Development of Electronic Media in the Mauritius

Development of Electronic Media in the Mauritius CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1.0 Chapter Overview This opening chapter introduces the study by examining the background and historical perspective of the development of the Electronic media use worldwide and in Mauritius. The emergence of the phenomenon of electronic media addiction is introduced, and then brought into focus as it is beginning to affect electronic media users around the world, including Mauritius. Next, the aims and objectives of study and the research questions are identified. The chapter concludes with the research questions and the scope of the study. 1.1 Background of the study According to Huesmann (2007) electronic media has become a common fashion today, especially among college students. One of the most remarkable changes in our society in the 20th century and 21st centuries has been the saturation of our culture and day-to-day lives by the electronic media. In this new generation radio, television, movies, videos games, video, cell phones, and computer networks have took on principal roles in our children’s daily lives. Electronic media improve the general knowledge by giving us with information all around the world. News transmit through different electronic media make it easier for us know about the day-to-day events in the world. News, tele ­films and documentaries revolving around social issues improve a social perception in teenagers and increase their concern towards societal environment. Electronic media also contribute to the enhancement of our language, knowledge and vocabulary. It is now a general truth that T.V and other means of electronic media is a strong source of not only giving information but also teach and satisfy the masses. Jennifer (2008) and Azeez et al. (2014) have found that research has proven that television has had either positive or negative impacts. Electronic media can be described as those communication which is based on technology or electromechanical means of production and most often differentiated from print media Berkowitz and Rawlings (1963), Azeez et al (2014). The main electronic sources used by public normally comprise television, radio, sound recordings, video recordings and internet. It can be found that there are four basic functions of electronic media which generally include to inform, satisfy, teach and most important to influence public opinion (students). They also stated that the 20th century is heavily influenced by communication technology. Motion pictures arrived on scene in the first decade of this century. The radio broadcast began in 1920s while TV entered in the world in 1940s, followed by cable television in 1950s, and satellite television in 1970s. Lastly the personal computer gave access to internet in 1980s. It transformed the interconnected computer networks through World Wide Web by 1990s. Many benefits are connected with electronic media use, such access to needed information, international access to news and events, and interpersonal communication through email. But, along with the phenomenal expansion of the electronic media, there has been increasing concern internationally about the dangers related with electronic media over-use and becoming addicted to it (Buchholz, 2009; Daily News, 2008, 2009; Fackler, 2008; Janta, 2008; Khaosod, 2007; The Associated Press, 2009; Wanajak, 2011). A possible risk of using these new forms of media technology is also beginning to appear. Majority students are becoming too addicted to it and is having an impact on their academic performance, cyberbullying, sexting, becoming aggressive, becoming victims of aggression, insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality among students, and health problem such as affecting overall diet quality. Specially, increasing numbers of adolescents are becoming victims of aggression committed by peers wit h this new technology as cited in David-Ferdon and Hertz (2007). Examples comprise adolescents creating Web sites or sending e-mail or text messages that are meant to humiliate or harass a peer and/or to threaten physical harm called cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can be defined as bullying that occurs using electronic technology which contains devices and items such as mobile phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication instruments containing social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites. Examples of cyberbullying contain emails or mean text messages, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and humiliating pictures, clips, internet sites, or imposter accounts. Moreover, according Mr Ismael Bawamea an â€Å"enqueteur du bureau† at the Ombudsperson for Children Office in Mauritius, these offenders usually use SMS, e-mail, chat rooms and Facebook and social networking sites to spread their message. â€Å"Parents think they are observing thei r children effectively online, but according to an ICSF study, which is carried out in Mauritius, it has been found that less than 10% of parents monitored the websites,† says Mr Ismael Bawamea. â€Å"Without the necessary measure to ensure child protection online, children in Mauritius face massive dangers†, he indicated (Defi News, 2011). Researcher has collected over the past half century that exposure to violence on television, movies, and, most recently, in video games grows the risk of deviant behavior. According to the researchers, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); a latest study demonstrates that the average 8-10 year old child spends approximately eight hours a day using different forms of electronic technologies, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day. Children and teenagers who have a Television in their bedroom spend more time with electronic media. Corresponding, the current amount of users for mobile phones, text messaging, e-mai l, and chat rooms by our teenagers have opened new venues for social interaction in which aggression can happen and adolescents can be victimized (Huesmann, 2007). Hence, Mauritian students are also facing many of the phenomenal problems due to electronic media. With the coming technology, everyone have a laptop and a Smartphone and with the everyday life, both parents work nowadays and adolescent do not have enough time to speak with their parents. After school, the teenagers go to their rooms, and start surfing, watching television for long hours or even listening to music through their mobiles, on their laptops, on radio. Moreover, they even eat in their rooms and keep sitting in front of their screen. The weird thing is that, they will prefer to talk to a stranger through social media rather than going out and talk with their friends. According to recent ICT indicators for Mauritius, a speedily increasing number of families and teenagers are using the Internet; the number of Internet subscribers at the end of 2010 was 284,200 and the number of mobile cellular subscribers was 1,190,900 in 2010 (Defi News, 2011). Henceforward, as stated in Al exa’s Statistics, Facebook can be seen as the number one site visited by Mauritian citizens as shown in the table below. Indeed, there were 159,480 Mauritians on Facebook as at 13th January 2010 as reported by the advertisement programme available on the network. Social Networking Site OR Social Networking Service (SNS) Ranking Facebook 1st YouTube 5th Tagged 24th Twitter 39th Badoo 42nd Hi5 51st Photobucket 54th Flickr 64th LinkedIn 68th MySpace 85th Table 1: Alexa’s Ranking of SNS visited by Mauritians in top 100 sites1 1.2 Problem statements A conversion in telecommunications has greatly changed communication by providing new media in order to have access to long distance communication in the last years. The first transatlantic two-way radio broadcast took place in 1906 and led the way to usual transmission via analogue and digital media. The new communication media now permit for long distance exchanges between higher numbers of populations. Electronic media is appreciating a wide use every day with a rise in technology devices being created. Technology has become a time wasting act that distracts youth from communicating personally with mates and family through face to face communication. Electronic media now comes in the forms laptops, tablets, desktops, mobile phones (containing new applications such as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, WeChat and many more), mp3/mp4 players, video games, movies, radios, and television. Electronic has displayed to record highs within the last era, thus altering the dynamic of comm unication. Electronic media, as it is known in different globe, has altered with time. Teenagers and technology appear to have a good relationship for each other. Both are young, proceeding rapidly, and ever altering. During the last 20 years there has been a sudden increase in new technology (David-Ferdon and Hertz, 2011). In the older generations teens readily accepted new technologies for example TVs, record and cassette players, computers, and VCRs, but the new generations have observed a virtual rapid increase in new technology, including mobile phones, iPads, iPods, Mp3/mp4 players, and personal digital assistants. This new technology has been eagerly accepted by adolescents and has caused to an expanded vocabulary, which contain instant messaging (â€Å"IMing†), blogging, and text messaging. Modern technology has many social and educational benefits. In an article (Anon 2010) was stated that with the emergence of internet as the global media, education has progressed to a large extent. Nowadays it is found that distance education programs are carried out through online media which has proved to be quite an advantage to people who seldom have the chance to have interactive classes. There are many television programs that impart knowledge on different facets of education comprising language, science, mathematics and so forth. Electronic media has facilitated in encouraging students to deal effectively with the present educational system. It has changed their view towards education. With the introduction of electronic media, education has got a new meaning. Problems arise when certain students do not use electronic media in a certain way that will have a positive effect on them, thus they become addicted to it. It is noticed that students give more attention to electronic media than they do to their studies (Ndaku, 2013). Teenagers try to follow new fashions, culture and style which is being presented in different programs and advertisements on television, on radio, through their smartphones, laptops, tablets, internet or posters on social networking sites. Teachers have showed concern about the risks students can be exposed to through these electronic devices. To respond to this concern, some countries and schools have, for example established new strategies about the use of mobile phones on school grounds and created strategies to block the use of certain websites on school computers. For example, in Florida, South Carolina, Utah, and Oregon are developing new strategies to cope with cyberbullying. Teachers have decided to take action individually by randomly inspecting websites used by teenagers, such as MySpace. This small activity emphasizes on the phenomena of electronic aggression: any type of aggression which carried out through technology, any sort of harassment or bullying (lying, making fun of people, making rude or mean comments, gossips, or making threatening or hostile comments) that happens through email, a chat room, instant messaging, a website, or even text messaging. Teachers, custodians, and other people who work wit h youngsters know that children and adolescents spend most of their time on electronic media such as blogs, instant messaging, chat rooms, email, text messaging rather that studying. What is not known is exactly how and how frequent they use different kinds of electronic? Could the use of electronic technology expand the likelihood that a teen is the victim of an attack? (David-Ferdon 2010). Electronic media is having a negative impact on the academic performance of students, cyberbullying, becoming aggressive, becoming victims of aggression, insufficient sleep and poor sleep quality among students, and health problem such as affecting overall diet quality. For example, too much addicted to violent video games or listening and watching too much of metallic, hard rock and rock music are affecting the brain and pushing the students in violent behavior. Attention is growing about the danger of teenagers to become victims of aggression carried out by peers with electronic media (David-Ferdon et al, 2007). Cyber-bullying is a global phenomenon which can include people from different countries. It can be defined as simple as continuing to leave a text through means of technology to someone who does not want further contact with the sender. Moreover, cyber-bullying happens when adolescents are tortured, bullied, harassed, humiliated, or in a different way which is targeted by a nother adolescent using the Internet, interactive and electronic means or mobile phones (Defi news, 2011). During recent decades, research examined the sleep patterns and habits of adolescents has become growingly more widespread. More precisely, lack of sleep and poor quality have been associated with impairments in declarative, procedural and working memory performance, as well as poor concentration on studies leading into poor academic performance at schools (Cain and Gradisar, 2010). Therefore, to conclude, that is the reason why I am conducting this research study. This research study aims at demonstrating the impact of electronic media on the secondary school students. 1.3 Aims and Objectives of study They are: To analyse the impact of electronic media on students’ social life. To find out how often the students use electronic media. To evaluate the attitude of students towards electronic media and measure the spending time on it. To determine how the use of electronic media has affected the academic performance of students. 1.4 Research Questions What are the impact of electronic media on students’ social life? How often do the students use electronic media? How are the attitude of students towards electronic media and the time spending on it? How has the use of electronic media affected the academic performance of the students? 1.5 Scope of study The essence of this research is to primarily study the impact of electronic media on secondary school students. The research intends to focus on students in Mauritius for easy analysis of data. 1.6 Flow of report Following this introduction are the chapters that address the relevant literature used to develop the theme the impact of electronic media on secondary school students, the research methods used in the work, the results data analysis, discussion, the conclusion and recommendation. Each chapter is briefly introduced below. Literature Review In chapter 2, the literature is reviewed in different areas. First, the impact of electronic media around the world. Research Methods (Methodology) In chapter 3, the methodology and research design are explained. The research sample and date collection methods are described. Results data analysis In chapter 4, the results and data analysis are explained according to the data collected, from the questionnaire survey. Results are compared. Discussion In chapter 5, the discussion will be made from the results obtained. Conclusions and Recommendations Chapter 6, concludes the research work and incorporates the recommendations In the next chapter we shall proceed with a review of the literature.

International Reserve System: Is it Feasible? Essay -- Economics Econo

International Reserve System: Is it Feasible? During the last decade, the world saw some of the most severe economic shocks and crises since The Great Depression of the late 1920’s. The crises of Mexico in 1994, Russia in 1995, Asian countries in 1997 and even recently in Latin America in 2000 have shown us that the economic shocks have a very drastic and crippling effect on the stricken countries. Rapid capital outflow; firms and banks overwhelm by bad debts; inability to provide loans; bank closures due to sudden capital losses and devaluation of the home currency, all have struck the affected countries simultaneously that their central banks did not have enough sufficient reserves to protect themselves. The realization of the poor central bank’s regulation, also aided by the fact that markets throughout the world are now interlinked, quickly caused panic and similar shocks to spread to neighboring countries and even regions. An international organization, which controls a form of reserve system, could have b een the lender of last resort for these sickened countries in their time of need. A working example of a reserve structure for banks would be the Federal Reserve System currently being used by the United States. This consists of 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks that is coordinated under one main Board of Governors. The main roles of the Fed is to issue new currency, administer discount loans to banks, examine the management of local banks and their financial status and provide a system of standardized banking regulations for banks to follow. Lastly, but most importantly, the Fed acts as a lender of last resort to banks facing financial collapse.[1] This not only provides stability for consumers but also prot... ...y (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1994). 5) Federal Reserves Bank, Boston web site, http://www.bos.frb.org 6) Frederic S.Mishkin, The economics of Money, Banking and Financial Markets (New York : World Student Series, 2003) 7) Jorge A. Chan Lau / Zhaohui Chen, â€Å"Financial Crisis and Credit Crunch as a Result of Inefficient Financial Intermediation.†, IMF Working Paper, August 1998 http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/wp98127.pdf or http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/CAT/longres.cfm?sk=2738.0 8) IMF web site, http://www.imf.org 9) The Asian Crises, http://faculty.washington.edu/karyiu/Asia/papers/index.htm 10) Works in International Monetary Fund-Financial Medic to the World?, ed. Lawrence J. McQuillan and Peter C. Montgomery (Stanford: Hoover University Press, 1999) 11) World Bank web site, http://www.worldbank.org

Pauls Relationship with Clara in Sons and Lovers :: Lawrence Sons and Lovers Essays

Paul's Relationship with Clara in Sons and Lovers       Paul's relationship with Clara is based on passion. Her womanliness impresses him from the first time that they meet and throughout their relationship. Since Paul has never had any sexual experiences Clara amazes him thoroughly because she is so sensual, unlike Miriam who is afraid of any physical contact and his mother who is not in a position to offer him such things. During their relationship, Paul matures from a boy into a man not only physically but also mentally. Sadly, due to their age difference and their different perceptions of life, their relationship falls apart. Another great reason for the failure of their relationship is the fact that Clara is married.    When Paul had to go to Willey farm to meet Clara he was very excited even though at that stage of his life he was seeing Miriam; "Evidently his eagerness to be early today had been the new-comer" (p.269). Not only was he eager to meet her but "There was something he hankered after", whenever he heard Miriam speak about Clara he "rouse" and would get "slightly angry" (p.268). When he entered the parlour the first thing he noticed was "the nape of her white neck, and the fine hair lifted from it" (p.269). Unlike him, Clara was quite indifferent towards Paul in the beginning: "She rose, looking at him indifferently" (p.269). It is rather curious how in the beginning Paul is obsessed with Clara's body: "He noticed how her breasts swelled inside her blouse, and how her shoulder curved handsomely under the thin muslin at the top of her arm", while she in a way was annoyed by him: "She did not mind if he observed her hands. She intended to scorn him" (p.270). He was self-conscio us in her presence while she most of the time acted as if he was not there: "Paul was rather self-conscious because he knew Clara could see if she looked out the window. She didn't look" (p.272). Paul is not only attracted by Clara, but he is also curious to find out about her since he has never met a woman like her before: "A hot wave went over Paul. He was curious about her" (p.

Apple †Needs, Wants, Demands, Utility & Value Essay

Needs are the recognition of any difference between a consumer’s actual state and some ideal or desired state. The actual state of the customer is someone without an iPhone, the desired state is someone with an iPhone. Apple, the creators of the iPhone, came to the conclusion that the need for mobility, flexibility and reliability are key to satisfying everyone involved in the marketing process. The customer has to be able to use the iPhone everywhere and always have a connection, it needs to be possible to use it the way you want it to use, and you have to be able to rely on your iPhone to work at all times. There are a couple of types of needs, but the need for an iPhone is a social one. The need to be in touch and to receive belonging and affection in an easy way. As an iPhone is a media product, there are five motivations for consumers to use one. Apple followed a few of these motivations at its best. An iPhone increases your self-confidence, status, and reassurance, you can always be involved in everything that is happening and you will never feel left out. This tells us that personal integrative needs are met. The social integrative needs are fulfilled since there is no easier way than an iPhone to talk to your friends and discuss, for instance, the same show you are watching from a different place. These two points make the key points that Apple wants to fulfil more understandable. The way that Apple fulfils the desires of the iPhone consumers are the wants. Next to mobility, flexibility and reliability, they also stand for integration, innovation, ease of use, and high-quality user interfaces. Starting off with the outside, the iPhone is specially designed to fit comfortably in your hand, it is thin and lightweight, making it easier to use. The iPhone is one big touch screen and has almost no buttons, this makes it faster to use. With every new iPhone generation comes a better camera, letting the consumer make full high definition photo’s. The consumers have numerous ways to entertain themselves: dozens of games, music at one touch away in good quality, and all the videos that YouTube offer can be watched. The consumer can see the latest posts on Facebook or Twitter and you can read the latest news, you will always be up-to-date. You can say that the Apple iPhone integrates almost all types of media, from music to television to games to press to the internet. Demand results when you couple desire with buying power to satisfy a want. It is very hard to talk about demands when it comes to the Apple iPhone. Apple made such a good name for itself, that people will buy every new generation of the iPhone that will come out, without thinking anything through. Two million people pre-ordered the latest iPhone, the iPhone 5. This doubles the pre-orders for the iPhone 4S and it outnumbers (by far) the pre-orders of cell phones from Apple’s competitors. The demand for an iPhone is dramatically high, even if the quality is not that good. The iPhone 4S was seen as a huge disappointment as it differed almost nothing from the iPhone 4, the pre-order price was $199. You would say that Apple would play it more safe with their next generation because people lost their ‘trust’ in the iPhone. Yet, Apple made the pre-order price for the iPhone 5 also $199, and as I said before, it was a huge success. This clearly shows that Apple can actually take the risks that other companies wouldn’t even dare to think off. They are in charge of the market and the demand will always stay high. Even with a fail like the iPhone 4S. Form, place, time, and possession make up the utility marketing model. Form utility is the value a consumer sees in a finished product. The consumer sees, of course, more value in a finishes iPhone than only it’s screen or loose buttons. The form of the product attracts the consumers. You need to produce a tangible good before it grabs the attention of the consumers. Place utility is the value consumers put on where they purchase products. The Apple iPhone is sold in almost every cell phone company, Apple store, or on sites like Ebay. Apple made sure that where ever you live, an iPhone is always around the corner. Consumers don’t have to travel to buy one. If they think that around the corner is still too far, they can always order one online. Ensuring a product is available when the customer wants it adheres to time utility. This is one where Apple has had trouble with. Apple was forced to push back the release date of the iPhone 5, resulting in a lot of negative comments from the consumers who pre-ordered it. The reason behind it was that the demand for the iPhone 5 was bigger than their stock. You need to make sure that you can provide your good when the consumer wants it and counts on it. Possession utility is the value consumers put on purchasing a product. You can by an iPhone with or without a contract. You will pay the same amount of money every month if you have an iPhone with a contract. You can choose between 1 or 2 years, after these years you can’t use your phone anymore. You have to trade it in for another (i)phone, a newer one. If you buy it without a contract, the buying price of the iPhone is extremely high, but the months afterwards will be lower and you will always be able to use your iPhone. The consumer has choices with both pro’s and con’s. It depends on how much they want to keep their old iPhone or just trade it in after a year or two. Value is the benefits a consumer gets from buying the product. As I said before, the Apple iPhone covers almost all media types in one. It meets up with plenty of the needs and wants of the consumers, which makes the good very beneficial. This means that consumers are prepared to pay a lot of money for the product. Although the first iPhone was seen as a huge step in technology, Apple’s competitors were able to keep up and offer the same features and functions on their phones, but in a slightly different way. Still, the iPhone stays number one of the phone sales. Apple offers the highly valuable iPhone for a high price, you would say that this makes the perceived value low. For the iPhone, this is the opposite. This makes it clear that consumers indeed think that the iPhone is valuable enough for the full price. Sources: http://www.apple.com/iphone/business/profiles/world-wide-technology/ http://suite101.com/article/an-introduction-to-apple-computer-inc-a219539 http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2012/09/17/apple-says-iphone-5-demand-outstrips-supply-as-pre-orders-shatter-previous-record/ http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-types-utility-marketing-24420.html http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/apple-forced-to-push-back-some-iphone-5-orders-due-to-heavy-demand-267577

Respryn and the Cornish Country-side

It would be a normal day in the summer holidays when suddenly the phone would ring. My friends and I were off to Respryn. We'd all grab our bags, put our swimming shorts in along with a towel, and jump onto our bikes and go. We'd all somehow meet up and then ride along the busy Cornish town roads, which was full with cars at this time like an ant's nest in the summer, up and along many steep hills, past our school and then out of Bodmin into the countryside of Lanhydrock. We'd go down a fairly steep hill which as we go down we see fields ahead of us that are laid out like the squares on a patch work quilt. Lots of different shapes and not all connected properly together like they should. At the bottom of the hill we turned right into a dimly lit small forest where the ground in autumn is filled with the vibrant colours of dead leaves. Every time our wheel rotated we herd the crackling of a bonfire as despatched twigs and branches crumbled beneath us. In the background we would hear the faint cry of an owl but the main sound was the rumbling and roaring of the cars passing by on the nearby main road. We left the forest and then mounted onto a newly built bridge that crossed the main road we herd from the forest. Myself and my Friends, Craig and Jamie like to stop here and look down on the passing cars. We like to play a game we call Emmett spotting, which is where we'd try and spot as many tourist or foreigners we can that aren't from Cornwall. I found it amazing how so many cars enter my hometown and how so little leave; they all can't be here to stay! Occasionally a passing lorry or truck would honk its horn at my friends as they try and provoke other drivers to do the same. Once we had a driver make a gesture at us, which included him making the middle finger on his hand stand up, we all stared at each other and laughed as we were out to enjoy ourselves and not let any body spoil our day. On we would go! We all rode along a crop filled fields where the power of the wind made an on going wave where the yield swept side to side. This effect was spoilt though by the sound and look of the nearby motorway, which was built straight through the middle of the farmland and beautiful scenery which makes me proud to call this tiny corner of England, I live in, home. As we exited the field we had the first site of the task ahead of us, a giant hill which took us to Richard's house. On would go our serious faces as we normally treat this hill as a competition to see who can get the furthest up, without putting a foot down and that day wasn't going to be an exception. I rode and rode; firstly Jamie regrettably put his foot to ground as the size of the hill overcame him. I fell back a bit just to keep him company as Craig pushed ahead because he doesn't like to lose. The top was in our sight, one last right turning and we would be treated to the smell of cattle from the farm that was really close. Okay maybe treated isn't the right word to use, but this would be the sent that would great the winner. Craig was the first to the top, but it ended in a draw, he wasn't the only one who managed to get to the top without putting his foot down, I made it as well. I now couldn't wait to get to Richards house to give my legs a rest. At the top of the hill we were able to look across all across Bodmin. From the highest point, where The Beacon stood to the industrial estate where most of the main work in Bodmin took place. The sky didn't look like the sky, but a sea of nothing. It was cloudless with not even a patch of white to be seen. After I had stopped looking across Bodmin I was greeted by the undesirable smell of the farm animals which swept along the cobblestone roads that seemed to act like a funnel directing the scent directly towards us. Once we had overcome the smell we meandered along the mud layered roads. A farmer passed in his tractor as we turned our last corner and glided down the last hill. We did this is a childish manner trying to go as fast as we could and then suddenly turn into the driveway of Richards house. His house is set in a lovely location, a generous garden with a pond in the middle, ducks and geese in his back garden along with sheds where the pony's and horses were kept. We couldn't see much from his house but if we walked out into the road in front of his house, there are hills in all directions with popcorn like bails of hay scattered around like houses on a Monopoly board. Richard was waiting for us and as soon as he saw us came out into his front garden. We talked for a couple minutes, had a drink which was well earned after the hill we managed to climb earlier, and just before we left got showed the motorised three wheeled bike he and his twin brother had been working on for the past couple weeks. This was it, we were on the last leg in till we would arrive at our final destination, Respryn. We'd rumble down a small hill and then took our bikes up a narrow stinging nettle filled hidden lane, which turns into a woodland area. The woodland area was packed full of trees, with man made paths for us to struggle ahead on. We had to be careful because there were brambles spurting out in all direction and Jamie would some times squirm after seeing a spider in it's water droplet filled web. I can remember coming through this woodland area before with Richard after a night full of rain. The paths weren't any more than a stream of muddy water and swamps that would suck you into the ground at any chance possible. It was impossible for us to pass, without getting soaked to the skin. We would exit the forest, cross a main road that was deserted with no cars to be seen and then pass a small cottage that had ivy crawling up all the walls in all directions. â€Å"Straight ahead then!† Richard would yell at the top of his voice, just to make sure every one knew where to go. We would then act in the same childish manner as before and soar down the unstable country lane road as fast as possibly, just that time taking more care because there was more chance of us falling off. Coming down the hill we were able see Respryn in the distance. The river slowly running through the woods and One or two cars on the granite bridge, which had one meter slots in to let horses get out of the way of cars. At the bottom of the hill we'd slam our brakes to there full because of a red gate which stands in our way. I get off my bike and open it for the rest to pass and then struggle through myself. The excitement would start to generate as we got closer to Respryn and as we went through the field at the bottom of the hill, we passed a dog walker who smiled politely. We were there, as I looked around I saw a canopy of leaves above, which protect the ground from the sun like an umbrella protects a small child on a beach on a very hot day. This canopy was only disturbed by small gusts of wind or the occasional sparrow or blackbird flying from branch to tree and tree to branch. Even when it's raining the ground remained dry because of the thick shelter created by the tree canopy. In some of the very rare gaps there is in the roof, I couldn't see anything apart from a large streak of light that missiles to the ground like a laser streaking from a gun. There was no noise to be herd apart from a distant barking dog in the background and the nearby stream that runs straight through the woods. As we kept on riding I noticed some of the graffiti carved into the trees. One I saw had the date 1987 on, this was before I was born and made me realise that many children of our age have enjoyed these woods and the streams for many years before us. We rode beside the cascading river for a bit, which on one side has a sea of blue bells, daffodils and many other plants. On the other is a never ending wood, full of lots of different types of trees and hundreds of passages that had different explorations in each direction. Here we were, we all stood and stared at a huge island in front of surrounded by the river. Ankle deep on one side and on the over two and a half meters deep, but you have to jump one and a half meters first off the island to reach the water. â€Å"Last one in is a wimp,† I shout so we all ran into the forest in different directions and strip naked. We chucked on our swimming shorts and then ran back to the island leaving our belongings in a safe place apart from one person, Craig, who unsurprisingly, accidentally forgot his swimming shorts and towel. We weren't going to let him stop us having fun so we sprinted into the water and got on top of the island. We stopped for a bit and then leaped forward off the island into the crystal clear deep water. The stream has a higher than average current but we still jumped in. As soon as we hit the water, we'd all swear and shout because of the shock about how cold the fast flowing river is. Even though it was the middle of summer the water was still freezing because of the canopy stopping the sun heating it up. We quickly swam out and catch our breath before doing it again. We went a bit higher up the island this time and then jump of again and again, in till we either get too cold or bored. Once we were this we grab our bags and hopped back onto our bikes. We then rode back through the forest we just came and crossed a small wooden bridge. As usual we stopped and played the classic game from the â€Å"Winnie the Poo† novel â€Å"Poo sticks† which I always win. We rode past some walkers who sounded like there tourists and who make a few unwanted comments about what were doing, we also passed some empty fishing platforms that I sometimes jumped of but today we didn't so we exited the woods. I can remember a couple months before coming to these woods with another friend at night during the winter. It was totally silent and as black as the hot chocolate I was thinking of having when I got home. Every time there was a flutter in the trees we would look up immediately. We kept on trying to scare each other because at night the trees look like people and in pitch black in the middle of the woods, another person isn't someone who you really wanted to see. The atmosphere could have been cut with something less than a knife a blunt pencil would have done the trick. I told my friends about this experience but they just laughed because they couldn't imagine how something so beautiful during the day could become so scary at night. After we left the wood we went to another area of Respryn, it was still part of the woods but you had to go in a different direction to get to it. So we picked up our bikes and took them over a fence, rode through a field of cows and went through a gate. Like earlier we were meet with the same woods but something was different about this one. There was less of a canopy but still as elegant and pleasing. After riding on for a bit we came to another area where we going to go swimming. Of came our bags, onto the floor went our bikes and into the river we went. In the corner of my eye I saw a tree, which was drooping over the river so, I got out and climbed it. While I was doing this my friends had realised what I was about to do, I pushed off and plummeted into the water. My friends laughed and I tried to get them to have ago but they weren't as mad as I was. Twenty minutes later we were starting to get cold and fed up of the small flies that came and landed on us, of which we wouldn't notice until they starting biting. They starting arriving in ones and twos, giving us one byte every ten minutes or so but then they came to us like children go to their Grandma's sweet bowl. Once we were all out and dry we slowly started walking back through the woods, which had all the shades of brown and green in one place at once. We came across a few strange bugs and insects that we never new existed. We left Respryn and then headed towards the ancient Lanhydrock house. Up the main driveway we went, which was some five hundred meters long. Its massive gardens where both sides of us, on the left was a giant field of which I crept into once to see a Jazz and Blues concert with Richard and On the right is another field but unlike the other has huge Oak trees and hedgerows in. At the top of the driveway is the actually house, we didn't want to go in but to go to the court yard around the back where we could get a delicious proper Cornish dairy ice-cream. Our bikes were locked up in the designated area for the bikes, we quickly used the toilets and then walked over to the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ where the ice-cream shop was. We got our ice cream and then sat on a hill that looked over Respryn and into the surrounding countryside. Our minds were more focused on the French teenagers playing in the gardens and of course our ice creams. We played around with the French teenagers for a wile talking to them and trying to get them confused, at one point I think we told them â€Å"My dog gave birth to a herd of donkeys†. We finished our ice creams and then decided it was time to leave so we peddled up to another exit of the house and back onto the main road. Richard headed in one direction and had to master the hill that we had, on the way to his house in the morning wile Jamie, Craig and I travelled straight across the road into the Crop fields that we visited earlier in the day. We then retraced our steps home and said good bye to each other. It was the end! All I need to do now is wait for the phone to suddenly ring on a normal day in the summer holidays. My friends and I would then be off to Respryn.

Adriaen van de Venne’s “Moralizing Scene with an Old Woman and a Man”

Adriaen van de Venne is perhaps one of the more popular Dutch painters from the Baroque era. Although he was not formally trained as an artist, a number of Dutch artists have influenced Adriaen van de Venne’s style. Jan and Peter Brueghel are two of the artists whose styles have influenced van de Venne quite greatly, both employing their painting style and the over-all theme of their chosen subjects.His experiences as a book illustrator, painter and draftsman, and the time he spent learning art with local artists enabled Adriaen van de Venne to come up with his own signature style, of which the grisaille technique appears most commonly.His painting, Moralizing Scene with an Old Woman and a Man was painted by Adriaen van de Venne in 1631. The oil on paper painting measures 6 9/16 inches by 4  ½ inches and is quite characteristic of the artist’s later style, specifically the grisaille technique.The grisaille technique primarily makes use of different shades of gray for a monochromatic, more dramatic effect. Perhaps the most striking characteristic of the painting is the use of subtle tones of the only one color to depict the entire scene.An old woman carrying a cat is seen smoking an older man’s pipe, which he carries close enough for the woman to take a puff. Another old man who is partly hidden behind the old woman is seen tapping her shoulder, while a boy patting a dog is seen behind the old man with the pipe.Another significant element in the painting is the use of light. The old man with the pipe carries a lamp on his other hand which lights his face quite clearly, as well as his hands and also the old woman’s face. The light that the lamp gives off makes it possible to see the finer details of the painting such as the old man’s thick beard; the old woman’s wrinkled face and also their soiled hands.The crescent moon on the upper left corner of the painting also makes wise use of light in the painting itself, adding more flair and making the otherwise dull night more dramatic. Art enthusiasts believe that Adriaen van de Venne’s Moralizing Scene with an Old Woman and a Man is one of his works which makes the best use of light to highlight the features of the subjects on his painting.True to Adriaen van de Venne’s certain quality of painting scenes that depict normal people in their daily routine in a satirical, often symbolic light to warn against a number of unpleasant behavior. The particular painting might be suggestive of this particular characteristic; however, one cannot derive an absolute notion as to what the painting specifically depicts.Only inferences may be derived from the said painting as to which â€Å"immorality† it may warn people against, owing to the seemingly innocent act of the old woman smoking an old man’s pipe. Perhaps it talks about the immoral behavior that both the old man and woman exhibit especially during the period it was painted.The ol d woman smoking the pipe may suggest her unfounded extravagance, while the old man offering his pipe may suggest his unclear intentions for the woman. The man tapping the woman in the background may perhaps be suggesting that the woman should not be smoking from somebody else’s pipe in the first place while the child petting the dog provides a great contrast with the immoral behavior going on in the foreground.Personally the grisaille technique is not one of my favorite painting styles because of its subdued and monochromatic colors; however, having this particular painting of Adriaen van de Venne hung as part of my collection will surely be a delight because it will always serve as a reminder and a warning of the immorality that exists in society.The artist’s real intentions behind the painting may no longer be discovered but how one looks at it and interprets it may hold different significant meanings for different people.

Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 21

Damon and I remained in the cell for several minutes after the man left, too stunned to even contemplate escaping. The guards didn't come back in with the keys. I didn't blame them. I cursed, slamming the bars. It seemed that no matter what I decided to do, which way I turned, things got worse. And the Sutherlands†¦ they had just been innocent bystanders, swept up in the path of destruction just because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. While my brother didn't actively cause their deaths, he was no less responsible. I turned on him, ready to tear him apart. And then I saw the look on his face. Damon's eyes had glazed over and he leaned against the wall for support. He'd worn the same dazed expression for weeks after he'd woken up as a vampire and discovered that Katherine was dead. â€Å"What was that?† he whispered, finally looking at me. But I had no idea what that was. All I knew was that it was more powerful, more dangerous, more deadly than any creature I'd ever encountered. Anger at my brother drained away and something like exhaustion set in. â€Å"I'm not sure, though I think he left me a message,† I said, remembering the bloody scrawl on the side of the Sutherlands' home. â€Å"But what was that about Katherine? What was he to her?† Damon shrugged. â€Å"I have no idea. She never told me about that†¦ thing.† â€Å"He said we took her from him. What the hell does that mean? What curse is he talking about? Did Emily cast a spell on someone?† I said. I began to pace, my mind racing. â€Å"I'm guessing it means he believes we killed her. Which you did, brother,† Damon said. In a pique, Damon sat down, stretched his legs out, and put his hands behind his head, pillowing it against the stone. I would get no more answers out of him. I slid down against the bars and buried my head in my hands, thinking of my time with Katherine. Had she ever said anything about her past? Let anything slip? But I had been so completely under her thrall that it was impossible to know what had been real and what she had compelled me to believe. Though I remembered biting her, I didn't have any memory of her feeding me her blood. But she must have often, as I had enough of her blood in my system to come back as a vampire after my father shot me. In a funny way, Katherine had made me. We were almost like her children. My mind snagged. â€Å"Did Katherine ever tell you about her sire?† I asked, putting words to a horrible thought forming in my mind. â€Å"The vampire who made her?† Damon looked up at me, shocked out of his sulk. â€Å"You think†¦ ?† I nodded. Damon leaned back and knocked his head against the wall. He had been genuinely in love with Katherine. I wondered if meeting Katherine's maker made our little tryst in Mystic Falls seem like a speck in the vastness of eternity. â€Å"I suppose we should call a guard over and compel him to free us,† he said tiredly. A sound of commotion from the lobby stopped us. There were muffled thuds, like bodies hitting the floor. There was a scream. It was high-pitched and hard to tell whether it came from a woman or a man, so great was the pain. Then came the grating sound of a desk being moved, and what might have been a wooden chair being shattered against the wall. I stood. So did Damon. Damon and I glanced at each other. The pocket watch Winfield had given me ticked loudly in the sudden silence. The door to the stockade opened once again and in came a girl wearing men's trousers and black suspenders, a long blond braid over her shoulder. â€Å"Lexi!† I gasped. â€Å"I'm growing tired of bailing you boys out,† she said as she shook the key at us. â€Å"I should leave you in there overnight, teach you a lesson about making trouble,† she joked. I reached through the bars to grab her free hand. â€Å"I've never been happier to see anyone.† â€Å"I don't doubt it,† Lexi said drily, but a small smile curved the edges of her lips. Damon rolled his eyes. â€Å"We were just about to free ourselves, thank you very much.† â€Å"I don't doubt that, either. Just figured I'd speed up the escape,† she said. Her nose twitched, and her flat tone indicated she didn't entirely approve of his existence. The last time she'd seen him, he'd just gotten through killing Callie and was starting in on me. â€Å"So did you knock out the entire precinct?† Damon asked, straightening the shoulders of his jacket. Lexi undid the final lock on the door. The door sprang open and I rushed to hug her. â€Å"No, only some of them. The rest I compelled. Some of us don't like needless violence – or messes that need to be explained later,† she said into my shoulder. I released her and she motioned us toward the door. â€Å"Now let's get out of here before anyone else shows up.† â€Å"I always cover my tracks,† Damon said defensively as we rushed through the door of the containment area and into the front offices. Several policemen sat at their desks, poring over ledgers, oblivious to the two prisoners escaping and the general state of disarray. Desks had been pushed aside, among the splintery remains of what had once been a chair, and the man who had sat there was lying on the floor, a rivulet of blood leaking from his head. But his eyes were open and he appeared to be whispering some word over and over again. â€Å"Strong-willed, that one,† Lexi said. â€Å"How were you able to find us?† I asked, following her down the stairs. â€Å"A mysterious Italian count with black hair and ice-blue eyes and a flair for the dramatic sweeps into the New York social scene and very quickly marries the most eligible society girl?† she said, rolling her eyes. â€Å"They ran your picture in the social pages.† Damon at least had the grace to look sheepish. â€Å"I always cover my tracks,† she mimicked. â€Å"There are a lot of ways to live rich and powerfully as a vampire†¦ none of which involve sweeping into the New York social scene†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ and marrying the most eligible society girl. Fair enough,† Damon conceded. â€Å"At least I did it with style.† We exited the prison, and the cold evening air washed over me. The stars were just beginning to flicker in the night sky, and the gaslights cast a warm glow over the street. It was a beautiful night, the like of which Bridget, Lydia, Winfield, and Mrs. Sutherland would never enjoy again – all because of me, Damon, and Katherine. I only came to New York to escape. Escape Damon, memories of Callie, vampires, Mystic Falls, Katherine†¦ and yet it all still followed me like an onerous shadow. I knew then that I'd never escape my past, not fully. Such dark things don't fade with time – they merely reverberate through the centuries. I could only hope that Margaret was safe somewhere, away from the hell-beast that had violently murdered her entire family.