The Twilight Saga 5: Midnight Sun 17. Family

When Bella first fell asleep, she was quiet. I held her in my arms and kept my face close to her neck. I continued to breathe deeply while I hummed her lullaby very quietly in her ear. Even in her sleep, she trembled at my touch. This moment is what I had always wished for when I was the peeping tom, and now, after everything I've done; spying on her, being rude to her, ignoring her, she invites me in and still wants to be with me. The thought sent pleasure through me. A feeling I couldn't get used to, yet I craved it more. While I was laying there with an angel in my arms I was thinking about the past day's events. I couldn't think of my life before her, because that was no life at all. I was so joyous, euphoric. Every time I felt her warmth, hear her pulse speed up, watch her face flush I fell deeper and deeper into love. After fifteen minutes of silence, Bella began to mumble. I couldn't understand what she was saying for the most part. She shivered then, and I realized that I was probably making her cold. Though it pained me to do it, I removed her from my arms and pulled the blanket around her firmly. Bella turned over when I let go of her, and I thought she woke up when she mumbled, â€Å"I love you, Edward.† She sighed then, and smiled. Bursts of pleasure and exultation flowed swiftly through my body at the thought of her love for me. I was rejoicing, my skin literally singing. The onslaught of euphoric feelings was almost overwhelming. A light snore followed and then she turned again, moving her left hand around like she was looking for something†¦this distracted me. I didn't know what she could possibly be feeling for. An idea sparked in my head then. I grabbed another blanket and wrapped it securely around her. She mumbled, sighed, and said my name. Her hand never stopped searching. I finally laid down next to her, holding her while she was bundled in her quilt and another blanket. Like her hand found what it was looking for, she grabbed my neck and pulled her face into the hollow below my ear. She breathed deep heavy breaths onto my neck. The warmth made me tremble. I pulled her in closer to me. The sensations of her breath were almost maddening. She reached up with her right hand and then it limply fell onto my chest. I held her even closer then. She was quiet. After several immeasurable moments, she turned over and sighed. Her hand came around her back and pulled me close again. I gently caressed her face. Even in her sleep she flushed red. I wonder what she is dreaming about. She sighed my name once more, lightly snored again and didn't move for over an hour. It was becoming late in the evening and Charlie decided he was going to bed. Before he went to bed though, he went outside, opened the hood of Bella's truck, felt to see if it was warm†¦just in case she had snuck out and back without his knowledge, and then swiftly unplugged the battery cables. Did he seriously think that is all it would take to stop Bella from leaving? Charlie went to bed then, and he was snoring in a matter of minutes. Bella moved once more, bringing her head to my chest, over my still heart. I moved the hair from her face and watched as she slept peacefully. I caressed her face, her hair, her lips over and over again. Every time I pressed my fingers to her skin I was stung by the electricity. It was an astonishing feeling. When I could see the sky turning a deep dark blue, I left to take a shower and change my clothes. Removing my arms from Bella was torture. But I had to. I jumped out of Bella's window and raced to my house. It isn't home without Bella, she was my home now. Alice, oh Alice†¦she was waiting for me, just like always, at the bottom of the stairs outside. â€Å"Thanks,† I mumbled under my breath, I was still grateful for her presence this evening. â€Å"So, Jasper lost the bet ?C he should know better than to bet against me.† Alice laughed. We heard Emmett's chuckling from inside the house, immediately after we heard a loud thud and a, â€Å"I'll get you for that!† Shortly after we heard Esme, â€Å"Boy's, cut it out!† followed by â€Å"I'm Sorry,† from Jasper and Emmett both. Alice and I just grinned widely at each other. â€Å"So, are the boys ready to meet Bella?† I asked Alice. Her face went blank as I watched her go through her most recent visions. She was seeing Jasper staying far from Bella, Emmett enjoying Bella's presence immensely until Rosalie show's up and Bella and I laughing exuberantly. â€Å"Thanks again,† I said. I heard a chuckle from inside the house again, â€Å"Hey Edward, is meeting Bella going to be as fun as messing with that kid in Spanish class?† Emmett mused. I heard a light slap from inside the house, â€Å"Emmett, you will be good to Bella, she is going to be a part of this family!† Esme reprimanded him. â€Å"Alice, can I ask you a question?† I wondered. Oh, of course you would be wondering about that. I am surprised it took you this long to notice, Alice thought. â€Å"Please, Alice,† I pleaded, â€Å"Show me the vision again.† Bella and Alice were in a room together, Bella's room, I noticed. Alice was taking measurements of her body and Bella was blushing scarlet with a frown prominent on her face. Immediately I noticed the ring on her left hand. â€Å"Stop,† I begged. What is it Edward, I don't understand, Alice asked, concerned. â€Å"This isn't the same vision, is this newer?† I asked Alice tried to hide her thoughts. It was a new vision, but I was noticing how she was getting measured for a wedding gown and how her face was still flushing a deep red, which meant that she was human. How was that possible? Was it when Bella asked me about marriage? I must admit, the thought did run through my mind, but for only a fraction of a second. Did we both want it at the same time? It seemed a dream come true ?C but how could this be possible. I was completely miffed! How could I let myself get so deeply into this? Because you love her, you idiot, I yelled internally. She was my life now, and there was no taking it back. I could not leave her, and I knew she felt the same way. I frowned at Alice. It wasn't her fault, but she was the one who was showing me what I could possibly be doing to Bella. I was coveting her. I went inside the house. Carlisle was talking with Jasper intently about a new medical study going on at the hospital. When I walked in the room, they stopped immediately. Jasper could feel the mix of emotions coming off of me. What is going on with you Edward? I have never felt so many emotions radiating off one person, love, self hatred, anger, happiness†¦ there are so many feelings, get a grip, Edward! Jasper scolded. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I muttered to Jasper. I put my feelings in check then, deciding to focus on today's events. â€Å"Carlisle, I am going to invite Bella over to meet the family, is that okay?† I asked Absolutely, that would be delightful, Carlisle thought. Esme came into the room then, interested in our conversation. I had not talked that much about Bella in the past, but they all knew how my mood has changed since I met her. She has altered me in ways I didn't know were possible. â€Å"You know my thoughts on that Edward. I've wanted to meet her for some time now. She is your partner, which means she is family. I am ready to meet my new daughter,† Esme beamed. â€Å"Thank you,† I said to both of them with a grin on my face. â€Å"No need to thank us Edward, we want to thank Bella!† Carlisle exclaimed. â€Å"No doubt,† I mumbled, distracted now. My family could tell I was distracted, and they scattered, while their mental humming starting thinking about the days events, which would include a human. I went to my bedroom and quickly showered and changed. I was in a hurry and I was finished in just two minutes. I was out the door in the next second. Can't wait to see Bella, Alice thought as I flew by. I was back at Bella's before Charlie left. Charlie was humming under his breath while gathering his fishing supplies. He checked on Bella, went downstairs, and pulled something out of the fridge. I was standing in the shade of the trees. My arms were feeling cold, something they have never felt before, but I knew it was because Bella's warmth was absent and I was becoming impatient with Charlie's human slowness. He finally exited the house and I was already in Bella's room. When I jumped in the window, wind blew inward and then back out the window throwing Bella's scent into my face, instantly assaulting my throat. Hot flames burst down my throat licking at my aching wounds from my already dry thirsty throat. I whirled around to look at Bella. She was sleeping soundly, her hair all around her, where it had dried in the shape of her pillow. A little laugh escaped my lips and the monster was instantly caged, even though the dull ache in my throat continued to burn. Charlie reconnected Bella's battery cables and left to meet Harry Clearwater at the lake in that moment. I was busy watching over Bella, though. I didn't have time to deal with anyone else's thoughts. My arms were still feeling cold from Bella's absence, but my heart had warmed since I reentered her bedroom. I continually breathed in several large generous gulps of air, letting her scent burn my throat, sending painful pleasure through my body. I sat in the rocking chair, afraid pulling her into my arms would wake her now. An hour passed, and she still hadn't moved. I would have thought her dead if it weren't for her regular pulse and light snoring. Suddenly Bella moaned, putting her arm over her face and then she rolled over. She was still for a moment. Her heart started pounding, and her pulse began racing. I was worried but then, instantly, she was sitting up, â€Å"Oh!† she breathed. She met my gaze and I smiled, â€Å"Your hair looks like a haystack†¦but I like it,† I teased. Her hair was splayed across her face†¦she was adorable. In a fluid movement, by her standards, she was out of the bed and into my arms, clutching herself to me, â€Å"Edward! You stayed!† she exulted. My arms instantly engulfed her and brought her to my chest. She became stone under my arms and her gaze met mine, worry in her expression. She must be worried she went too far but when she threw herself into my arms, I was instantly satisfied, my arms simultaneously warming. I laughed, joyous, â€Å"Of course,† I told her. My hands were at her back and began moving up and down gently, caressing her. She shivered in pleasure. I breathed in her delicious scent. Her head met my shoulder, and I brought my arms around her again, securing her to my chest. â€Å"I was sure it was a dream,† she mused. â€Å"You're not that creative,† I teased. â€Å"Charlie,† she exclaimed, leaving my arms quickly to go to the door. My arms stung without her presence, like they were turning to ice. â€Å"He left an hour ago ?C after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?† I asked, curious. She stood in the middle of her room, with a confused expression on her face, unresponsive to my question, â€Å"You're not usually this confused in the morning,† I noted. My arms were still stinging unbearably now. I held my arms out, welcoming her back into my embrace. She stared at me, wavered, and then spoke, â€Å"I need another human minute,† she explained. â€Å"I'll wait.† Bella literally skipped to the bathroom. I had never seen her do that, and it sent a new sensation spiraling down my spine. I still didn't know Bella, there were so many things I didn't understand and I wanted to know everything about it. Her expressions, her thoughts and feelings. I gritted my teeth, and tightened my eyes shut trying to read her thoughts once more. Nothing, not even a hum, murmur, or buzz. Absolutely†¦frustrating, there was no other word for it. I heard the water running in the bathroom again and I was extremely happy that she wasn't taking another warm shower. The memory of the scent left painful scorch marks in my throat. I heard the water turn off. She ran back into the room and I immediately held out my arms, pleading obvious on my face. For her to be in my arms was a necessity at this moment. I couldn't remain in this chair for long if she wasn't locked in my arms. â€Å"Welcome back,† I murmured. Her heart began beating rapidly and she embraced me back. I held her to my chest, rocking her lightly back and forth while lightly tracing her bodies every line. A rush of sensations was rippling through my body, at each electric jolt; jubilance, happiness, triumph†¦the uplifting joy I was feeling was indescribable. Bella grabbed the collar of my shirt, â€Å"You left?† she accused. I felt so light-hearted at this moment, â€Å"I could hardly leave in the clothes I came in ?C what would the neighbors think?† I teased, not like the neighbors would see me. Her bottom lip was suddenly protruding from her face. My new desires and the passion I was always feeling for her flared up and I wanted to bring my mouth to hers to nibble on her lower lip. No mistakes, I told myself. If I were to slip, I might break the skin. I decided to distract myself, â€Å"You were very deeply asleep; I didn't miss anything,† I stared at her, â€Å"The talking came earlier.† She groaned loudly and I automatically brought my arms around her to comfort her. â€Å"What did you hear?† she moaned. â€Å"You said you loved me.† I explained with adoration in my joyous expression. â€Å"You knew that already,† she noted, bringing her head to my chest again. Her warmth was insatiable and I brought her scent into my lungs again and again, relishing in the burning desires. â€Å"It was nice to hear, just the same,† I explained. She didn't even hesitate, â€Å"I love you,† she whispered softly. My heart, unbeating, felt like it grew to ten times its normal size, a walking stereo type for the Grinch. I wrapped my arms around her in this moment, holding her closely while inhaling the delicate scent that I would on no account be able to acquire enough of. I was holding Bella in my arms as she was confessing her love to me. I had to affirm my affections for her, and love wasn't an effective enough declaration, â€Å"You are my life now.† I replied with an understated fervor. Not one word escaped her mouth, but she drew me closer to her warm body. Her reaction was all the confirmation I needed. She understood. It would be foolish for me to deny myself the warmth of this soul. After several moments of pure bliss, I recalled her human weakness, â€Å"Breakfast time,† I said, letting her know that I didn't forget all her human frailties. She glanced at me and in an abrupt action she grasped her neck with both hands. Her eyes widened in terror. I was instantly distressed, terrified that she thought I was going to drink from her. She comprehended my reaction. It must be apparent on my face. â€Å"Kidding!† she giggled, â€Å"And you said I couldn't act!† she pointed out. I felt a moment of unease. Unbelievable! How could she possibly think of her life as a joke? Did she think so little of me, too? I was offended and a little out-raged, â€Å"That wasn't funny.† I stated with vexation clear on my face. â€Å"It was very funny, and you know it,† she responded, laugh lines still present on her cheeks. Nothing could smoother her uplifted mood or mine. She continued to examine my face. The anger I was feeling fled from my body as quickly as it came, â€Å"Shall I rephrase?† I inspected her face, â€Å"Breakfast time for the human.† â€Å"Oh, okay,† she answered with a smirk. I felt suddenly playful. I grabbed her up, and in the gentlest of ways, tossed her over my shoulder. She caught her breath and her pulse raced. The warmth emitted from her like the sun. Her scent was assaulting my nose, and entering my lungs in waves. I reveled in it because I knew the cold would return as soon as I placed her back on her feet. I disappeared down the stairs and in a seconds time I was in the kitchen. With my new discipline of my easy touch coming more naturally, I placed Bella carefully on a chair. â€Å"What's for breakfast?† she asked with smile lines still prominent on her face. Crap, I groaned internally. I remembered that she needed food, but I didn't think to learn to make food. I still hadn't found out all her little secrets like all the things she liked and disliked, including foods. â€Å"Er, I'm not sure,† I answered honestly, â€Å"What would you like?† I was hoping she wouldn't ask for anything difficult. A pop tart maybe? Disgusting! I could see my reflection in her bright brown eyes and I watched as my brow furrowed at the complexity that was food. I was stumped on what to do. She could read the apprehension on my face. She grinned her magnificent smile, bounded toward the cabinets and began searching. â€Å"That's all right,† she giggled, â€Å"I fend for myself pretty well. Watch me hunt.† My gaze followed her every move. I saw how she bounced on each of her steps. How every time she found something distasteful she would slightly shake her head, and when she was considering her options she would purse her lips. When she found something to her liking, she pulled it out of the cabinet and placed it on the table returning to the fridge to grab something else, and then added the two together. I could smell the sourness of the milk and the wheat from the cereal. It was repulsive. How could she eat something like that? No wonder she was so frail. She froze, â€Å"Can I get you something?† she asked. If she was meaning to offer me some of her food the answer was undeniably, ‘no thanks'! I just rolled my eyes at the thought, â€Å"Just eat Bella.† I commanded. She sat at the table and never moved her gaze from my expressions. I continued to watch myself mirrored in her eyes. I saw how she placed the food in her mouth and watched as her communicative eyes delighted in each bite. She made a light coughing nose, pulling me from my distraction, â€Å"What's on the agenda for today?† she wondered. â€Å"Hmmm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I thought carefully on how I would tell her about meeting my family. It is still her decision, I reminded myself. â€Å"What would you say to meeting my family?† I framed the answer as a question, giving her options. I heard the loud swallow of her food. Was she anxious? â€Å"Are you afraid now?† I asked, afraid myself, though I formed the question as sounding hopeful so she wouldn't notice my panic that was bringing a light haze to my brain. â€Å"Yes,† she admitted. There was an automatic tightening of my muscles. I wanted to reassure her, â€Å"Don't worry,† I grinned playfully, hoping this would ease her mind. â€Å"I'll protect you,† I added. It was an understatement. No one would ever lay one finger on her. â€Å"I'm not afraid of them,† she explained, â€Å"I'm afraid they won't†¦like me. Won't they be, well, surprised that you would bring someone†¦like me†¦home to meet them? Do they know that I know about them?† She asked nervously. â€Å"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know† I smiled at her, trying to show her how little stock I put in their games, but she could read the revulsion on my face, â€Å"on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with my mind reading and Alice seeing the future and all that.† â€Å"And Jasper making you feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling your guts, don't forget that.† â€Å"You paid attention,† I smiled. Of course she paid attention, she was always absorbing more information than I was releasing. â€Å"I've been known to do that every now and then,† she frowned. â€Å"So did Alice see me coming?† she asked. A memory came floating to the forefront of my mind; Bella as a vampire. Suddenly the onslaught of memories of Alice's visions overpowered me. I was temporarily still, â€Å"Something like that,† I murmured. I saw how my face looked in her eyes and turned my head swiftly, unable to hide my expressions of pain, horror and†¦happiness. A distraction, that is what I need right now. â€Å"Is that any good?† I asked. I was actually kind of curious now, â€Å"Honestly, it doesn't look very appetizing.† â€Å"Well, it's no irritable grizzly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I growled under my breath at her causal talk of our hunting. She ignored me. She continued to eat her food. Sometimes a crease would appear between her eyes and the curiosity would flare inside me. Unknowingly, I began probing her mind. It was something I did naturally, without effort. Once again I reached an invisible barrier that let me no farther than the deepest depths of her eyes. I turned towards the window to hide my facial expressions. Another distraction, that is what I needed, â€Å"And you should introduce me to your father, too, I think.† â€Å"He already knows you,† she exclaimed, horror in her voice. It worked, I was distracted. Did she not want me to meet him†¦ maybe I should explain, â€Å"As your boyfriend, I mean.† She glared at me apprehensively, â€Å"Why?† I was confused, â€Å"Isn't that customary?† I wondered. â€Å"I don't know,† she admitted. She hesitated for a minute before continuing, â€Å"That's not necessary, you know. I don't expect you to†¦I mean, you don't have to pretend for me.† Pretend? She was my life now, didn't she remember our conversation from only a few moments ago. There was nothing about my affections for her that were in any way false. â€Å"I'm not pretending,† I smiled to let her know that this was not a lie. She didn't say anything, the quiet of the room biting at my uneasy thoughts. I watched as she moved her food around her bowl. She bit her lower lip. Would she break the skin? I was worried about her and my words came out sharper then I intended, â€Å"Are you going to tell Charlie I'm your boyfriend or not?† â€Å"Is that what you are?† Wasn't it? Maybe we hadn't declared our status, but I thought it was obvious. I decided that I was her†¦boyfriend, â€Å"It's a loose interpretation of the word ‘boy,' I'll admit.† â€Å"I was under the impression that you were something more, actually,† she admitted while she turned her gaze to the table. A joyous feeling suddenly broke free and through my body. My frozen veins full of venom, of death, were instantly pulsing with a jubilant sensation, reveling in the life and soul of her, of Bella. â€Å"Well, I don't know if we need to give him all the gory details,† I mused. Her gaze had not returned to me, and I took decisive action so I could read her conversational eyes. I lightly brought my finger to her chin, using the lightest of pressure, and brought her gaze to mine, â€Å"But he will need some explanation for why I'm around here so much. I don't want Chief Swan getting a restraining order put on me.† â€Å"Will you be? Will you really be here?† She sounded anxious, worried. â€Å"As long as you want me,† I assured her, quickly. â€Å"I'll always want you. Forever.† She sounded like she was warning me. I walked around the table so I could be closer to her. I paused, leaving a small distance between us. I brought my hand to her face, and gently, I touched her cheek with my finger tips. A red hot desire washed over me as her warmth engulfed me. I had barely touched her, yet I felt her heat flowing up my arm and filling my body with a need, my need for her. â€Å"Does that make you sad?† she asked. I didn't want Bella, I needed her. I needed her like she needs air. Couldn't she tell it wasn't sadness on my face, that is was something else? Bliss, ecstasy, pure joy was radiating off me like a nuclear explosion had imploded inside me, sending waves of happiness to all those who surrounded me. Couldn't she feel it? â€Å"Are you finished?† She hoped up out of her seat, eager, â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Get dressed ?C I'll wait here.† I commanded. She bounded up the stairs, skipping two at a time. I waited for her at the foot of the stairs. When she was out of sight, my imagination got the better of me. The thought of her exposed body while she tried on clothes sent new desires rippling through me. I immediately reprimanded myself. I had to remember that she was fragile and innocent. I couldn't fathom how I would feel if I were to harm a single hair on her body, or worse, if I were to become so physical with her that my need and my desire became thirst and hunger. I shuddered and pushed the thoughts away. My husband's not going to be home for a while; maybe I should call him†¦ She is so sexy; I wonder what it would feel like to†¦ The pink top or the white top Several thoughts from the surrounding neighborhood intruded on my mind. Human's minds were always unoriginal and sometimes completely disgusting. How they thought of each other as interchangeable made me sick. I heard Bella's door open, â€Å"Okay,† she called while running down the stairs, â€Å"I'm decent.† I watched her as if she were in slow motion. She over stepped and in a fluid movement she ran right into me. I held her to steady her. And to feel her warmth, I added. I have to admit, I could have stopped her before she fell into me, but I didn't want to. She was wearing a skirt and the dark blue blouse she wore when I rescued her in Port Angeles. The way her blouse hugged her body caused a hollow yearning in my stomach and the excess of venom flowed freely in my mouth at her delicious aroma. I brought my lips to her neck, and I resisted. â€Å"Wrong again,† I whispered in her ear, â€Å"You are utterly indecent ?C no one should look so tempting, it's not fair.† She trembled under my breath. â€Å"Tempting how? I can change†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bella asked, worried. Or was it fear in her voice now? Was she finally coming to her senses? Of course not, that would never happen. â€Å"You as so absurd,† I told her. I brought my lips to her forehead, letting the dry ache have its way with me. â€Å"Shall I explain how you are tempting me?† I brought myself ever closer to her, taking her into my embrace. Gentle, I reminded myself. I slowly stroked my fingertips down her spine. She trembled and her pulse speed up. My wanting; longing was taking a grasp on my senses. I felt the new creature, desire, rejoice as I brought my lips closer to hers. My craving was over powering. I could feel her cheeks warming from the rise of emotions. Passion flowed freely in my veins. I was taking in the air around us. Every particle of air in the room was saturated with Bella's fragrance. The temptation to bring her neck to my teeth was strong. Her hands were on my chest, warming my dead heart. I brought my face closer to hers, bringing our lips inches apart. I took in another generous gulp of her fragrance and brought my lips to hers. I parted her slips slightly as euphoria fell over me and my body was screaming in exultation. I was holding Bella tightly against my chest when suddenly she went limp in my arms. I was alarmed. Did I squeeze her too tight? Had I hurt her? I was panicking. I checked my hold on her, making sure my arms were gentle. I wasn't exerting any more pressure then I had all night when I was holding her. â€Å"Bella?† I whispered in fear. Her eyes fluttered and met mine. She was breathless, â€Å"You†¦made†¦me†¦faint,† she said. I rejoiced at her voice. I couldn't read her eyes, they were unfocused. â€Å"What am I going to do with you?† I groaned in exasperation. â€Å"Yesterday I kiss you, and you attack me! Today you pass out on me!† She was still limp in my arms, but a small laugh came out of her lips, â€Å"That's the problem. You're too good. Far, far too good.† She was still unmoving in my arms. I was holding her up. She looked dizzy, â€Å"Do you feel sick?† â€Å"No ?C that wasn't the same kind of fainting at all. I don't know what happened.† She shook her head, â€Å"I think I forgot to breath.† She hadn't taken a breath, I remembered. What would Esme and Alice think if I brought her over there like this? â€Å"I can't take you anywhere like this.† â€Å"I'm fine,† she insisted, â€Å"Your family is going to think I'm insane anyway, what's the difference?† I suppressed a sigh, deciding another distraction was needed. I looked down at her clothes. â€Å"I'm very partial to that color with your skin,† I told her. The flood of blood to her cheeks made her glow. She was glorious. â€Å"Look, I'm trying really hard not to think about what I'm about to do, so can we go already?† she said impatiently. â€Å"And you're worried, not because you're headed to meet a houseful of vampires, but because you think those vampires won't approve of you, correct?† â€Å"That's right,† she answered quickly†¦and maybe a hint of surprise in her voice. I moved my head back and forth, â€Å"You're incredible.† As my house became visible Bella's eyes widened in surprise. I watched her eyes dart from the trees, the lawn, and finally to the house. â€Å"Wow.† She exclaimed. I smiled, â€Å"You like it?† â€Å"It†¦has a certain charm.† She replied. Bella's here! Alice bellowed from her mind. I ignored her. I reached out and pulled the end of her ponytail lightly. What a human gesture, I mused to myself. I chuckled lightly. I parked her truck and was out of the driver's side door and outside her door opening it before she realized I was gone. She didn't even blink at the fast movement, she expected it. â€Å"Ready?† I asked her. â€Å"Not even a little bit ?C let's go† she attempted a laugh. It sounded more like choking. She was patting her hair, a nervous gesture. â€Å"You look lovely,† I reassured her. I took her hand in mine, leading her up the porch. She was tense. I began caressing her hand with my thumb, trying to soothe her. â€Å"Carlisle, they are on the porch,† Esme called. I opened the door to the house for Bella; she stepped in, still tense. I found it odd that Alice wasn't waiting at the door. I watched as Bella's eyes searched the house, looking for something suspect, I assumed. Her eyes darted from the far wall, which was made of only glass, to the piano and then to the staircase where Esme and Carlisle were waiting for us. They were grinning at her, but didn't approach. She is lovely! Esme thought. Then the scent hit her, I can see her initial appeal, she does smell wonderful†¦don't worry Edward, I'd never hurt her. Esme's thoughts continued. Welcome home, Edward. Carlisle thought. â€Å"Carlisle, Esme, this is Bella.† I introduced them. â€Å"You're very welcome, Bella,† Carlisle stepped closer. She isn't†¦scared is she? Carlisle wondered. I shook my head in a motion that Bella wouldn't have noticed. Each step Carlisle took was slow, careful, and cautious. He raised his hand to shake Bella's. She stepped forward without hesitating and shook his hand, â€Å"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen.† â€Å"Please, call me Carlisle.† â€Å"Carlisle,† Bella grinned. I was relieved that this initial meeting was over with, and I was sure Bella could read my body language. Is she even nervous? Esme wondered, looking in my direction. I shook my head behind Bella. Oh†¦I knew she was meant for you, and so maybe she is meant for our life too, Edward. Esme thought. I banished the idea from my head immediately. I couldn't let myself†¦hope†¦to take her life. Esme stepped forward, feeling elated about this meeting, and reached her hand to shake Bella's also. Bella took her hand like she was meeting a normal human. â€Å"It's very nice to know you,† Esme said sincerely. â€Å"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you, too.† Bella truly looked happy. During these first meetings with my vampire parents Bella's pulse didn't speed up once. She was brave. Alice was still a no show. I searched for her thoughts and found them. No, that color doesn't look right†¦yes, blue, Edward loves it when Bella wears blue. That's it, this dress will look spectacular on her! â€Å"Where is Alice and Jasper?† I called out to them. They both appeared at the top of the stairs in that second. â€Å"Hey, Edward!† Alice called enthusiastically. This is what I've been waiting for. Alice dived down the stairs and was abruptly in front of Bella. I wanted to shout at her for doing this, but I decided that saying something in front of Bella was not a wise idea. She was taking everything so well, no need to scare her now. I knew Alice wouldn't hurt Bella, she loved her, too. Esme and Carlisle were giving her a reproving look. â€Å"Hi, Bella!† Alice literally bounced forward and kissed her cheek. I saw Esme grab Carlisle by the arm, like she was holding herself back. Oh my! Esme thought. I felt the temptation of Bella's seductive scent through Alice's thoughts. I was immediately tense. Pipe down! She hissed in her head at me. â€Å"You do smell nice, I never noticed before,† Alice mused. Blood began flooding up Bella's face as she blushed a light pink. I was anxious again when I realized the scent had finally reached Jasper. Jasper quickly stopped the flow of air going into his lungs, refusing to take in anymore of her scent. The twin thirsts I felt whenever I was around Jasper were quieted. I felt relieved. He could still taste the curiosity and flavor of Bella from everyone's emotions. I still don't see why you have such a fixation. Jasper thought. He automatically emitted a flood of peace and calm. It swirled around her and she mirrored his emotions back. My eyebrow raised on its own. What was he doing? â€Å"Hello Bella,† Jasper said, using part of his air supply left in his lungs. He kept his distance, heeding my previous warnings. Or, maybe, just maybe, he really was trying to not have the overwhelming need to feed. He was too busy concentrating for there to be any coherent thoughts. â€Å"Hello, Jasper.† Bella smiled at him, a light pink tinge still present on her cheeks. â€Å"It's nice to meet you all ?C you have a very beautiful home.† Bella's eyes searched the room again. She's sweet, too! Esme thought. â€Å"Thank you, we're so glad that you came.† Esme replied. Me too! Alice thought. She is so brave†¦ Esme's thoughts continued. She was quickly becoming absorbed with Bella, too. She was trying desperately to hide her other thoughts from me. I'd heard the thoughts before, but she was probably oblivious about thinking it. She had always thought there was something defective with me. Now, she was jubilant, joyous, that I had finally found someone. Edward, Carlisle called out to me in his mind. His eyes met mine; Alice has seen a coven, three of them, that will be very close to Forks. I didn't want to say anything in front of Bella. I wasn't sure how she would take the news. They know we are here, which means that they might make an appearance. Alice said they were curious. Alice knew we were having a conversation. She was well practiced with our silent ones. She knew what we were communicating about and wanted to tack on any information she felt might be left out, or to just bug me, knowing her it could be either one. I don't think they will be coming close to home, but it is a possibility. I knew that the news of a coven feeding in the area would be important to you considering you love a human. Alice added. And I love her too. I nodded once to acknowledge their thoughts. I would tell Bella though. The word secret had a different meaning to me now, because I knew from now on I would tell her all of them. They would be our secrets. I tried to not listen to my family's thoughts, but they were always as clear as if they were talking directly to me. I watched a vision along with Alice as it played out in her head; I was playing the piano, Bella in awe. The vision shifted and we were talking about the cross in the hall. So far, the day looks uneventful, Alice mused. She was wrong about the day being uneventful. Every brief moment of time was tremendously significant to me, and very much so†¦eventful. And Emmett wanted me to tell you sorry for not being here†¦ Rosalie has become†¦irritated at the fascination Emmett has on humans now. She remembered a conversation about the Ben kid from Spanish class. Of course, I thought. I returned my gaze to Bella. We were so close I could still feel the warmth flowing through my body from hers. I inhaled her scent while my wild desires and new found sensations went through my body. Jasper gave me a look. I knew he could feel everything I was feeling. Esme's thoughts brought me back to the room. She keeps staring at the piano, Esme pondered. â€Å"Do you play?† Esme asked Bella, leaning her head to suggest the piano. Bella shook her head, â€Å"Not at all. But it's so beautiful. Is it yours?† she wondered. I added this news to the list of things I knew about Bella, which was growing at a massive rate. She doesn't play the piano, but liked the piano†¦she was classy. Why haven't you told her? Esme scolded me. â€Å"No,† Esme laughed, a sign of ease, â€Å"Edward didn't tell you he was musical?† â€Å"No,† Bella glared in my direction, indignation on her face. I formed an innocent expression, anticipating her reaction. â€Å"I should have known, I guess.† she added. I don't understand, Esme lifted her eyebrows at her words. â€Å"Edward can do everything, right?† she explained. Did she really believe that? She was so absurd. What have you been telling her? Whatever it is, I want to know†¦I mean seriously, you have got to be kidding me, Jasper thought and then snickered aloud. Tisk, tisk, Esme criticized. â€Å"I hope you haven't been showing off ?C it's rude,† Esme reprimanded me. â€Å"Just a bit,† I laughed. Please keep her around†¦please please please. I have never seen you so light hearted. Esme thought. Bella distracted me from Esme, â€Å"He's been too modest, actually.† she corrected. â€Å"Well, play for her,† Esme encouraged me. You can play her the song that she inspired, sheadded mentally. â€Å"You just said showing off was rude,† I objected feebly. She smiled, â€Å"There are exceptions to every rule.† I turned my gaze to Bella, â€Å"I'd like to hear you play,† Bella insisted. â€Å"It's settled then,† Esme pushed me to the piano. At the look on Bella's eager face it was inconceivable to think to say no to her. I conceded. I reached for Bella, bringing her into my side and taking her to the piano. I breathed in her heady scent while the electric pulse that always came from our touch surged through my body. He just casually touches her†¦how fantastic. Esme thought. We sat at the bench, her warmth warming my cold skin from the inside out. I turned my gaze to her, gauging her reaction. I didn't know what to play. Her song Edward, her song†¦Esme encouraged. I was still looking at Bella and she could sense the exasperation in my face. I placed my hands on the keys then, and settled on playing Esme's favorite. I was measuring Bella's expression. After a few seconds I watched her face go from peaceful to shocked instantly. Her mouth opened in astonishment. I heard my family members chuckling behind me at Bella's reaction. I was probing their minds to see all the different views of Bella at once. What was she thinking? Was it good or was it bad? â€Å"Do you like it?† I inquired. â€Å"You wrote this?† she inhaled quickly, realization in her eyes. I nodded, â€Å"It's Esme's favorite.† I noted. We are just going to leave you two alone. Esme nodded to the others to leave, she is wonderful†¦ no wonder he is so protective of her. I ignored the crowd leaving the room because I was so absorbed by Bella's every reaction. I watched as she lightly closed her eyes in exasperation and shook her head back and forth. Did I do something? â€Å"What's wrong?† She looked saddened, or upset. â€Å"I'm feeling extremely insignificant.† she explained. I decided to take Esme's advice and play her song. The music slowed, and I began playing the beautiful song that I had composed and changed many times since I had met her until it became the sweetest of notes blending together to make magic. â€Å"You inspired this one,† I whispered, making sure she understood that she was the most significant thing in my world. She was speechless. The silence of her thoughts was just as frustrating as ever. I breathed her in, letting the flames rip down my throat. Desire was constantly raging a war inside me. She was still silent. â€Å"They like you, you know.† I admitted, â€Å"Esme especially.† Her eyes darted over her shoulder and then around the room. â€Å"Where did they go?† â€Å"Very subtly giving us some privacy, I suppose,† though I knew they could hear everything that was going on in the room. Bella sighed and I turned to look at her again. â€Å"They like me. But Rosalie and Emmett†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she trailed off but I understood where her thoughts were going, for once, I added. Of course she would notice that they weren't here. I didn't want to talk about Rosalie. My lips turned down, â€Å"Don't worry about Rosalie, she'll come around.† I lied smoothly, though I hoped one day she would. She looked unconvinced, â€Å"Emmet?† she wondered. â€Å"Well, he thinks I'm a lunatic, it's true, but he doesn't have a problem with you. He's trying to reason with Rosalie,† I tried to explain. I looked into her wide eyes, trying to read her thoughts. I saw the line between her eyes crease at the complexity of her mind, â€Å"What is it that upsets her?† she finally asked. She looked anxious, waiting for my explanation. I didn't want to tell her something that would possibly upset her. The thought of causing her any type of pain sent an overwhelming feeling of remorse through my body. I took in a deep breath, a sigh really. The burning temptation was still present. I distracted myself, no more secrets, â€Å"Rosalie struggles the most with†¦with what we are. It's hard for her to have someone on the outside know the truth. And she's a little jealous.† I explained, the words coming quickly. Her eyes grew wide during my explanation, â€Å"Rosalie is jealous of me?† â€Å"You're human,† I shrugged. I thought it was obvious why she would be jealous of something as magnificent as her, â€Å"She wishes that she were, too.† I continued to explain after seeing her question my first statement. â€Å"Oh,† she looked upset by this, but shock was still present on her delicate face. Her facial expressions changed to contemplation. I wanted to groan in exasperation from her quiet mind. What was she thinking? Her short pauses were the loudest silence I have ever heard. â€Å"Even Jasper, though†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she left the sentence hanging, realizing I would understand her thoughts. She didn't know how much I didn't comprehend them, though. I sighed. â€Å"That's really my fault,† I explained, â€Å"I told you he was the most recent to try our way of life. I warned him to keep his distance.† I watched while a shiver ran down her spine. Was she finally scared or was she cold? â€Å"Esme and Carlisle†¦?† she added quickly. â€Å"Are happy to see me happy. Actually, Esme wouldn't care if you had a third eye and webbed feet. All this time she's been worried about me, afraid that there was something missing from my essential make up, that I was too young when Carlisle change me†¦She's ecstatic. Every time I touch you, she just about chokes with satisfaction.† I finished her sentence. â€Å"Alice seems very†¦enthusiastic.† Bella noted. Of course she noticed. â€Å"Alice has her own way of looking at things,† my lips grew tight at the many visions I had seen in her head since I meet Bella. She must have read the hesitation in my voice, â€Å"And you're not going to explain that, are you?† I saw myself mirrored in her eyes, watching as each of our expressions changed in unison. She knew I was keeping Alice's visions from her. There were several good reasons why I was keeping these from her. One, I didn't want to scare her, and two, I didn't want her to get any ideas. No, I would still not confess what I have seen through the eyes of a psychic. â€Å"So what was Carlisle telling you before?† she asked, bringing me from my distraction. She was incredible. She picked up on all the signs that I thought were subtle. Was she really that perceptive or was my fa?ade waning? I could see the wrinkle appear between my brows through the reflection of her deep brown eyes. â€Å"You noticed that, did you?† it wasn't a question, it was a statement. She shrugged, like there was nothing unusual about the whole situation, â€Å"Of course,† she murmured. Better tell her now, I suppose. I monitored her face, I continued to play her song. She seemed complacent enough so I answered, â€Å"He wanted to tell me some news ?C he didn't know if it was something I would share with you.† â€Å"Will you?† she responded quickly, eagerly. â€Å"I have to, because I'm going to be a little†¦over-bearingly protective over the next few days ?C or weeks ?C and I wouldn't want you to think I'm naturally a tyrant.† I said. â€Å"What's wrong?† she gasped in horror. Her blood started warming and moving at a quicker pace. The monster inside me clawed at my bones, wanting to embrace the temptation. I took in her fragrance, letting it fill my lungs. I easily over-rode any enticement this caused me. â€Å"Nothing's wrong, exactly. Alice just sees some visitors coming soon. They know we're here, and they're curious,† I explained quickly, trying to calm her now rampant pulse. â€Å"Visitors?† she questioned. â€Å"Yes†¦well, they aren't like us, of course ?C in their hunting habits, I mean. They probably won't come into town at all, but I'm certainly not going to let you out of my sight till they're gone.† I watched her face apprehensively. Her body trembled under stress. â€Å"Finally, a rational response!† I exclaimed, â€Å"I was beginning to think you had no sense of self-preservation at all.† She didn't contest my observation and I was shocked that she would have this reaction to anything dangerous at all. Her blood slowed in her veins bringing her pulse back to its normal speed. She turned her face from mine, her eyes flowing from one end of the house to the other, distracted. I followed her gaze. Was she still looking for something suspect? â€Å"Not what you expected is it?† I asked. â€Å"No,† she admitted, returning her gaze to me briefly before continuing to soak up the rooms setting. â€Å"No coffins, no piled skills in the corners; I don't even think we have cobwebs†¦what a disappointment this must be for you,† I teased. She remained serious, â€Å"It's so light†¦so open,† she said. â€Å"It's the one place we never have to hide,† I explained to her. I also wanted to admit that she was included in this place†¦ I would never have to hide from her. My fingers were on the piano, automatically playing. The song was finally coming to a close. When it was finished Bella looked at me, â€Å"Thank you,† she murmured. I turned in my seat; bringing my whole attention back to her. There was moisture prominent in her eyes. The tears flowed over her eye lids. The aroma emitting from her tears was something I had never smelt before. She wiped the tears from her eyes. I noticed she had missed one. I brought my hand to her face, trapping a tear on my finger. I studied it. As a vampire, we could not produce tears. This was something entirely new. I brought it nonchalantly to my lips, seeing how it would taste. I was curious. It didn't taste disgusting, but it held no significance for me. She was staring at me with curiosity flaming in her eyes. â€Å"Do you want to see the rest of the house?† I asked, distracting her. â€Å"No coffins?† she verified. â€Å"No coffins,† I promised, a smile forming on my face. We walked up the staircase that led to the upstairs where my room was. I watched her carefully as she made her way to the top. She was lightly caressing the stair rail as she went. I was jealous†¦ I wanted it to be me. When we reached the top of the stairs I pointed out rooms as we walked, â€Å"Rosalie and Emmett's room†¦Carlisle's office†¦Alice's room†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She froze, turning into a statue. Her eyes grew wide. I followed her gaze until I realized she was staring at the wooden cross at the end of the hallway. I remembered Alice's vision. â€Å"You can laugh,† I told her, â€Å"It is sort of ironic.† I took a deep breath, bringing her fragrance into my lungs again. I was used to the dull ache. She brought her hand out to touch the cross, but she did not proceed, â€Å"It must be very old,† she guessed. I shrugged, â€Å"Early sixteen-thirties, more or less.† I mused. She turned to face me, â€Å"Why do you keep this here?† â€Å"Nostalgia. It belonged to Carlisle's father.† I explained. I knew I was giving more information away then I had ever told a single soul before. â€Å"He collected antiques?† she suggested doubtfully. â€Å"No. He carved it his himself. It hung on the wall above the pulpit in the vicarage where he preached.† I said. She looked shocked. â€Å"Are you all right?† I asked, worried about her expressions and silence. â€Å"How old is Carlisle?† she wondered, trying to do the mental math in her head. I watched as her eyes looked fully in thought. I could almost see here calculating the numbers mentally. â€Å"He just celebrated his three hundred and sixty-second birthday,† I admitted. She looked at me, questions burning in her eyes. I knew I would answer them all, if she were to ask. I took in another deep breath while I let her scent assault me.

Best practices in project quality management/leadership for IT Essay

1. 0 Introduction Most people simply accept low quality from many information technology (IT) products. So what if ones laptop crashes a couple of times a week? Just ensure there is back up for data. So what if one cannot log in to the business intranet or the internet right now? Just attempt a little later when it is less busy. So what if the latest version of word-processing software was shipped with several bugs? One may like the software’s new features, and all new software has bugs. Is quality a real problem with information technology projects? Yes, it is! IT is not just a luxury available in some offices, homes, or schools. Firms throughout the world provide employees with access to computers. The majority of people in the US use the internet, and usage in other countries continues to expand rapidly. It took only six years for 60 million people to use the internet compared to 20 years for 60 million to use cell phones (Kathy, 2008, p. 292). Many issues of individual and or group lives depend on high-quality IT products. Food is produced and distributed with the help of computers; vehicles have computer chips to monitor performance; students use computers to aid them learn in school; organizations depend on technology for many business functions; and millions of people depend on technology for entertainment and individual communications (Kathy, 2008). Many IT projects develop mission-critical systems that are utilized in life-and-death circumstances. Such as navigation systems on aircraft and computer components built into medical equipment. Financial institutions and their clients also depend on high-quality information systems. Clients get very upset when systems present inaccurate data or display information to unauthorized people that could result to identity theft. When any of these systems fails, it is much more than a mere inconvenience (Taguchi, 2004). 1. 1 Definitions Before one can enhance the quality of IT projects, it is good to understand the fundamental concepts of project quality management. Indeed, it is hard to define project quality management. According to the international organization for standardization (ISO) quality can be defined as the totality of features of an organization that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied requirements (Kathy, 2008). It can also be defined as the extent to which a set of inherent features fulfils needs (ISO9000). Other professionals define quality based on adherence to needs and fitness for use. Adherence to needs means project’s products and processes meet laid down specifications. Fitness for use implies a product can be used as it was intended. The purpose of project quality management is to make sure that the project will fulfill the requirements for which it was undertaken. Project management involves among others things meeting or surpassing stakeholder requirements and anticipations. The project group must initiate good relationships with core stakeholders, especially the primary client for the project, to comprehend what quality implies to them. Many technical projects fail because the project management group aims only at meeting the written requirements for the project (Juran and Frank, 2002). Quality, therefore, must be on an equal basis with project scope, cost, and time. If the project’s stakeholders are dissatisfied with the quality of the project management or the end products of the project, the management group will require adjusting time, cost, and scope to fulfill stakeholder needs. In which case meeting only documented requirements for time, cost, and scope is not sufficient. To attain stakeholder fulfillment, the project group must come up with a good working relationship with all stakeholders and comprehend their implied or stated requirements. Best practices: over the years, organizations have become mesmerized with the term-best practice-but after continued use, experts began scrutinizing the expression and now better definitions exist. A best practice starts simply with an idea. Knowing that there is a process, tool, activity, or method that can deliver results effectively than any other method and provides one with the desired results with less barriers and predictable complexities is a welcome. As a result, one apparently ends up with an efficient way of completing a task by use of a repeatable procedure that has stood the test of time for quite a large number of IT projects (Kathy, 2008). As project quality management evolved, so did the meanings of best practices. Some definitions of best practices are complicated while others are somehow simple. Yet, they both address the same aim of encouraging project quality management throughout the organization. Firms must decide on the depth and extent of their best practices. Must it be at high level and generic or at a low level and detailed? A generic best practice may not attain the desired efficiencies whereas a detailed one may not have unlimited applicability. Basically, any firm can decide to have own definition of best practices and there might even be company quality requirements on the definition of such best practices. For example, a best practice can be defined as something that: works, works well, works well on a repetitive basis, leads to a competitive advantage, can be identified in quest to improve business, and prevents the firm from problems.

Castles and Kings Crumble

A cold fear jumped out of my throat. It's not my fault, but I know that I messed up this job, but fat ladd decided not to let go of Coca-Cola slowly. Regardless of the reason, he still has to blame me, otherwise I did not answer my phone. Okay, I have it for now. I took the phone. Molan, the voice on the other side of the line, said that the tone is tightly cut. I think that this is unusual for Smith. Smith usually sounds like a cold frog. Edward issued an order to demand the Queen to protect Wales: defend 400 soldiers in Cardiff, defend the harbor, re-release felonies, and take them to the defense of Kelfri Castle Please give me. This is a waste of time. His powers have collapsed so far, he has been ignored. He drowned and the castle could last for a few months but could not last forever. Without fear of being counterattacked, the queen can betray the castle as long as he is hungry. Forced to surrender, Hugh will be executed, it may be terrible. Regarding Edward, he knows that death often happened to the royalty. It is essential to change the rules of the game The theme of the collapsed haunted castle, which has greatly contributed to the definition of the Gothic style, is an important feature of Horace Walpole's Otranto Castle (1764). In the postpot work, there was a large, divided house symbolizing the destruction of the human body. These emotions concentrate on Roderick Usher suffering from anonymous diseases like many Ellen Points. Like a storyteller of the heart of storytelling, his illness caused his overactive sensation. This disease appears in the body, but it is based on the spirit and moral status of Roderick. He is suggested to be sick because he wants to get sick according to his family medical history, hence basically depression. Likewise, he wanted to buried a living person and wanted to make his own self-realizing prophecy, he filled his living sister. Still, they live in the castle. This is a partially destroyed old castle, near the Norman Towe r. Family living in a castle - even a collapsing family - how can it become poor? Well, the castle is a lease, on the one hand their presence sounds miserable. Smith does not shy away from describing old and more tailored clothes with their slight meal (bread and margarine, or cold Brussels bean sprouts and rice - eggs are treats). The castle is cold and ventilated, selling most of the furniture, and unless Moto Main writes another book, everyone must wait until Thomas finishes his research and finds a job . According to the definition of our castle, we say that this castle is a good place for fortification and defense. But why did the king, nobility, his family, supporters feel that they needed to live in the castle during the Middle Ages? Because the castle is a place to protect, the people living there will have to worry about being attacked. There are three main reasons why the king or baron want to live in the castle. - Of the three risks listed here, the need to control civil war threats or population is the main reason most castles are built in Europe. A foreign invasion has occurred, but it is safe to say that many castles could not be built due to the fear of foreign invasions. People on the South and East Coast of the UK such as Dover and Port Chester

Bush Administration and sanctions on policy of torture on detainees Research Paper

Bush Administration and sanctions on policy of torture on detainees - Research Paper Example 7 6. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 7. Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Torture is an unquestionable crime and cannot be justified with any rationale, no matter how reasonable it may sound. Torture is prohibited by all civilized societies and both the US and International laws hold it in strict abhorrence. According to the US as well as International laws, those convicted of assault and tortures are liable to be punished. The US code lays out strict rules on torture and all other acts that come under its purview, with clear orders on the punishments and penalties that should be meted out to its violators. In spite of such regulations, it is alleged that the US administration under the presidency of George W. Bush, indulged in torturing detainees alleged for terrorism and other crimes. The entire world expressed outrage over such US policies, blaming them to be the reason behind the increased insurgence of terrorism and the lack of support from allies, however, it is surprising to note that many others justified it as being legal and the need of the hour. The Bush Administration refuted all such claims, saying that no such policies on torture of detainees were sanctioned, but the piling list of evidences against it speaks otherwise. This calls for a formal inquiry by the Obama Administration as well as the US Justice Department into all the policies sanctioned under the Bush Administration. If President Bush and all the other policy makers are convicted of resorting to torture, they must be brought to book and should be penalized with full justification to the US penal code, failing which wou ld be the greatest failure of law and order in our times. According to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, torture is a punishable act and the violators of these are bound to be penalized. Accordingly, the Bush Administration is punishable by law, as its secret policies on torture are not secret anymore. Tortures under the Bush administration According to Taylor1, the US government recognized all the international conventions against torture. Nevertheless, the Bush administration secretly sanctioned torture methods for the interrogation of detainees of its â€Å"War on terror† post September 11. It justified such acts as being legal and â€Å"morally permissible†, when they became known in public. The Bush administration sanctioned water boarding, forced nudity, slee p deprivation, temperature extremes, stress position and prolonged isolation as "safe, legal, ethical, and effective" enhanced interrogation techniques which were previously considered torture and forbidden by the United Nations Committee Against Torture1. Torture became a state policy of the United States under Bush administration wherein prisoners of War on Terror were tortured as a matter of policy and practice at Abu Ghraib prison by American troops as well as more experienced torturers (Masciulli, Molchanov and Knight 349). According to news reports, President Bush had authorized the use of waterboarding2 and other inhumane tortures against criminals in its war on terror. Innumerable evidences of torture are

Population and the Property in Australia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Population and the Property in Australia - Essay Example The students were presented with a set of propositions expressing different views of the war in Iraq and asked to select the response which best reflected their own views. Over 70% agreed either with the proposition that "Australia should never have been involved in the US-led war in Iraq" or "Australia should no longer be involved in the US-led war in Iraq". This contrasts with surveys of young Australians conducted in early 2004, which showed a much higher level of support for Australian involvement in the war. Sample here is the student community whose views are being collected. The population is depicted as the overall population of Australia. Property is the personal views of Australians regarding the govt involvement in War in Iraq. An argument can be evaluated on the basis of certain factors. First of all, the sample case of students being extended to total population is not totally adequate because of the age factor. Students of a university who are not experienced in international affairs and the government working are presenting their personal views which are themselves based on what their peers think. This age factor cannot be extended on to the overall population as there are middle-aged men and women and the older generations who are more mature and experienced. The research methods used are also not considering the viewpoint of people other than young students. Conclusion about the evaluation is deduced as not justified because the views of people more experienced and strong vie w point is not considered. In causal research, why is it important for test group and control group to be similar? What method of test group/ control group selection is most likely to result in the test group and control group being similar? Why? Explain, using an example, why it is not always appropriate to use that more reliable form of test group/control group selection.

New Humanism in Architecture Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

New Humanism in Architecture - Research Proposal Example   Working with Nature to create architectural statements is possible as shown by the students at the University of Maryland. The students won the second place at the Solar Decathlon in 2007 with their â€Å"Leaf House,† a home with a roofline resembling a leaf and an indoor waterfall that provides a liquid desiccant. (DCraig, 2007) In New Paltz, Net-zero home (Schoenfeld, 2011) BOLDER Architecture designed the first zero-net energy development using â€Å"photovoltaic-solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling, combined with insulated concrete form walls, triple pane glass, and heat recovery ventilators† (Toder, 2006). Unlike the Leaf House which was designed specifically for a contest, these homes in New Paltz are already occupied. Contrary to the insights of the Manifesto: Towards A New Humanism In Architecture, BOLDER Architecture has â€Å"dared to act† (Toder, 2006) and as a consequence has created homes of the future. At present, there exist visually -pleasing structures which are also eco-friendly. These buildings and homes are recognized by both public and private award-giving organizations for their beauty and their energy-saving features. This only proves that architects can remain true to their calling of creating aesthetically appealing buildings and make these beneficial to the society and environment. Toward a Human Architecture: A Sociologist’s View of the Profession Through time, buildings have been a part of society because architects consult with men to come up with structures that often make—must make—a statement. At times, the resulting structures turn out to be contrary to what was envisioned by the client. As architect Bob Borson has written, he had been fired from a project â€Å"for not listening†. (Borson, 2010) This kind of dilemma is exactly why sociologist Herbert Gans (1993) suggests that architects should start building with their client’s needs in mind. Indeed, society appreciates a building with a unique architectural design. Not only does it make the place visually appealing but it also helps establish the architect in the field. Will Alsop knows that well, struggling to create himself a name which is now synonymous to magnificent structures in Peckham Library (Greer, 2007) the United Kingdom. In his works, Alsop lets his imagination run even if the outcome is not something that the public may want. (Worsley, 2002) This makes for buildings that have a high aesthetic value but may not be functional and comfortable for the people using these structures. Another architect whose works aim to be visually appealing is Odile Decq. Her take on the Shanghai Information Center is indeed a striking mixture of straight lines and triangles. Looking at the structure though makes one wonder if each space inside serves a purpose and can be utilized. Shanghai Info. Center (Decq, 2011) It has been said that an architect, like a painter or a sculptor, creates beau ty.

How does underwater birth affect neonatal health and well being Essay

How does underwater birth affect neonatal health and well being - Essay Example Naturally, this procedure of birth requires a large accumulation of water like a pool or a tub, which can be utilized as an effective receptive medium of labor (Cluett, Burns, 2011, p.2). Water birth represents a unique way of giving birth and marks a departure from the traditional labor procedure. People have been curious to know the effectiveness and success of this new process. For this purpose, there have been numerous studies and researches undertaken to find out the effects of water birth on the pregnant women and also on the newborn infants. For expectant mothers, giving birth in water is considered to a much more gentle process than the conventional labor method lying on a bed. Studies have shown that water birth enhances maternal relaxation, decreases the analgesia requirements and encourages the women to easily adopt a model of care for their newborns. However, the benefits of the water birth process on neonatal health have not yet been so emphatically established. There is still a lot of discussion and research being undertaken on the impact of water birth on the health of the babies born by this method. This literature review has attempted to examine the information available on this topic. Women from across the world often opt for water birth as this eases the process of labor. However, they should also be made aware of the impacts on this method on the health condition of the new born infants. This would help expectant mothers to make an informed decision regarding a suitable procedure of giving birth. The findings of the different reviews are expected to provide conclusive results on the relevant subject. The existing research work will be examined and evaluated to find out whether there exist valid inferences which can help expecting women to make a prudent decision regarding their own health and that of their newborn children. (Ros, 2009, p.36) The

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss Essay

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss - Essay Example Progress, on the other hand, can be defined as a gradual shift from one state to another. This paper seeks to discuss capitalism as a force of progress for business and society. Capitalism as a Force of Progress for Business and Society In a capitalistic nation, a business and a society can be seen to relate in that both involve a group of people held by some common beliefs and objectives. The main principle applied in capitalism as an economic system is the principle of open competition. Capitalism treats all parties in an economy equally. As such, completion gets encouraged in the production of goods and delivery of services (Chang 2011, p.133). With capitalism, more choices get given for goods needed in an economy. This gives customers a large pool of products from which to choose their preferred taste. Capitalism makes it possible for these goods to come at the preferred prices of the customers. The same product may be produced at different levels of quality so as to be affordabl e to all classes of people in an economy. Competition has a wide range of benefits to the business sector. One such benefit is that it ensures a continuous production of standard goods as businesses try to compete with each other. In a competitive environment, businesses get to acquire the most competitive human labor available in the market. In order to impress businesses, individuals get required that they keep their skills up to date. Competition in a capitalistic society also entails competing for the available scarce resources (Hurrell 2007, p.348). This competition keeps businesses on their toes in terms of management and production. It is, therefore, necessary for the progress of such a society. In a capitalistic economy, the influence of the government on production gets highly minimized. This allows for all owners of the factors of production to compete fairly in the economy. Lack of government interference further ensures that potential investors get attracted to invest in such an economy. This is because they feel that they will have sole control of their production processes. When companies have less burdensome regulations from the government, they tend to perform better than when there is a lot of regulation from the government (Wade 2009, p.568). Capitalism in most cases works for the social good of the society. Although it may seem at the first instance that in capitalism everyone is greedy for money, an inner look of the matter may reveal otherwise. Every economic activity carried out in a capitalistic economy provides some benefits to another person different from the one producing it. Goods and services offered get produced by owners of the factors of production who later use the same income to pay for the factors of production such as labor and raw materials. These incomes, therefore, get rechanneled back to the economy. Capitalism brings equality in the society. No matter where a person may start in life, everyone has the opportunity to ach ieve what they wish. The basic principle used is that the harder one works the higher the reward one gets. Capitalism treats all individuals in a society equally providing them with equal opportunities to succeed. In a capitalistic society, all individuals get subjected to the same rules that govern the production activities in such a country. Capitalism further provides

Essentials of Managerial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essentials of Managerial Finance - Essay Example Furthermore, although there is insufficient liquid assets to fulfill present responsibilities, Functional Profits are in plenty and hence sufficient to facilitate the debt. In the airplane industry the debtors that owe Southwest airlines are among the worst with 7.75 days’ worth of unsettled earnings. This suggests that sales need to be dealt with in a more appropriate and effective manner. Last, records appear to be thriving managed as the Inventory Processing Period is characteristic for the business, at 10.08 days. According to Southwest airline’s statement of returned earnings in 2010, they had earnings of $0.74 per share on 01/20/2011. The liquidity ratio which is normally the ratio of the current assets over the current liabilities is used to determine whether Southwest airlines can meet their short term financial responsibilities. Their liquidity ratio was 1 meaning their current assets was equal to their liabilities. The asset management ratio shows whether the assets of southwestern airlines are being utilized appropriately. Their assert management ratio was 0.8 and hence meaning they were slightly below the safe level of asset management ratio. The debt management ratio which is also commonly known as financial leverage ratio will determine the probability of the firm going bankrupt or experiencing financial upheavals in the future. The debt management ratio proved to be at a good level of 58.8. The market value ratio generally looks into the performance of Southwest Airlines in the stock market. Their market value ratio was at 8.99% Financial statements are used by the major shareholders and owners of the firm to be able to make sound decisions regarding investing in corporations and also to be able to see which areas the firm need to be improved. It is also a detailed analysis of the financial health of the corporation and hence investors get a clear view of the fairing of the corporation. Financial statements are also

Describe at least 5 scenes of the movie Rossie the Riveter Review - 1

Describe at least 5 scenes of the Rossie the Riveter - Movie Review Example Howard Miller. The Rockwell image seems to have a great deal more depth than the image created by Miller. It was proposed that this is not the tidy image that most people have in their mind when they think of Rosie. This ‘Rosie’ is quite dirty, with big strong arms, a leather bracelet, she wears overalls which are not common on women at this time, she carries a big riveting gun, se is wearing both welding goggles and a welding mask, she is defiantly standing on a copy of ‘Mein Kampf’ and she is hauling a metal lunchbox (Popular with men). However what is interesting is that this image that is considered masculine can also be considered quite feminine, because she is wearing makeup (Rouge, finger nail polish, lipstick etc.) and she is carrying her makeup and a handkerchief in her pocket, this ‘Rosie’ has her hair neatly pulled back, she is wearing women’s shoes, and she is eating a sandwich in a delicate manner. But what is most important from this image is that she is a worker, evidenced by her many badges (Security badge, blood donor badge etc.) Indicating that she really is an important part of the war effort. The next scene that will be discussed is in relation to determining who the ‘real’ Rosie the Riveters are. Many people have noted that there are indeed many actual World War II women that were real female defense workers named ‘Rosie’. The big changes that brought them into war work occurred in 1942 when more American men began to get drafted and many industries switched to war production. It was at this time that many companies started to recruit women as it was not possible for them to be drafted. What comes next is a description of the three main groups of women that were recruited to work in factories. The first were women already working who switched to higher paying defense jobs (Leaving traditional jobs to the point that more than six hundred laundries were closed). The

Understanding the concept of Separation of Church and the State from a Historical Perspective Essay Example for Free

Understanding the concept of Separation of Church and the State from a Historical Perspective Essay Controversy, disputes, and misconceptions surround the public’s understanding of the concept of the separation of the church and the state.   Most people think that this concept is a modern invention of man which started in the 18th Century.   They say that Thomas Jefferson is â€Å"the primary architect of the American tradition of separation of church and state.† (Thomas Jefferson and the Separation of Church and the State† 1) It must however be stressed that the concept of separation of church and the state had its origin in the Bible.    The New Testament says â€Å"render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods.   During the Medieval era, it was believed that God metaphorically handed down two swords as a symbol of authority: the spiritual sword and the temporal sword. The spiritual sword was bestowed upon the Pope while the temporal sword was entrusted to the civil magistrates such as the emperors, kings and dukes.   It was believed that the civil law was subordinated to the ecclesiastical rule and the purpose of the separation is to protect the church’s eminence against the intrusions of the state.   Thus, Pope Boniface VIII in 1302 states that: â€Å"We are taught by the words of the Gospel that in this Church and in its power there are two swords, a spiritual, to wit, and a temporal. [B]oth are in the power of the Church, namely the spiritual and [temporal] swords; the one, indeed, to be wielded for the Church, the other by the Church; the former by the priest, the latter by the hand of kings and knights, but at the will and sufferance of the priest. For it is necessary that one sword should be under another and that the temporal authority should be subjected to the spiritual† (John Whitte Jr. 3)      During the 17th Century, however, the public had become witnesses to the religious conflict and incessant bickering between different religions, or more particularly, Protestants and Catholics.   Because of this ‘War of Religion’ a crisis of authority had developed.   The public did not know what to believe and whom to believe anymore. As a result, Locke advocated the principle of Separation of the Church and the State which will later on be considered as ‘the source for the founding principles of the United States’ (Chuck Braman 1).   Locke came to the conclusion that the prevailing conflict was due to the religious dogmatism which was imposed and adopted by the State.   He argued that the proper response on this problem was not the imposition of a single religion to be dictated by the State and the suppression of other religions also by the State. Locke proposed that the State should confine itself to civil concerns and leave the matters of religion to the church.   He advocated religious neutrality on the part of the state and vice versa.   He argued that the state’s function should be confined to the protection of life, liberty and property.   This function is especially important when man tries to go against the State of Nature, which is a state of equality between individuals and tries to impose themselves against the other. Locke also proposed that the church must make itself separate and distinct from the state.   In his â€Å"Letter Concerning Toleration†, Locke thought that the church is simply a voluntary society of men joining themselves together of their own accord in order to the public worshipping of God in such manner as they judge acceptable to Him, and effectual for the salvation of their souls.† (John Whitte Jr 4) At present, the concept of separation of church and the state is based on the principle of respect between the two powerful institutions.   The separation is not one of hostility but an understanding that their union will only lead to the destruction of the state and the degrading of the church.   Separation of the Church and the State is now guaranteed under the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause. The Free Exercise clause renders unconstitutional any act of the government that prohibits a particular religion.   The Establishment Clause, on the other hand, protects against any act of the state that promotes a particular religion.   The religious freedom has for its purpose â€Å"the protection of liberty of conscience of the public, freedom of religious expression, and religious equality.† (John Whitte Jr., 12) Conclusion Our present understanding of the Separation of Church and the State has completely evolved. If in the past, the church advocated the principle of separation because of the competing interest between the two powerful institutions.   Nowadays, the principle of separation is essentially based on respect and it has been extended to include protection of the faithful. Thus, the concept of separation of church and state has been expanded to include the prohibition against the state allocating government funds for the establishment or support a particular religion, the prohibition against requiring the teaching of a particular religion in schools or imposing religious tests in the exercise of civil and political rights and the prohibition against religious officials utilizing on government sponsorships or funding for their religious exercises   Cited Works Braman, Chuck.   The Political Philosophy of John Locke and Its Influence on the Founding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Fathers and the Political Documents They Created. 1996. 13 June 2008.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.chuckbraman.com/Writing/WritingFilesPhilosophy/locke.htm. â€Å"Thomas Jefferson and the Separation of Church and State.† 13 June 2008.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/qjeffson.htm Whitte, John Jr.   Facts and fictions about the history of separation of church and state.   Journal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   of Church and State. 1 January 2006.   12 June 2008.

Background to the French new wave cinema Essay Example for Free

Background to the French new wave cinema Essay The New Wave (French: LA Nouvelle Vague was a term coined by critics for a group of French Filmmakers that existed in the late 1950s and 1960s. these set of filmmakers were actually influenced by Italian Neorealism, (New form realism). Although, this group of people was not well organized filmmakers, they were however connected through their self conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm. Many of them never had the social and political upheavals of that period separated from their work. Their experience which came up in a radical movement experimented with editing/visual style, and narrative part as a way of breaking from the old tradition of conservation. So many filmmakers were actually involved in this movement; however, the most prominent pioneers among them include Jean – Luc Goddard, Fancois Truffaut, Eric Rohmer, Claude Charbroil, and Jacques Rivelte among others. Through criticism and editorialization, they laid the groundwork for a surge of concepts which was later termed as the auteur theory, the French version of which is â€Å"La Politique des auteurs† meaning (â€Å"the policy of authors†). This policy holds that the director is the author of his movies, with a personal signature which must be seen from film to film. The beginning of New Wave was an exercise by the cahiers writers in applying his philosophy to the world by directing movies themselves. Chabrol’s Le Beau Serge (1958) is seen as the first New Wave feature. Truffaut achieved great success in the 400 Blows (1959) and Godard, with Breathless in 1960. The movement flourished immensely due to the success it recorded in the area of criticism and financing. This turned the world’s attention to the innovation of the New Wave and enabled the movement to flourish the more. New Wave Cinema is a common term in Film studies as a way of bringing together series of films and personnel that represent a change of direction or a break with the past. It is important to note that New Wave is an era usually referred to as a historical moment within a National Cinema. The most popular example of the French New Wave (Nouvelle Vague); essentially a group of young critics who broke away from the earlier or olden tradition and resorted to producing films that are highly exciting, experimental and innovating. The question then, is what the nature of French Cinema before this innovation was. The French were the pioneers of early Cinema through the silent films of Auguste and Louis Lumiere and Georges Melies. These filmmakers represent the polar opposites of cinematography; a realistic documentary approach for the Lumiere brothers. During the late 30s, France experience a period of increased political awareness that encouraged the development of poetic realism (i. e. realisme poetique) which characterized French Cinema during this period. The intended effect of poetic realism was to project an ambivalent image, a romanticized vision of the world, as well as an atmosphere of fatalism reflecting the spirit of time. French Cinema was seriously affected by the Second World War during the Nazy German occupation which also dominated the world of film making. Even though the Cinema industry was ruined, the French people needed entertainment and as the result and in the early fifties, French production started thriving again. The films were marked by distinctive features that were considered very quality oriented. (LA tradition de qualite). At the origin of the New Wave was a Cinema journal called Cahiers du Cinema and the development of a critical notion La Politique des auteurs, which both grew increasingly influential in the 1950s as a reaction to the mainstream quality tradition on the one hand, and to enthusiastic cinephilic interest in a few distinctive directors working in Hollywood on the other. Even though it has been permanently established today, the French New Wave was not originally conceived as a Cinema movement or a school, but rather was the result of specific socio-cultural circumstances. A number of important technical developments for example, (New lighter cameras; faster, more light sensitive film; synchronous sound equipment and the advent of television) took place in the second half of the 1950s which coincided with the emergence of a new generation of critics, actors and directors. The group of new young directors who were included under the umbrella phrase of the New Wave (Jean – Luc Godard, Eric Rohmer, Alain Resnais, Claude Charbol and Francois Truffant) brought in new ideas, the enthusiasm of youth and a sense of freedom into French Cinema. Goddard was the intellectual of the group interested in formal experiment, and later became politically involved; Truffaut’s film combined humanism, emotion and sensitivity; New Wave directors work together, exchange ideas, screenplays, technicians and even actors. This collaboration certainly helps explain some common characteristics in the films that were, and still are, associated with the New Wave. These and many more are the crux of the New Wave. A FOCUS ON FRANCOIUS TRUFFAUT Francois Truffaut was born in Paris on the 6th February, 1932. He attended Lycee Rollin, Paris. He was later enlisted into the army, but later escaped on the eve of departure for Indochina. He was later released for character instability. Francois was married to Madeleine Morgenstern and got divorced around 1957; he actually had two daughters from her. He was the founder of Cine – club in Paris; he was jailed at a point due to his inability to pay his debt and was later released. He was briefly employed by the service of Cinematographique of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1953. He became a writer on film for Cahiers du Cinema, arts from 1953, including seminal article, â€Å"Une certain Tendance du Cinema Francois† in 1954; he directed his first – feature, Les Quatre Cents Coups, and wrote script for Godard’s â€Å"A bout de souffle. He had won so many awards; these include Best Director, Cannes Festival, for Les Quatres Cents Coup, 1959; Prix Louis Delhic, and Best Director, New York Film Criticism and British Academy Award for Best Direction, for Day for Night, 1973. He died of cancer in Paris on the 21st October, 1984. However, before his death, he achieved great fit in the world of Cinema in France. He was one of the five young French film critics, writing for Andre Bazin’s Cahiers du Cinema in the early 1950s. He was the one that first formulated the politique des auteurs, a view of film history and film art that defended those directors who were â€Å"true men of the Cinema. These include Renoir, Vigo, and Tati in France; Hawks, Ford, and Welles in America – rather than those more literary, script – oriented film directors and writers associated with the French â€Å"tradition of quality†. In his first feature in 1959 of Les Quatre Cent Coups, he put his ideas of Cinema spontaneity into practice with the study of an adolescent, Antoine Doinel, who breaks free from the constrictions of French society to face an uncertain but open future. Since this debut, Truffaut’s career has been dominated by an exploration of the Doinel character’s future. In Truffaut’s 25 years of making films, the director, the Doinel character, and Leaud all grew up together. THE FILM, LES QUATRE CENTS COUPS (THE FOUR HUNDRED BLOWS) BY FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT The rebellious teenager of Less quatre cent coups becomes a tentative, shy, sexually clumsy suitor in â€Å"Antoine et Colette† episode of Love Love at Twenty. In Baisers Voles, Antoine is older but not much wiser at either love or money making. In Domicile conjugal, Antoine has married but is still on the run toward something else – the exotic lure of other sexual adventures. And in L’ Amour en fuite, Antoine is still running sequence that concludes Les Quatre Cent Coups. Although Antoine is divorced, the novel which he has finally completed has made his literary reputation. That novel, it turns out, is his life itself, the entire Doinel Saga as filmed by Truffaut, and Truffaut deliberately collapses the distinction between written fiction and filmed fiction, between the real life of humans and the fictional life of characters. The collapse seems warranted by the personal and professional connections between Truffaut the director, Doinel the character, and Leaud the actor. Truffaut in his film making remained consistently committed to his highly formal themes of art and life as can be seen in the â€Å"Four Hundred Blows†. He also concentrated on film and fiction and youth education, rather than venturing into radical politics as was the case with Jean – Luc Godard. While stating his position in Le Dermer Metro, one of his most political film, which examines a theatre troupe in Nazified Paris. The film director appeared to confess that, like those actors in that period, he could only continue to make art the way he knew how, that his commitment to formal artistic excellence would eventually serve the political purposes that powerful art always serves, and that for him to betray his own artistic powers for political, lead to his making bad art, and load political statements. In this rededication to artistic form, Truffaut was probably restating his affinity with Jean Renoir. He wrote about for Cahiers du Cinema. Renoir like Truffaut, progressed from making more rebellious black-and-white films in his youth to more accepting colour films in his adult age; he played major roles in most of his own films as was the case with Renoir. FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT AND FILM THEORY THE AUTEUR THEORY According to Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia, in film criticism, the auteur theory of 1950s holds that a director’s films reflect his personal creative vision, as if they were the primary â€Å"auteur† (the French word for â€Å"auteur†). In some cases, film producers are considered to have a similar â€Å"auteur† role for the films that they have produced. In law the auteur is the creator of a film as a work of art and is the original copyright holder. Under the European Union law, the film director shall always be considered the author or one of the authors of a film. Auteur theory by Francois Truffaut has had a major impact on film criticism ever since it was advocated in 1954 by the same Francois. â€Å"Auteurism† is the method of analyzing films based on this theory, or, alternatively, the characteristics of a director’s work that makes her or him an auteur. Either the auteur theory or, alternatively, the characteristics of a director’s work that makes him an auteur (author) Both the auteur theory and the Auteurism method of film analysis are closely tied to the French New Wave and the film critics who wrote for the influential French film review periodical â€Å"Cahiers du Cinema. † Auteur theory draws on the work of Andre’ Bazin, co-founder of the Cahiers du Cinema, who argued that films should reflect a director’s personal vision. Bazin championed film makers such as Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock and Jean Renoir. Although Bazin provided a forum for Auteurism to flourish, he remained wary of its excesses. Another person who this theory can be traced to is Alexandre Astrucx, who notion of the camera – stylo or â€Å"Camera pen† and the idea that directors should wield their cameras like writing use their pens and that they should not be prevented by any form of traditional storytelling. Traffaut and the other members of the Cahiers recognized that moviemaking was an industrial process. To this end, they proposed an ideal to strive for; thus, the director should use the commercial apparatus the way a writer uses pen and, through the mise en scene, imprint their vision on the work. What this means is that the role of screen writer was minimized in their eyes. They also understood and realized that not many directors could reach this ideal; they however value those that attempt to draw close to the ideal. In his further explanation on his theory, Truffant asserts that there are no good or bad films or movies, rather only good or bad directors exist. Invariably, he tends to say that a director makes the film and not the story line or the script per – say. This is the more reason why the director of a film should be the writer of the script. Much of Truffaunt’s writing of this period and his colleagues at the film criticism magazine cahiers du Cinema, was specially designed to ridicule or criticize post-war French Cinema, especially the big production films of the Cinema de qualite (â€Å"Quality films†) Truffaunt in his theory referred to these films with disdain or sterile, old fashion or archaic. The theory essentially maintains that all good directors and many bad ones have such a distinctive style or consistent theme that their influence is unmistakable in the body of their work. Traffaunt was equally appreciative of both directors with a marked visual style such as Alfred Hitchcock, and those whose visual style was less pronounced but who had nevertheless consistent in their theme, throughout their movies such as Jean Renoir’s humanism. The auteur theory has created a lot of impact on directors of the New Wave Movement of French Cinema in the 1960s; many of such were the critics of the Cahiers du Cinema. One of the ironies of the auteur theory is that when Truffant was writing, the break-up of the Hollywood Studio System during the 1950s was ushering in a period of uncertainty and conservation in American Cinema, with the result that very few films of Truffant admiration were actually being made. The impact of the theory did not just stop in France. It was adopted in English – Language film criticism in the 1960s. In the UK, movie adopted Auteurism, while in the US; Andrew Sarris introduced it in the essay, â€Å"Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962. † This essay is where the Half-French, Half-English term, â€Å"auteur theory†, originated. To be classified as an â€Å"auteur†; according to Sarris, a director must accomplish technical competence in their technique, personal style in terms of how the movie looks and feels the interior meaning. Later in the decade, Sarris published American Cinema; Directors and Directions, 1929-1968, which without delay turned out to be the unofficial Bible of Auteurism. A FOCUS ON A BOUT DE SOUFFLE BY JEAN – PAAL BELMONDO; AN ANALYSIS WITH PARTICULAR FOCUS ON VISUAL ELEMENTS USED IN THE MAKING OF THE FILM In our analysis, we shall see how Godard created the New Wave style by using production techniques to achieve some visual show. These techniques include location shooting, hand-held camera, natural lighting, casual acting and subversion of rules of classical editing. All these techniques cannot be found in tradition of quality, turn the film into spontaneous and improvised performances, rather than being the mere representation of the script, which exists before the film – making process begins. About de Souffle begins with Michael Pioccard (Jean – Paul Belmondo) stealing a car to drive him to Paris. However, two Policemen on motorcycles chase him. He turns off the road, but is followed by one of the Policemen. Michael shoots the Policeman and runs off. What makes this part of the film unusual and innovative is the way it is filmed. There is therefore every need to analyze the film based on the shots; it is only with that that a vivid understanding of the visual elements can be clearly understood. The first 17 shots last just 44 seconds, which makes an average a change of shot every 2. 6 seconds. (The first shot lasts 14 seconds). All the innovative production techniques mentioned above are apparent in this series of shots. The scene is shot on location, on the highway. The rest of the scene is also shot on location patricianly on the street of Paris. The camera is very mobile and shaky. The pans in shot 3 and 4 are very quick, creating blurred images. The Lighting is natural in shot 7, the sun shines directly into the lens, creating a bloomer. Belmondo is renowned and often initiated for his casual acting style in this film. He seems to improvise most of the time. Finally, this series of shots subvert the rules of continuity editing. The cut from shot 3 to shot 4 is less than 30 degrees and, therefore creates a Jump cut. In shot fire, Michael’s car is traveling from screen left to screen right. But in shot 6, the Police are shown traveling in different or opposite direction, from screen right to left. The Cameraman has crossed the road after filming the car to film the motorcycles. Such a swift change of direction creates a confusion of screen space. Almost in the same vein, when Michael stops the car, he looks screen left at the Police passing by. But after he picked up the gun, he looks screen right at the Policeman, instead of screen left, as the viewers screen left, as the viewers would expect. The cut from 15 to 16, the shot of Michael’s hand to the shot of the gun, created another jump, because there is very little difference between the two shots. The use of shaky, hand-held camera, together with the use of location shooting and natural lighting, jump cuts and discontinuous editing, do not aim to show the action clearly; instead, it offers a fragmentary and partial vision of the scene. These â€Å"imperfect† techniques represent the auteur’s presence and serve as a clear mark of the way he or she writes his or individual vision into the film. The effect these production techniques create is one of spontaneity and improvisation. However, what is interesting is the use of these techniques to give the film a documentary feel. The blurred pans, the shaky camera movements and abrupt editing testify to the difficulty the camera man faces in the situation which he found himself and his physical interaction with the event. It is imperative to note that the stylistic choices made by French New Wave directors were not simply determined by aesthetic considerations, but also y economics. The French New Wave is a low budget film making practice. Filming on location with natural lighting decreases production costs, just as the emphasis on spontaneity defrays pre-production cost such as script writing. Nevertheless, far from being deponent by the lack of finance, the French Wave directors identified low production costs with artistic freedom. They saw that a close relationship exist between the size of the budget and artistic freedom for visual creation and effect. Hence, they believed that the higher the budget, the lower the artistic freedom as one may not be allowed to improvise since every technicality would be in place. This is not the case in the Hollywood Film making. The direct opposite is the case here. To this end, a sharp contrast is noticeable while comparing the Hollywood Wave Film making with the French New Wave. FRENCH NEW WAVE CINEMA AND HOLLYWOOD FILM MAKING: JUXTAPOSITION Contrary to what we saw in the French New Wave Cinema, the Hollywood film making has taken a different dimension. Many of the initial conventions of the French Wave are beginning to go into extinction today. Jump cuts were used so much to cover mistakes as they were an artistic convention. Jean – Luc Godard certainly appreciated the dislocating feel a jump cut conveyed. The use of location shooting, natural lighting and improvisational acting by Midvale Claude Chabrol and Francois Truffaut as well as Jean – Luc Godard has been visited with an innovation with the emergence of Hollywood and its dominance in the film making in the world; as accurate and appropriate measures are often taken to curb any attitude of copying the incomplete and quick production of the French Wave Cinema. It is against this background that it has become necessary to say that since the advent of commercial Cinema of a century ago, the costs and complexity of film making have encouraged producers to develop a factory-oriented approach to production. This is the case of the Hollywood film making. The benefit of such approach includes the centralization of both production and management; the division and detailed subdivision of labor. This is not the case with the French New Wave Cinema as they upheld the director as the only competent artist without any form of division of labor. Contrary to the French New Wave Cinema, where standardized production is often questionable, Hollywood film production often yearns for standard. This, they do through putting all they can to ensure that the production is of standard. This stern from film style, product type, cost efficiencies derived from economies of scale, consistent production values; and the cultivation of a brand name in the movie market place. This was not the case in the French New Wave Cinema. Their major target was artistic freedom which should not be restricted by high budget. But in the case of Hollywood, artistic freedom is not emphasized, what is emphasized is the quality of the film to be produced which is often encouraged or motivated through huge budgeting and division of labour. The idea of proper film making set into Hollywood in 1910 in California; when the locale became the centre of commercial film production in the United States. The dominant firms referred to their facilities as â€Å"studios†, which invoke the more artistic aspects of film making, although operations on the kind of model that Henry Ford (1963-1947) was introducing to the auto industry at the time. In the larger global context, Hollywood has been the dominant force throughout motion future history due to the studio’s collective control of distribution as well as production. This control diminished considerably in post war era. This was due to the rise in independent production and freelance talent as well as the threat of television and other new media. Yet, the Hollywood studios are the strongest shaping forces in movie industry, and their operation today is the fundamental extension of the system that they established at their inception. It is against this background that it has become obvious that the current trend in the Hollywood film making is better off than the French New Wave Cinema and that is why some of the French New Wave Directors realized themselves that the Hollywood Cinema is something to write home about. To buttress our point and to clearly back up this juxtaposition without any form of prejudice, a cursory examination of some prominent Hollywood film makers such as John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock and Nicholas Ray would be taken into consideration. JOHN FORD AND THE HOLLYWOOD FILM MAKING There is nobody after having gone through his profile would doubt his greatness in the American movie making. Even among great film makers, the greatness of John Ford is often observed. This is why Welles much quoted Matra was â€Å"John Ford, John Ford and John Ford†. The road to Citizen Kane and Xanadu. A John Ford film was a visual gratification; this was not the case during the French New Wave Cinema. His method of shooting was characterized with clarity and apparent simplicity. Frank Capra called Ford â€Å"pure great† and Elian Kazan confessed that, even after half-a-dozen films, he studied Ford’s oeuvre to learn how to become more cinematic. She says ‘Ford taught me to tell it in pictures. . . Jack taught me to trust long shots. This is a clear indication that Ford as a filmmaker of the Hollywood believed and upheld the issue of technicality and visual elements in the making of his films. This is contrary to what was in vogue during the New Wave of French Cinema. Ford’s greatness in the Hollywood film making manifests again when Fredrick Fellini says â€Å"When I think of Ford, I sense the smell of barracks of horses, of gunpowder, . . The amending trips of his heroes. But, above all, I feel a man who liked motion picture, who lived for the Cinema, who has made out of motion pictures a fairly tale to be told to everyone, but in the first place a fairly tale to be lived himself . . . For all this, I esteem him, I admire him and I love him. † Ford made more than 60 silent films, about 130 movies in all. John Ford has to a great extent contributed immensely to the development of film in the world. Nicholas Ray was born on August 7th 1911 and died June 16 1979. Coming from a radio background, Ray directed his first and only Broadway production, the Duke Ellington Musical Beggar’s Holiday, in 1946. After a year he went into directing films, and he directed his first film, The Live by Night. This film though was visited with a lot of criticism, for its extreme empathy, The New York Times gave the film a positive review and acclaimed Ray for â€Å"good, realistic production and sharp direction. Ray has an eye for action details. His staging of the robbery of a bank, all seen by the lad in the pick-up car, makes a fine clip of agitating film. One of his prominent films ‘Rebel Without a Cause† distilled much of the essence of Rays Cinematic vision; expressionistic use of colour, dramatic use of architecture and empathy for those who struggle to fit in to mainstream society. Ray had been praised by most French New Wave Cinema, such as Jean – Luc Godard who referred to him as the Cinema. Thus he says â€Å"The Cinema is Nicholas Ray†. This at attests to the fact that Ray has contributed greatly to the field of Cinema. Having studied and researched in Hollywood Studio directors as can be seen above, it is important to juxtapose the French New Wave Cinema with their works in the field of film making. The way the films of the French New Wave were made reflected and interest in questioning Cinema itself, by drawing attention to the conventions used in film making. In this manner, the French New Wave directors strove to present an alternative to Hollywood by consciously breaking its conventions, while at the same time paying homage to what they regarded as good in Hollywood Cinema. French New Wave films had a free editing style and did not conform to the editing rules of Hollywood films. The editing often drew attention to itself by being discontinuous, reminding the audience that they were watching a film for example by using jump cuts or the insertion of material extraneous to the story (non-dugetic material). Godard in particular, favored the use of the jump cut, where two shots of the same subject are cut together with a noticeable jump on the screen. In a Hollywood film, this would be avoided by either using a sot/reverse shot edit or cutting to a shot from a camera in a position over 300 from the preceding shot. In Godard’s first full length film A Bout de Souffle, jump cuts were used during a lengthy conversation. Irrelevant shots were sometimes inserted for ironic or comic effect. The acting in the French New Wave Cinema was a marked departure from much that had gone before. They were encouraged to improvise their lines, or talk over each others lines as would happen in real life. In A Bout de Souffle, this leads to lengthy scenes of inconsequential dialogue, in opposition to the staged speeches of much traditional film acting as the case of Hollywood. Women were often given strong parts that did not conform to the archetypal roles seen in most Hollywood Cinema, for example Jeanne Moreau in Truffaut’s Jules ET Jim (1962) To this end, the reason why the French New Wave filmmakers praised a style so very different from their own has been obviously established and in this regard, one now understands that the excellent and perfect production of the Hollywood Cinema cannot in anyway be overemphasized. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1) http:/en. wikipedia. org/cinematic New Wave 2) Gerald Mast http://www/filmreference. com/Directors-st-ve/Truffaut-Franois. html