SpanishAmerican War Essay Research Paper SpanishAmerican WarThe free essay sample

Spanish-American War Essay, Research Paper Spanish-American War The Spanish-American War was different from many other wars because it did non cover with America # 8217 ; s rights ; nevertheless it dealt with our issues over expansionism. The war was caused by xanthous news media, sinking of the chief, and the de Lome missive in which he discussed his bad religion with America. The Spanish-American War was a # 8220 ; glorious small war # 8221 ; because it demonstrated the tremendous influence of xanthous news media, changed the balance in the Federal Government, and most significantly, marked the clear outgrowth of the United States as both a universe and imperialistic power. The Spanish-American War demonstrated tremendous influence of the imperativeness in determining of public sentiment and, indirectly, authorities policy. The imperativeness brought big Numberss of people together by maintaining them informed of what # 8217 ; s traveling on abroad. The imperativeness besides showed inkinesss and Whites contending side by side against a common enemy, assisting to ease the lesions still left from the civil war. We will write a custom essay sample on SpanishAmerican War Essay Research Paper SpanishAmerican WarThe or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Newspapers circulated The De Lome missive written by the Spanish curate to a friend in Cuba. He criticized President McKinley as a weak and unqualified President. As McKinley tried to keep neutrality, public feelings were fanned by xanthous news media, which created a authorities policy. The Spanish-American War had two major effects sing the balance of power among the Federal subdivisions of Government. Alt hough the war did non precisely upset the balance of power between or among the subdivisions, it greatly increased the powers of both the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch. The Executive power was enormously increased during the war and afterwards in the many assignments made in order to administrate the freshly acquired districts. Likewise, Legislative authorization besides increased the power of American Imperialism and expansionism prospered as a consequence of the war. When the United States declared war the armed forces was non ready. The ground forces comprised of approximately 30,000 was to turn to 200,000, voluntaries were non good equipped, and sanitation was besides sick equipped. Consequently, the United States spent 50 million to fix their ground forces. The UNITED STATES went on to get the better of Spain a major European power, on land and at sea. Therefore the UNITED STATES acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, every bit good as the right to intercession in the personal businesss of Cuba. Consequently, this marked the clear outgrowth of the United States as both a universe and imperialistic power. Due to the Spanish-American War the United States grew from a babe Chihuahua to an over fed greaser bell Chihuahua ( geographically and mentally ) we are now recognized as a universe power that instills fear into many lesser states. As Americans, we pride ourselves on holding the highest criterion of life. In this war, we showed that we were willing to contend to maintain our criterions where they are.

Clearwaters Company Objectives and Issues

Clearwaters Company Objectives and Issues Marketing has evolved with the evolving technologies in the world. The emerging technologies have completely changed the marketing processes in the current world. Freeman (2010) observes that for a long time, marketing was considered an operational activity and it was a unit under the production department. This was the time when most firms employed the production strategy. There was a general belief that once a product is availed in the market, consumers would have no otherwise but to buy it. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Clearwaters Company Objectives and Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This notion was held for a long time. Because there was minimal competition in the market, these firms managed to operate with this policy for long. However, the emerging technologies have created a global village where an individual could move from one end of the earth to the other within a very short time. Impr oved means of communication is another aspect that has changed marketing practices. The invention of telephones was a major milestone in making the world a global village. A person in New York would easily communicate with another in Riyadh or Melbourne in real time. As communication was enhanced, people became more knowledgeable and therefore more demanding. Current Marketing Situation It is always very important that before introducing a product to the market, care be taken to ensure that there is a deep understanding of the market situation. Market situation refers to the forces that dictate the condition of the market. They are the forces that would determine if a given product would be acceptable in the market. Of concern would be the acceptability of the product in the market, the size of the market and its sustainability. In order to elaborate on these factors, a number of analyses would be used in this research. In this case, we would discuss the introduction of a new bran d of water, hereinafter referred to as Clearwaters. Market Description Bottled water is one of the new products in the Saudi markets. This product was considered a free product and many people relied on tap water as the preferred clean water for drinking. However, this changed with time. Bottled water has come out strongly as one of the beverages that are considered important goods. Because of the ease to carry it and the fact that it is believed to have nutrients, there has been a consistent increase in the size of the market for this product. The bottled water market has consistently been eating up the market share of other carbonated drinks such as the cola products. Health experts have been raising concerns over the ingredients of the cola products and the possible effect they might have on consumers. As such, those individuals who are health conscious have considered taking bottled water instead of the carbonated drinks.Advertising Looking for research paper on busines s economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This market is relatively young, especially in the Saudi market. However, it has experienced a massive growth over the past few years. Some of the market leaders in the beverage market such as the Coca Cola Company have come up with their own brand of water to help cushion them against the effect of the mass movement of customers from carbonated drinks to bottled water. This brand is relatively strong in the market and its growth has been consistent. Other firms, some of which are locally owned, have come up with their own brands of water as well. They are keen to take their own share of the market. Clearwaters, being a new product in this market, would find an established market with a strong competition that must be countered if the product were to survive a possible elimination. Product Review Clearwaters is new in this industry. It is made of pure drinking water, just like o ther bottled water brands in this industry. This product is meant for human consumption and is sold in bottles of varying sizes, ranging from 300 milliliters to twenty liters. Five, ten and twenty liter-bottles are meant for home use while the three milliliter to one liter bottles target individuals who need water while on a journey or while on such practices as gym and roadwork. The product is new but in a considerably old market. Its brand is barely known and the marketers of this product have a huge responsibility of ensuring that this product penetrates the market. Although the products target the public, five, ten and twenty liters are targeted at middle-class families, who want clean bottled water for home use. The three hundred milliliters, five hundred milliliters, and one-liter bottles have youths as their targets. Competitive Review The market competition is undoubtedly immense. As stated above, there are giant international firms that have established their position in t he market. These firms, as Majer (2011) notes, have strong brands that have gained acceptance in the local market. The biggest challenge is the fact that these firms have developed pools of loyal customers who may not easily be withdrawn by such new brands as Clearwaters. There is a free market entry to firms trading in this product and this would mean that Clearwaters should be ready for new competition from other foreign firms that may want to enter the market. Although the competitors in this particular market have not considered using pricing as a strategy of competition, there are signs indicating that this is a possibility, especially if large firms in this industry consider small industry players as a threat. Thos would mean that elimination of small firms is the only option for survival. Clearwaters must therefore develop clear marketing strategies that would make it unique in the market.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Clearwaters Compan y Objectives and Issues specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Channels and Logistics Review Channels of distribution are some of the most important factors that the management team must consider. Given that this is a new firm and that the market is highly competitive, logistics are some of the factors that can help this firm to be seen as unique in this market. Clearwaters’ products would be delivered to various retail outlets in Riyadh city by use of two tracks. The management would ensure that this product is ever available in all the major stores within this city. The channel would simply be from the manufacturer to the retailers who would finally sell the products to the customers. SWOT Analysis The strength of this project depends on various factors. One of the major strengths of this project is its brand name (Charantimath. (2006). As Stated above, the brand, Clearwaters, is relatively new in the market. However, the name is expecte d to attract the Muslim faithful, who make the majority of the market share. This project also has considerable financial strength. As such, this project is in a position to implement its strategies, including those of research and extension. The project is also expected to operate in various cities outside Riyadh. As such, it would be able to balance its production. When one section of its market would be experiencing economic growth, the other section would be facing recession. Despite the above strengths, the project it has some weaknesses, a fact that might see some of its competitors such as Dasani eat up a section of its market share. Freeman (2010) says that one of the weaknesses that many environmentalists have repeatedly talked about regarding all the firms selling water in plastic bottles, is environmental degradation. The plastic bottles that this firm uses in packing its drinks are causing havoc to the environment. It is apparent that this firm is yet to develop a solut ion to this problem because according to the program, it is yet to replace the plastic bottles with better alternatives. Within the area of operation, some opportunities that can make the firm experience massive growth in its market share exist. Dasani has exploited a vacuum that existed in many countries in the world, especially in the developing countries. Majer (2011) says that there was no competition for this firm in the overseas markets and this company was able to make the most out of its sales. However, with the introduction of new brands such as Clearwaters, Dasani would be under threat. Clearwaters would find it easy to change with the changing technologies because of its small size than would Dasani. Technological advancements will also enable the firm to conduct trade much easily due to improved means of communication and transport means. The economic boom that Saudi Arabia experienced following the improved oil prices in the world market is another opportunity that can help this firm to expand its market.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The threats that this product has had to deal with include competition. The market has gotten increasingly competitive. Freeman (2010) notes that many firms like Coca Cola have come up with products, which are close substitutes of the product. They have taken large market share in the country. Security concerns in some parts of the city are another threat that this firm has had to deal with. When there is an internal strife, like the one experienced in Egypt and Libya in the recent past, this firm would lose millions of dollars due to the destruction of its assert. During such periods, the firm would also lose the profits they get from the region, while yet they will have to pay the employees. This would hurt the firm financially. Objectives and issues This is a new product. The issue here is to ensure that this product is successfully introduced into the existing market, and that it gets acceptance from the customers in this region. The objective of this move is to ensure that the firm manages to capture substantial market share that would make it sustainable in an increasingly competitive market. Clearwaters should come out as a strong brand in the bottled water industry. The brand should not only attract positive sales in the market, but also a strong base of loyal customers who would help in ensuring that this firm is sustainable. Positioning Product positioning is always very important. In various occasions, firms would try to position their products in the market as the best. In this case, Clearwaters would be positioned as ‘the end of thirst’. In this context, thirsty customers should consider going for Clearwaters, because in its presence, thirst would end. With proposition is expected to attract travelers who pass by the retail outlets to look for beverages that would help quench their thirst. Product Strategy This product is perfectly similar to other products sold by other market competitors. However much the advertisement may be devi sed to make it appear different, the fact remains that the product is similar to those of other competitors. Therefore, a strategy that would help make it unique must exist. In this regard, the packaging of this product would be made a little unique from others in the market. The packages of this product targeting the youths would have graphics that would be attractive to them. The aim of this is to ensure the product speaks out to the customers the moment customers’ glance at them. Pricing Strategy Pricing is one of the most challenging tasks when introducing a new product in the market. When the price is set higher than the average market, customers would most likely ignore the product and go for their traditional products. When the product is priced lower than the market price, customers may dismiss it as a product of poor quality and therefore it may be ignored. Therefore, most firms would prefer setting the price of the product to be at par with the market price of other products. The rationale is that in the process of choosing for the best brand, given that the prices are the same, customers may consider taking the new brand to test its viability. This firm would employ this strategy. It would avoid setting the price below the market average for this may provoke price wars (Freeman, 2010). Because it is a new firm, it may not be in a position to withstand such a competition. Distribution Strategy This product is intended to be distributed in all the major stores in Riyadh. The product will have to capture this market before moving to other cities in this country. The choice of Riyadh was because it has the biggest market for this product and therefore more promising than other markets. Moreover, with the fact that there is huge competition in this city, a success in this market would mean that it would be easy to reach out to other markets. As stated above, the track would move this product to all the mail retail outlets in the country. The str ategy that would be used would be very simply: the product should never run out of stock in all the selected stores Marketing Communication Strategy Manufacturing and availing products to the market is not enough if there is a considerable level of competition in the market. There would be need to ensure that the market understands that the product is available and that it offers superior value. Clearwaters would therefore be advertised in the main channels of communication within the target market. The marketing department would have to use the mass media like the dailies, the radio and television stations to inform the market that this product is available. This department would also need to ensure that the youths who frequent the social media are also reached. This should be done using such social media as Facebook, Tweeter, and YouTube. The communication that goes to the public should be reviewed carefully. It would be important to ensure that there is no miscommunication, or irrelevant information reaching out to the public. This may damage the reputation of the firm and hinder its move to capture more customers in this market. Marketing Research According to Majer (2011), there has been a massive change in marketing over the recent past. Currently, businesses have been forced to take an inward-out approach to marketing. This would mean that a firm would start by understanding what the market expects of them. After developing this understanding, the firm would then need to ensure that it develops products that will meet the demands of the market. In order to ensure that this is possible, there would be need for research into the market. Market research is always very important because creates understanding of the market. Clearwaters will have to be developed as a strong brand in this market. In this regard, it would be important that the management conduct the research among the target market to get to understand their expectation of the bottled water that is sold in the retail outlets. The data from this research should be analyzed, and compounded with the secondary sources of information like the business journals, an informed decision should be made of the approach that this firm should take in bringing this new product to the market. This way, it will gain a competitive edge over the existing firms because it shall have implemented the recommendations from the research. Implementations Charantimath (2006) says that ideas will always remain ideas unless they are implemented. Good ideas can be turned into wonderful projects if the concerned parties make concerted effort to ensure that it is implemented. The plans for the introduction of this product will have to be implemented by all the concerned members of the project. After the idea has undergone all the stages until there is an inception of a product, a marketer would be expected to take over. In this case, the first step would be market testing. A sample of the product w ould be taken to the market to determine its viability. If the product is confirmed to be viable in the market, the production department would then be instructed to produce the product in mass and then there will be commercialization of the product. In this case, Clearwaters will be taken to various retail outlets in the city. The marketing department will also develop an awareness campaign of the product within this particular city. Most importantly during the implementation process, the team would ensure that all the planned activities are carried out as per the plan with no deviations. The allocation of funds would be based on various factors, such as the importance of the project, its profitability and impact it would have on the firm. Budget The budget for this project would be based on the area of coverage. For a start, this project is expected to cover Riyadh city. However, it would be rolled out to other cities later if it proves successful in this region. The budget for t his project would be categorized into various sections, which include research, manufacturing, logistics, advertising, and others. Based on the percentage, the above categories should be allocated funds as follows. Research- 8% Manufacturing-60% Logistics- 11% Advertising- 12% Others- 9 The above budgetary allocations may be altered as per the need of the organization, but they should not be drastically shifted from the estimates provided. Control It is important that the management ensure that the program would flow smoothly as planned. The control of the entire process would be in the hands of the top management of the project. They have the responsibility to ensure that there is a proper budgetary allocation and that every task is done by the intended persons and within the scheduled time. The top management should be responsible for assigning each member of the team specific roles that would help in ensuring that the overall objective of the firm is achieved. Monitoring is al so part of control and must be undertaken by the management unit. References Charantimath. (2006).Total Quality Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Freeman, E. (2010). Ethical leadership practices. KCA Journal of Business Management, 2(1): 1-14. Freeman, E. (2010). Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. Majer, C. (2011). The silent killers of productivity and profit. T+D, 65(2), 62

Media reaction paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media reaction paper - Essay Example The media have also joined the debate, actually taking sides although in a more discreet manner in line with its vow of upholding objectivity. The analysis that the U.S. media is far from being objective because it can be broken down into the liberal and conservative camps has only become more evident in its handling of the issue. Even as journalists try to present news on the issue in the most balanced and objective manner, they still could not avoid showing their bias. One media piece, an article written by David Fitzsimmons titled U.S. Must Enact Immigration Reform Now, which was published in Statesman Journal, is a rare example of how the issue can actually be handled in a manner that can be considered fair and balanced despite the author showing ultimately his personal stand. The article Fitzsimmons wrote is a response to the approval of the Arizona Legislature of a bill that would introduce reforms in the state’s immigration policy. The article begins with a brief backgr ound of events prior to the passing of the bill, SB 1070, in a news-like writing manner. After such short description, Fitzsimmons then starts to lay down his analysis on the issue when he writes that â€Å"state lawmakers were so fed up with the federal government's inconsistent, inadequate immigration enforcement that they took the issue into their own hands† (29 July, 2010). Based on this analysis, Fitzsimmons then expressed agreement with the measures approved by the Arizona Legislature, including the concepts behind these such as the enforcement of stricter policies against employers who wittingly know that they are hiring illegal immigrants. However, Fitzsimmons does not stop here and, as a consequence, prevents the reader to immediately conclude that the author is all-out in his support of a crackdown policy on illegal immigrants and their support machinery. Instead, he also expresses apprehensions over the enforcement of the new immigration law in the state. He worrie s that â€Å"the law will foster discrimination against Latinos — creating the wrong presumption that ‘if you look Hispanic, you must be here illegally’ — even though the law's supporters vow that won't happen† (Fitzsimmons, 29 July, 2010). In the end, Fitzsimmons points out that while there may be negative aspects in the presence of illegal immigrants, there are also positive ones. While he attempts to present an unbiased analysis in this part, he errs in using the term ‘illegal immigrants.’ Apparently, what he means is not just the illegal ones but also the legal immigrants as well. It is not just the illegal immigrants but also the legal ones who contribute to the economy as employees, consumers, and tax-payers. It is also not just the illegal immigrants who â€Å"consume tax dollars† as they avail of public education, healthcare, and the welfare system. Fitzsimmons then proceeds to push for certain measures that do not really drive the immigrants off Arizona’s borders but just process them more efficiently so they can be legalized. What makes Fitzsimmons perspective rare though is that he also proposes that helping the immigrants within the border is the solution. He proposes that in order to solve the heavy influx of immigrants, it is necessary for Arizona

Negative interaction on the psyche of the American teenagers caused by Research Paper

Negative interaction on the psyche of the American teenagers caused by the violence in video games - Research Paper Example However, even with the rating systems can’t prevent exposure to violence as a staggering 89% of video games contain a degree of violent content and specifically it can also be found in more than half of E-rated (for Everyone) games (Gentile). Figure 1. Computer and video game sales from 2000 to 2011 (NPD) Violence in video games is not a relatively novel subject. Since the emergence of the video gaming industry in the 1970’s the notion that video games promoted violence became a major controversy with the release of â€Å"Death Race† in 1976 (Kent). The game involved the player as an automobile driver running over screaming â€Å"gremlins† that resembled human figures due to the primitive graphics of that era. Believing that the game appeared to condone killing of innocent civilians with a car, protestors started pulling machines out of the arcades and burning them, eventually leading to the termination of the game. Newer controversies included the p opular â€Å"Wolfesnstein 3D† and the franchises of â€Å"Street Fighter† and â€Å"Mortal Kombat†, which featured one-on-one fights and gory graphic sequences (Carnagey and Anderson). Over the past 25 years, numerous studies have researched the effects on video games on adolescents. The most prominent interest of researches has been games with violent content and the association between video game use and aggressive behavior, as well on school performance. The aggressive elements portrayed have been linked to aggression on children and adolescents, but the empirical evidence was not present to validate these assumptions (Schutte et al.; Irwin and Gross). Recent meta-analytic reviews have employed both short-term experimental and correlation studies to study the harmful effects of exposure to violent games and associated them with higher levels of aggressive behavior, physiological arousal and decreased prosocial behavior (C. A. Anderson 113-22; Anderson et al.). Most of the research has associated videogame violence with school shooting incidents while some assessed their influence from a developmental perspective (Kirsh). This review will assess the effects of video games to the adolescents as reported from various studies, discuss the underlying psychological processes and theories employed to understand them. 2. Effects of Violent Video Games The research on the effects of violent video games, however small, mirrors the larger body of research on the effects of violent films and television programs (Whaley). While many of the effects in those genres are similar, at least three reasons to believe that the former have stronger effect than violent television formats (C. Anderson, Backwell) . These include the active process of playing videogames instead of the â€Å"passive† television viewing while higher probability of players to identify with a violent character occurs in first person shooters (Anderson and Dill). Additionally, most violent games reward violent behavior often with verbal praise such as â€Å"Nice shot† after killing enemies with a gun – as studies show, rewarding behavior increases its frequency (Bozza). 2.1 Aggressive behaviors, cognitions and feelings The primary concern over violent video games is the behavior that players will assume as a result to their

Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Research Paper Essay Sibley’s English 1302 Research Paper Submission Guidelines RESEARCH PAPER: * The research paper must be 1500-2000 words in length (excluding the Works Cited page), and must be typed according to MLA format guidelines for style and documentation. Type Word Count on last page of paper (before the Works Cited page). * A minimum of 1 primary (literary) source and 3 secondary sources must be used in the actual writing of the paper. * The paper must conform to one of the three options provided by the prompt, and be written about approved literary works. The paper must be organized in alternating pattern (by criteria and not by literary work). * Have a descriptive title WHAT TO SUBMIT: Submit the following documents in a folder with your name and section# legibly printed on it. 1. A clean copy of final paper and works cited page. 2. Complete photocopies of any short stories not in the anthology OR a page with links to electronic copies. PLEASE NOTE: Research Projects are due at the beginning of class on the date found in your revised tentative course calendar. Your paper must be attached to an email sent to me by 11:59pm the evening of day the hard copy of the paper is due. Remember that if you do not do this—I cannot assign any credit to your paper, even if you turned in the hard copy. LATE PENALTIES: 5% Hard copy turned in on due date, but later than 5 minutes after the beginning of class. 10% per calendar day, up until 3 days after the due date, after which I will no longer accept papers, and no credit will be assigned. Dr. Sibley’s English 1302 Research Paper Evaluation Rubric Student Name amp; Section # _________________________________________________ Paper Grade (20% of Course Grade): ________ NOTE WELL: To receive a minimum grade of â€Å"C,† the responses to all of the following criteria must be â€Å"Yes. † ____________________________________________________________________________ FORMAT * MLA Format (double-spaced, 1† margins, etc. ) Yes / No * Works Cited Page provided Yes / No * Works Cited Page conforms to MLA guidelines Yes / No * Internal Citations in correct form Yes / No Sources properly introduced before initial use of them Yes / No * Direct quotations integrated properly into paper Yes / No * 1500 word minimum Yes / No STYLE * Paper is written from a 3rd person, objective point of view. Yes / No * Paper is written in literary present tense. Yes / No * Paper is free from numerous, distracting small errors. Yes / No * Diction and tone are appropriate for an academic paper. Yes / No * The reader is not hampered by confusi ng or awkwardly constructed sentences. Yes / No * There are no serious grammatical errors. Yes / No CONTENT * Paper has an arguable thesis related to literary elements of short stories, and develops an argument which adequately supports it. Yes / No * Paper exhibits competent knowledge of its primary sources. Yes / No * Paper exhibits correct use of literary vocabulary and conventions. Yes / No * Paper makes use of at least 3 secondary sources. Yes / No * Paper is well organized in alternating pattern. Yes / No * Paper comes to a logical conclusion which is clearly related to the thesis. Yes/ No

Anatomy Of A Psychopath :: essays papers

Anatomy Of A Psychopath "In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty." Almost every person has a preconception of the darkest form of humanity: evil. One German film exemplifies this classic struggle of right and wrong, while addressing deeper emotional messages. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was made in 1919 and directed by Robert Weine. The film features a character named Francis, the protagonist, who seeks revenge against Dr. Caligari and his somnambulist, Cesarà ©, whom he believes murdered his friend. In one specific scene, Cesarà © attempts to kill a beautiful woman named Jane, Francis’s fiancà ©e coincidentally, at Caligari’s request. Judging by Cesarà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s previously witnessed brutal and robotic nature, it is assumed that as he creeps up to her gentle sleeping body that her time has expired. Magically, he cannot commit the deed. Overcome with affection, he instead lovingly reaches to cradle her head. She awakens, screams, and struggles. Cesarà © snaps out of his funk and overtakes her, eventually escaping with her on his back. This intense scene conveys the message that even the darkest forms of evil are not completely devoid of humanity, giving the audience the faintest glimmer of hope that good can always shine through malevolence. Cesarà © has no mind of his own; rather he is the puppet of the sinister Dr. Caligari. This is strikingly obvious just before the attack on Jane. As Cesarà © slinks down the corridor to the bedchamber his movements are awkward and unnatural, similar to puppet’s movements. At one point he even pauses, as if to mentally rethink the plan for murder Caligari has laid down. This attention to said murder agenda points that normal people can be highly susceptible to perform evil deeds. In essence, Cesarà © is not an evil person, but one who has been mentally dominated by the evil Caligari. One could play a contemporary television therapist and venture to state that Cesarà © "is the victim in all of this." In fact, "Cesarà © the sleepwalking killer" never existed before Caligari came into place. One can therefore also determine that evil spawns more evil. Kindness and humanity always find a way to shine through the depths of rage and hate. Poised in a striking position, primed to kill, something inside Cesarà © snaps. He is rendered momentarily immobile, unable to perform the deed he has been commanded.

Personal writing – David’s Table

Danielle's heart stopped the moment He stepped through the doorway. Although He was the reason that she came to this particular cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ at this precise time, she wasn't certain about her vague information. Go to Isabella's at quarter past four. He orders a cappuccino and a biscuit. He sits outside under the green umbrella at a wooden table and drinks his coffee, giving his biscuit to the birds. Sure enough, Danielle's man was given a polystyrene cup and white paper bag. She watched from her dark corner as He went outside. When she left, she noticed crumbs surrounding Him. The next day, Danielle couldn't curtail her thoughts. Whenever she looked at the clock she wondered what He was doing at that moment. At last, the bell rang and her body tensed in anticipation, but she had to wait until the end of roll call to grab her bag and make her way to Isabella's. Sitting at the same corner table, Danielle again ordered a cappuccino. Danielle hated coffee but it made her feel closer to Him. Today, she listened to His order at the counter. â€Å"Cappuccino to go and one of those cornflake biscuits, thanks.† Danielle smiled when the owner of the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ laughed and took His money. â€Å"David, mate, you've been coming here for months and its always the same thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Danielle knew this was Him. â€Å"†¦And you only have different biscuits because you take whatever's there.† David grinned and took his order. â€Å"Well don't expect me tomorrow Bruce, I'm going back to Melbourne.† Danielle froze mid-pretend sip. Melbourne? â€Å"Melbourne?† echoed Bruce aloud. â€Å"Yeah, I have unfinished business there †¦Ã¢â‚¬  David looked away. â€Å"Ah, I see.† Bruce shut the till, smiled and turned to the next customer. David walked out onto the terrace. Inside, Danielle lost interest in her pretence. He was going away before she had a chance to talk to him. She picked up her coat and left, crossing the terrace just as He looked up and saw her walking away. School came second to Danielle's thoughts. However, this time her mind was firmly in the distant past on the day that had been the hardest of her life. Even thinking about it made her want to bawl into her notebooks. Mercifully, Danielle had on Thursdays she didn't have to say much, just sit there and look busy, so no one noticed. Neither Danielle nor David went to Isabella's on Thursday. David didn't want to go to Melbourne as he had only been in Adelaide for five months. However, since his mother died six weeks previously and he had been in Melbourne for the funeral, the pull became too strong. David knew that to start over again in Adelaide, he needed closure in Melbourne. A month sounded long, but there was a lot he had to do. Thankfully, he and Cassie didn't have any children; apparently they made divorce harder. David left for Melbourne on Thursday at six-thirty pm. After the weekend, Danielle returned to Isabella's. She wasn't sure whether to be upset that had was gone or relieved. Bruce noticed that she no longer sat in the corner with an untouched cappuccino; now Danielle sat outside on David's table with hot chocolate and cake. She ate the icing but crumbled the cake for the birds. Bruce considered getting a new cook, but instead, befriended her. Soon a month was up. Once, David wondered why some married couples had separate bank accounts. Wasn't marriage for life? Now he wished he had their foresight. Neither he nor Cassie wanted to sell everything but they couldn't do things fairly, too many emotions in the way. David was returning to Adelaide with money from the sale of his old life to purchase his new. His only concern was that his parents, his past, was buried in Melbourne. An indiscernible smell wafted down the aisle and punched David fair in the nose. Old shoes? Rotten eggs? It was too early for David to recognise the stench. â€Å"Would you like breakfast sir?† David smiled wanly as the flight attendant plonked a tray in front of him. The smell became stronger when he lifted the foil: overcooked omelette. Quarter to six he boarded the plane and now at seven-thirty it was too early for offal disguised as breakfast. David leant back in his chair and closed his eyes. He felt guilty about betraying his parents by leaving, by putting his childhood and young adult life in a neat box labelled â€Å"Melbourne† and moving on. But it was more; his motives for moving to Adelaide went against his parents' wishes and it was only after they had both died that he could defy them. At 32, David was still a naughty little boy. Danielle gazed at the attentive but blank faces in her chemistry class. Sometimes she wondered why she bothered. Most of these girls would go on to be nurses, secretaries or teachers. However it was a precious few who wanted more that made it all worthwhile. When Danielle was fifteen, she had been a precious one. She was to be a doctor in a time when girls were trained to be wives. Danielle was going somewhere until†¦ â€Å"Miss Everard, isn't there a two minus charge on the oxygen molecule?† Danielle shook herself from her reverie and looked at what she had written on the board. â€Å"Ah, yes, thankyou Catherine.† Catherine was a lucky one, going on to be what Danielle dreamed of. The siren went and the students began to pack up. â€Å"Miss Everard, is there any homework?† But Danielle had already left. David decided to go to Isabella's at four, as he wasn't back working yet. Bruce was pleased to see him. â€Å"David, I'm sorry but you can't have your table today. Why not try the table with the red umbrella?† David shrugged and sat down, glancing at the woman sitting at â€Å"his† table. She was slowly eating the icing from the top of her cake in between sips from her mug. He watched, captivated, as she picked at her cake and let bits fall from her fingers to the sparrows on the ground. He realised it, as his own cappuccino cooled beside him. Danielle, not noticing her company, was fully engrossed in the sparrows that flitted and darted around her. She found peace beyond her forty-eight years, something she hadn't felt for almost thirty-three years. David felt his thirst be slaked as he watched her, after twenty years of drought. This woman surrounded by birds mitigated the dryness started when he was told he was adopted. Bruce saw the young man approach the middle-aged woman and smiled. Knowing both sides, he had figured the whole story out long ago. With the strong sunlight slanting under the umbrella, Bruce could see that the resemblance between mother and son was uncanny.