Questions and Answers on Kants Philosophical Reasoning

1. Kant’s famous first words in the Grounding are, â€Å"There is no possibility of thinking anything at all in the world, or even out of it, which can be regarded as good without qualification, except a good will.† (7) What does Kant mean by saying that the good will is â€Å"good without qualification,† and what is the good will contrasted with? According to Kant, the good will is good unconditionally and it is the only aspect of a human being that is good without conditions. In other words, the good will is good in it self. There are other good things that humans can have, such as intelligence, virtues, capabilities, personality, money, power, etc. These qualities are only good conditionally. It depends on the purposes and intentions of the people who posses those characteristics and capabilities. They could be used for bad purposes and to harm others. For this reason, they have to be used in the right way and they are only good if they are oriented by a good will. So in order to be good they require a good will because without it, they would be use for evil or for self-purposes. In contrast, a good will is good without any conditions. It shows us our moral duty, which we just can analyze by using reason and not by emotions. 2. Kant’s second proposition says, â€Å"An action done from duty has its moral worth, not in the purpose that is to be attained by it, but in the maxim according to which the maxim is determined.† Explain this proposition, using the concept ofShow MoreRelatedEssay about Jostein Gaardners Sophies World1694 Words   |  7 Pagesphilosophy, Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaardner, goes through over two-thousand years of philosophical history with a young girl names Sophie. A story with a twist, Gaardner is able to study the history of philosophy, focusing deeply even towards its outreach to the development of psychology. This novel is one designed to please children and adults alike to learn more and discover deeper meaning into philosophical thought. The story begins by focusing on young school aged Sophie who becomes the recipientRead More A White Lie in the Heart of Darkness Essay examples1277 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"‘The last word he pronounced was â₠¬â€œ your name.’† (Heart, pg123). He lies. In this situation, with the possibility existing of inflicting severe emotional damage on an already grieving soul, should Marlow have lied? Of course, the answer is neither simple nor short, and depends heavily on who is asked. The most relevant perspective naturally comes from Marlow himself. Marlow makes his feelings about lying clear early in his adventure. â€Å"You know I hate, detest, and can’t bear aRead MoreKant And Kant s Philosophy2023 Words   |  9 Pagesto postulate possible answers to the great questions of existence. 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Kant’s opinion of reason is that it is a force, which is ever-evolving and constantly building on previous insights. The Enlightenment is a historical period referring to the intellectual movement that swept across Europe in the 18th century. To tackle this question, I will be looking at two texts. The essays, ‘An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment’ by Immanuel Kant, an 18th century philosopher, and ‘WhatRead MoreWilliam Clifford And William James1091 Words   |  5 PagesSince the 19th century, William Clifford and William James have been the foremost religious theorist and have attempted to answer significant creation and theological mysteries. However, Clifford and James have varying views on the belief debate, each formulating a rational argument of what the basis for belief should be. Clifford’s, Ethics of Belief and James’ The Will to Believe outline their respective arguments which are vastly s imilar and but have marked differences. Both articles will be examinedRead MoreHegel s Critique Of Kantian Moral Ethics2508 Words   |  11 PagesSpirit Hegel’s critique of Kant’s philosophy is quite prevalent throughout the unfolding of Hegel’s own dialectical philosophy. Several of Hegel’s critiques of Kant’s work can especially be seen in one of his earlier works, â€Å"The Phenomenology of Spirit.† This is particularly established once Hegel begins to undertake the developing of Spirit within his Phenomenology. Here, Hegel makes several attacks on Kantian philosophy principles, and at some of the foundations of Kant’s use of pure reason in philosophy

The Master Of Teaching Program Essay - 1635 Words

Statement of Intent I am seeking admission to the Master of Teaching program in the Intermediate/Senior Concentration through the Ontario Institute of Secondary Education at the University of Toronto. I have chosen to apply to the Master of Teaching program at OISE as a result of having had several exceptional teachers over the course of my studies, who have ignited in me a passion for teaching, which reflected their own pedagogy. I am confident that OISE’s innovative Master of Teaching program will provide me with the resources and skills required to make conscientious progress in my professional goal of becoming a secondary school teacher. The opportunity to study and work alongside such strong academic, professional and acclaimed instructors such as Garfield Gini-Newman, with his observations and insights on effective teaching and learning strategies in the digital age, is an invaluable experience for an aspiring educator such as myself. In addition, it is heartening to see OISE’s commitment to teaching excellence reflected in the Master of Teaching curriculum as it addresses major issues in education, human development, and professional practice. I especially a nticipate the opportunity to participate in the mental health courses, given that recent reports indicate an increase in mental health issues among Ontario adolescence. The research component of the curriculum also intrigues me as it allows for exploration, future specialization and the acquisition ofShow MoreRelatedBusiness1209 Words   |  5 PagesThe objective of this letter is to explain my motivation to study the Masters in Sustainable Development in Agriculture offered by Agris Mundus. I completed from Larenstein University of Professional Education in The Netherlands with a Bachelor Honours Degree in Agribusiness and Management. Since 2004 after I completed the degree program, I have gained experience in Business Management through teaching and learning. 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(1) you have to learn from your students as well as they learn from you. (2) you have to respect them and they will respect you. (3) you have to make learning fun you can t just set there and talk all hour you have to makeRead MoreCareer Outlook And Personal Considerations1646 Words   |  7 Pagesorder to provide quality care, nurses must first be e ducated about the aspects of quality nursing. Nurse educators are responsible for teaching future nurses of their scope of practice and how to serve the public through proper medical interventions. Although all nurses serve as educators to their patients, nursing educators in academics have a unique role in teaching the future of the nursing field. This is accomplished by staying informed on current nursing advancements and evidence based practicesRead MoreEastern Michigan University : Community University1025 Words   |  5 PagesUniversity. 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Mad Shadows free essay sample

The correlation between, love, beauty, and truth are strongly demonstrated through Louise and her daughter Isabella-Marie. When Louise looks at Isabella-Marie she sees the truth of her ugliness, yet doesnt see true beauty nor feel a connection for love. Isabella-Marble Is Like her mother on the Inside but not on the out. Louise does not care for the Inside which Is unfortunate for Isabella-Marble because It Is the only thing she had going for her. This leaves Isabella-Marble to being nothing but an ugly girl. When Louise looks at Patrice she only sees the reflection of her own beauty. She sent realize or care for nothing else because beauty is what only matters to her. Louses love for beauty caused her to be blinded from the truth. Isabella-Marbles desire to be loved for her inner beauty causes her to elude the truth. Louise was so infatuated with Patricides beauty that she believed that there should be no need to care for anything else. We will write a custom essay sample on Mad Shadows or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is where it goes wrong for Isabella-Marie because if shes not beautiful, shes entirely nothing in Louses eyes. This makes Isabella-Marble feel like a wasted unwanted child even though she would be a perfect child to any other parent and being loved for the right reasons.Louise felt that she didnt need to give Isabella-Marble any attention since she was already devoting It all to Patrice and living off of Patches beauty. As Louise gave In so much care and love over Patricides beauty, she realized that she wanted the same thing for herself. She was desired to be loved over how Patrice was loved. What she didnt realized was that she would be loved for the wrong reason. She then found Lana which gave her everything she wanted, which was basically fake love. Why would she want fake love? At this point in time Louise had nothing for or to herself.This is why she Just accepted Lana and allowed him to take all the attention onto himself and away from Patrice. Louise went so low that she would do anything to just have this feeling back since she has nothing else. Isabella-Marie relates to this because she does the exact same thing In believing she has no one to give her this feeling and would do whatever It takes to get It. In Isabella-Marries case, she finds a blind man named Michael and tells him everything he wants to hear, even though they were all lies. Isabella- Marie goes just as low as her mother in the sense of doing what it takes to get whatever attention they can.Louise made Isabella-Marie realize how ugly she was by not paying her any attention at all which convinces Isabella-Marie to elude the truth by lying to Michael. By lying to Michael and telling him how beautiful she is and how beautiful their girl is, Michael gives Isabella-Marie the attention and love she always wanted. Once Michael gets his vision back, he realizes that Isabella- Marie lied to him about everything Just for the love and attention. He ends up leaving her. This brings Isabella-Marie back all the way to square one which is exactly where she started off, being unwanted, unattended, and unloved all for her ugliness.At this same time during Isabella-Marries relationship, Louise had the relationship of her own with Lana. Both Louses and Isabella-Manes lives gotten better. And unloved because his mother and sisters attention is now somewhere else. This leaves Patrice to do whatever it takes him to get the attention back from his mother. This is Patricides turn to gas low as he can now. He does this by getting a horse and running over Lana to take him out of the equation between him and Louise. All that is left now are the same three family members that seek nothing but love and attention, yet their chances got eliminated when they had it.They have nobody but themselves which leads to nothing but evil. Isabella-Marie doesnt want it to go back to the old ways of how she is Just left out and watches Louise give Patrice all the love and attention. This crazily leads Isabella-Marie to bring Patrice down to her level. She does this by tricking Patrice into putting his face over a boiling pot of water, and burning his face, leaving him ugly like herself. Louise has nothing to show love and attention for towards Patrice leaving him to be exactly in the same position as Isabella-Marie. All three of them are now left unloved, and unattended. Isabella-Marie and Louise had come a long way through the search for nothing but love, beauty, and truth. In the end they are both left with nothing but loneliness, hatred, and distrust. They came the longest way for the complete opposite of what they were looking for yet the whole time was right in front of them. They both were blinded and didnt realize what they really had. Both of these characters reveal throughout this novella that the love for beauty out weighs truth, never the less, the decisions that they make to reconcile with themselves and one another distinguishes the characters of Isabella-Marie and Louise.

Musicals Review

Introduction Movies have entertained us for over a hundred years now. Making us laugh or cry with every film that we see. Movies break the monotony of our everyday lives and serve as our escape for a little over 2 hours each time. With all its genres ranging from the silent films all the way to action movies, the most entertaining form of movie entertainment has got to be the movie musical. A movie format that allows for interesting character development and plot devices because of the music that becomes part and parcel of the story.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Musicals’ Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Music is perhaps the most powerful and engaging tool that a movie has to offer aside from a solid storyline. It has the ability to transport us from our modern day reality to say, the flapper era of the Roaring 20’s. With the proper melody, we can be brought to our feet to dance with those onscreen, simply because of the infectious rhythm. Maybe even bust out into a song or two during a screening because the lyrics of a song simply overcome our emotions. With the proper choice of sound and music, we can feel a variety of emotions such as fear and love. Music does not only exist in the movies for the benefit of preventing dead air between actor dialogues, it is there to help the story along. But not all movies have that seemingly magical ability. In fact, the best examples of a movie that uses music to help define a story would have to be the Hollywood musicals which were created by the finest production houses of its time. Keeping that in mind, I have decided to review what I deem to be the 3 best musicals of all time. First up on my list, Thoroughly Modern Millie. Thoroughly Modern Millie Thoroughly Modern Millie was released in 1967 to mixed reviews. Produced by Universal Pictures, the film starred (Dame) Julie Andrews, Mary Tyler Moore, Beatrice Lillie, James Fox, and John Gavin in one of the most exhilarating, rollicking fun film throwbacks to the 1920’s. The academy award winning, flapper-era music was composed by by the writing tandem of Sammy Cohen and Jimmy Van Heusen. The story revolves around the life of a simple town girl named Millie(Julie Andrews), who has just come to the big city in order to become a what was then considered to be a â€Å"modern woman†, who simply put, is a career woman who has her eye out on snagging herself a husband as well. Millie’s transformation from small town girl to modern city woman is explained through the title song â€Å"Thoroughly Modern Millie†. As Julie Andrews sings the title track, we see her character onscreen undergoing a modernization of looks (or as modern as it got for its era). From the simple change in hairstyle to the more complex change of clothes, the danceable track invites one to join Millie on her journey as she continues to transform herself from a Plain Jane to Modern Millie.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As we join her on her journey towards becoming a modern woman, she meets a variety of people that allows us to see her in various comical situations and a few instances of mistaken identities between a few characters and Millie. There are even nods to the silent films of the 1920’s by inserting a few facial expressions from Millie and inserting her written thoughts here and there. Upon reaching the single women’s hotel where she resides, she makes the acquaintance of Ms. Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore), an obviously rich young lady who does not have a clue about how the real world works. After properly introducing Ms. Brown to their landlady, Mrs. Meers ( Beatrice Lillie) , the two young women strike up an instant friendship as they tap dance their way up to their respective rooms in an elevator that refuses t o move up or down unless the person or people inside are dancing. Little did the two women know that their landlady was the head of a White Slavery syndicate operating within the city and that she had targeted Ms. Brown as her next victim. The movie, obviously shot in the Universal Studios back lot, which at the time was a lot cheaper than going on location, did its best to transform itself into a believable period film, complete with the red jalopy chugging down the road and flapper hats for the women. No small feat when you consider how many main stars and extras the production crew had to dress up for each scene which included multiple locations such as 2 hotel rooms, a reception area, formal office, plus an exterior and interior mansion, to name but a few of the dazzling sets created specifically for the movie. As was normal for movies of that time, the lighting was bright and expertly used by the lighting department to evoke fun and gaiety during the light parts of the musical, and fear (by using red lighting) to instill simple fear in the viewers minds during one the more serious, yet still light, situations in the movie that involved the rescue of Ms. Brown from the White Slavery syndicate. I would like to point out though, that although the movie keeps itself light at all times, it injected a sense of the changing world around them as they actually showed the abduction of Ms. Brown for sale into white slavery. Also included in the film were Asian cast members Johhny Foo and a very young Pat Morita as the abductors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Musicals’ Review specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Music-wise, this film does not try to become anything but what its director George Roy Hill set out to do, which is become a two hour escape from reality using some of the best written songs and well choreographed dance sequences. As anybody who studied American music history would k now, the roaring 20’s had some of the most timeless music come out of the decade and the film capitalized on that sense of music nostalgia as they used easy to recall tunes like Baby-Face, Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life, and Jazz Baby. The use of the tune Baby-Face was, at the time the film was made, considered to be a music coup of sorts as the producers managed to get permission from General Mills to use the song that the company had long been using as the theme to their Wheaties commercials. Being a movie that showcased Julie Andrews in the lead role, most of the singing parts were reserved for her and each song, was carefully selected to not only highlight her singing abilities, but also, was required to help the story along. For example, the song † Poor Butterfly† though used only as the background song in the scene where she was listening to her boss, Trevor Graydon (John Gavin), gush over meeting her roommate Ms. Brown and asking her to arrange a date for the tw o of them, effectively portrayed the heartbreak of unrequited love and the sense of self-doubt that could only affect a woman whose love has been painfully ignored. In the end, all of the mistaken identities and the truth behind the characters of Ms. Brown and Jimmy Smith were finally cleared up and, in true Hollywood fashion, all was well that ended well for the characters involved. Everything about the musical designs of this movie just screamed perfection as I watched the movie and listened to the music that had my feet tapping and brain humming the songs long after I had seen the film. It was only after looking up the film online that I discovered that this movie was an academy award winner for its musical score. Chicago Now we come to the 2nd best musical film to be released in 2002, Miramax Films released the movie version of the highly successful stage musical Chicago. Set as a period piece, the movie takes place during the mobster run Chicago era where lawlessness seemed to run rampant and women seemed to be the most common murderers. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, and Richard Gere, the trio played Velma Kelly, Roxie Hart, and Billy Flynn respectively. As we will later find out, music plays an integral part in this musical that uses Jazz-era Chicago as its backdrop.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Renee Zellweger as Roxie Hart plays a highly ambitious housewife whose dreams of having a stage career drove her to infidelity and murder, killing her lover once she realized that he would not be able to make her stage dreams come true. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrays Velma Kelly, one of the marquee names in the era who goes to jail for the double murder of her husband and sister, who happened to be cheating on her. Richard Gere is Billy Flynn, the criminal lawyer who knows the power of the press, publicity, and the unsatiable appettite of the public for celebrity, even if the celebrity is a criminal, and uses it to the benefit of his death row clients. All together, the 3 make up the major cast of the most exciting musical to hit the movie screens since Fame in the 1980’s. Also playing an important role in the movie is Queen Latifah as Big Mamma, the jail warden who can get anybody on the inside anything they want or need, for a price. Roxie is introduced to us in the movie du ring the overture, when Velma is performing the timeless And All That Jazz while Roxie is cavorting with her lover in the nightclub, the lobby of her matrimonial apartment, and then finally on her matrimonial bed before shooting her lover to death after he makes a nasty confession about how he was just using her for sex. She tries to avoid a murder rap by getting her husband to confess to the crime in the song â€Å"Funny Honey†, who later on reneges on his confession after finding out the dead man is the salesman who sold them their furniture. The movie more often than not has a dark feel to it, possibly due to the dark theme of murder and death row life. Most of the movie’s musical numbers take place in the minds of the characters, therefore we often have the camera cutting from the real time setting of the character, to what they are actually thinking, imagining, or feeling. The musical numbers then take place mostly in a smoke filled, spotlight lighted, night club. With the songs and dialogues usually being performed at the same time. Admittedly, such a presentation tends to get confusing for the audience. Specially if one is not familiar with the Broadway show versions. Roxie ends up in Cook County Jail together with some very hardened criminals who are not repentant about their crimes and introduce themselves to Roxie by doing the Cell Block Tango, a musical number that introduces us to the various women Roxie will be spending time with and what their crimes were. Most of them went into the slammer for crimes of passion, and they were usually unrepentant. One of the most important notes I made during this number is the fact that they were doing a traditional Tango and modern interpretative dance at the same time. Such interesting choreography is part of what made this movie highly engrossing. Upon crossing paths with Velma, the two instantly become adversaries even after they end up sharing the same lawyer. Instead of simply showing us how their rivalry plays out, the viewers are treated to a smorgasboard of stories told through song. Some of the most entertaining musical numbers in the movie belong to Richard Gere whose Billy Flynn uses songs to manipulate the press into believing his spins. We first meet him through the song â€Å"All I Care About Is Love†, where he explains the reasons why he became a lawyer and what he â€Å"shuns most about it† which, it seems to me, is a tongue in cheek song since Billy Flynn is one of the most materialistic men on the planet as evidenced by his meeting with Roxie’s husband. Later on, we see what a master press manipulator he is when he comes up with the â€Å"We Both Reached For The Gun† scenario for Roxie during her first press conference. A highly danceable musical number which was so highly imaginative and possibly difficult to have shot since Renee and Richard’s choreography meant that they had to pretend to be a puppet and puppet master, which is a real reflection of the client lawyer relationship Billy had with all his clients. He was the master planner and the defendants were his strategy executioners. Eventually, we find out what would have given a simple housewife like Roxie the desire to break out of her boringly normal life through the glitzy, glamorous number â€Å"Roxie†. We come to understand who she actually is underneath all the lawyer created publicity. All Roxie wants to be is a star, even if it means being a notorious celebrity. She was hellbent on getting her five minutes of fame. Meanwhile, we also have Velma, whose performance of All That Jazz at the beginning of the movie serves to whip the viewers into the mood for the nightclub style performances to follow. When she begins to lose her celebrity status to Roxie, she tries to entice Roxie to join forces with her in and effort to keep her name in the papers by performing a highly complex choreographed number titled â€Å"I Can’t Do It Alone† for a disbelieving Roxie Hart. When the case of Roxie finally goes to trial, the music takes on a different meaning as it starts to get serious and Billy gets waylaid by a new murder case. Causing Roxie and Velma to both panic, without each realizing that their lawyer already had their acquittal strategy in place and ready for execution. In one of the biggest musical highlights of the film, Billy Flynn got to show us how a theatrical lawyer thinks fast and on his feet through the â€Å"Tap Dance† number. Where he showed the viewer how easy it was to manipulate the press and the jury into believing that which he wants them to do. The songs in the movie were written by quite a number of music and lyrics tandems. Majority of the songs come from the brilliant musical minds of John Kander and Fred Ebb (most of the musical score) , Jimmy McHough and Dorothy Fields ( Raisin’ The Roof ) , and finally Fred Fisher (Chicago). A quick look at the publishing dates for the music these people composed for the film indicates that the songs have been in circulation since the 1920’s. When Velma and Roxie are both released from jail thanks to the machinations of Billy Flynn, they both find themselves without the interest of the public that they craved so much. As individuals, they could not hold the interest of a dog. But as partners, as the two most highly publicized murderers of the flapper-era, they later discovered that they had not only a high profile, but a corresponding marquee value as well. Let us just say that in the end, music proved to be the uniting factor that can turn even the worst of enemies to suddenly become the best of friends, all in the name of vested interest. My Fair Lady And finally, we come to one of the most beloved musicals of the Hollywood golden era, My Fair Lady. In this film about a young flower vendor from the wrong side of the tracks, we meet Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) as she tries to make some sales afte r a theater show in a ritzy part of London. As fate would have it, Prof. Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) takes a keen interest in her uneducated manner of speaking. Due to the fact he is a professor of Phonetics and can identify over a hundred fifty spoken accents by ear alone. Based on the book by Alan J. Lerner, which was in turn based upon George Bernand Shaw’s tragic Pygmalion, this Warner Bros. opus was released in 1964 as a George Cuckor directed musical of the finest kind. Starring Audrey Hepburn in the title role and acclaimed British stage actor Rex Harrison as her (tor)mentor / secret love, the movie brought the term musical to new heights as the film’s creators gave life to a new form of singing and also caused a scandal by the way the movie sound track tried to put one over the movie going public. The reason that the music execution in the film became high profile and most important to the production was because the libretto of the film came from 2 of the most brilliant music producers of the era, Frederick Lowe and Alan Jay Lerner. Two masters at the art of using the gift of song to further along a storyline. From the first stanzas of â€Å"Why Can’t The English?† which clearly establishes the occupation and temperament of Prof. Higgins, all the way to â€Å"Wouldn’t It Be Loverly† at the end of the opening scene, we see that Eliza is easily smitten by this older man who seems to be promising her the world. Or, just a chance to get out of the ghetto marketplace of London in order to become a respected middle class woman who is respected because she knows how to speak properly. One must note that although Audrey Hepburn did have theater training and could manage to carry out a pretty decent tune when asked to sing, her singing parts were either mixed with or dubbed with Marni Nixon because the producers did not believe that she had a solid enough singing voice with which to carry the film. This was apparently, an open secret in Hollywood at the time and caused an uproar among certain circles in the industry. But then, semi-scandal aside, the most notable accomplishment of this film was the development of the â€Å"Speak Singing† style of musical performance. This new fangled musical creation was necessary in order to help along Rex Harrison, who was a serious stage actor and not a trained singer. Speak Singing basically meant that he spoke his singing lines to a specific beat or rhythm which corresponded to the actual musical score of the film. Something which, at the time it was done, had to be considered a breakthrough in film making due to the ingenuity of the film’s director. Known as the â€Å"perfect musical† the movie stayed true to the original musical score used in the Broadway version of the musical. Unlike the movies Thoroughly Modern Millie and Chicago, where music was used as a separate part of the film, yet still somehow relating to the main themes, My Fair Lady had its music as part and parcel of its dialogue. Not all of the characters spoke their lines. In fact, the lines of Eliza and Prof. Higgins, including those of the people around them are mostly sung. Such can be seen as evident in the Servant’s Chorus as they sung â€Å"Poor Professor Higgins† in unison as a protest to the day and night training of Eliza, who it seemed to everyone who could hear her, a hopeless case. But never being one to surrender, the professor trudges along, almost hopeless sometimes, until he triumphs in a reign of song while Eliza triumphantly sings â€Å"The Rain In Spain† as a testament to having finally beaten her cockney accent. From that point on, the songs and singing in the movie only get more polished and the performances of the actors, more enthralling. There are however, instances when song and dialogue come together in a clever mix. The song â€Å"With A Little Bit of Luck† includes some interspersed dialogue b etween Eliza’s father and her landlady who has just informed him that Eliza had just moved in with the professor. Overall, My Fair Lady was a considerable bit of movie magic., owing to the way that the musical director for the film was able to deal with the vocal shortcomings of the main stars Hepburn and Harrison. It would seem that, save for Mr. Harrison, nobody in this film ever actually did their own singing. According to the DVD commentaries, all of Ms. Hepburn’s singing, except for the beginning of the song â€Å"Just You Wait†, was redubbed by an uncannily Hepburn sounding Marni Nixon, who was considered to be one of the most talented professional dubbers in Hollywood at the time since she seemed to be dubbing the singing voices for over half the female talent in the industry. Had it not been for the recent anniversary DVD release of the film, the vocal stylings of Ms. Hepburn would have remained just where it was, in a vault and ready for the trash heap. Even minor stars like Jeremy Brett, who played Jimmy in the film, found his rendition of â€Å"On The Street Where you Live† being judged inadequate by the film’s producers and being dubbed over by Bill Shirley in the final version. However, there was one person whom the powers that be at the Warner lot could not bend towards their will. Rex Harrison, tone deaf of sorts that he was, refused to pre-record his own numbers because he felt he would not be able to do justice to a lip synched version done for the film. This was when the highly imaginative George Groves, director of the Warner Bros. Sound Studio Department came up with a novel idea for dealing with the problem. He got the green light from Jack Warner, the head of the studio, to try an on site recording method for Mr. Harrison. Which was how Mr. Harrison found himself all wired up with what would become the first in a long line of wireless microphones and speak singing his song lines subtly into his necktie, where the microphone was inserted. It was this kind of creative thinking by the sound department that won this movie one of its many Oscar awards that year. â€Å"My Fair Lady† can be said to have broken through many glass barriers in the name of music at the time it was filmed. It triumphed over a weak singing cast by casting voice doubles who could be mistaken for the original actor, and developed technology which our movie imagineers continue to use and improve upon to this very day. Conclusion The movie musicals are no longer in vogue these days due to the high costs of production and, quite possibly, the lack of musical talent that used to exist during the younger days of Hollywood, with the like of Chicago and Dream Girls being an exception to that rule. But that does not take away from the value of a good film score in helping to develop an excellent and engaging story line that will hook then reel in the viewers. In Thoroughly Modern Millie, the music was whimsical an d fun loving until the very end. Something that we can come to expect of such throwback films that deal with certain scenarios from the era being portrayed in a tongue in cheek manner. That is not to say that the music was making fun of the era. But rather, that the era was filled with a lightness about the people. It conveyed the life and times of people who had lived in the period, which in this case was one of the wealthiest times in America, the female society on the brink of a social revolution, and the ugly foundations of modern society problems were beginning to rear its ugly head. Chicago, stayed true to its dark, Chicago gangster type theme using music to portray the dark thoughts and manipulative actions of its main characters, all of whom are unwittingly working together in order to attain one common goal and ambition, their names in the paper which they equated with celebrity status. A status that Velma and Roxie, and even Billy to a certain degree, wanted to achieve at any cost. Finally, we have the crowning glory of all these musicals, the musical that set the standard for all the movie musicals that came after it, My Fair Lady. Songs from this movie are as timeless as its story. Its rising from adversity theme was perfectly played out by the songs from the movie. Each musical piece creating the perfect setting from which each act of the movie sprung from. From the rowdiness of the flower market, all the way to the elegance of the embassy ball, the music helped the characters grow from a street gutter vendor, to an educated middle class lady and an impatient professor blossomed into a caring and (in his own way) loving and protective mentor. Of course nothing less than an extra ordinary musical extravaganza can be expected to come from the musical geniuses Lerner and Lowe. My Fair Lady cemented their place in Hollywood musical history in a way that none of their other musical outings ever could. Used properly, the musical score of the film can ma nage to set the tone for the whole movie from the very moving frame that appears onscreen. The key, is in the way the musical director envisions the movie as told through music. While costume design sets the tone for the movie in a highly visible manner, music on the other hand, uses a more subtle context for theme and mood setting. When used hand in hand, the combination of music and costume create an unbeatable tandem that allows us to lose ourselves for 2 hours in the world of make believe. This essay on Musicals’ Review was written and submitted by user Daxton Ramos to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Battle of Princeton essays

Battle of Princeton essays The Battles of Trenton and Princeton In the fall of 1776, Washington and his men were camping out in New York City after the defeat they suffered in Long Island. The soldiers shivered around the campfires night after night without shoes, blankets, or winter uniforms. Washington knew that being surrounded by water left him and his 19,000 troops extremely vulnerable to the British with their naval mobility and larger forces. On November 21, 1776 Washington moved his troops south joining the troops from Fort Lee. He then continued the journey into Newark, New Jersey and waited there for a militia to rally, but few showed up. The next leg of this journey would take them to New Brunswick, leaving on the 28th, just as the British were arriving in Newark. Then on December 1st, the British forces moved to New Brunswick and Washington repositioned his men to Princeton. On their way to Princeton, Washington had his men destroy all bridges and cut down trees behind them to delay the British who were in pursuit of the American army. Once they had reached Princeton, the Americans fell back to Trenton along the Delaware River, which is the border with Pennsylvania. Then on December 2nd, two thousand Pennsylvania militiamen joined Washington at Trenton. Most men decided to stay home to protect their families from the enemy and any valuable possessions from the British and Hessians. The British and Hessians at this time were destroying Jersey homes, farms and possessions as they moved through the state. As Washington moved to Princeton, General Greene was faced with the advancing British and was forced to retreat. Joining Washington, the combined army now moved back to Trenton and then across the river. Washington had every boat that could be found moved to safety across to the Pennsylvania side. Reaching the Delaware on the 8th, Howe positioned himself across the river. After the search for boats up and down the river fail...

Free Essays on Telémakhos, The Odyssey

In his translation of The Odyssey, Robert Fitzgerald portrays Telà ©makhos as a rational, striving, yet disdained gentleman. Telà ©makhos’ ambitions are confirmed by his desire to unbind the mystery of his lost father. A vast amount of his nearby society do not agree with his proposal. Nevertheless, the sensible and eager young man begins his journey. The author first introduces Telà ©makhos as a man of wisdom. Fitzgerald constantly refers to him as the â€Å"Clear-headed Telà ©makhos...† (2, 25). A later establishment demonstrates how â€Å"Telà ©makhos replie[s] with no confusion† (2, 28) to Antinoos. Fitzgerald implies the high wit of Telà ©makhos by utilizing different word associations that introduce his speech. On the contrary to the author’s opinion on Telà ©makhos, the other characters condescend and insult him. Antinoos exemplifies this behavior by openly displaying his feelings of distrust for the young man. He believed that Telà ©makhos would â€Å"want to shame [him], and humiliate [him]† (2, 21). Antinoos further contributes to his discontentment on him by blaming his â€Å"own dear, incomparable cunning mother.† He additionally expresses that â€Å"for three years now-and it will soon be four- [his mother] has been breaking the hearts of the Akhaians, holding out hope to all, and sending promises to each man privately -but thinking otherwise† (2, 22). Antinoos does not stand in solitude with his negative ideas on Telà ©makhos. A â€Å"young top lofty gallant† supports Antinoos by voicing that â€Å"Telà ©makhos has a mind to murder [them]† (2, 28). Another complies with this statement by predicting that â€Å"He might be lost at sea, just like Odysseus, knocking around in a ship, far from his friends† (2,2! 8). Furthermore, this man sarcastically verbalizes â€Å"what a lot of trouble that would give [them], making the right division of things!† (2, 28). The supporting characters in act 2 personify the hateful reput... Free Essays on Telà ©makhos, The Odyssey Free Essays on Telà ©makhos, The Odyssey In his translation of The Odyssey, Robert Fitzgerald portrays Telà ©makhos as a rational, striving, yet disdained gentleman. Telà ©makhos’ ambitions are confirmed by his desire to unbind the mystery of his lost father. A vast amount of his nearby society do not agree with his proposal. Nevertheless, the sensible and eager young man begins his journey. The author first introduces Telà ©makhos as a man of wisdom. Fitzgerald constantly refers to him as the â€Å"Clear-headed Telà ©makhos...† (2, 25). A later establishment demonstrates how â€Å"Telà ©makhos replie[s] with no confusion† (2, 28) to Antinoos. Fitzgerald implies the high wit of Telà ©makhos by utilizing different word associations that introduce his speech. On the contrary to the author’s opinion on Telà ©makhos, the other characters condescend and insult him. Antinoos exemplifies this behavior by openly displaying his feelings of distrust for the young man. He believed that Telà ©makhos would â€Å"want to shame [him], and humiliate [him]† (2, 21). Antinoos further contributes to his discontentment on him by blaming his â€Å"own dear, incomparable cunning mother.† He additionally expresses that â€Å"for three years now-and it will soon be four- [his mother] has been breaking the hearts of the Akhaians, holding out hope to all, and sending promises to each man privately -but thinking otherwise† (2, 22). Antinoos does not stand in solitude with his negative ideas on Telà ©makhos. A â€Å"young top lofty gallant† supports Antinoos by voicing that â€Å"Telà ©makhos has a mind to murder [them]† (2, 28). Another complies with this statement by predicting that â€Å"He might be lost at sea, just like Odysseus, knocking around in a ship, far from his friends† (2,2! 8). Furthermore, this man sarcastically verbalizes â€Å"what a lot of trouble that would give [them], making the right division of things!† (2, 28). The supporting characters in act 2 personify the hateful reput...

PUBLIC POLICY 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PUBLIC POLICY 3000 - Essay Example The time taken for a new policy to be put in place and be fully operational may take a short time as one week, and as long as years. Public policy draws people, institutions, markets and government into familiar patterns of decision making (Althaus, Bridgman & Davis, 2013). This essentially implies that setting and administering policy are intricate as many stakeholders and players influences decisions and choices made. Preparation of a public policy is a daunting task, which calls for intense activity and coordination with other administrative and government decisions to ensure consistency. The process may take a long time as decision makers have to incorporate expert evidence, bureaucratic and political counsel, and competing interests of people affected by the policy proposal (O'Sullivan & Gibb, 2008). This discussion seeks to explore public policy on social housing in England, as well as health policy in Australia Universal health policy in Australia Australia attains universal c overage through Medicare, which is a tax financed public insurance program that covers most medical care. The universal health care also includes physician and hospital services and prescription drugs. Majority of Australian health services are funded and regulated by the central government, but territories and states have obligations for public hospital care (The commonwealth fund, 2013). In addition to Medicare, the government subsidizes private insurance, which is used by half of the Australian citizens to cover dental care costs and private hospitals (Australia Policy Online, 2013). Issues surrounding universal health policy coordination Universal health policy in Australia has been a subject of debate in the commonwealth since 1940s. The focal point of concern is the diverging interests of major stakeholders who have conflicting interests. Healthcare givers want huge profits and earnings; the government wants to maintain a tight and strict control over the money they use, where as consumers want to have quality healthcare facilities at affordable prices (Armstrong, 2007). In verity, these objectives cannot be accomplished at the same time, which heightens conflicts among stakeholders. In addition to the above controversy, Australia experiences ideological differences among its top organs of government. The liberal party in coalition with the national party takes on a liberal individualist approach. This favors least government intervention in the health policy, leaving private insurance and private medicine to take the largest role. On the other hand, the Australian labor party takes a social liberal stand, holding that health ought to be financed by the government in a bid to attain access and equity goals. Perspectives on policy implementation Australian government is faced by major challenges in implementing universal healthcare. Although Australian health system is globally ranked among the best; much needs to be done to address the concerns on a varie ty of issues. These are the health of aboriginal Australians, quality of health offered, access, equity and affordability, increase in preventable diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS and complexity of health services. In addition, the strides made in the health sector that place Australia are under pressure as a result of the ageing population, the rising burden of chronic ailments

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 97

History - Essay Example ther end focused on the economy while reforms had to do with the state’s financial systems to provide protection from a repeat of such severe depression. This series of programs changed the role of the federal government in American life. Firstly, the new deal fundamentally redefined the relationship between the federal government and the citizens. The government took the responsibility to care for people unlike in the past. Initially, the federal government was detached from the common man and as such their financial security or propensity was not much their concern. After enactment of the new deal, the federal government financed the public service jobs which solved the problem of unemployment. The new deal created programs that targeted to keep the citizens secure like the FDIC and social security. The federal government became peoples’ prosperity and economic security provider when things would go bad coming to their rescue (Taylor, n.d). Secondly, the role of government towards its citizens was redefined. The new deal made the government take the roles of recovery, relief as well as reform. Roosevelt’s ideologies made the government’s role more expansive unlike was the ordinary. Thus, governments took to intervene on issues that affected the public. The federal government became the source for solution of Americans problems. The reforms that targeted the banking sector and stock market brought about recovery. The federal government protected home mortgages and thus made it recover from the depression (Taylor, n.d). These efforts pioneered by Roosevelt in under the new deal programs set a precedence that was to become the role of the federal government in the lives of the American people. Further, Reliefs initially were provided by charity organizations and local governments. This was redefined by Roosevelt under the new deal programs. The new deal brought federal reliefs to millions of Americans during the recession. Thousands of men were able to be

Channel Tunnel Project Essay Example for Free

Channel Tunnel Project Essay Channel Tunnel project, which aimed to create a fixed connection between Britain and France, is one of the largest private funded projects in the world. It required the use of newest technology and great management skills in order to deal with unexpected changes. Also the cooperation of two countries’ governments, several constructors, banks and other agencies are needed to make this project run smoothly. This essay divided the whole project into 4 steps in analyzing: conceive, develop, execute and finish. Further, it demonstrates the key advantages and disadvantages of Chunnel project including project scheduling, risk management, people management, cross-culture communication and so on with critical thinking. In addition, recommendations are provided due to the improvement in these procedures. Background The channel tunnel is one of the longest undersea rail tunnels in the world. It has an overall length of 50.5-kilometre and links Folkestone in the UK and Calais in the France. (Anderson, 1994) The proposal of building a fixed link across the English Channel was firstly created as early as 1802 by an engineer in France but it was shelved due to security and political reasons. In 1957, Louis Armand formed the Channel Tunnel Study Group and then presents a design of railway tunnel, bored of submerged, comprising a twin rail tunnel with a service tunnel to the government in 1960. (eurotunnelgroup.com) However, the British minister cancelled the project in 1975 due to financial problems and oil crisis. The project started again until the British and French government reached an agreement, which is finding private promoters for the construction without public funding in 1984. Finally, after negotiate with governments, banks and shareholders, constructions began in 1987 and completed in 19 94. The American Society of Civil Engineers recognizes Channel Tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. (Reynolds, 1996) Phase 1: Conceive From a project management perspective, the whole project can be divided into 4 stages which are conceive, develop, execute and finish. During conceive phase, it is necessary to focus on the project’s overall strategy. It considers the projects goal, potential problems and opportunities, possible solutions and the links of projects to other projects. Also it should be clarified projects’ basic assumptions. In 1981, the British and French governments are agreed to launch the project. Four plans including Eurobridge, Euroroute, Channel Expressway and Channel Tunnel were submitted to the government and Channel Tunnel Group/ France–Manche (CTG/FM) won the bid eventually. After that, an map of organizational structure had been designed: Source: channel tunnel project overview The picture above reveals the structure of all participants. Eurotunnel is an international company originally formed by CTG/FM. It is the owner and operator of the whole project. And it provided the construction contract to TML. From 1985- 86, Eurotunnel was controlled by CTG/FM and banks. Each of them holds 50% of it. Later on, Eurotunnel became independent company and then transferred to its shareholders and banks. A 55 years contract had been reached between Eurotunnel and the government of Britain and France based on the proposal submitted. The Construction Contract between Eurotunnel and TML sets out the Eurotunnel is also linked to the banks by a loan agreement and to national railways by a usage agreement. Furthermore, governments hired several experts to build an agency called IGC (Intergovernmental Commission) to ensure the project is under control. IGC was permitted for demanding changes in the process of project to keep it â€Å"healthy and safety†. During the stage of planning, the total cost of the project was 5.5 billion dollars and the whole project would be private financed without any government aids. On the consideration of CTG/FM owned an agreement, which gave group the sole right of Channel operation during 55 years, over 200 banks around the world offered loan to the project. (Genus, 1997) However, for a project this large, the lack of scope makes to resource planning, budgeting and cost calculating very difficult, thus it would be a challenge to use ROI (return on investment) to provide accurate data. Because ROI only gives results based on assumptions from TML Schedule management plays an important role in the first stage as well. Several milestones were built including (Fairweather, 1994): 1. 1974, idea of tunnel gathered, but abandoned 2. 1978, British and French discussions continued 3. 1985, British and French government asked for bids 4. 1986, The Treaty of Canterbury was signed allowing the project to proceed and CTG/FM won the contract 5. 1987, Channel tunnel project started 6. 1994, the project complete The schedule was planned to build 3 tunnels, two rail tunnels and one service tunnel allows mixed traffic at short headway (3 minutes between trains) and high speed (100 to 160 km/h) of national trains and its shuttles. These special Shuttles allow rail transportation of cars from one country to another. This made designer to illustrated 12 tunneling faces worked by 11 boring machines. A very complex schedule was made in logistics management and WBS development (work breakdown structure) due to high requirements of activity arrangements and activity duration estimate. Quality and risk management is another significant part of preparation stage. Management team needs to evaluate potential risks of technical, commercial, political, and financial aspects because if risks are identified early enough, an effective response strategy can be made. A risk impact matrix can be made in analyzing process

Morals and values learnt in Under a Ramshackle Rainbow Essay -- Engli

Morals and values learnt in Under a Ramshackle Rainbow " Under a Ramshackle Rainbow", is a very deep poem in which the poet uses dark and morbid images and symbols to get across morals and values to the reader. The underlining theme of the poem is how one should treat their surroundings and what the consequences to their actions will be. From the immediate start of the poem, a creepy and eery atmosphere is created by casting a dark image in the reader's mind. ' A dead tree. On a rotten branch sit two wingless birds.' The words 'dead' and 'rotten' show the sincerity of the issue. The mentioning of two wingless birds is very significant as they portray the poet's first message to the reader. The wingless birds basically defy their objective in life. Birds need wings to fly and without wings not only do they not have their freedom, but they have no means of survival; they cannot avoid predators or catch prey. Therefore death is inevitable. After only reading the first two lines the reader may feel confused to why the birds are wingless and why their habit is in such an unusual state. The ending to the first stanza clarify the confusion. ' Among leaves on the ground a man is searching for his hands. It is fall. By this, the poet is explaining the cause of the dead tree and the wingless birds. When saying that the man is ' searching for his hands', it is made clear that the search is a pointless exercise as the reader is told that it is fall and therefore the pile of leaves would be extremely deep. Although the man still has his site, he does not have his hands which are essentially needed to search through the leaves. The poet uses this description as it is symbolizes man searching ... ...re successfully receiving compensation for man's behaviour is secured by the last line of the poem. ' The ants gather on the shore. ' It is as though the ants represent nature and are the audience that witness the death of the man. After reading " Under the Ramshackle Rainbow" the reader understands perfectly, the aim of the poem. The aim of the poem is to get across a message that one should respect their surroundings and instead of neglect or abuse them, giving back to them what you take. If one should act in greed and only take from nature, they will have to suffer the consequences. The aim of the poem is put forward effectively by using methods such as patheticfallacy, irony and dramatic twists. The poet also uses enjambement to give the poem a more distorted rhyme and structural appearance that emphasises the destruction and ruin of the poem.

Ethics Reflection Paper

Ethics Reflection Paper Ethics and social responsibility are key factors when planning one’s personal life or planning for the success of a business. When companies develop strategic plans, they must consider what role ethics will play and how social responsibility will affect the plan keeping stakeholders need at the forefront. If businesses and individuals are making a conscious effort to display ethical behavior, ethical perspectives and beliefs should evolve over time much like what has happened in the master’s of business administration (MBA) program. Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Strategic Planning Ethics are guidelines used to help management and employees conduct themselves according to the values and standards set forth by the company. To ensure employees understand the rules and make good ethical decisions, a company’s plan should embody the beliefs and values that the business and their employees view most important. These beliefs and values can be outlined in a company’s mission, vision, and philosophy statements which provide direction, purpose, and a clear understanding of an organization’s behavioral expectations and decisions made by the stakeholders. When adhered to, the mission and vision statements can be the baseline for goal-setting and strategic planning while keeping ethics at the core of all decisions. Pearson and Robinson (2004) stated â€Å"central to the belief that companies should be operated in a socially responsive way for the benefit of all stakeholders is the belief that managers will behave in an ethical manner† (p. 60). Even with a plan in place and ethical guidelines established, unethical behavior is always a possibility which could occur at a management or subordinate level. Too many top-level management and executives have acted inappropriately and have violated company policies. This was witnessed through events such as the Enron, WorldCom, and Bernie Madoff scandals where unethical behavior was called into question. Employees, specifically those in a management position, have an obligation to do what is right for the sake of their customers, the industry, and to help maintain the company’s image and reputation. When this fails to happen, the owners and board of directors must take the appropriate action to get rid of those individuals, not only to set an example but to make the point that unethical behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances. To minimize the possibility that similar atrocities will occur, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was instituted to mandate Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Chief Financial Officers (CFO) to take responsibility for reports generated and to acknowledge that the information included in the reports are true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. If the information is not true or is fraudulent, both have a responsibility to report the findings to auditors. Like ethical behavior, â€Å"social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company’s strategic decision makers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pearson & Robinson, 2004, p. 23). Owners need to ensure that they hire managers who are going to carry out their wishes and be the voice in their absence instead of managers who will protect their self-interests. Decisions made by management have to be aligned with the beliefs of the owner and the company’s stakeholders to guarantee profitability and survivability. To encourage managers to make appropriate and ethical decisions, owners and executives should provide incentives through bonuses, appraisals, and recognition programs. Managers who do receive performance incentives will be held accountable by stakeholders. Stakeholders include stockholders who want a good return on investment, employees seeking job satisfaction, satisfied customers and suppliers, governments seeking law abiding companies, competitors seeking strong competition, responsible citizens and the public seeking a good quality of life (Pearson & Robinson, 2004). Outside of being accountable to owners and the business, managers also have to select the ethical approach that will ensure the consumer is getting the best service at a reasonable cost, jobs are being offered to those who need them, consumers do not have to fear product risk, and that they are taking care of their financial responsibilities to the government. Regardless of the approach selected, consistency is important as not to send a signal of injustice and consistency allows companies and individuals to reach their end-state goals without having to waste time and money. Ethical Perspectives At the start of the MBA program, ethics and ethical behavior were and still are a very important part of conducting business and in how others are treated and perceived. This program reemphasized the importance of the role of ethics and how people in society should work hard to create a personal and corporate culture that fosters accountability and ensures everyone conducts business in an ethical manner. Being a part of a team during each class was a very good test of ethics, beliefs, and the ability to display patience and understanding towards other people. Some team members had little respect and showed disregard for others or their feelings. Although assignment completion was the most important aspect, some members were written off because of a lack of effective writing abilities, communication, or personal skills. Although many of those decisions were based on personal preference, one still has to question if the decisions were right or wrong. A major source of failure in most team assignments as well as collaborative projects within an organization is usually caused by a lack of admiration for individual judgment. Respect for individual judgment was evident in the Assessment of Ethical Choices in the Workplace (2009). When teammates acknowledge the judgment of others, they encourage open communication, build trust, and promote cohesiveness that could potentially prevent unethical behavior from occurring. Having an ethical profile closely aligned with character is an asset when trying to judge others (University of Phoenix, 2009). Conclusion For businesses and individuals to remain successful there must be intent to remain ethical and socially responsible. The ethical and social decisions made have to support the better good of the organization or society and every effort should be made to call attention to and reject improper behavior. Although one might perceive his or her ethical concepts to be intact, improvement is always encouraged. References Pearson, J. A. , & Robinson, R. B. (2004). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (9th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethical choices in the workplace. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethics awareness inventory. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation. Ethics Reflection Paper When explaining the role of ethics and social responsibility in developing a strategic plan, the stakeholders need to be considered. So it’s not just customers and employees now you have these people who have invested in your company. â€Å"Each of these interest groups has justifiable reasons for expecting (and often for demanding) that the firm satisfy their claims in a responsible manner. In general, stockholders claim appropriate returns on their investment; employees seek broadly defined job satisfactions; customers want what they pay for; suppliers seek dependable buyers; governments want adherence to legislation; unions seek benefits for their members; competitors want fair competition; local communities want the firm to be a responsible citizen; and the general public expects the firm’s existence to improve the quality of life. † There are two kinds of stakeholders the inside ones and the outside ones, the issues are that they both look at the company mission for a social responsibility towards society and at the same time the financial interests of the stockholders. For example an outside stakeholder may demand that an insider would be subordinated for the well being of the society and vice versa. This starts to get complex by thinking you’re running a company that needs to make a profit to succeed but at the same time must answer to a social responsibility and particular ethics point of view. An example of a company being socially responsible while making a profit is Toyota. They make the top selling Prius which is the hybrid that leads in developing efficient gas-electric vehicles. There are four types of social responsibilities for which strategic planners must plan, which are: economic, legal, ethical and discretionary. In economic is assumed that the company is providing goods and services at a cost that’s reasonable. In legal responsibilities the company must adhere to the laws that regulate it. In ethical responsibilities the company must have a notion of right and wrong that’s well defined and most of all ethical. In discretionary responsibilities are those that voluntary and throughout those sometimes the company tries to enhance their image. Ethics â€Å"refers to the moral principles that reflect society’s beliefs about the actions of an individual or a group that are right and wrong. † The perception of ethics in business has currently hit a all time low, this could be due to the never ending recession and others. Throughout the program my view of ethics in the workplace has evolved and is no longer so black and white anymore. I have learned that the ethical perspective of a individual not necessarily is the same view of a organization. The company has to think about the whole company and also the impact on society. While the individual’s perspective come from him alone, and how he vies society. References: Casio, W. (2005). Managing Human Resources: Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits 7th Edition New York Mac Graw-Hill. University of Phoenix. (2010). InterClean Scenario [Computer Software]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, Simulation, HRM/531 Mondy, R. (2008). Human Resource Management 10th Edition Prentice Hall. Ethics Reflection Paper Ethics Reflection Paper Ethics and social responsibility are key factors when planning one’s personal life or planning for the success of a business. When companies develop strategic plans, they must consider what role ethics will play and how social responsibility will affect the plan keeping stakeholders need at the forefront. If businesses and individuals are making a conscious effort to display ethical behavior, ethical perspectives and beliefs should evolve over time much like what has happened in the master’s of business administration (MBA) program. Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Strategic Planning Ethics are guidelines used to help management and employees conduct themselves according to the values and standards set forth by the company. To ensure employees understand the rules and make good ethical decisions, a company’s plan should embody the beliefs and values that the business and their employees view most important. These beliefs and values can be outlined in a company’s mission, vision, and philosophy statements which provide direction, purpose, and a clear understanding of an organization’s behavioral expectations and decisions made by the stakeholders. When adhered to, the mission and vision statements can be the baseline for goal-setting and strategic planning while keeping ethics at the core of all decisions. Pearson and Robinson (2004) stated â€Å"central to the belief that companies should be operated in a socially responsive way for the benefit of all stakeholders is the belief that managers will behave in an ethical manner† (p. 60). Even with a plan in place and ethical guidelines established, unethical behavior is always a possibility which could occur at a management or subordinate level. Too many top-level management and executives have acted inappropriately and have violated company policies. This was witnessed through events such as the Enron, WorldCom, and Bernie Madoff scandals where unethical behavior was called into question. Employees, specifically those in a management position, have an obligation to do what is right for the sake of their customers, the industry, and to help maintain the company’s image and reputation. When this fails to happen, the owners and board of directors must take the appropriate action to get rid of those individuals, not only to set an example but to make the point that unethical behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances. To minimize the possibility that similar atrocities will occur, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was instituted to mandate Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Chief Financial Officers (CFO) to take responsibility for reports generated and to acknowledge that the information included in the reports are true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. If the information is not true or is fraudulent, both have a responsibility to report the findings to auditors. Like ethical behavior, â€Å"social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company’s strategic decision makers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pearson & Robinson, 2004, p. 23). Owners need to ensure that they hire managers who are going to carry out their wishes and be the voice in their absence instead of managers who will protect their self-interests. Decisions made by management have to be aligned with the beliefs of the owner and the company’s stakeholders to guarantee profitability and survivability. To encourage managers to make appropriate and ethical decisions, owners and executives should provide incentives through bonuses, appraisals, and recognition programs. Managers who do receive performance incentives will be held accountable by stakeholders. Stakeholders include stockholders who want a good return on investment, employees seeking job satisfaction, satisfied customers and suppliers, governments seeking law abiding companies, competitors seeking strong competition, responsible citizens and the public seeking a good quality of life (Pearson & Robinson, 2004). Outside of being accountable to owners and the business, managers also have to select the ethical approach that will ensure the consumer is getting the best service at a reasonable cost, jobs are being offered to those who need them, consumers do not have to fear product risk, and that they are taking care of their financial responsibilities to the government. Regardless of the approach selected, consistency is important as not to send a signal of injustice and consistency allows companies and individuals to reach their end-state goals without having to waste time and money. Ethical Perspectives At the start of the MBA program, ethics and ethical behavior were and still are a very important part of conducting business and in how others are treated and perceived. This program reemphasized the importance of the role of ethics and how people in society should work hard to create a personal and corporate culture that fosters accountability and ensures everyone conducts business in an ethical manner. Being a part of a team during each class was a very good test of ethics, beliefs, and the ability to display patience and understanding towards other people. Some team members had little respect and showed disregard for others or their feelings. Although assignment completion was the most important aspect, some members were written off because of a lack of effective writing abilities, communication, or personal skills. Although many of those decisions were based on personal preference, one still has to question if the decisions were right or wrong. A major source of failure in most team assignments as well as collaborative projects within an organization is usually caused by a lack of admiration for individual judgment. Respect for individual judgment was evident in the Assessment of Ethical Choices in the Workplace (2009). When teammates acknowledge the judgment of others, they encourage open communication, build trust, and promote cohesiveness that could potentially prevent unethical behavior from occurring. Having an ethical profile closely aligned with character is an asset when trying to judge others (University of Phoenix, 2009). Conclusion For businesses and individuals to remain successful there must be intent to remain ethical and socially responsible. The ethical and social decisions made have to support the better good of the organization or society and every effort should be made to call attention to and reject improper behavior. Although one might perceive his or her ethical concepts to be intact, improvement is always encouraged. References Pearson, J. A. , & Robinson, R. B. (2004). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (9th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethical choices in the workplace. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethics awareness inventory. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation. Ethics Reflection Paper Ethics Reflection Paper Ethics and social responsibility are key factors when planning one’s personal life or planning for the success of a business. When companies develop strategic plans, they must consider what role ethics will play and how social responsibility will affect the plan keeping stakeholders need at the forefront. If businesses and individuals are making a conscious effort to display ethical behavior, ethical perspectives and beliefs should evolve over time much like what has happened in the master’s of business administration (MBA) program. Role of Ethics and Social Responsibility in Strategic Planning Ethics are guidelines used to help management and employees conduct themselves according to the values and standards set forth by the company. To ensure employees understand the rules and make good ethical decisions, a company’s plan should embody the beliefs and values that the business and their employees view most important. These beliefs and values can be outlined in a company’s mission, vision, and philosophy statements which provide direction, purpose, and a clear understanding of an organization’s behavioral expectations and decisions made by the stakeholders. When adhered to, the mission and vision statements can be the baseline for goal-setting and strategic planning while keeping ethics at the core of all decisions. Pearson and Robinson (2004) stated â€Å"central to the belief that companies should be operated in a socially responsive way for the benefit of all stakeholders is the belief that managers will behave in an ethical manner† (p. 60). Even with a plan in place and ethical guidelines established, unethical behavior is always a possibility which could occur at a management or subordinate level. Too many top-level management and executives have acted inappropriately and have violated company policies. This was witnessed through events such as the Enron, WorldCom, and Bernie Madoff scandals where unethical behavior was called into question. Employees, specifically those in a management position, have an obligation to do what is right for the sake of their customers, the industry, and to help maintain the company’s image and reputation. When this fails to happen, the owners and board of directors must take the appropriate action to get rid of those individuals, not only to set an example but to make the point that unethical behavior will not be tolerated under any circumstances. To minimize the possibility that similar atrocities will occur, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was instituted to mandate Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and Chief Financial Officers (CFO) to take responsibility for reports generated and to acknowledge that the information included in the reports are true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. If the information is not true or is fraudulent, both have a responsibility to report the findings to auditors. Like ethical behavior, â€Å"social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company’s strategic decision makers†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Pearson & Robinson, 2004, p. 23). Owners need to ensure that they hire managers who are going to carry out their wishes and be the voice in their absence instead of managers who will protect their self-interests. Decisions made by management have to be aligned with the beliefs of the owner and the company’s stakeholders to guarantee profitability and survivability. To encourage managers to make appropriate and ethical decisions, owners and executives should provide incentives through bonuses, appraisals, and recognition programs. Managers who do receive performance incentives will be held accountable by stakeholders. Stakeholders include stockholders who want a good return on investment, employees seeking job satisfaction, satisfied customers and suppliers, governments seeking law abiding companies, competitors seeking strong competition, responsible citizens and the public seeking a good quality of life (Pearson & Robinson, 2004). Outside of being accountable to owners and the business, managers also have to select the ethical approach that will ensure the consumer is getting the best service at a reasonable cost, jobs are being offered to those who need them, consumers do not have to fear product risk, and that they are taking care of their financial responsibilities to the government. Regardless of the approach selected, consistency is important as not to send a signal of injustice and consistency allows companies and individuals to reach their end-state goals without having to waste time and money. Ethical Perspectives At the start of the MBA program, ethics and ethical behavior were and still are a very important part of conducting business and in how others are treated and perceived. This program reemphasized the importance of the role of ethics and how people in society should work hard to create a personal and corporate culture that fosters accountability and ensures everyone conducts business in an ethical manner. Being a part of a team during each class was a very good test of ethics, beliefs, and the ability to display patience and understanding towards other people. Some team members had little respect and showed disregard for others or their feelings. Although assignment completion was the most important aspect, some members were written off because of a lack of effective writing abilities, communication, or personal skills. Although many of those decisions were based on personal preference, one still has to question if the decisions were right or wrong. A major source of failure in most team assignments as well as collaborative projects within an organization is usually caused by a lack of admiration for individual judgment. Respect for individual judgment was evident in the Assessment of Ethical Choices in the Workplace (2009). When teammates acknowledge the judgment of others, they encourage open communication, build trust, and promote cohesiveness that could potentially prevent unethical behavior from occurring. Having an ethical profile closely aligned with character is an asset when trying to judge others (University of Phoenix, 2009). Conclusion For businesses and individuals to remain successful there must be intent to remain ethical and socially responsible. The ethical and social decisions made have to support the better good of the organization or society and every effort should be made to call attention to and reject improper behavior. Although one might perceive his or her ethical concepts to be intact, improvement is always encouraged. References Pearson, J. A. , & Robinson, R. B. (2004). Strategic management: Formulation, implementation, and control (9th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethical choices in the workplace. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation. University of Phoenix (2009). Williams Institute: Ethics awareness inventory. Retrieved August 20, 2009, from University of Phoenix, Week One, STR 581 – Strategic Planning and Implementation.

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 18

Ella Micha won't text me back and it's eating away at my mind. I need to find out where he is, but Caroline's making it difficult. She's a photographer and wants to take pictures of the different views of our town. I take her to the lake first because it's the sunnier side of town, and pull over in a few different turnouts that give her various views. When we reach the bridge, she gets really enthusiastic and wants pictures of it too. â€Å"It has so much history to it,† she says. â€Å"And it probably carries a lot of memories for people.† I wonder if Caroline is a mind reader on top of a photographer. A thin cloud of dust surrounds us as I tap the brakes and park the car just at the brink of the bridge and she hops out with her camera bag on her shoulder. Lila and I trek after her, taking our sweet time, but I halt at the line that splits the road from the bridge. â€Å"So is this the bridge?† Lila asks, watching me through her sunglasses. I stare at the spot on the ground where Micha and I stood kissing in the rain. â€Å"Yeah, this is the bridge.† With a quiver in my heart, I step onto the concrete and walk up to the railing. Gripping the bar, I gaze out at the lake, glistening in the sunlight, so much brighter than that rainy night. Caroline clicks her camera, getting the lake at every angle while Lila roams to the other side. The wind blows through my hair and I shut my eyes, going back to that night. I'd been cleaning out my mom's medicine cabinet earlier that morning and had come across the bottle of pills she'd taken to keep her delusions under control. I'd wondered if they'd worked for her and how they made her mind see life. So I took one to see for myself and then headed off with Micha to a party. As soon as I'd climbed in his car, he'd sensed something was off with me. â€Å"You look out of it,† he said. â€Å"Maybe we should just stay in tonight.† I shook my head and motioned for him to drive. Frowning, he drove us to the party, but he kept a close eye on me almost the entire night, following me like a puppy. Usually, I didn't mind, but I grew restless with the desire to figure out what the hell my mother was thinking. So when Micha got preoccupied by a girl, I cornered Grantford and asked him to drive me to the bridge. He had happily obliged, thinking he was going to get some. When we arrived at the bridge it was raining buckets of water. I thanked him politely and told him he could go. He was pissed and started yammering something about why the hell did he drive me out here. I shrugged and slammed the door shut, stepping out into the rain. He spun away from the bridge, the tires of his pickup kicking up gravel and mud all over my boots. I walked over to the railing and stepped up onto the curb, observing the water through the veil of rain. But it wasn't close enough, so I stepped up onto the beam just like I remembered her doing. It still didn't make sense why she did it – why she thought she could fly and I don't think it ever will. I jerk away from my reminiscing and concentrate on Caroline, who's still snapping pictures, with the long lens of her camera close to my face. â€Å"You're a deep thinker,† she remarks and clicks her camera again. â€Å"And you photograph well.† I shake my head. â€Å"No, I'm not. Not really.† She snaps another picture and moves the camera away. â€Å"As a photographer I get to see through a totally different eye. I think it makes me see people differently – more clearly.† â€Å"Like a mirror?† â€Å"Yeah, kind of.† She turns the lens toward the lake and starts snapping pictures of it. I recline against the railing and scroll through my messages. I only have one, Micha's voicemail from a few weeks ago. I decide maybe it's time. I press dial and put it up to my ear. â€Å"Hey Ella, it's Micha,† he says nervously, unlike himself, and sighs â€Å"Well, that was a stupid opening line, so pretend you didn't hear that.† A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. That sounds more like him. â€Å"Anyway, I'm kind of irritated that you just took off and haven't called.† He pauses and I can hear Ethan in the background. â€Å"Actually, I'm fucking pissed off. I don't even know what to say. You just bail after everything we've been through. Do you know how crazy I've been wondering where you were or if you were even alive? My heart compresses in my chest. I've never heard him so upset. â€Å"You just bailed out on everyone and people need you, even if you don't think so. Grady's sick – he has cancer and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He inhales a shaky breath. â€Å"I still love you†¦ I don't know what else to say and there's probably not even a point of saying anymore†¦ you won't call me back.† It clicks and the message ends. It's not what I was imagining. I'd never once looked at it from his side – how worried he must have been. I send him another text, but again, he doesn't respond. *** One week passes and I still don't hear from Micha. He won't call me or answer my texts, and his phone is going straight to voicemail. His mom has no idea where he is either and she's starting to get really worried. Ever since I returned from the bridge, little images of what happened when Micha picked me up that night have been flickering through my head. Something infinite happened that night, not with Micha, but with me. I arrive at the conclusion, while I'm sitting out on my porch, staring at his vacant driveway, that it's time to get to the bottom of what's going on with Micha. There is only one person I could think of who might know where he is. Ethan. And I need backup. â€Å"What are we trying to get out of him?† Lila asks as I drive up to the shop Ethan works at. â€Å"Where Micha is.† I tell her, putting the shifter into park. â€Å"And I think Ethan might know.† Her forehead scrunches as she eyes the open garage door. Ethan is behind a car being worked on, tossing a screwdriver and catching it like a baseball. â€Å"But why am I here?† â€Å"Because you're my backup.† â€Å"And what exactly is it you want me to do?† â€Å"I'm not sure yet.† I bite my nail, assessing the situation. Ethan is dressed in a nice pair of jeans and plaid button-down shirt, not his work clothes, which means he can leave if he wants to and he probably will, making this as difficult as possible. Especially if Micha told him not to tell me. He tips his head back and laughs at something his dad said. Then his eyes find my dad's Firebird and his expression drops. I open the door and he throws down the tool and runs through the shop. I jog across the gravel and swing open the front door, leaving Lila behind. Sitting behind the counter is Mrs. Gregory, Ethan's mother who has the same dark hair and brown eyes as Ethan. She looks up quickly from a magazine and her eyes brighten. â€Å"Ella, is that you?† She gets up from the stool and rounds the counter to give me a hug. â€Å"I didn't know you were back, honey.† â€Å"For the summer, I am.† My eyes skim the room and the shop. â€Å"Is Ethan in there?† She points over her shoulder. â€Å"He just ran back into the storage room. You want me to go get him?† â€Å"Would you mind if I did?† I ask politely. â€Å"Sure, hun.† She steps aside and lets me behind the counter. The storage room is lined with rows and rows of shelves holding parts for cars. It's quiet, dark, and the sink has a drip. â€Å"Ethan,† I say, shutting the door quietly behind me. â€Å"I know you're in here.† â€Å"I hear a shuffle from the back corner diagonal from me. I hurry down the tire aisle, peeking through the shelf, and catch him running up the other side. I skitter backwards, hoping to cut him off at the end by the door. â€Å"Ethan will you please talk to me?† My voice echoes back at me. Looking left then right, I exit the aisle. â€Å"Look, I know he told you where he went, so will you please just tell me†¦ or at least tell me if he's okay.† He suddenly reveals himself from an aisle a few rows down. â€Å"He told me not to tell you where he was.† I press my lips together at the sting in my heart. â€Å"I need to know. I'm worried about him.† He props his elbow on the edge of a shelf. â€Å"Well, now you know how he's felt for the last eight months.† The painful feeling of reality sinks in. â€Å"Please, please, will you just tell me where he is. It's killing me not knowing.† He eyes me over, like he's hunting for my sincerity. â€Å"He went to see his dad.† My jaw almost hits the floor. â€Å"When did he find out where his dad was?† Ethan sighs and leans against the shelf. â€Å"He started calling the house a few weeks ago, asking to talk to Micha. Micha wouldn't talk to him, but then a few days ago, he finally decided it was time to go see him.† â€Å"Is he still with his dad?† I ask. He hesitates. â€Å"No†¦ Let's just say the visit didn't go very well.† I force the lump in my throat down. â€Å"Is he okay?† â€Å"I'm not sure†¦.He was staying with some of our old friends over at Farrows Park the last time I talked to him.† â€Å"Is he coming back?† â€Å"Again, I'm not sure.† I sink to the cold concrete floor and let my head fall into my hands. â€Å"Why didn't he tell me?† Ethan puffs out a loud breath and sits down beside me. â€Å"Because he didn't want you dealing with his problems on top of your own. He worries about you all the time. It's kind of annoying.† I raise my head and scowl at him. He chuckles and nudges me with his elbow. â€Å"What? I'm the one who's had to listen to him talk about you for the last eight months. At one point, I almost stabbed my ears out just so I didn't have to hear it.† I give a gentle pat to his knee. â€Å"Pretend all you want. You're not as bad of a guy as you want people to think.† He comprehends the deeper meaning to my words. â€Å"Yeah, yeah, say what you want, but deep down, I'm just your average douche bag, like every other guy out there.† Laughing, we get up and go out to the lobby, where there's a guy waiting at the front counter. He walks me to the door and stares out at Lila sitting out on the hood of my car examining her watch. â€Å"So what are you going to do?† he asks as I push open the door. â€Å"I'm not sure yet,† I say. â€Å"I doubt you're going to tell me where the house is that he's staying at.† â€Å"I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to go there. He needs to clear his head.† He backs up toward the register with his hands stuffed into his pockets. â€Å"I got customers to take care of.† I meet Lila at the car and she slides off the hood. â€Å"Did he tell you anything?† We climb in the car and I quickly explain to her the vague details of what happened. â€Å"So where are we going?† she asks, buckling her seatbelt. The sunlight sparkles through the windshield and into my eyes. â€Å"We're going home.† *** A couple more days drag by and I still don't hear anything from Micha. It baffles me how much I miss him, but I do my best to keep busy, not wanting to get sucked up in the loneliness and worry. Dean and Caroline went home about a week ago. Caroline told me they'd come back to visit before the summer was over or she would at least see me again at the wedding, which is in October. Lila is out for the day with Ethan, not on a date, something they both insisted when I brought it up. My dad is locked in his room. He had a rough night and got into a fight. I received a call from Denny at two o'clock in the morning telling me to come pick him up. Deciding I need a break from my house, I peek in on my dad who is fast asleep, and then drive over to Grady's house. Amy's car is parked in front of the trailer and the front door is wide open, swaying in the wind a little. I hop out of the car as she walks outside with a bag over her shoulder and a box of Grady's stuff in her arms. I fear the worst has happened. â€Å"Is everything okay?† She sighs, transferring the box to the side of her hip to free her hand so she can get the car door open. â€Å"He caught a bad case of pneumonia and he's been taken to the hospital over in Monroe.† I brace my hand on the trunk of the car for support. â€Å"Is he okay?† Shaking her head, she sets the box on the seat and slams the door shut with her hip. â€Å"His body's already fightin' cancer. This just makes things worse.† â€Å"I need to go see him,† I mumble and turn for my car. â€Å"He can't have visitors right now, Ella,† she says empathetically. â€Å"His immune system's too low.† I frown. â€Å"Will you let me know when he can?† She gives me a small smile, but there's something in her eyes I don't like. â€Å"Yeah, hun. I will.† As I back down the driveway, watching her lock up, I feel helpless and out-of-control. I want to run away, back to Vegas, or somewhere else equally as far away, so I won't have to feel it. But I don't. *** I try not to stress too much about Grady, but my thoughts keep drifting to him. Whether he's in a hospital bed with sterilized walls? Or did Amy take a box of his stuff to fix it up for him? â€Å"What song is this?† Lila is lying on her stomach in my bed, flipping through the pages of a magazine. â€Å"‘Black Sun' by Jo Mango,† I say, sharpening one of my charcoal pencils over the garbage in my bedroom. â€Å"It's sad.† She frowns, resting her chin in her hand. â€Å"It makes me want to cry.† â€Å"It's a good song to draw to.† I return to my drawing on the floor. The dark lines of it form pieces of a shattered mirror and I start sketching a picture of a guitar inside one of them. When I'm done, each piece will hold something about my life, but it might take me a while to finish it. Lila raises her head away from her hand and glances at the window. â€Å"Did you hear that?† There's shouting coming from outside, loud enough to be heard over the music. I shade one of the corners with my pinky. â€Å"It's probably just the neighbors.† The yelling gets louder and Lila sits up nervously and draws back the curtain. â€Å"Ella, there's a man and a woman fighting out in front of the driveway.† I set my pencil down on the floor and go over to the window. There's a short, fat man and a tall, slender woman yelling at each other just outside the boundaries of my front yard. â€Å"That's the Anderson's,† I explain. â€Å"They always do that.† â€Å"We should stop it,† she says worriedly. â€Å"He might hurt her.† â€Å"I'll take care of it,† I tell her. â€Å"You stay here.† I pad down the stairs, barefoot and in my boxer shorts and tank top, and poke my head out the door, but the Anderson's have vanished from the street. The lyrics and music of â€Å"Behind Blue Eyes† by The Who is blasting from the stereo in Micha's room next door. It's his sad mood song, the one he lets play over and over again when he's depressed. The lights aren't on in the house, but the one in the garage shines brightly into the night. Sticking out of the open door is the back end of his Chevelle. There's a large dent in the bumper that wasn't there when he left and a scratch on the corner of the fender. Walking down the steps the concrete is ice-cold against my bare feet. I spot him through the window of the garage, searching the shelf for something with a cigarette in his mouth. I watch him move, my pulse instantly speeding up, and I have to work to keep breathing. As he pulls away from the shelf with a box in his hand, he turns his head toward the window, like he senses me out here. Our eyes lock and collide. He sets the box down and disappears out of my view. A few seconds later he walks out of the garage. His jeans ride low on his hips and the porch light hits his chest, highlighting his well-defined muscles and the cursive font of the tattoo on his rib. â€Å"When did you start smoking again?† I inquire from my driveway. He takes the cigarette out of his mouth with his eyes on me. â€Å"I slipped up a few days ago†¦ There's just too much going on, I guess.† I take a few small steps across the driveway and my heart thuds in my chest. â€Å"Is it because of your dad?† Micha reaches the grass, just before the fence divides our houses. â€Å"How do you know about that?† I stop just short of the fence and wrap my arms around myself to keep warm. â€Å"Ethan told me.† He shakes his head, annoyed. â€Å"He's worse than a girl.† â€Å"Hey.† I feign offense, attempting to lighten his mood. â€Å"Not all girls are bad. I've always been an excellent secret keeper. You know that.† He places his hands on the fence and clutches at the links. â€Å"I don't know if that's true anymore.† He gestures his hand at me. â€Å"Maybe this was who you always were. Maybe this place was just getting in the way of you.† He's upset and I need to get to the bottom of why. â€Å"You could have told me about your dad.† â€Å"Could I of?† The front of his thighs push against the fence. â€Å"I don't think you can handle it right now – you can barely handle your own problems.† I reduce the small gap left between the fence and myself. â€Å"Try me.† His eyes examine my face, looking for something deep within me. Then his head falls down, defeated, and he lets out a slow breath. â€Å"It was almost as painful as that day you ran off. I mean, he has a whole other fucking family†¦.† His voice cracks and he clears his throat. â€Å"Like we weren't good enough or something.† The ache in his voice nearly kills me. I close my eyes and tell myself I can do this – that I'm the strong one at the moment. My eyes open and I put my finger under his chin, forcing him to look at me. His eyes are glassy, like he's about to cry, and he tries to look away. I place an unsteady hand on his cheek and maintain his gaze. â€Å"I know it hurts right now,† I say, grappling my voice even. â€Å"But it will get better. It'll just take some time and I'll be here for you this time. I promise.† He looks unconvinced. Not knowing what else to say, I stand on my tiptoes, lean over the fence, and lightly graze my lips across his. Heat caresses my mouth and skin. â€Å"I need you right now,† Micha murmurs against my lips with so much desire in his eyes that my knees buckle. â€Å"I need this right now.† His hand cups around the back of my neck, much gentler than the intensity in his voice, and he crashes my body against his. He tempts me with a soft brush of his lips and every ounce of sexual tension between us explodes. I can't help myself – I fall into him. My lips part willingly, lost in the mind-numbing moment as he slips his tongue deep inside my mouth, devouring me thoroughly. He tastes like cigarettes mingled with mint and the scent of his cologne is intoxicating. My hands trace up the front of his bare chest, and I loop my arms around his neck. The links of the fence dig into my skin as we crush it between our bodies, trying to bury ourselves into one another. Micha pulls away for a second and my lips falter in protest, but he lifts me up over the fence and encourages my legs around his waist. My inner thighs burn as they graze his hips. Every part of him touches me and it makes my body flame. I arch into him, moaning as his lips return to mine even more ravenously. â€Å"Oh my God, this feels so good.† He groans, before heading toward his house. â€Å"What are you doing?† I whisper against his lips, knowing where he's going, but I'm not sure I'm ready for it yet. â€Å"Shh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His warm tongue slips deep inside my mouth and I forget about arguing. His hands hold me up by the ass as he kicks the back door open and stumbles into his kitchen. He knocks over a lamp and bumps into the wall as he carries me blindly down the hall and into his room. Then we collapse on the bed, tangled together. The music is loud and he reaches over to the stereo and turns it down so it filters through the room softly. â€Å"Ow,† I squeal, squirming. â€Å"Something just poked me.† â€Å"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to happen,† Micha jokes with feral eyes. I swat his chest and reach underneath me, retrieving a drumstick. He snatches it from my hand, laughing softly as he chucks it over his shoulder and it lands somewhere in the dark. His face turns serious as he smoothes my hair back, looking into my eyes so passionately, my nerves crack through. â€Å"Do you know I realized I loved you when we were like sixteen? But I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid you'd run away.† I prop up on my elbows, making our faces inches away. Strands of his hair hang in my face. â€Å"But I was normal back then. Or at least partly normal.† He lets his forehead rest against mine. â€Å"Yeah, but I thought that's how things were supposed to happen when people were in love.† I realize how bad I must have hurt him when I ran off after he tried to tell me he loved me. â€Å"Micha, I'm sorry.† His jaw spasms and he tips his head back up. When he kisses me again, it feels different somehow – more intimate. My apprehension starts to emerge, but I choke it down and let my head fall back against the pillow. His lips follow mine and he kisses all the fear out of me. My chest presses into his as my neck arches against his trail of kisses along my skin, sucking and nipping at it all the way down. â€Å"Fuck,† he groans when his mouth reaches the curve of my breast. The fabric of my tank top is thin and I don't have a bra on. Hesitantly, his tongue lightly slides between my breasts. Instantly, my nipples harden and an irrepressible moan escapes from my lips as desire takes over my body. I sit up, stunning him, and he moves back. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asks. Sucking in a deep breath of air, I shut my eyes and wiggle my shirt off. My chest heaves, bare and exposed, as my lungs strain for air. I've never been this far with a guy before – never wanted to. Getting close to someone meant getting attached and getting attached has only brought me hurt in the past. But Micha's different. He always has been. I just didn't realize it until now. He takes me in deliberately and then covers his body with mine, colliding our bare chest together as we collapse back onto the mattress. My fingers tangle in his soft hair as his hands travel down my shoulders to my breasts. My back bows up, seeking to feed a starvation inside my body, but unsure how to do it. Pausing, I curve my hips and rub up against him. A shot of ecstasy swells through my body and a gasp fumbles from my lips. Hearing the unrestrained noise sends me into a state of anxiety and I fall back to reality. I'm not sure if my mind is ready to go where my body obviously wants to – whether I can allow myself to completely let go. â€Å"Micha wait,† I say in a strained voice. He jerks back quickly, his hand still cupping my breast. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"I'm sorry. I just can't†¦ I don't think I'm ready yet.† He kisses my forehead tenderly and boosts up on his elbows, his body still hovering over me. With his fingertip, he sketches a line from my temple to my jaw and my eyelids flutter. â€Å"Will you let me try one more thing?† I open my eyes, dazed from his touch. â€Å"I'm not sure if I can go any farther tonight.† â€Å"Just trust me, okay?† he says. â€Å"And if it gets to be too much, just say and I promise I'll stop.† I bite at my lip, knowing where he's going with this. â€Å"Okay.† Unhurriedly, with his eyes fastened on mine, he moves his mouth and kisses the hollow of my neck, sending shivers over my skin. His lips move downward and linger just above my breast. My eyes shut as his mouth touches my nipple and his tongue slips out over it. He sucks on it hard and I swear to God I can't breathe. My legs vice-grip around him and the longer he devours me, the fiercer his mouth gets. With each movement of his tongue, my thighs burn hotter. I need†¦ something. â€Å"Micha, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Shh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he whispers and trails rapturous kisses up my neck. â€Å"I'll take care of it.† His fingers slide down my bare stomach and to the bottom of my shorts, leaving a path of heat along my skin. As his lips find mine again, his finger slips deep inside me. The lyrics of the music fade away as my panic bursts into a thousand blissful pieces. Micha When Ella screams out my name, with her head tipped back, her eyes lost, it's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. She trusted me enough to do things to her that no one else has and it makes me feel alive again. Of course, my dick is so hard it actually hurts. â€Å"Behind Blue Eyes† by The Who is stuck on repeat and fills up the moment. It's the song I turn on when I feel down, but I don't think it's going to be that anymore – not after tonight. I brush her hair away from her forehead. â€Å"Are you okay?† Her green eyes are glazed over as she nods her head up and down. There's a look on her face that brings a smile to my lips. â€Å"I'm better than fine.† She leans up and kisses me. I draw her in, intensifying the kiss, then let her go, needing to cool down. â€Å"You should stay here tonight.† I expect her to protest, but she nods as she tugs her shirt back over her head. â€Å"Okay, but I'll have to use your phone to text Lila. I didn't bring mine with me.† I kiss her forehead, then her temple, breathing her in. â€Å"I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll be right back.† Confining a laugh, she reaches for my phone on my nightstand. â€Å"A cold one?† I grab some clothes out of my dresser and back out the doorway. â€Å"You better watch it, Ella May. Or I may decide against it and you'll just have to deal with me for the rest of the night.† She flops back on the bed as she sends a text. â€Å"Maybe that's what I'm hoping for.† Shaking my head, I throw my clothes on the floor and jump onto the bed, putting a knee on each side of her. She laughs as I playfully trap her arms above her head. I move my lips next to her ear and gently take a nip at her. I breathe on her neck, letting my warm breath cause her to shudder, teasing her and driving both our bodies crazy. She lets out a moan and I feel her legs start to move around me. Sighing, I pull away before I get even more wound up. â€Å"Okay, I have to go take a shower.† I climb off the bed, watching her all the way to the door. Once I'm out of the room, all of the pain I've been feeling about my dad smothers me again, but all I can do is keep breathing.