an Italian stargazer, predicts the separation among Earth and Sun to be 86,000,000 miles. 1686 AD - Bernard de Fontenelles well known cosmology book, Entretiens sur la Pluralitã © des Mondes (Discourses on the Plurality of Worlds) distributed. Contained theories about the tenability of the planets. 1690 AD - Gabriel Daniels Voiage du Monde de Descartes (Voyage to the World of Descartes) talks about the spirits detachment from the body so as to go to the Globe of the Moon. 1698 AD - Christian Huygens, famous researcher, composes Cosmotheoros, or Conjectures Concerning the Planetary Worlds, a non-anecdotal reason on life on different planets. 1703 AD - David Russens Iter Lunare: or Voyage to the Moon utilizes catapulting to the moon. 1705 AD - Daniel Defoes The Consolidator recounts an old races dominance of Lunar flight and portrays different spaceships and legends of lunar flights. 1752 AD - Voltaires Micromã ©gas portrays a race of individuals on the star Sirius. 1758 AD - Emanuel Swedenborg composes Earths in our Solar System, which adopts Christian Huygens non-anecdotal strategy to talking about existence on different planets. 1775 AD - Louis Folie composes Le Philosophe Sans Prã ©tention, about a Mercurian who watches Earthlings. 1781 AD - Walk 13: William Herschelâ makes his ownâ telescopeâ and finds Uranus. He additionally advances speculations of a livable sun and life on other planetary bodies. Hyder Ali of India utilizes rockets against the British (were made out of substantial metal cylinders guided by bamboo and had a scope of a mile). 1783 AD - Firstâ manned balloonâ flight made. 1792-1799 AD - Further utilization of military rockets against the British in India. 1799-1825 AD - Pierre Simon, Marquis de Laplace, creates a five-volume work to depict the Newtonian arrangement of the world, entitled Celestial Mechanics. 1800 - English Admiral Sir William Congreveâ began working with rockets for military purposes in England. He had initially adjusted the thought from Indian rockets. 1801 AD - Rocket tests completed by the scientist, Congreve. Cosmologists find that the enormous hole among Mars and Jupiter contains a huge space rock belt. The biggest, Ceres, was found to have a distance across of 480 miles. 1806 - Claude Ruggiere propelled little creatures in rockets outfitted with parachutes, in France. 1806 AD - First significant rocket assault done (on Boulogne, utilizing Congreve rockets). 1807 AD - William Congreveâ used his rockets in the Napoleonic Wars, as the British assaulted Copenhagen and Denmark. 1812 AD - English rocket fire on Blasdenburg. Results in the taking of Washington D.C. furthermore, the White House. 1813 AD - English Rocket Corps shaped. Start by making a move in Leipzig. 1814 AD - August 9: British rocket fire on Fort McHenry prompts Francis Scott Key to compose the rockets red glare line in his popular sonnet. During the War of Independence, the British utilized the Congreve rocketsâ to attack Fort McHenry in Baltimore. 1817 - In St. Petersburg, Russian Zasyadko rockets were terminated. 1825 AD - Dutch powers bomb the Celebes clan in the East Indies William Haleâ develops the stickless rocket. 1826 AD - Congreve performs further rocket tests utilizing stage (rockets mounted on rockets) as set out by Von Schmidlap. 1827 AD - George Tucker, under the nom de plume Atterlay, speaks to another wave in sci-fi, through depicting a spaceship in A Voyage to the Moon with some Account of the Manners and Customs, Science and Philosophy of the People of Morosofia and different Lunarians. 1828 - Russian Zasyadko rockets were put to use in the Russo Turkish War. 1835 AD - Edgar Allen Poe depicts a lunar journey in an inflatable in Lunar Discoveries, Extraordinary Aerial Voyage by Baron Hans Pfaall. August 25: Richard Adams Locke distributes his Moon Hoax. He distributes seven days in length sequential in the New York Sun, as though composed by Sir John Herschel, pioneer of Uranus, about moon animals. This was under the title, Great Astronomical Discoveries Lately Made By Sir John Herschel. 1837 AD - Wilhelm Beer and Johann von Mdler distribute a guide of the moon utilizing the telescope at Beers observatory.

Investment management Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Speculation the board - Speech or Presentation Example Cost of development stock is higher in proportion with its gaining while the cost of significant worth stock is underestimated than dependent on quality of its key. Henceforth, distinction can be controlled by the P/E proportions. This can likewise be estimated utilizing the proportion of book an incentive to advertise esteem. Development firms’ BV/MV proportion is lower which alludes high development while esteem firms have higher BV/MV proportion. This proportion additionally gets sway from profit paid by firms as development firms deliver less or no profit and reinvest which gives financial specialists capital thankfulness advantage. Worth stock delivers higher profit. Level of cost of value and pace of profit for resources which are part of DDM influences BV/MV proportion. Worth stocks have significant expense of value which expands its proportion alongside chance. Development stocks have higher pace of profit for resources as well as/high development that brings down its proportion. The two stocks can be advantageous for financial specialists dependent on their hazard craving and bring needs back. Financial specialists searching for consistent stream of pay will be less occupied to development stocks. Worth stocks are put motel in desire for amendment in their deal cost in future. These proportions can likewise change with change in profit procedure; expanding profit diminishes development would get BV/MV proportion expanded or the other way around. Essentially, remedy in cost of significant worth stock that builds its cost would diminish its BV/MV proportion. Henceforth, these are time based estimates characterizing venture procedures. A portfolio will have the two stocks so as to get advantage of broadening (Hagin, 2004). MLH organization with beta of 0.5 and a profit yield of 12% p.a. can be proclaimed as worth stock as it has higher profit. Beta of MLH Company decides its cost accepting less development energy than by and large market. Likewise beta is utilized in characterizing required pace of return resources which expands its numerator of DDM prompting generally higher

Standing Out from the Crowd How to Nail a Group Interview

Standing Out from the Crowd How to Nail a Group Interview Imagine you have got an interview call from a consumer retail company.You create a portfolio of your education and work experience, groom your appearance, research on the company and the industry, think of all the possible questions that the interviewer may ask and rehearse your answers in front of the mirror.And then, when you walk into the reception of the office, you are asked to wait in a room where half a dozen others are also waiting.Of course, you had already expected that there would be other candidates for the position you applied for.If you are an extrovert by nature, you could pick up a conversation with the other candidates.Using your charm and talking them into revealing their background, their views on the job and the industry, you may even get some additional inputs on the job requirement.If this is not the first job that you are applying for, you may even exchange business cards. You do this not by any ulterior motive but simply to build up your network of professiona l contacts. You never know who comes useful and when.The twist in the script comes when you are actually called in for the interview.You had expected to be called one by one.What if all of you are called in together?This could be somewhat unnerving when you have competitors sitting with you, all vying for the attention of the interviewer and knowing that the panel across is observing all of you closely.Smile even when you are nervous but make sure that your smile is genuine.Be cautious with your verbal and non-verbal communication.GROUP INTERVIEWS: WHAT AND WHEN?Group interviews are becoming the norm for many types of recruitment.For entry-level positions, especially when companies hire at campuses, many recruiters use group interviews as a first screening of candidates. Rather than asking the same questions to many candidates, interviewers often put all interviewees in the same room and ask the common questions one by one.Group interviews are also preferred for positions which requ ire a lot of customer interaction or teamwork.Observing the candidates’ behavior when in a group gives an indication how they might behave on the ground while at work.The interviewer observes if the interviewee makes everyone comfortable while he speaks. “Does he make eye contact with the interviewers as well as the other interviewees? “Does he include others when he speaks and responds”? “Does he know how to manage the flow of the conversation?”Typically, individual interviews follow the group interview. Group interviews may be of three types:Group discussionsInterviewing groups of candidates by a panel of interviewsSimulation of business activities in a groupCompanies hold group interviews not just to save time although such interviews are conducted many a times as an elimination round when there is a large number of candidates but to evaluate candidates’ leadership and teamwork capabilities.It is important to understand what recruiters expect of you so that you ca n behave and perform accordingly.Group discussions indicate your worldview and your psychological orientation. Interviewer may even use this platform to understand your social, political and cultural views. Its best to err on the right side and not demonstrate any form of aggression in your expression or communication.Group activities are often conducted while interviewing positions which require high degree of customer interaction and teamwork.EIGHT STEPS TO NAIL THE GROUP INTERVIEW1. Research and prepareResearch about the organization you are being interviewed and about the panel of interviewers, if you get to know of the names in advance.Think about the possible traits that the organization would look for in the candidate.If you can find out some special interests among the interviewers, you might earn some brownie points if you can bring that up in the course of discussion.But there’s a also a risk in taking this approach.If there is a panel of interviewees, it might not creat e a favorable impression with the other panel members if you begin discussing on a special interest of a particular member.Prepare a detailed introduction of yourself, in addition to what you have in your resume.Tailor the introduction according to the requirements of the job.For example, if the interview is for a customer relationship manager, make a checklist of your past experience in a similar profile, your strengths in dealing with customers and your special people skills.Keep the checklist jotted down in your notebook, which you can refer to when you are facing the interview.2. Dress RightPhysical appearance has been seen to be an important factor for interviewers’ evaluation.This is based on the premise of the belief that “what is beautiful is good”.Especially for jobs that require high degree of customer contact, physical appearance is evaluated more closely.Although questions on physical appearance are illegal in most societies, interviewers tend to create the impress ion of the candidate on the basis of appearance and the sense of dressing. It is safe to dress conventionally depending on the job profile.It is the custom to dress more formally in some professions like banking than, say, in the entertainment industry.Do your research on the dress code of the industry that you are interviewing for. It is better to stand out with your behavior and communication than with your dress.You would not like to stick out, rather than stand out, because of your unusual dress, jazzy jewelry, unconventional hairstyle or the heel height of your shoes.3. Know your peerYour extrovert nature could come handy in preparing for the group interview.Do arrive for the interview at least 30 minutes ahead.That would give you time to observe the workplace and chitchat with the other candidates.Remember that you are under the radar of observation the moment you walk into the office.Even if the actual interviewers are behind closed doors, there are people who are watching yo ur gait and behavior when you introduce yourself to the receptionist and taken to the waiting room.Walk in confidently, taking long strides.When you walk into the waiting room where other candidates are also waiting, don’t simply go to the other end of the table, sit crouching on the chair and begin to fiddle with the phone.Walk up where the others are sitting and make a conversation with them.Give an impression of eagerness and friendliness. Familiarity with other candidates would later facilitate the flow of discussions.4. Choose the right seatTry to take the seat that is at the most vantage point.For example, if the seating arrangement is in a semi-circle, try to take the middle chair so that you can look straight at the interviewer.If there are rows of chairs, you should definitely sit in the first row and not hide behind others. The idea is, of course, to make yourself visible and create a mark.How you space, or proxemics, has also been found to have hidden messages, accordin g to studies.We usually allow our intimate people to encroach within 0-1.5ft from us, which is our body territory or the “bubble” that we create around our person.The social distance of 4-11 ft around us is meant for business meetings or general gatherings for people who are not very well know, according to Edward Hall.When you are forced into a huddle with unknown people who encroach our “bubble”, as in a group interview,   you may feel uncomfortable. How you use the space to deal with your discomfort would give an indication your personality.“Thousands of experiences tell us that space communicates”, Edward HallHow you orient your body indicates your need to communicate. An aggressive person tends to push his chair away from his neighbor when the latter challenges him.On the other hand, a person who sits in the centre of a circular seating arrangement or a central point of a square or rectangular table indicates that he needs to belong to a group.A person who tends to push his chair towards the neighbor or towards the table may tend to appear pushy and too invasive. The observant interviewer is likely to get the clue on your personality traits in a group dynamic situation from your choice of seat.5. Control your non-verbal communicationIt is but natural to be nervous at an interview. A group interview can be all the more scary. But, it is important not to give away the temerity that is inside you.As Amy Cuddy, the social psychologist who researched the interaction of hormones and body language, would say, you can fake your ‘power pose’ even when you are not feeling as powerful.Cuddy postulated that adopting a powerful or an expansive posture has wide-ranging effect on emotional, cognitive, behavioral and psychological behavior.Not only does your posture indicate what kind of a person you are â€" the interviewer is of course trying to gauge from your posture whether you are lazy or hardworking, passive or proactive, aggressive or submissive †" it also affects your behavior.It would be a good idea to stretch your muscles, or do a ‘lion-stretching’ as I would call it, before entering the interview room. Cuddy says, a power posture can activate your behavior approach system and make you happier, optimistic, creative, confident, energetic, less inhibited and more likely to take action.Sit with your back straight and upright, with your feet firmly on the ground. It is better if you sit on the edge of the chair, slightly leaning forward, with your hands on your knees to give an impression of attentiveness and alertness.Non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication. Ray Birdswhistell, one of the pioneers in kinesics, the study of body language, found that 65% of the communication in a face-to-face interaction is transmitted through non-verbal means.It is often said, “You cannot not communicate” even when you do not speak.Suppose you walk into the room, choose to sit at one end of the row, turn your c hair from the others, refuse to even look at the other candidates and glance at the interviewers tangentially.You may think that you are not communicating with the others but there’s a message that you are giving out â€" that you do not care about them and you think you are “too good” for them.This message does not show you in a very good light. The thought that you should have is not “Should I communicate?” but “What should I communicate”?Make straight eye contact with the interviewer when he puts his questions across or when you reply.During the group discussion, you need to make eye contact with the other candidates as you speak.Be careful that the eye contact does not make you appear rude and bossy, though.Facial expression indicates feelings and moods. It demonstrates emotions like anger, disgust and disagreement as much as it indicates agreement, support and camaraderie.People with poker faces, with very little changes in facial expressions, are less trusted. A f riendly smile and a cheerful demeanor not only make you noticeable but also give you a bonus point in trust.Communication through movement, called kinesics, reveals our feelings through body movement and gestures. People tend to move towards those they like and away from those they dislike. If you develop a prejudice against someone you interact before the interview, do not show it.Body movements like shifting in your chair, fidgeting with your fingers and tapping your feet reveal that you are tense, frustrated or annoyed over the direction of the discussion.Very often, group members with low status power tend to imitate the body movements of the low status power, known as body synchronization. Simply by observing body movements, interviewers tend to assess the power equation among the group members.Body movements of a person also signal the flow of argument. For example, a person tends to relax the body or stop the hand gestures just before finishing speaking. This may give a cue t o begin speaking if you are waiting for your chance.6. Speak early and clearlyIn a ball dance, the man who breaks the floor is considered the smartest one. In a group interview, too, the first three minutes create the most lasting impression on the interviewer.Through the remaining period of the interview, the interviewer simply validates the first impression.So, if you can put your voice across in the first three minutes, half the battle is won. But, make sure that you have enough content to speak about in those first minutes.Don’t simply start with “Friends, we have gathered here to discuss….” and then keep rambling without making much sense.Clarity of speech and articulation is one of the most important traits that a recruiter looks for.By speaking first, you get the advantage of gearing the discussion in the direction that you are most comfortable in so don’t waste your chance. Even when you are not the first speaker, do try to get into the conversation in the first co uple of minutes.You are often told that you should not be too aggressive in group interviews.True, you should not interject when someone else is speaking.Courtesy and politeness is important.You definitely do not want to come across as a rude and aggressive person.But sometimes, to make your presence felt, you might need to cut short somebody else’s speech. Like losing a piece in a chess game strategically, make sure that you balance the negative point that you score by being aggressive with three positive points that add up on to your account.You should have very strong points of discussion up your sleeves when you assert yourself over another person.We all get floored when a person speaks fluently in a baritone and in a polished manner.But not everyone is a Richard Burton.What matters in group discussions and interviews is the clarity of thought and speech.The public speaking classes in your college would come handy to you now. Organize your thoughts speak clearly so that others can interpret what you are saying in the way that you intend.Remember that everyone else is as desperate as you are to turn the table towards him or her. Do not be so abstract that someone else may pick up a cue from your speech and turn the discussion 180 degrees from your logic.State your ideas briefly, simply and concisely.Do not ramble. When you see others eyes glaze over you, understand that it is time to shut up.For group discussions, most recruiters give out the topic for discussion a few minutes ahead. Always carry a notebook or a diary to the interview so that you can jot down points.Prioritize the points that you would like to speak about.Remember that you will not have all the time in the world to demonstrate your uniqueness. Do not use up that time with the less important points, thinking that the best point will be your trump card. You may end up not getting the chance to play your trump card if you do not prioritize.Do not mix up multiple points in your speech. Give t he group discuss one point at a time so that you get the chance to elaborate your idea.For example, if you are discussing car safety, and you say, “Many people are injured when a car bumper fails. Besides, a car should have anti-lock brakes and steering wheels that switch off when the ignition fails”, one of the group can pick up on the bumper, another on the brake and a third one on the steering wheel.The discussion would turn chaotic.Also, if you speak one point at a time, you will turn the interviewer’s gaze over you multiple times and thus increase your chances of recall in his or her mind.Think on your feet and respond quickly. And it is better to respond with “Yes, and…” rather than “no but…” 7. Be a good listenerA good speaker is also a good listener.Often enough in a group interview or discussion, others provide you with the points that you can expand upon. If you think the discussion is moving away from your comfort zone, grab any point that you can to swi tch the topic towards your area of interest.Support some of your co-interviewees’ statements but add value to what they have already said.Don’t simply repeat what they have said.Remember there is a difference between a leader in the group discussion and an aggregator of ideas.You may encourage your peers to provide you with ideas in the discussion. Collating these ideas may give you an opportunity to speak for a couple of minutes.But a person with strong leadership traits would not only act as the anchor of ideas but also add on to the ideas and provide the master stroke.Take notes in your scribbling pad when others are speaking and respond at the appropriate time, without appearing to be a pushover. Never let your mind to float away even when someone is rambling.That’s your chance to grab the spotlight and change the direction of the discussion.Observe your interviewer’s response to the flow of discussion.You can detect a hostile listener, a bored listener, a tired listener or an engaged listener in the interview.Adapt your response accordingly and stand out in the crowd. If you can turn a bored interviewer to an engaged one, the job is yours.“In our louder and louder world, we are losing our listening”, Julian Treasure 8. Be assertive, be courteousRecruiters want assertive employees, not aggressive ones. Be confident and state your ideas and points clearly but never by alienating others.Your tone should be such that it gives the message: “You and I may have differences in opinion but I am entitled to my opinion as much as you are entitled to yours”.Be careful never to tread on others’ opinion on the basis of ideology and worldview. An excessively opinionated person comes across as a very rigid person.In a changing business environment where change is the only constant, flexibility of ideas and action is the rule of the game. Involving others in the discussion, even the most reclusive of the candidates, demonstrates your leadership qualities .A participatory discussion improves not only your intellectual standing but also the emotional satisfaction and self-esteem. This would make interviewers trust your teamwork and leadership skills.At the same time, do not go out of your way to avoid conflict as a passive communicator would do.Do not apologize for what you say or use devaluing sentences like “I just thought…”, “I might be wrong, but…”.Such sentences indicate that what follows is trivial or unimportant and devalues your thought or statement. Instead, balance between being passive and aggressive and assert your opinion while being respectful of others.Assertive communication is the style that is most aspired for while being the most difficult to follow. Here are some tips to be assertive:Reading patterns: Sit back and think when you tend to be aggressive and when you are unable to express your opinion. Since you would not be in a position to recognize behavior patterns of strangers at the group interview, t he best you can do is to analyze your own behavior pattern. Once you recognize your response pattern, build a strategy to response that would be tactful, effective and assertive.Synchronize your verbal and non-verbal communication:   See that your physical cues like hand gestures, eye contact, non-intimidating body posture, facial expression and voice modulation and tone matches your choice of words and sentences.Pick your battles: Conflicts may arise in group discussions, particularly if the topic is controversial. Two things can happen in such situations â€" either you end up fighting with someone in the group (definitely not desirable) or you push your emotions and opinion under the carpet to avoid conflict (if the interviewer has the same opinion as you do, you have lost the chance to validate his point).Instead, be clear and specific about what you want to say and acknowledge the non-negotiable points. It tells the interviewer that you are honest in your approach and come acros s as a fair person. Don’t say ‘yes’ to something when you actually mean ‘no’.

Whole Foods Market s Vision Essay - 1672 Words

Whole Foods Market opened its first store in Austin, Texas way back in 1980. Ever since then, Whole Foods Market has grown to become the world’s largest natural and organic foods supermarket. They have partnered with all kinds of suppliers and customers since they first started that have helped them grow to where they are now. Whole Foods Market’s motto is â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet.† This motto makes it clear what Whole Foods Market’s vision is, and that vision is for a better tomorrow for the planet and the people that inhabit it. Whole Foods Market is a leader in its industry because they have made an effort to carry out conscious capitalism. Although they are a business at the top of its class, they don’t solely focus on personal profits but they care more about creating shared value that brings mutually beneficial relations. Whole Foods Market’s principals are what is going to keep them at the top of their indus try for a long time. Summary of Positive/Negative Factors Positive Factors: 1. Whole Foods Market is purchasing or generating more than 20 percent of its total national power load from green power sources per year, comparable to removing 8,600 cars from the road per year. Whole Foods Market is making significant green power purchases throughout the United States. In some states such as California, Colorado, and New Mexico, Whole Foods Market is 100 percent green powered Whole Foods Market also has solar panels to generate renewableShow MoreRelatedMission Statement : Our Mission And Vision1008 Words   |  5 Pages Whole Foods, like many other organizations, has a motto that guides their day-to-day business. Their motto is, â€Å"Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet† (Our Mission and Vision, n.d.). This motto emphasizes that they are not just focused on food retail. Their mission goes beyond that; they are concerned for the well-being of their customers and employees, and even the planet as a whole. While whole foods does not have a separate missio n statement, they do have a strong vision statement. This visionRead MoreCase Analysis On Whole Foods Market1577 Words   |  7 Pages Case Analysis on Whole Foods Market Wanda I. Ramos Trident University BUS 599: Title of Course Professor’s Name July 16, 2015 Abstract Case analysis are detailed descriptions of real management situations. In the case analysis below on Whole Foods Market, the objective was to analyze the organization’s strategy in the market, as well as looking at their mission and values, and how they have applied them and grown. By applying concepts to actual cases, we improve your ability to thinkRead MoreEssay on Whole Foods Markets Tipping Point1223 Words   |  5 Pagesto epidemic. Gladwell, intelligently, collects the secret keys to successful business. Through adequately use in three crucial concepts, Whole Foods Market has successfully tipped by building dreamer’s visions, capturing customer’s attention, and investing firm’s long-term future. The organic food market tipped during the early 1980s, before Whole Foods Market ever existed. However, the organic farming concept occurred in England 40 years before it tipped in the United States. After years of agriculturalRead MoreCase Study Whole Foods1155 Words   |  5 Pagesthe strategy that Whole Foods Market is pursuing? Fresh natural and organic foods and products with no preservatives or artificial ingredients. Promote healthier eating/lifestyle and increasing consumer knowledge/education of food safety, environment and how pesticides affect the land as well as the human body. 2. Is the strategy well matched to recent developments and conditions in the natural and organic foods segment of the food retailing industry? Yes the Whole Foods strategy has workedRead MoreWhole Foods And The Corporate Social Responsibility1137 Words   |  5 PagesPeople BUS 3306 AY 2017-T2 Unit 6 Written Assignment The company I chose to explore is Whole Foods and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) they adhere to. Corporate social responsibility, also known as CSR, means â€Å"a corporation’s initiatives to assess and take responsibility for the company’s effects on environmental and social well-being†, according to, Investopedia, (R., 2015). Whole foods are dedicated to contributing back to its people, community, and the environment while profitingRead MoreCase Study : Whole Foods Market1370 Words   |  6 Pages Performance Mangement-4013 Assignment Title: Whole Foods Market Report by: Kiranpal Mann Student #: c0645417 Date: 1st March 2016 Table of contentsRead MoreThe Marketing Strategy Of Pepsico1077 Words   |  5 Pagescase states the various strategies at PepsiCo, it is second largest food and Beverage Company in the whole world. It focus on the global nutrition group, whose purpose was to make the company’s efforts to raise its nutritious food and beverages. The case explains the background and decisions taken by the company in its long run. The company’s portfolio was part of making the effort to impose the new strategies and give the better vision for great performance. It expresses to commit to deliver the worldRead MoreMission, Vision, and Goals of Kraft Foods1568 Words   |  6 PagesMISSION VISION GOALS 7 Kraft Foods Mission, Vision, Goals Kraft Foods is one of the best known and most successful brands in United States history, and that history has recently included large expansions into international markets. One of the primary reasons that Kraft has been successful over the years is that they have been able to expand by buying popular brands and creating others that have tested well with consumers. Another reason for their success is that the company has maintained aRead MoreWhole Foods Market Inc: Company Analysis1219 Words   |  5 PagesTim Randall Whole Foods Market; Fortune #264; 445110 Whole Foods Market, Inc. is the worlds leader in natural and organic foods, with more than 310 stores in North America and the United Kingdom (Whole Foods Market.com. About. 2012. PP. 1). From its roots as a one store operation based in Austin, Texas the company under the direction of its founder and CEO John Mackey has unquestionably transformed the way Americans produce, buy, and eat food (Paumgarten, N. January 4, 2010. PP. 1). CustomersRead MoreWhole Foods Case980 Words   |  4 PagesWhole Foods Market Case Whole Foods Market has evolved into one of the largest retailers of natural and organic foods. This company s rapid growth and market success has to do with being a mission-driven company. Whole Foods is highly selective about what they sell and are dedicated to their core values. Whole Food s integrated strategy consists of growth, differentiation, merchandising, and customer service. This strategic plan was aimed at expanding its operations to offer high quality and

The Evolution of the Giraffe Neck Essay - 1154 Words

The Evolution of the Giraffe Neck Throughout time, one theory has remained constant in terms of why giraffes developed longer necks. The idea, which was presented by Charles Darwin states quite simply that giraffes selected for longer necks in order to reach the food that was higher off the ground during the dry season. No one has ever challenged that idea until 1996. Initially, Gould argued that the story-the giraffe evolved its long neck in competition to reach scare foliage-is supported by no evidence (18). Thats when two scientists, Robert Simmons and Lou Scheepers made the claim that necks evolved for a very different reason: sexual selection. Within this paper, information will be presented that argues both for and against†¦show more content†¦If food was scarce, it makes sense that the giraffes would evolve to keep their species alive. In order for this theory to remain true, there should be length increases in limbs in the same proportion as to the increases in their heads and necks. On the ot her hand, the proposed theory deals with the notion that the length of the giraffe neck increased because the neck is used as a weapon during intrasexual combat (Simmons 773). The basic idea of this is that during competition two males stand next to each other and exchange hits by using their necks. The top or back of the skull is actually used to knock the competitor to the ground. It is likely that with a larger neck and head, the giraffe is more destructive. It is also assumed that larger and longer necks would be selected for. The process of necking is unique to giraffes and only male giraffes have ever been viewed doing this. Therefore, it is likely that this action is related to sexual selection. Necking has been observed to be very effective for giraffes to obtain their mates. Often the males are knocked unconscious or even killed during the fighting. The violent nature of these fights is unbelievable. Even when an opponent may be knocked to the ground, that does not stop the fight. They may still be kicked or stepped which can eventually lead to death. Sexual selection is a special form of natural selection that is responsible for the evolution of traits that promoteShow MoreRelatedThe Theories Of Evolution Of The Human Population1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe Theories of Evolution The human population has always wondered where they came from, or how they came to be. Why do they have certain characteristics that distinguish them from other species, or how did they acquire these characteristics? Why do they have similar traits to other species? There are many questions about the existence of the human population that they would love to have the answer to. Unfortunately, there is not an answer that is a proven fact. Luckily, there are theories thatRead MoreScientific Theories Aligning with Evolution721 Words   |  3 PagesAfter analysing relevant diagrams and information explaining the process of evolution it will be evident of which scientists’ evolutionary theory best aligns with the evolution of the chosen species.Living organisms are believed to have developed from earlier forms throughout history as a result of Evolution (oxforddictionaries,2014). The species to be further researched on is the Giraffe. ‘Darwinism’ and ‘Lamarckis m’ are the two main theories focused on throughout the analysis, both will be investigatedRead MoreAnatomy of a Giraffe1024 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Anatomy of a Giraffe BIO/101 06/19/2012 Audrey Stevenson Ref. Mammal Anatomy 2010 Marshall Cavendish Corporation The Giraffe is perhaps one of the most iconic species of Africa and to the mysteries and intrigue that lie within the confines of evolution. The purpose of this paper is to explain how this wonderful, iconic organism has evolved physiologically to be suited to its’ environment. In this paper we will be discussing the elements that best describe its’ evolutionary progress. TheRead MoreThe Evolution of Evolution1188 Words   |  5 Pagescreation of humanity have rapidly changed since the discovery of evolution. Nevertheless, there was a time before the world did not know the theory of evolution and the theories demonstrated by Sir Charles Darwin. Before the evolution, there were people who were subjected to religious ideologies of how mankind was created, they believed that the upper class was known to be â€Å"divine creatures†. However, the introduction of evolution leads the theory to be the base of biology and changes the minds ofRead MoreEvolution and Cha rles Darwin Essay705 Words   |  3 PagesCharles Robert Darwin has had the greatest influence on the world by proving the evolution of living things. Charles Darwin had first noticed the similarities of plants and animals when he took a five-year cruise on the H.M.S. Beagle, which was available to him through a friend from school. During the cruise Charles Darwin started becoming interested with the similarities between the plants and animals that were similar on different islands with similar climates, so he decided to study them moreRead MoreGiraffes1223 Words   |  5 Pagesmy essay about the giraffe? I chose to write my essay about the giraffe because this mammal has been my favorite animal since the third grade. My science teacher had us do a project about an animal. I did mine on the giraffe and working on that project I became more fascinated by the giraffe as I was working on the project. It made me just wanted to know more. This is why I chose to write my essay about the giraffe. I already knew a little bit of information about the giraffe. I knew that when babyRead MoreCharles Darwin And Jean Baptiste Lamarck, Beliefs Opinions And Theories Of Evolution1341 Words   |  6 PagesTheory of evolution â€Å"Evolution can be defined as any change in the heritable traits within a population across generations†. (what is evolution, stated clearly YouTube, 2016). Every living creature can reproduce making another copy of themselves with small variations. The variation can consist of characteristics Like the passing down of fur colour in mice or the development of the length in cane toad’s legs. When these changes occur to their offspring’s, evolution has taken place. WhilstRead MoreCharles Darwins Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Essay1027 Words   |  5 Pages Darwin is considered by other people as the creator of Evolution. Darwin was not the only man to arrive at the theory of evolution. Darwin came to his theory of evolution at the same time as an another man who goes by the name of Alfred Russell Wallace came to the same conclusion. Wallace being relatively unknown was not respected for having the same conclusion because the fact th at people were so apt to listen to the theory’s of Charles Darwin. After time Darwin published a book On the OriginRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Red Mars 1087 Words   |  5 PagesFrancis Fata Science Fiction Red Mars Essay Where to begin? In the beginning of the book Red Mars, the character Arkady states that â€Å"History is not evolution! It is a false analogy! Evolution is a matter of environment and chance, acting over millions of years. But history is a matter of environment and choice, acting within lifetimes, and sometimes within years, or months, or days! History is Lamarckian! † (Robinson 88). Arkady is stating that we choose our own history. Over the course of theRead MoreThe History of Earth through the Process of Evolution691 Words   |  3 PagesEvolution is the process by which the majority of different kinds of living organisms are presumed to have developed and differentiated from earlier forms during the history of the earth. It is described as a variation of an organism to allow it to adapt to a new surrounding. The change is often very significant that a new species is formed (Scott,2014). As scientists engrossed in the theory of evolution, speculations about animals started to get involved. Camels are seemingly obvious examples that

The Landlady Essay Free Essays

The Landlady Essay The landlady; is she a normal bath BB owner or a psychotic, sinister, visitor stuffing murderer? The Landlady seems from her physical appearance a sweet, middle aged woman who lives alone running her BB. â€Å"She seemed terribly nice. † These are the inner thoughts of Billy Weaver, when he first meets the Landlady. We will write a custom essay sample on The Landlady Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Roald Dahl is a very good and clever author, and he uses a clever method to make us feel so suspicious of the Landlady, he contradicts himself when he describes the Landlady and when Billy describes her. He gives her a sinister edge, â€Å"He pressed the bell- and out she popped! It made him jump. † But when billy is thinking about the landlady we can clearly see that in his opinions she is just a sweetheart. â€Å"After all, she not only was harmless—there was no question about that—but she was also quite obviously a kind and generous soul. † On the other hand, Roald Dahl makes us very suspicious of the Landlady, making her say creepy and sinister things all the time, but unfortunately for Billy he doesn’t pick on them. â€Å"There wasn’t a blemish on his body† The main thing he uses is the landlady’s dialogue; it really alerts the reader to the evil lurking within her. One of my favourite things that Roald Dahl does is make the Landlady seem very secure in what she is assaying once she has drunk the tea. Like the remarks about the people in the house. Before he had sipped the tea, she says; â€Å"We have it all to ourselves† But when she knows he has had the poison in the tea she says things like; â€Å"But my dear boy, he never left. He’s [Mr Mulholland is] still here. Mr Temple is also here. They’re on the fourth floor, both of them together. † Another thing I like is the interrupting when Billy is so close to finding out the truth. â€Å"Now wait a minute,† he said. Wait just a minute. Mulholland . . . Christopher Mulholland . . . wasn’t that the name of the Eton schoolboy who was on a walking tour through the West Country, and then all of a sudden . . . † â€Å"Milk? † she said. â€Å"And sugar? † â€Å"Yes, please. And then all of a sudden . . . † â€Å"Eton schoolboy? † she said. â€Å"Oh no, my dear, that can’t possibly be right, because my Mr Mulholland was certainly not an Eton schoolboy when he came to me. † The Landlady is a great book and I really enjoyed reading it because it has this rather dark and sinister edge that I look for in all the books I read. How to cite The Landlady Essay, Essay examples

Wagner Act Essays - Labour Relations, United States Labor Law

Wagner Act Wagner Act What was the need for the Wagner Act? Before the WA, rights of workers were protected by the National Industry Recovery Act of 1933. In 1935, the Supreme Court declared the NIRA unconstitutional. By doing so, workers lost their rights to join unions of their choice and to bargain collectively. In 1935 the unemployment rate was over 21% and more than 50% lived in poverty as we measure it today. Large employers were said to have immense control over their workers who had at best, one single place to work. Those workers were paid less than their economic contribution measured by their productivity. Before the WA, the federal government had refrained from supporting collective bargaining over wages and working conditions and from facilitating growth of trade unions. This new law marked a significant reversal of this attitude. American Federation of Labor and CIO took advantage of governmental encouragement by carrying out nationwide organizational campaigns. What was the Wagner Act of 1935? The Wagner Act was sponsored by Senator Robert f. Wagner, from New York. Passed in July 1935 with firm support from Franklin D. Roosevelt. The act is more commonly known as the National Labor Relations Act. Some say the NLRA is the single most important piece of labor legislation enacted in the 20th century in the United States. The law governs the labor-management relations of business firms engaged in interstate commerce. The general objective is to guarantee employees the ?right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection? -New Deal legislation designed to protect workers' right to unionization -implements the national labor policy of assuring free choice and encouraging collective bargaining as a means of maintaining industrial peace -Primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector -Established the federal government as the regulator and ultimate arbitrator of labor relations. It set up a permanent, three member National Labor Relations Board with the power to protect the right of most workers(except agricultural,airlines, railroads, and government) to organize unions of their own choosing and to encourage collective bargaining. -gave NLRB power to order elections whereby workers could choose which union they wanted to represent them. -recognized employee rights to collective bargaining,to associate as a group about hours, wages, and working conditions -guaranteed the right of workers to form unions by majority vote and bargain as a unified group -allows employees of certain companies to pick which union or person will negotiate for them -employees may request the NLRB to figure out an election between workers to choose a representative -prohibits employees from interfering with union effort to bring them into unions. -specifies unfair labor practices for employers -requires employers to bargain in good faith over mandatory issues -employers have the right to negotiate with representatives elected by the workers -prohibited anti-union tactics used by employers -employers said Wagner act gave employees too much power--argued it only allowed unions to force a business to hire only union members(which is a closed shop) -prohibited employers from refusing to bargain with any such union that had been certified by the NLRB as being the choice of a majority of employees -Prohibited employers from engaging in such unfair labor practices such as setting up a company union (formation of company-dominated unions) and fire or discriminate against workers who organized or joined unions. National Labor Relations Board... What is it? What does it do? The National Labor Relations Board is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1935 to administer the national labor relations act, the primary law governing relations between unions and employers in the private sectors. Throughout the years, Congress has amended the Act and the Board and courts have developed a body of law drawn from the statute. -has two primary functions 1) to determine, through secret ballot elections, the free democratic choice by employees whether they wish top be represented by a union in dealing with their employers and if so, by which union 2) to prevent and remedy unlawful acts(unfair labor practices) by either employers or unions -processes only those charges of unfair labor practices and petitions for employee elections that are filed with the NLRB in one of its 52 regional, subregional, or resident offices. -has two major separate components 1) the Board itself has 5 members and primarily acts as a quasi-judicial body in deciding cases on the basis of formal records in administrative proceedings. members are appointed by the

Crusades1 essays

Crusades1 essays In the Middle Ages, Christians considered Palestine the Holy Land because it was where Jesus had lived and taught. The Arabs had conquered Palestine in the 600s. Most Arabs were Muslims, but they usually tolerated other religions. Jews and Christians who paid their taxes and observed other regulations were free to live in Palestine and practice their own religion. The Arab rulers didnt usually interfere with Christian pilgrims visiting Palestine, and European traders could generally do business there. During the 1000s the Seljuk Turks, people from central Asia who had adopted the Muslim faith, conquered Palestine and attacked Asia Minor, which was part of the Byzantine Empire. When the Turks threatened the capital city of Constantinople, the Byzantine emperor appealed to the pope in Rome. Because Christian pilgrims going to Palestine came home with reports of persecution from the Turks, the Byzantine emperors appeal for help found a reception in Europe. Pope Urban I wanted to regain the Holy Land from the Muslims. He called a great meeting of church leaders and French nobles at Clermont France in 1095. At the meeting he encouraged the powerful feudal nobles to stop fighting with each other, and to join in one big war against the unbelievers. Urbans request made his listeners very enthusiastic and they joined in one big cry, God wills it! From Clermont people traveled through France preaching the cause. The people who joined the expeditions sewed a cloth cross on their clothes. They were called crusaders, from the Latin word cruciata, which means, marked with a cross. People joined the Crusades, the expeditions to regain the Holy Land, for many different reasons. Most knights joined the crusades for the land and plunder in the rich Middle East. Merchants saw a chance to make money. The pope promised both heavenly and earthly rewards. Those who died on a Cr...

What to Do If You Know Someone Is Cheating in College

What to Do If You Know Someone Is Cheating in College Its inevitable that  no matter where you go to college there is undoubtedly someone cheating at your school. It could be a total shock when you find out or it could be absolutely no surprise at all. But what are your options and obligations if you learn that someone is cheating in college? Deciding what to do (or, as the case may be, what not to do) can take a lot of serious time and reflection or it might be a snap decision made easy by the situations circumstances. Either way, make sure youve considered the following when faced with a friend or fellow students cheating behavior. Your Obligations Under Your Schools Code of Conduct You might be a pretty conservative student who has never given your schools code of conduct or student handbook a second glance. At some institutions, however, you may be required to report when you know another student is cheating in college. If thats the case, then your decision to notify a professor, academic advisor or staff member (like the Dean of Students) about the cheating takes on a different tone. Are you willing to sacrifice your own success at your school because of someone elses poor choices? Or are you under no institutional obligation to let someone know about cheating you suspect or witnessed? Your Personal Feelings on the Subject Some students might be completely intolerant of others cheating; some might not care one way or the other. Regardless, theres really no right way to feel about cheating its just what feels right for you. Are you okay letting it slide? Or will it bother you on a personal level not to report it? Will it upset you more to report the cheating or not to report the cheating? How will it change your relationship with the person you suspect of cheating? Your Comfort Level With Reporting the Situation (or Not) Think, too, about how you would feel if you left the cheating and cheater alone. How does this compare with how you would feel if you  turned your friend or classmate in? Try to walk yourself through the rest of the semester. How would you feel if you never reported the cheating and watched this student sail through the rest of the term? How would you feel if you did report the cheating and then had to deal with being interviewed by staff or faculty? How would you feel if you confronted the cheater directly? Theres already some conflict between you and the cheater, even if its unspoken at this point. The question then becomes how you feel about addressing that conflict and with the consequences of doing so (or not!). The Impact of Reporting or Not Reporting If youre sharing a class with the suspected cheater and everyone is graded on a curve, your own academic performance and college success will be directly affected by this students dishonest actions. In other situations, however, you might not be affected at all. At some level, however, everyone will be affected, since a cheating student is gaining an unfair advantage over his or her fellow (and honest) students. How does the cheating have an impact on you on a personal, academic, and institutional level? Who You Can Talk to for More Advice or to File a Complaint If youre not sure what to do, you can always talk to someone anonymously or not reveal the name of your friend/classmate. You can find out what your options are for filing a complaint, what the process would be like, if your name would be given to the person who you suspect is cheating and any other consequences that might occur. This kind of information might actually encourage you to report cheating in college to a professor or administrator, so take advantage of the opportunity to have all your questions answered before making a decision one way or another. After all, if youre faced with the awkward situation of having someone you know engage in cheating behavior, you have the power to decide how best to resolve the situation in a way that makes you feel most comfortable.

Internal Assessment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Internal Assessment - Research Paper Example Section D analyzes the evidence provided by the sources in relation to Al-Qaida’s objective for 9/11 and the degree to which they realized this objective. Lastly, section E summarizes the information between sections B and D. This investigation is an effort to assess the event 9/11 itself, rather a mere in-depth look into why the Al-Qaida attacked the United States and the outcomes of this reason and action over the years. Immanuel Wallerstein says Al-Qaeda clearly set off to obliterate nearly a century of disgrace for the Islam in 9/11. What Al-Qaeda managed to accomplish since this event is fix deep fears amongst United States citizens regarding their physical security and overall future.1 Clint Watts argues that the Al-Qaeda has not organized any serious attack against the west since 9/11, which indicates they most likely did not accomplish any of their goals apart from attempting to â€Å"cut off the head of the snake.†2 Writer Mortada Radwan says the first goal of the Al-Qaeda was to â€Å"awake† Americans by dealing a major blow on American soil, followed by engaging the United States in battle as the second goal. A series of hands-on military and resources acquisition activities, recuperating with other minor jihadi revolts, proclaiming an Islamic state, and entering into a full-blown war were the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth goals respectively.3 In 2006, Paul Haven said Al-Qaeda attacked the United States because their affairs in Afghanistan were questionable and of purely selfish interests.4 Bill Steiden wrote in 2009 that the Al-Qaeda attacked the United States because their localized approach against US forces in the Middle East was failing.5 Eileen Sullivan and Lolita C. Baldor believe the 9/11 attacks were Al-Qaeda’s way of gaining global notoriety and reputation in an effort to spread their agenda and propaganda across the world.6 Newsday released an article in 2011 claiming the 9/11 attacks were Al-Qaeda’s way to force United

Cin the Aztec Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Cin the Aztec Civilization - Essay Example Much of what has long thought to be true about the long-lost Aztec empire, including their sacrificial rituals involving cannibalistic practices, traces back to the information compiled by a Franciscan monk named Bernardino de Sahagun. Sahagun's work, the Florentine Codex, was a detailed accounting of the cultural beliefs and practices of the Aztec people, designed primarily for the purpose of instructing other Christian missionaries in how best to facilitate the conversion of the indigenous tribes to Christianity. It is certainly interesting, of course, if not necessarily truly ironic that the one of the fundamental doctrines of Catholicism is transubstantiation, or the consumption of bread and wine that has been transformed into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. An argument can therefore be made that the religious conversion of the Aztecs was ignited in part due to their practices of human sacrifice and cannibalism was instructed by Europeans who themselves practiced a fo rm of cannibalism and whose entire religion is based on the necessity of a human sacrifice. Almost everything that is known about Aztec human sacrifices and cannibalistic practices is, therefore, filt... s have been forwarded to offer an alternative to Sahagun's original observations of Aztec rituals that had been distorted following the original publication due to misinterpretations, exaggeration and the natural human desire to simplify actions one has trouble understanding. Although the Aztec civilization was deemed to be a violent one, the Europeans were themselves no stranger to violence, therefore it was the human sacrifice more than anything else that assaulted their sensibilities. Perhaps s this assault was intensified by the justification and rationale of the natives that it was done in the name of religion. Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god of the sun, viewed as the source of all life. The Aztecs believed that this source must be kept moving in order to keep it from disappearing forever into the darkness of night and so to accomplish this (Alves 43). The way to accomplish this task had to do with the belief that the sun needed to be nourished with blood; as a result, human sacrifice was a necessary ingredient for prolonging the existence of all humankind. In fact, there is an eschatological element to the ritual in that the Aztecs believed that appeasing their gods not only ensured life, but also staved off chaos. "In most cases, the victim was dressed, painted and ornamented so as to represent the god who was being worshipped; and thus it was the god himself who died before his own image and in his own temple, just as all the gods had accepted death in the first days for the salvation of the world. And when ritual cannibalism was practiced on certain occasions, it was the god's own fl esh that the faithful ate in their bloody communion" (Soustelle 98). Therefore, it was probably not necessarily the idea of consuming a human heart that so perturbed

Suicide Essay -- essays research papers

Have you ever known someone who’s committed or tried to commit suicide and thought, â€Å"I wish I would’ve done something, said something, to stop it from happening?† I know I would ask myself that question everyday if I hadn’t. A few years ago, a good friend of mine thought her life was so bad she wanted to end it. I did the only thing I could think, and told the nearest teacher. It may sound so childish or stupid, but it worked. Luckily, she’s still alive and well. I’m here to make sure you can make the difference and help a person who might be, or is suicidal. Just think of what would happen if you didn’t try to help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many reasons a person may feel suicidal. Isolated stress, traumatic events/experiences are the main causes. People can usually deal with the causes above fairly well, but when these events accumulate over time, our normal coping strategies can be pushed to the limit. The presence of multiple risk factors does not necessarily imply that a person will become suicidal. The following events could contribute to a person feeling suicidal: Death of a loved one; loss of a valued relationship; loss of employment, physical, emotional, sexual, social abuse. These are a few events that may cause a person to fell like they want to end their life. Suicide is usually a cry for help. The attemptor is looking for someone to help them, because they fell there is nothing they can do to help themselves. A person attempting suicide is often s...

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 4

â€Å"Can I call you?† The Sorta-Seth-Lookalike lay naked in bed, still worn out even though he'd come hours ago. I stood near the door, fully dressed, slipping on my shoes. It turned out he was actually here on business from Seattle, and he'd been ecstatic to learn we lived in the same city. â€Å"Mmm.† I pursed my lips as though I were giving this a lot of thought. â€Å"I don't think that's such a good idea.† â€Å"Really?† His brief, happy look faded. He'd turned out to be as vulnerable and shy as I thought. I was only the second woman he'd ever slept with. â€Å"But I felt like†¦well, I felt like we really connected.† I fixed him with a cold look. That smothering rage from last night no longer consumed me, but I was still angry at the world and needed to lash out at anyone I could. â€Å"Our bodies connected. That's about it. The truth is, I already have a boyfriend.† His eyes widened. I realized then I should have mentioned having a boyfriend before we had sex. It would have doubled his guilt and given me a stronger fix. Still, the agony he now felt over sleeping with someone else's girlfriend was undoubtedly blackening his soul even as we spoke. â€Å"R-really?† â€Å"Yup. Sorry. This was just a way to pass the time. And honestly, baby? You want some feedback? You've still got a lot to learn. It really wasn't that great.† I left before I could see the full effect of my words. It would hurt, I had no doubt about that. Devastating him didn't really make me feel better, but it had frozen me up enough so that I didn't have to process any real emotions. I was numb, which was about the best I could hope for. Kristin was waiting for me at a coffee shop down the street so that she could drive me over to the cult leader's house. Her mousy brown hair was pulled up into a neat French twist, and her crisp suit reminded me of something Grace or Mei might wear, save that this was navy as opposed to their usual black or-on daring days-red. She drank what looked like a cappuccino and picked over the remains of a bagel, her eyes lost in thought as she no doubt pondered the coming day's wheeling and dealing. I bought a white chocolate mocha and slid into the chair opposite her. â€Å"Good morning,† I said. She looked me over, noting the glamour. â€Å"And a good night?† I shrugged. â€Å"Okay night.† â€Å"You ready to meet the Army of Darkness?† â€Å"Sure. I-wait. What did you say?† â€Å"The Army of Darkness. That's what the cult calls itself.† â€Å"They know that's a movie, right?† She shook her head. â€Å"Honestly, it's hard to say. They may have named themselves after the movie, for all I know.† â€Å"This is so absurd as to be unreal,† I told her. â€Å"It all sounds like a joke.† â€Å"If only,† she muttered. â€Å"Believe me, I'll be glad when you get rid of them. Aside from the fact that Cedric makes me talk to them, I have to file a ream of paperwork each time they do something stupid. It's really stressing him out. I keep trying to get him to do relaxation exercises, but he won't.† Her tone sounded genuinely concerned, almost as though she worked for Cedric out of true loyalty, rather than the forced servitude the rest of us bowed to. â€Å"Well, I'll see what I can do. Don't you guys have a succubus up here? Why isn't she working this group over?† â€Å"She's busy seducing the premier. Cedric didn't want her distracted.† â€Å"Whoa,† I said. It had been centuries since I'd had the initiative to go after a major politician. â€Å"I feel like a slacker.† Kristin cut me a look. â€Å"Mostly I hear that you're a troublemaker.† â€Å"I like to think I'm just misunderstood.† She snorted. â€Å"We're all misunderstood. You have no idea how many times people try to use that as a reason to break their contracts.† Between mourning Seth and being the target of Jerome's annoyance lately, I'd had little time to think about much else. Kristin's words suddenly triggered a memory, one I'd tried to keep buried for some time now. â€Å"How many times do people try to break their contracts over an error?† When Niphon had been here last winter, he'd gone to great pains to complicate my life and get me recalled to Hell. Since he'd been the one to trick me into selling my soul so long ago, I had plenty of reason to hate him. But why he'd hate me and want to ruin me? That had been-and still was-a mystery. Hugh had speculated that when an imp went to that much trouble to mess with their acquisition, there was usually a reason-specifically, a potential problem with the original contract. My casual air didn't fool Kristin. â€Å"You think there might be an error in yours?† I kept my nonchalance. â€Å"Hugh-my imp-thought there could be. But he wouldn't look it up.† His refusal to help me still stung. â€Å"He's smart. Looking into others' contracts can get us in big trouble. The vaults of Hell are not a place you want to get caught snooping around in. It would take a lot to get an imp to risk that.† I had no proof, but something told me that Kristin was older and higher-ranking than Hugh and that she might have more access than he did. I smiled sweetly. â€Å"What would it take for you to risk that?† â€Å"Nothing you can offer.† She flashed me a wry grin and slipped on sleek Oakley sunglasses. â€Å"Come on. Let's get this over with.† We ended up at a house out in suburban Vancouver. It was a lower middle-class area, not particularly polished but not the kind of place you had to worry about getting mugged either. Kristin parked on the street and led me up the house's driveway, her heels clicking on the concrete. Along the sides of the yard, someone had recently planted marigolds and geraniums. She rang the doorbell, and a moment later, a man in his mid-twenties answered the door. He had messy black hair, like maybe he'd just woken up, and possessed the friendly, low-key feel of someone who worked at Home Depot or Circuit City. â€Å"Hey, Kristin,† he said, voice cheerful and blas? ¦. â€Å"Come on in.† She stepped just inside the doorway, and I followed, offering the guy a friendly smile of my own. â€Å"I can't stay,† she told him crisply. â€Å"I'm just dropping her off. Evan, this is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kristin glanced at me, apparently waiting to see if I wanted to use my own name. I usually used different identities and shapes when seducing victims, but it didn't seem worth it for this. â€Å"Georgina,† I supplied. â€Å"Georgina,† said Kristin. â€Å"This is Evan.† He and I shook hands. â€Å"Georgina's one of the founders of a sister chapter in Seattle. She's here to see how things are done and possibly form some connections between the groups.† She tipped her head down, looking at him over the tops of her sunglasses. â€Å"I want you to show her every courtesy and involve her in your activities. It's very important.† He nodded, still looking mild and pleasant-but a little nervous at the strictness in her voice. â€Å"Absolutely.† Cedric had said Evan knew Kristin was a power player on Team Evil, and he clearly seemed to respect her. She supposedly didn't have the people skills to â€Å"deal with† this group, but from the way Evan regarded her, it didn't seem like it'd take much to get his attention. To me, Kristin said, â€Å"Call a cab when you're done. We'll expense it.† With that, she headed back out to her car, leaving me with the alleged general of the Army of Darkness. â€Å"You want anything to drink?† he asked, stifling a yawn. â€Å"I've got some RC in the fridge.† â€Å"No, thanks. I'm just anxious to learn how you do things up here.† He grinned. â€Å"Sure. I should probably show you the temple first.† I glanced around, taking in the flowered sofa and grandfather clock. â€Å"Temple?† â€Å"Yeah, it's in the basement. You sure you don't want something to drink?† There was nothing I wanted to drink that was under 80 proof, so I declined once again. He led me down some rickety steps, pulling a chain at the bottom that turned on a bare lightbulb. We stood in an unfinished basement with rough cement floors and brick walls. Fold-up chairs were arranged in a semicircle around a low bookcase about as high as my waist. On top of the case was a propped up painting with an angel's black silhouette set against a gray and purple nebula. It looked like it had come straight off a sci-fi novel's cover. Half-burned red and black candles were scattered around the painting, along with an inverted cross. Off to the side of the room, more candles sat on top of a washer and dryer. Evan walked over to a light switch and turned it on. White Christmas lights twinkled to life on the brick walls. â€Å"Wow,† I said. My astonishment was not faked. â€Å"We aren't finished setting up here,† he said modestly. â€Å"We have to change our location a lot to avoid discovery. You know how it is. So, there's still some stuff we need to unpack.† He pointed over to a cardboard box in the corner. I couldn't see all of its contents, but I did make out a black feather boa and a glow-in-the-dark plastic skull. On the side of the box, black marker succinctly declared: TEMPLE STUFF . I counted the chairs. Fifteen. â€Å"How many members do you have?† I asked. â€Å"About a dozen. A little less than that that are truly active.† He sat down in one of the chairs and gestured for me to do the same. â€Å"And how long have you been meeting?† â€Å"Oh, about a year now.† I smiled, turning on the charm in an effort to not sound like an investigative reporter. â€Å"I've heard about some of the things you've done. Pretty impressive. Like the Bibles and the, um, spray paint.† He beamed at the praise. â€Å"You heard about that? Cool. We do as the Angel of Darkness directs us.† â€Å"What other things have you been directed to do?† â€Å"Well, there was the one time this Methodist church was having an ice cream social. We broke in beforehand and left all their ice cream outside the freezer to melt.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"Then, this other time, we went to the petting zoo and hung pentagram collars on all the goats. We also painted their horns red and black. Let me tell you, that wasn't easy. They don't like to stand still.† â€Å"Uh-huh.† â€Å"Oh, and then we made all the TVs show Rosemary's Baby .† â€Å"Uh-TVs?† â€Å"Yeah, I work at Circuit City, and we have these big walls of TVs, so I synced them all up. My boss never suspected who did it.† On and on the litany went. About ten minutes later, I interrupted, unable to listen to any more. â€Å"Look, Evan, this is really amazing stuff you've been doing. I mean, this is stuff my people in Seattle would never, ever dream of doing in a million years.† â€Å"Really?† he asked happily. â€Å"Really,† I said flatly. â€Å"But, although it makes a big statement, wouldn't it be more in line with the, uh, Angel's purposes to work on securing souls for him?† â€Å"Her,† corrected Evan. â€Å"Her. Right.† Lucifer, Satan, the Devil, whatever. There were lots of names for what humans regarded as the supreme entity of evil, and I'd heard tons over the years. Considering the popular idea of Lucifer being a fallen angel, this â€Å"Angel of Darkness† thing didn't surprise me, but the female part did. â€Å"Sorry,† I told him. â€Å"We know the Angel as male.† â€Å"It's okay,† he replied. â€Å"The Angel is all things to all people.† â€Å"Right. So, anyway, I mean, the ultimate goal is to convert as many people to her as possible, right? To lead them down the left-hand path. It doesn't seem like melting ice cream would do that-not that that isn't cool,† I added hastily. â€Å"I'm just wondering if you should be more focused on leading people into temptation instead.† Evan didn't seem bothered by my criticism in the least. â€Å"Maybe that's what your group is directed to do. But this is what ours is supposed to do. We all serve different purposes in the greater plan.† I was sure I had an idiotic look on my face, so I tried to shift back to the alluring, seductive mode that had landed me this job in the first place. Surely it couldn't be that difficult to sway him, particularly considering how fresh my succubus glamour was. Reaching out, I took his hand and delicately stroked it with my fingers. â€Å"You're doing amazing things,† I reiterated, moving closer. â€Å"Really amazing. But maybe it's time to move on to the next level, to truly bring darkness to the world.† His eyes studied my hand for a moment, then looked back up. His breath caught as the full effect of my glow enchanted him. He swallowed nervously. â€Å"Perhaps. But not now. This is our purpose for the time being.† â€Å"Only because you haven't tried something else. Maybe that's why I'm here, why the Angel sent me: to expand your influence.† I leaned my face close to his, lips only inches away from the side of his face. â€Å"I can teach you things. All sorts of things.† Zealous or no, I was definitely affecting him. He took another deep breath, trying to steady himself. â€Å"We're already doing what the Angel wants.† I ran my lips across his check, letting my tongue flick out. â€Å"Are you sure? Let me show you how we honor the Angel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He shot up abruptly and put his back to me. After several deep breaths-honestly, he was in danger of hyperventilating-he turned around to look at me. Warring desires danced in his eyes. He still had that crazy yes-man zealot look, but he also looked like he was already envisioning me naked. It was intriguing that his devotion to a largely fictitious entity could stand up to my charms, but religious fanatics had a history of being tenacious. â€Å"You're very†¦sweet,† he said at last. â€Å"Very. But I can't-we can't. I mean, this is what we do. What the Army does. We can't change that, not without talking to the others.† Progress. I kept the smile turned on, wondering if I should keep pushing on him now or try to enthrall the whole group. I opted for the latter, largely because I could think of few things more unarousing than having sex on the black Ozzy Osbourne plush rug on the floor. Especially if Evan decided to turn on any black lights. â€Å"Of course,† I purred. â€Å"When can I meet them?† He raked a hand through his hair, still a little hot and bothered. â€Å"Well†¦you should come to our next meeting. It's Saturday at ten a.m. Over at the big Tim Hortons on Broadway.† â€Å"Okay, I'll be-† I blinked, my sultry fa;ade faltering. â€Å"Did you say Tim Hortons?† He recovered himself and returned to his upbeat nature. â€Å"Oh, yeah. You guys don't have them, do you? They're these donut shops and-â€Å" â€Å"No, I know what they are. I'm just surprised, that's all.† Aside from seeming like a mundane place for a Satanists' meeting, Canadians going to Tim Hortons was like the biggest stereotype ever. â€Å"Are you kidding? Their coffee's the best.† I left after that, my head reeling. These weren't Satanists. These were frat boys doing hazing pranks. They probably smashed beer cans on their foreheads at their dark ceremonies. Kristin wasn't at her desk when I returned to Cedric's office across town. Presumably she was off doing imp things. Or maybe she was at lunch. His door was closed, making me think he must be busy, but honestly, I didn't have time to pay much attention to that. Something else immediately caught my attention. There was a demoness in his waiting room. A full-fledged archdemoness, actually. I recognized her, even though we'd never formally met. Nanette, Portland's archdemoness. â€Å"Hi,† I said, too stunned for much more than that. I might backtalk Jerome, but other demons were an entirely different matter. She glanced up from her magazine like she'd just noticed me, though I knew she'd sensed me long before this. â€Å"Hello. Georgina, right?† I nodded, wondering if I should shake her hand or something. She didn't seem like she was keen to get up, so I simply sat in another chair. Why was Portland's archdemoness waiting to see Cedric? And why was she waiting, period? That wasn't in demonic nature at all. They were too impatient. Nanette wore a short, peach-colored shift dress that showed off long, shapely legs. Her blond hair fell just over her shoulders, smooth and sleek from a flat iron-or, well, from demonic magic. She was beautiful, but it was edged in the cold fierceness demons so often had, like the way a cobra or a katana is beautiful. I wasn't afraid to talk to people. Striking up conversation was part of what I did. But I wasn't entirely sure what to say to her. Demons were prickly about how they interacted with lesser immortals. Some were quite snobby about it. I didn't know too much about Nanette or how she might react. I knew she was less powerful than Jerome and that the two didn't have much contact. I'd never heard of her being particularly bitchy or trigger-happy, so I took that as a good sign. My concerns about what to say were put to rest when she spoke first. â€Å"Boy,† she said. â€Å"I wouldn't want to be you for the world.† â€Å"I-I beg your pardon?† â€Å"This.† She gestured toward Cedric's closed door with a French manicured hand. â€Å"All of this. I presume you've been out to see his little Army of the Night?† â€Å"Darkness,† I corrected. â€Å"Army of Darkness.† â€Å"Whatever. Those nuisances. Jerome sent you here to ‘help' because Cedric wanted an infiltrator?† â€Å"Something like that.† I wondered how this news had spread so fast. Nanette shook her head in mock sympathy. â€Å"You're going to be the one to take the fall if something goes wrong. If things go bad between Jerome and Cedric or if that cult won't play ball†¦well, like I said, I wouldn't want to be you. You're being played from every angle and don't even realize it.† â€Å"What's there to play? I just got here. And I don't see how things can go wrong,† I said slowly. â€Å"I mean, this group just does stupid stunts.† I recalled how even a little seduction had affected Evan. If I'd started stripping on the Ozzy rug, I was certain he wouldn't have been able to hold back. â€Å"They're no real threat to Cedric, and I don't think they're going to be that hard to rein in. And as for him and Jerome†¦I mean, they patched up their differences already, right?† â€Å"Come now. You're what, a millennium old? Millennium and a half? So young.† She smiled. â€Å"Georgina, demons never settle their differences. Even you should know that. Do you really think things are stable around here? With the way Cedric's let this cult run wild? And after the way Jerome's barely been able to keep control in Seattle?† I thought about Jerome booting me to Canada in less than twenty-four hours. â€Å"Jerome seems like he's got control to me.† She uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, blue eyes gleaming. â€Å"Jerome has had three nephilim in his territory in the last six months. Three. Do you know how unheard of that is? I'm guessing you'd never even run into a nephilim your entire life before this. Not in all those years.† â€Å"No,† I admitted. Nephilim were the children of humans and angels-well, angels who had fallen and were now demons, seeing as having kids was a breach of Heaven's employment agreement. Considered abominations by both good and evil alike, nephilim were the scourge of the immortal world. They had a lot of power and were pissed off at the way greater immortals treated them. They were unruly, destructive, and given to killing sprees. Jerome had actually fathered two nephilim, twins who were among the three Nanette was referring to. One of them, Roman, had been my boyfriend for a bit while he secretly wiped out immortals on the side. I'd been instrumental in his undoing-something I was certain he was still pissed off about, particularly since it had resulted in the death of his sister. We hadn't seen Roman since then. Shortly thereafter, a nephilim named Vincent had come to Seattle, following an angel he loved. Vincent was actually a very sweet nephilim, though I wasn't sure how kind he was feeling these days since Heaven had kicked out his girlfriend when she killed another angel to save him. Vincent too had disappeared. â€Å"Three nephilim,† repeated Nanette. â€Å"And two got away. Sloppy, very sloppy.† â€Å"It wasn't Jerome's fault,† I said loyally, a bit unsure how you'd even assign blame in that situation. It had never occurred to me that our unexpected visitors could be seen as a sign of Jerome's weakness or his inadequacy as archdemon. â€Å"The angels could have done something. It's their territory too.† â€Å"Not in the eyes of our superiors,† she said slyly. I frowned, losing a bit of my timidity. â€Å"With all due respect, what are you doing here?† Her smile grew. â€Å"What do you think? I have two demons in my backyard who are in an arms race. Both are getting attention from demons outside the Northwest.† I didn't like the sound of that and recalled Cedric affirming as much. â€Å"You think I want to be involved in that? You think I want to be played the way everyone's playing you? My territory's small, and I'm weaker than both Jerome and Cedric. I don't want them to decide to annex Portland while they play their cosmic game of Risk. I want them to leave me alone.† Her voice was hard, but I heard a bit of worry in there too, and I realized what was going on. â€Å"You're here to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I considered â€Å"suck up† or â€Å"beg† but thought better of it. â€Å"†¦negotiate with Cedric. For protection. To keep you out of it.† Nanette looked away, unwilling to acknowledge this in front of a succubus. Just then, the door opened and Cedric stepped out. He glanced around. â€Å"Kristin's still gone? I wish she'd hurry up and bring back those donuts.† â€Å"Tim Hortons?† I guessed. He gave me an incredulous look. â€Å"Of course.† He turned to Nanette. She'd stood up, and he kissed her hand in a polite, antiquated way. â€Å"Sorry. Phone call with Tech Support. You know how that is.† To me he said, â€Å"We'll talk later.† I took it as a bad sign that he said â€Å"later† and not â€Å"soon.† Settling into my chair, I braced myself for patience. Ten magazines later, Cedric opened the door again. Nanette was nowhere in sight, so I presumed she must have teleported back to Portland. I took my same chair in Cedric's office, noting that his screen showed Match. com rather than Wikipedia today. When he saw what I was looking at, he hastily minimized his Web browser. â€Å"So, what have you found out?† I gave him a report of my morning with Evan. â€Å"They're ridiculous,† I declared as my final assessment. â€Å"I already knew that,† he said. â€Å"You think you can put an end to this? Soon?† The impatient sound in his voice made me wonder if he'd expected me to cinch things up already. I thought about it. â€Å"Yeah, pretty sure I can as soon as I meet the others. This guy looked like he might crack on his own. But I won't see them until Saturday.† Cedric tipped back in his chair, face thoughtful. â€Å"All right. They probably won't do anything before then anyway. Go to their meeting and work over the rest of them. In the meantime, you might as well head back home.† I straightened up in my chair. â€Å"Really?† He shrugged. â€Å"No point in you sticking around unless you want to sightsee. Just come back Saturday.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated. â€Å"Jerome sent me here because he was mad and didn't want to deal with me. If I go back and he doesn't want me there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cedric snapped his chair forward and sat up. â€Å"He can take it up with me. I'll tell him I didn't want you here either.† There was something mischievous in his eyes, like he almost hoped Jerome might pick a fight. Uneasily, I remembered Nanette's words. You're being played from every angle and don't even realize it. â€Å"Okay,† I said finally. â€Å"Thanks.† Cedric glanced toward the door, his expression lightening. â€Å"Ah, Kristin's back.† A few moments later, I sensed the imp's signature as well. I stood up, and he gestured me to the door with a smile. â€Å"Have a good drive. And grab a donut on your way out.†

Analysis of The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin

The Story of an Hour  by American author Kate Chopin is a mainstay of feminist literary study. Originally published in 1894, the story documents the complicated reaction of Louise Mallard upon learning of her husbands death. It is difficult to discuss The Story of an Hour without addressing the ironic ending. If you havent read the story yet, you might as well, as its only about 1,000 words. The Kate Chopin International Society is kind enough to provide a free, accurate version. At the Beginning, News That Will Devastate  Louise At the beginning of the story, Richards and Josephine believe they must break the news of Brently Mallards death to Louise Mallard as gently as possible. Josephine informs her in broken sentences; veiled hints that revealed in half concealing. Their assumption, not an unreasonable one, is that this unthinkable news will be devastating to Louise and will threaten  her weak heart. A Growing Awareness of Freedom Yet something even more unthinkable lurks in this story: Louises growing awareness of the freedom she will have without Brently. At first, she doesnt consciously allow herself to think about this freedom. The knowledge reaches her wordlessly and symbolically, via the open window through which she sees the open square in front of her house. The repetition of the word open emphasizes possibility and a lack of restrictions. Patches of Blue Sky Amid the Clouds The scene is full of energy  and hope. The trees are all aquiver with the new spring of life, the delicious breath of rain is in the air, sparrows are twittering, and Louise can hear someone singing a song in the distance. She can see patches of blue sky amid the clouds. She observes these patches of blue sky without registering what they might mean. Describing Louises gaze, Chopin writes, It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought. If she had been thinking intelligently, social norms might have prevented her from such a heretical recognition. Instead, the world offers her veiled hints that she slowly pieces together without even realizing she is doing so. A Force Is Too Powerful to Oppose In fact, Louise resists the impending awareness, regarding it fearfully. As she begins to realize what it is, she strives to beat it back with her will. Yet its force is too powerful to oppose. This story can be uncomfortable to read because, on the surface, Louise seems to be glad that her husband has died. But that isnt quite accurate. She thinks of Brentlys kind, tender hands and the face that had never looked save with love upon her, and she recognizes that she has not finished weeping for him. Her Desire for Self-Determination But his death has made her see something she hasnt seen before and might likely never have seen if he had lived: her desire for self-determination. Once she allows herself to recognize her approaching freedom, she utters the word free over and over again, relishing it. Her fear and her uncomprehending stare are replaced by acceptance and excitement. She looks forward to years to come that would belong to her absolutely. She Would Live for Herself In one of the most important passages of the story, Chopin describes Louises vision of self-determination. Its not so much about getting rid of her husband as it is about being entirely in charge of her own life, body and soul. Chopin writes: There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a will upon a fellow-creature. Note the phrase men and women. Louise never catalogs  any specific offenses Brently has committed against her; rather, the implication seems to be that marriage can be stifling for both parties. The Irony of Joy That Kills When Brently Mallard enters the house alive and well in the final scene, his appearance is utterly ordinary. He is a little travel-stained, composedly carrying his grip-sack and umbrella. His mundane appearance contrasts greatly with Louises feverish triumph and her walking down the stairs like a goddess of Victory. When the doctors determine that Louise died of heart disease -- of joy that kills, the reader immediately recognizes the irony. It seems clear that her shock was not joy over her husbands survival, but rather distress over losing her cherished, newfound freedom. Louise did briefly experience joy -- the joy of imagining herself in control of her own life. And it was the removal of that intense joy that led to her death.