remembering :: essays research papers

Home For the holidays When it comes to giving thanks for what you appreciate there is no better time than thanksgiving, what better way to celebrate than with family, food, and friends. Every year millions of people all across the country come together for a very special reason. This day is when you are to give thanks for all that you have been blessed with, and food is a big part of this day. Without mention this dinner usually includes succulent Turkey, cranberry sauce, spiced stuffing, and very creamy mashed potatoes with gravy. There is nothing like the rising chatter of your family members, or the sweet aroma that billows from behind the kitchen door each time it is opened to let you know you’re home for the holidays.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When you come from a family of Jamaicans you’re going to know how to party, holidays are the times when you look forward to rejoicing and catching up with kinfolk. My older cousins from New Jersey seem to always have energy enough to fill a ball room. Each and every conversation seems to be as exciting and bright as the one prior; it’s surprising they have time to have dinner with the family. My mother and most of the females often rejoice with each other while cooking or preparing the dinner, old hymns gleefully fill the air, reminding them of the isle they have left behind. When my sister and her husband bring my nieces & nephew to visit it’s always a sight for sore eyes, there presence often remind me of when they were born, so innocent, delicate, and precious, like a real white Christmas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over the years the location of where we have our thanksgiving has changed drastically. As our family becomes larger and more united we have to find more space to accommodate the guests around this holiday. I can remember a couple of more important times when thanksgiving was extra special. In 1999 me and my most immediate family traveled all the way back to Jamaica to visit my mother’s mother and too spend the holiday with more than 3 generations of family. This was one of the most important times in my life because it gave me a chance to experience and interact with family I don’t see everyday. On a more recent note this year we spent dinner with my mom, and just my cousin.

Love Despite Dominance in Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and The House of Bernarda Alba by Federico Garcia Lorca :: Compare and Contrast

Literature often words complex phenomena, which otherwise possibly remain ignored. One example of such complex phenomena is the coexistence of two contradictory elements, dominance and love. Dominant personalities in Like Water for Chocolate and The House of Bernarda Alba, Mama Elena and Bernarda Alba respectively, do not explicitly display love towards their daughters, but it is revealed by their behaviour and uncharacteristic actions. Some elements of characterization or narrative mode in both the works try to limit the reader’s perception of the dominant personalities to their static characteristics. In Like Water for Chocolate, we are told the story from a limited subjective third person point of view. Tita’s grandniece is a limited narrator, who knows absolutely everything about a single character of Tita and every piece of knowledge in that character's mind, but it is ‘limited’ to that character – that is, things unknown to the focal character (Tita) are not described. So, this point of view may be considered unreliable. The presence of Tita’s hatred towards Mama Elena almost throughout the book, and the portrayal of Mama Elena as a ‘haunting’ character as a ghost, also contribute to limited perspective of the work. We are presented with only one static feature of Mama Elena. In The House of Bernarda Alba, even though the use of dialogue broadens the range the perspectives, Bernarda’s dialogue compared to that of others is limited. The fact that there is no soliloquy with Bernarda can imply a limitation to the perspectives open to the reader. We are shown only the dominant side of Bernarda’s character. The hatred of Poncia, who is one of the few characters shown from different perspectives, towards Bernarda can also be considered as a limiting factor of the perspectives. Thus, the reader’s perception is narrowed down. While Mama Elena and Bernarda Alba are seen as tyrants from a rather narrow perspective, they can otherwise be seen as traditionalist mothers. From this fresh perspective, it could be argued that Mama Elena is nothing more than an orthodox mother who assorted to cruel methods including corporal punishment to mould her children in her own best way. From Mama Elena’s perspective, she makes choices that are, as she â€Å"[thinks] best for [them]† (p. 167). This perspective is particularly relevant to the upbringing of Tita: â€Å"Magi never brought [Tita] what she asked for, but instead what Mama Elena thought best for her.† (p. 167) Mama Elena’s character as a traditionalist mother is further revealed from specific incidents: providing Tita something â€Å"better† than Three King’s Day Bread, forcing Tita to re-sew her stitches because she did not baste it (p.

KingJewels: Ethical Leadership Practice Essay

1. Discuss how the leadership style may have contributed to unethical behavior. When the company was first founded by Andy Wong it was ran using a hands-on leadership style. He believed a good vision and direction were critical leadership qualities. He always said â€Å"you do not achieve commitment to, or an understanding of, a company’s vision and mission without actively pursuing and practicing it at every opportunity.† However, when he began spending most of his time travelling to the US and Canada and taking care of business development and marketing he put Clement Tam in charge of operations [ (KingJewels: Ethical Leadership Practice, 2010) ]. Tam’s primary responsibility was worldwide gem sourcing. Tam, however, looking at their bonuses began accepting lower-quality gemstones and continuing to sell them at the normal price. He was also using businesses owned by his uncle, Peter Tam, and was receiving attractive rebates for ordering from them. Johnathan Ho, the head of production and authentication used a dictatorial leadership style. He often made decisions without consulting his colleagues. He allowed the lower-quality gemstones to be used in manufacturing the jewelry. By Wong leaving Tam almost overseeing the whole company and not keeping better checks on him this allowed Tam to engage in unethical behavior. 2. Discuss how the proper segregation of duties could have prevented Tam from fraudulently sourcing the gems. Tam was Operations Director and in charge of Gem Sourcing. This would allow him to fraudulently source the gems because he had to sign off on them anyway. He should not have been allowed to hold both positions in the business, especially when one was over the other. Also his sister, Tam Wai Man, was in charge of Finance. 3. Discuss how the company’s compensation plan contributed to the deceptive behavior. The company’s annual bonuses are tied to the growth target. If the growth target is not met the employees do not receive their bonuses. Tam thought that by buying a lower-quality gemstone at a cheaper price and then selling it as a high-quality gemstone at the normal price that he could ensure that the company met their projected growth target, therefore receiving their bonuses. 4. Discuss how culture may have influenced the employee’s attitude towards exposing Tam. Even if the employees were not involved, most of them would be afraid to express their opinions or to question unethical and potentially illegal business practices. Furthermore, such practices were common and went unquestioned in China. Employees were handsomely rewarded for their job efforts and it was of no interest to them to report such incidents that could jeopardize the job stability [ (KingJewels: Ethical Leadership Practice, 2010) ]. 5. How would you recommend Wai Man proceed?  According to HKICPA a professional accountant should not be associated with reports, returns, communications, or other information where they believe that the information: a) contains a materially false or misleading statement, b) contains statements or information furnished recklessly, or c) omits or obscures information required to be included where such omission or obscurity would be misleading [ (Chan, 2004) ]. According to section 100.17: When initiating either a formal or informal conflict resolution process, a professional accountant should consider the following, either individually or together with others, as part of the resolution process: a) relevant facts, b) ethical issues involved, c) fundamental principles related to the matter in question, d) established internal procedures, and e) alternative courses of action. Having considered all these issues, a professional accountant should determine the appropriate course of action that is consistent with the fundamental principles identified. The professional accountant should also weight the consequences of each possible course of action [ (Chan, 2004) ]. According to section 120.1: The principle of objectivity imposes an obligation on all professional accountants not to compromise their professional or business judgment because of bias, conflict of interest or the undue influence of others. Section 120.2 states that a professional accountant may be exposed to situations that may impair objectivity. It is impracticable to define and prescribe all such situations. Relationships that bias or unduly influence the professional judgment of the professional accountant should be avoided [ (Chan, 2004) ]. According to section 140.2: A professional accountant should maintain confidentiality even in a social environment. The professional accountant should be alert to the possibility of inadvertent disclosure, particularly in circumstances involving long association with a business associate or a close or immediate family member [ (Chan, 2004) ]. According to section 150.1: The principle of professional behavior imposes an obligation on professional accountants to comply with relevant laws and regulations and avoid any action that may bring discredit to the profession. This includes actions which a reasonable and informed third party, having knowledge of all relevant information, would conclude negatively affects the good reputation of the profession [ (Chan, 2004) ]. According to section 310.1: A professional accountant in business should support the legitimate and ethical objectives established by the employer and the rules and procedures drawn up in support of those objectives [ (Chan, 2004) ]. After reviewing the HKICPA Codes of Ethic for Professional Accountants Wai Man should prepare a report containing all the information that she has found and go to Wong with it. She should be prepared for her brother to be properly punished for what he did while understanding that she could also be punished for not saying anything when it first came to her attention. She should suggest that Wong not leave Tam in charge of operations since that places him as her supervisor. She should also suggest that Wong employee an internal control group that would help prevent something like this from happening again. If Wong does not agree or is unwilling to do anything about the issue at hand Wai Man, as a professional accountant, should resign from her position with the company.

The 4p’s of Nike Marketing Plan

The 4P’s Of Nike Marketing Plan (i)Product †¢Nike offers a wide range of shoe, apparel and equipment products, all of which are currently its top-selling product categories. †¢Nike started selling sports apparel, athletic bags and accessory items in 1979. Their brand Cole Haan carries a line of dress and casual footwear and accessories for men, women and children. †¢Nike’s foremost focus is athletic footwear and apparels designed for sports and everyday usage with the brand name. †¢The production facilities are located close to the raw material to have low labor prices. New product offerings under the name of brand include sport balls, timepieces, eyewear, skates, bats, and other equipment designed for sports activities. †¢The most famous product categories of Nike includes running, basketball, cross-training, outdoor activities, tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, football, bicycling, volley ball, wrestling, cheerleading, aquatic activities and oth er athletic and recreational use. †¢Moreover, they also utilize the auxiliary bodies to sell te sports related raw materials and products including Cole Haan Holdings, Nike Team Sports, and Bauer Nike Hockey. ii)Price †¢Nike’s pricing is designed to be competitive to the other fashion shoe retailers. The pricing is based on the basis of premium segment as target customers. Nike as a brand commands high premiums. Nike’s pricing strategy makes use of vertical integration in pricing wherein they own participants at differing channel levels or take part in more than one channel level operations. This can control costs and influence product pricing. †¢The company has designed its pricing structure in a way to make it competitive to other shoe sellers. The price of the products is variable depending on the type and the size for example a comfortable and good pair of shoes would cost from 70 to 150 dollars. (iii)Placement †¢Nike shoes are carried by multi- brand stores and the exclusive. †¢Nike has its individual stores and also available at major malls and departmental stores selling shoes all over the globe. †¢They have more than 20000 retailers in United States and also in other 200 countries. †¢The companies also sell its products through individuals, auxilianes and licensees. The company has its own production units, customer services and operational units in all over the world. †¢Nike sells its products through independent distributors, licensees and subsidiaries. Independent distributors need not adapt to local pressures because the 4Ps of marketing are managed by distributors. (iv)Promotion †¢The company has used electronic media (commercials, official website of Nike and newspapers) to promote their brand. †¢Promotion is largely dependent on finding accessible store locations. It also avails of targeted advertising in the newspaper and creating strategic alliances. Many well known athletes have a lso worked for the advertisement of brank like Brazilian Soccer Team. †¢Nike also sponsors events such as Hoop It Up and The Golden West Invitational. Nike’s brand images, the Nike name and the trademark swoosh; make it one of the most recognizable brands in the world. †¢Nike’s brand power is one reason for its high revenues. Nike’s quality products, loyal customer base and its great marketing techniques all contribute to make the shoe empire a huge success. †¢The brands swoosh logo and image played an important role in its advertisement.

Criminal Justice: the Right Job for You

I am going to be talking about 3 key social issues contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners and providing examples for each issue. I will also be explaining the role of the criminal justice professional in serving individual and societal needs. Lastly I will explain how key social issues impact the role of the criminal justice professional and provide 2-3 examples to support my position. One key social issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is prison crowding. Prison overcrowding is one of America's most serious criminal justice issues. The problem is because of insufficient jail and prison space, for which the solution is to build more jail and prison facilities. According to a 2008 study by the Pew Center on the States, the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with one in 100 Americans under the supervision of the criminal justice system. Mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes are a key factor in the high rate of incarceration. Another key issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is immigration. Immigration raises three significant, controversial issues in criminal justice. The first is the time and resources necessary to deport immigrants, whether they are documented or undocumented, and who have been convicted of crimes. The second is whether and to what extent local law enforcement resources should be used locating and removing undocumented immigrants. The third issue is the extent to which law enforcement emphasis should be on persons who transport and employ undocumented immigrants, rather than on the immigrants themselves. A major issue contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners is poverty. You can read also  Justice System Position Paper The severity of poverty often goes hand in hand with the amount of crimes committed. Money is often reinvested from the open market to the black market to bring about high yet risky return in urban areas. Risks such as these are even higher when this activity is controlled by violent mob-type organizations and gangs, whose existences are structured around capitalizing on the poverty of others. Realistic and reachable role models are far and few between, if any exist at all, which causes the children of those who live in these areas to look up to more unsavory figures who are living the high life through low living. While living in poverty some people resort to crime to support their habits (drugs and/or alcohol) and/or support their families. Because of this crime rates go up, the amount of people incarcerated goes up, and the tax dollars go up to keep the prisons and jails running. The role of criminal justice professionals in serving individual and societal needs is very broad. There are many positions in the criminal justice field in many different areas with different tasks and responsibilities. Criminal justice professionals spend a lot of time resolving conflicts and negotiating with various parties inside and outside their organizations. They handle complaints, settle disputes, and resolve grievances and conflicts, usually by negotiating with several parties. Sometimes they perform this task in conjunction with another one, evaluating information to determine compliance, which requires them to review relevant information and use their individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. Criminal Justice professionals oversee safety, gather information and documentation, provide testimony, and they are expected to regularly provide information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates to support their positions. One key social issue that impacts the role of criminal justice professionals is requiring more correctional officers or detention officers due to overcrowding. Yet there are more inmates in jails and prisons and there are not enough correctional officers or detention officers to staff the prisons and jails. In return the staff are overworked with mandatory overtime and compensated with extra days off instead of overtime pay. Immigration is another key social issue that impacts the role of criminal justice professionals. There is a continuous battle about controlling the border of Mexico and how to control it. There is much violence at the border from illegal immigrants and drug cartels. Border Patrol Agents lives are put at risk every day trying to protect the border because of this violence. There are many social issues contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners and there always will be. The need will increase with time as will crime because of these social issues. There will always be a place in society for the criminal justice practitioner.

The comparison of Ben Jonson`s The Alchemist

The comparison of two plays studied in the second semester of the BA English Studies degree This essay is going to look at two plays studied in the second semester of the BA English studies degree- Ben Jonson ‘s The Alchemist and John Webster ‘s The Duchess of Malfl. The essay is going to look at the context of both of these plays, considering that it has had influence on the plot of the plays. There will be a brief pr ©cis of the contents of plays given to be able to discuss differences and similarities of both plays and try to find reasons for them.The satire functions in both plays will also be revealed in this essay. The essay is going to look at satire functions trough different themes that are revealed in both plays such as greed, gender, sexuality, social disintegration and others. Looking at these themes will again refer to the context of the plays to show how important it was at the time when authors created their works and what role does it play nowadays when audience become acquainted with these plays. When looking at any work of literature, the context of the time period, when this piece of work had been created is very important.It tells the reader what was happening at the time and gives him the chance to comprehend how it ffected the work of authors. Both of discussed plays had been created in the seventeenth century which is the early modern period of Europe, therefore these plays have specific differences from the plays that had been created earlier. There are significances of modern literature distinguishable in these plays. Seventeenth century was the zenith of Renaissance and it has been reflected in both plays. There is Italian influence observed in these plays.It has affected the language of texts, the description of settings, character names and other components of plays. References of Italy, Italian and Latin languages are used in texts. An obvious example is the play The Duchess of Malfl which is situated in Italy, uses It alian names for characters and includes the Italian language in the text. ‘A number of important critical contributions over the last decade treat Webster's play as a post-Reformation phenomenon written during a more settled period of the established Anglcan Church.However, English Protestantism still found its identity in relation to the faith it had renounced, namely Catolicism, whose home was Italy where Webster sets The Duchess' (Lucky] 77). When looking at the context of the time, the economic and political conditions in he country are very important as well. The time when these two plays had been created was Jacobean England revealing a particular condition of the country. Satire on different themes in plays can be seen as a response to this condition. A twofold political crisis was looming. The financial needs of the crown, as inflation eroded the yield of crown lands, had increasingly through the sixteenth century to be met by parliament, and under James I the relation ship between crown and parliament was beginning to manitest the serious tensions that were to result in the civil war' Conson 9). Authors of the time were worried about the situation in the country and therefore they discussed issues related to important events in their works.Another reason why they wanted to talk about them was to inform people about what is happening in the country. As situation seemed not very comfortable for English people, authors decided to use satire to let the audience see the happening from aside. Sarcasm was also used to let the audience relax from usual stressful life and have a bit of laugh whilst enjoying the play, at the same time understanding that it reveals the situation of Jacobean England. Religious position of the country plays a big role as well. England was an officially Protestant country, the citizens of which were, by law, members of the Church of England. The Elizabethan religious settlement had, nevertheless, compromised on certain key iss ues of reform in order to accommodate those who might otherwise have been reluctant to accept the new religion, and also to forestall reprisals by the Catholic powers of Europe' Conson 9). As changes in the religious condition of England were going on, the Religion was a very common theme in Jacobean plays.Both of discussed plays include the theme of Religion. All of these current events and positions affected plays at the time because these are the things which interest the audience and makes plays popular. Nothing is more important for people than what is going on around them in their lives, therefore the context of the literature work is very important. The content of both plays is quite different but there can be themes found which are discussed in both plays. This again refers to the context of the time, because themes of plays completely depend on it.The Alchemist is a story about three of the play ‘s central characters, Face, Subtle and Dorothy, who have entered into a contract by which they agree to work together for their mutual benefit- achieving wealthiness for all of them. The scene is set for a comedy of fraudulent characters and their potential victims. As the plot develops the trio struggle to work together because they cannot control each of their desires. The trio ‘s unscrupulous activities stop when Lovewit, the master of the house unexpectedly comes back.The threesome then turn upon each other and the most accomplished trickster of all wins at the end. This is a great comedy satirising greed in Jacobean society. The comedy gives releasing ending by showing that the biggest fraudster of all wins. This is sarcasm on what happens in the real life. The Duchess of Malfl is a story of the widowed Duchess of Malfl who secretly marries her steward Antonio, despite the opposition of her brothers, Duke Ferdinand and the Cardinal.Bosola, a malcontent courtier, is hired by the brothers to discover the secret husband ‘s identity, but th e Duchess bears three children without anyone knowing who the father is. Later, the Duchess is imprisoned and eventually murdered, together with her maidservant Cariola and two of her children. Bosola, who has turned against the brothers, then kills the Ferdinand. The Duchess and the eldest child of Antonio survive and remain thinking about his maternal inheritance. This play is a study of revenge, unlike the comic plot of The Alchemist this is a tragic story with characters dying at the end.It seems like both of these plays are very different but looking closer, it appears that there are similarities in them. Both of the plays reveal present events of the time and both of them satirise these events, they show how England as a country was seen at the time. The most significant difference etween these two plays is the genre, one ot them is a comedy, the other- tragedy, but not taking that into account, the viewer can see that both authors have tried to address the audience in the sam e way, satirising the most common events of their lives in their plays.The reason of different plots of the plays is different standpoints of the authors, but the key ideas are displayed at the same way in both plays. Satire works in both of the plays through different themes. Authors use sarcasm to make plays more interesting and exciting, usually satirising domestic themes. One of the most common themes satirised in Jacobean plays was the greed. The financial situation in the country was unstable therefore everyone tried to get something better for themselves to provide their material status.People were ready to do everything to get something to hold on to and this was very often satirised in the plays. The Alchemist is a striking example of satirised greed in the play. The main aim of all the main characters of the play is to obtain infinite treasure and they are willing to undertake any obligations to reach their aim. Greed is also noticeable in The Duchess of Malfl, in characte rs Ferdinand and the Cardinal, because their action is the result of their greed when they confiscate the Duchess ‘s property and get her banished from the state of Ancona.This play shows the result of the greed when one of the brothers dies at the end, proving that plays not only satirise events but also enlightens viewers and teaches them to not allow the same mistakes as characters in the plays do. Another important theme satirised in The Duchess of Malfl is the status of women and the role of gender in the society. Woman in that period of the time was upposed to be submissive and calm, however, the Duchess went against her brother ‘s wishes and remarried, and this is the reason of the tragedy which would not happen if the Duchess would act like she was supposed to.The play shows that women at the time had no right to have their own point of view and act without coordinating with men; it also shows what happened if someone went against the assumed rules. Both of the p lays satirises the social class system in the Jacobean England. There are members of all social classes shown in the plays revealing the ndications of the social status. Sexuality is also satirised in plays, for example the character of Sir Epicure Mammon in The Alchemist who dreams of drinking the elixir of youth and enjoying fantastic sexual conquests.All of these satirised themes show what worried authors and the audience at the time. Looking at these plays nowadays helps the learner to understand the Jacobean time period in the history of England and see what affected plays at that time. Now the reader can also call together the history of England and nowadays, see what issues had affected English literature and ow it has formed. Looking at two plays from the Jacobean time period has shown that the context of the time has had the biggest influence on the playwrights and their work.Even though Jonson and Webster have created absolutely different plays, they seem to reveal the sam e ideas. Both of the plays satirise themes that had been important at the time and are still important nowadays. Authors used sarcasm to let the audience enjoy the play but also to educate viewers about the situation in the country. Playwrights revealed very important matters in their plays like social tatuses, roles of gender and sexuality, the greediness of people and others and this shows that the audience gets both, emotional and intellectual release when reading or watching these plays.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 5

Got Nothin' but Love for Ya Dr. Patel's secretary turns off the radio as soon as she sees me walk into the waiting room, which makes me laugh because she tries to do it casually, as if I won't notice. She looks scared, turning the knob so gingerly – the way people do things after they have seen one of my episodes, as if I am no longer human, but some wild hulking animal. After a brief wait, I meet with Cliff for my second session, like I will every Friday for the foreseeable future. I pick brown this time, and we sit in his leather recliners among the clouds, talking about how much we like women and â€Å"kicking it like we do,† which is another one of Danny's sayings. Cliff asks me if I like my new meds, and I tell him I do, even though I really have not noticed any effects at all and have only taken about half the pills my mother gave me last week – hiding a few under my tongue and spitting them into the toilet when she leaves me alone. He asks me if I have experienced any unwanted side effects – shortness of breath, loss of appetite, drowsiness, suicidal feelings, homicidal feelings, loss of virility, anxiety, itchiness, diarrhea – and I tell him I haven't. â€Å"What about hallucinations?† he says, and then leans forward a little, squinting. â€Å"Hallucinations?† I ask. â€Å"Hallucinations.† I shrug, say I don't think I have hallucinated, and he tells me I would know if I had. â€Å"Tell your mother if you see anything bizarre or horrifying,† he says, â€Å"but don't worry, because you probably will not hallucinate. Only a very small percentage of people hallucinate while taking this combination of meds.† I nod and promise I will report any hallucinations to my mother, but I do not really believe I will hallucinate no matter what type of drugs he gives me, especially since I know he will not be giving me LSD or anything like that. I figure weaker people probably complain about their drugs, but I am not weak and can control my mind pretty well. I am in the basement doing shots of water, taking my three-minute break between crunches on the Stomach Master 6000 and leg lifts on the weight bench, when I smell the unmistakable buttery flavor of my mother's crabby snacks and I start to salivate unmercifully. Because I love crabby snacks, I leave the basement, enter the kitchen, and see that my mother is not only baking crabby snacks, which are buttered crabmeat and orange cheese on English muffins, but she is also making her homemade three-meats pizza – hamburger, sausage, and chicken – and those buffalo wings she gets from Big Foods. â€Å"Why are you cooking crabby snacks?† I ask hopefully, because I know from past experience that she only cooks crabby snacks when we are having company. Nikki loves crabby snacks and will eat a whole plate if you set it in front of her, and then she will complain later on the ride home, saying she is feeling fat because she has eaten too much. Back when I was emotionally abusive, I used to tell her that I did not want to hear her complaints every time she ate too much. But the next time Nikki eats too many crabby snacks, I am going to tell her she did not eat too much and that she looks too skinny anyway; I'll say she needs to gain a few pounds because I like my women looking like women and not like â€Å"Ms. Six O'Clock – straight up, straight down,† which is another term I learned from Danny. And I do hope my mother's making crabby snacks signifies that apart time is over because Nikki is on her way to my parents' house, which seems like the best coming-home surprise my mother could cook up – and as Mom is always trying to do nice things for me and my brother, I mentally prepare myself to be reunited with Nikki. My heart pounds at least fifty times during the few seconds it takes for my mother to answer my question. â€Å"The Eagles are playing the Steelers tonight in a preseason exhibition game,† my mother says, which is weird because Mom has always hated sports and barely knows that football season is in the fall, let alone what teams are playing on a given day. â€Å"Your brother is coming over to watch the game with you and your father.† My heart starts beating even faster because I have not seen my brother since shortly after apart time began, and like my father, he said some really awful things about Nikki the last time we talked. â€Å"Jake is looking forward to seeing you, and you know how much your father loves the Eagles. I can't wait to have all three of my men gathered around the couch again, just like old times.† My mother smiles at me so hard I think she is going to break out in tears again, so I turn around and go back into the basement to do knuckle push-ups until my pecs burn and I can no longer feel my knuckles. Knowing that I will probably not be allowed to go for my run later, because we are having a family night, I put on a trash bag and run early, passing my high school friends' homes; passing St. Joseph's, which is the Catholic church I used to attend; passing Collingswood High School (class of 89 rules!) and the house my grandparents used to own by the park before they died. My old best friend sees me when I run past his new house on Virginia Avenue. Ronnie is just getting home from work, walking from his car to his front door, when I pass him on the sidewalk. He looks me in the eyes, and after I have passed, he yells, â€Å"Pat Peoples? Is that you? Pat! Hey!† I run even harder, because my brother, Jake, is coming to talk to me; Jake does not believe in happy endings, and I do not have the emotional wherewithal to deal with Ronnie right now, because he never once came to visit Nikki and me in Baltimore, although he promised so many times. Nikki used to call Ronnie â€Å"whipped,† saying that his wife, Veronica, â€Å"keeps Ronnie's social calendar where she keeps his balls – in her purse.† Nikki told me that Ronnie would never visit me in Baltimore, and she was right. He never visited me in the bad place either, but he used to write me letters about how great his daughter, Emily, was and I guess is, although I have not yet met Emily to verify the letters. When I return home, Jake's car is there – a fancy silver BMW, which sort of implies that my brother is doing well now when it comes to â€Å"pockets getting fatter,† as Danny says. So I sneak in the back door and run up the steps to the shower. After I wash and put on clean clothes, I take a deep breath and follow the sound of conversation to the living room. Jake stands when he sees me. He has on fancy pants, lined with charcoal pinstripes, and a robin's-egg blue polo shirt that is formfitting enough to show that he is still pretty fit. He is also wearing a watch with diamonds all over the face, which Danny would call Jake's bling-bling. My brother's hair has thinned a little too, but his head is gelled and looks swanky. â€Å"Pat?† he says. â€Å"Didn't I say you wouldn't recognize him?† Mom says. â€Å"You look like Arnold Schwarzenegger.† He feels my bicep, which I absolutely hate because I don't like to be touched by anyone except Nikki. Since he's my brother, I don't say anything. â€Å"You're frickin' ripped,† he adds. I look at the floor, because I remember what he said about Nikki – I am still mad about that – and yet I am also happy to see my brother after not seeing him for what feels like forever. â€Å"Listen, Pat. I should have come to see you more in Baltimore, but those places freak me out and I †¦ I †¦ I just couldn't see you like that, okay? Are you mad at me?† I am sort of still mad at Jake, but suddenly I remember another one of Danny's lines that is too appropriate to leave unsaid, so I say, â€Å"Got nothin' but love for ya.† Jake looks at me for a second as if I had punched him in the gut. He blinks a few times almost as if he is going to cry, and then he hugs me with both arms. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he says, and holds me for longer than I like, which isn't very long – unless it's Nikki hugging me. When he lets go, Jake says, â€Å"I got a present for you.† He pulls an Eagles jersey out of a plastic bag and tosses it to me. I hold it up and see it's number 84, which I recognize as a wide receiver's number, but I do not know the name. Isn't that young receiver Freddie Mitchell number 84? I think but do not say, because I don't want to insult my brother, who was nice enough to buy me a present. â€Å"Who's Baskett?† I ask, which is the name on the jersey. â€Å"Undrafted rookie sensation Hank Baskett? He's the preseason story. These jerseys are hot on the streets of Philadelphia. And now you have one to wear to the games this year.† â€Å"Wear to the games?† â€Å"Now that you're home, you're gonna want your old seat back, right?† â€Å"At the Vet?† â€Å"The Vet?† Jake laughs and looks at my mother. My mother looks scared. â€Å"No – at Lincoln Financial Field.† â€Å"What's Lincoln Financial Field?† â€Å"Didn't they let you watch TV in that place? It's the home of the Eagles, the stadium your team's played three seasons in now.† I know Jake is lying to me, but I don't say anything. â€Å"Anyway, you got a seat right next to mine and Scott's. Season tickets, bro. Are you psyched, or what?† â€Å"I don't have any money for season tickets,† I say, because I let Nikki have the house and the cars and the bank accounts when apart time began. â€Å"I got your back.† Jake punches me in the arm. â€Å"I might not have been a good brother for the past few years, but I'm gonna make up for all that now that you're home.† I thank my brother, and then Mom starts crying again. She cries so hard that she has to leave the room, which is weird, since Jake and I are making up and season tickets to the Eagles are quite a nice present – not to mention the jersey. â€Å"Put on your Baskett jersey, bro.† I put it on, and it feels good to be wearing Eagles green, especially a jersey that Jake picked out special for me. â€Å"You wait and see how good your boy Baskett is going to be this year,† Jake says in a strange way, as if my future were somehow linked to the Eagles' rookie wide receiver – Hank Baskett.