Sense Of Nostalgia In Hemingways Novel - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1714 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2019/05/31 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Hills Like White Elephants Essay Did you like this example? Hills Like White Elephants is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that offers a brief glimpse into the lives of expatriates during the pre- World War 1 time-frame. Hemingways personal experience as an expatriate living in Europe during the 1920s can be seen throughout the images so keenly described in his short story Hills Like White Elephants and is an accurate piece of literature based on experiences that were common amongst other expatriates of that generation this story reflects many trends popular with expatriates who had traveled to post-WWI Europe. The story can be interpreted through the exploration of the cause of those trends and ideals held by that (lost) generation. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sense Of Nostalgia In Hemingways Novel" essay for you Create order Through this opening passage we are able to understand the location of where our characters are traveling. The beginning of our story sets a scene for the reader: The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white. On this side there was no shade and no trees and the station was between two lines of rails in the sun. Close against the side of the station there was the warm shadow of the building and a curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door into the bar, to keep out flies (Hemingway). The Ebro is a river in Spain Northeast of Madrid, much closer to the border of France. The two characters of the story, the American and the girl are traveling towards Madrid, the central hub of Spain, a place that could solve problem they are having. We understand towards the end of the story, that the couple is discussing the possibility of an abortion, something that was highly illegal in the 1920rs, especially in a catholic country such as Spain. To understand the mentality, outlook and understanding of life the characters have, presented to us through dialogue, we must first understand the life that an expatriate experienced in the early 20th century. The reason we can rely on this story as one that is accurate to the real experiences of an expatriate in Europe is because the writer, Ernest Hemingway, was an expatriate himself. Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1899. At the age of eighteen he volunteered as a Red Cross ambulance driver during World War 1 and was sent to France. This choice is what gave Ernest much insight and relation that helped him develop his works later in life. A large reason of expatriates in Europe during the 1920rs is due to the result of World War 1 and the exposure that many young Americans experienced when there. In Matthew Boltonrs essay on Hemingway as an expatriate, he states: In the wake of World War I, a combination of cultural and economic factors conspired to make the city an attractive destination for footloose Americans. The United States involvement in the war meant that some five million young men had been exposed to life in Europe. With the war over, some of these veterans found that France held far more attraction for them than did their American hometowns (Bolton). We understand that, World War I resulted in a cultural movement, exposing many Americans to the expatriate life of Europe the added effects of the war resulted in the generation that fought it to be lost to Europe the lost generation. The reactionary decade that followed the war gave way to many institutions to American culture that dissuaded much of the lost generation to return to American. Prohibition noble experiment in outlawing the manufacture and sale of alcohol, had gone into effect in January of 1920. Mainstream American culture, and the legal apparatus that supported it, was resolutely bent on reintegrating the veterans of the Great War into a life of temperance, family values, and the Protestant work ethic (Bolton). Following Hemingwayrs understanding of post-World War I America, we can expect that the writer did not want to return to a land of ?godliness, propriety, and respectability were of paramount importance (Bolton). The buying power of the dollar to the Franc also was a large deciding factor to the average expatriate. In an article Hemingway wrote to the Toronto Star, for which he worked as a foreign correspondent in Paris, he stated: An American or Canadian can live comfortably, eat at attractive restaurants and find amusement for a total expenditure of two and one half to three dollars a day (Reynolds 5). Hemingway was an expatriate himself and through the experiences he gained through World War I, as well as working as a foreign correspondent among many other things and experiences throughout his life we are able to peer into the life of an expatriate (the life of an expatriate is divulged less through Hills Like White Elephants than it is through Hemingwayrs other works, such as The Sun Also Rises, but if we can understand the authors background, or have at least read any of his other works, we are able to acknowledge the meaning of the story and the underlying stories that are not written). The story of Hills Like White Elephants is one that is built on the curiosity of the reader. The subject of abortion in the story is never directly divulged by the characters, but is hinted upon throughout. The main characters, only known as the American and the girl, are seen to be expatriates experiencing a life of exploration through Europe them presently being in Spain. They are in a train junction and the express from Barcelona would come in forty minutes. It stopped at this junction for two minutes and went on to Madrid (Hemingway). The full written story takes only eight or so minutes to read and at the end of the story we read that the train comes in five minutes (Hemingway). This shows us, through the lack of information and the state-of-fact writing that Hemingway is praised for, that there was much silence during that time period. This helps us understand the setting further. The man in the story seems to push for the girl to receive the procedure. The girl is rel uctant, but through the setting we can say that, though reluctant, the girl is also unsure of what to do because they are at a junction which tells us that the couple has travelled this far already in order to get to Madrid where this procedure could be done. The man in the story is very matter-of-fact, realistic, and shows a lack of remorse towards the situation. The girl, someone he says he loves, is the opposite. Because of the manrs pressure, she is considering to not proceed with the abortion. The choice of the man is reason enough for her to understand that this is the life that the man chooses to proceed with a life of adventure, experience and excitement not one that involves starting a family and taking care of a child. As an expatriate, experiencing a life that is freeing and exciting is something that is expected, but through the story we can see that even if this life is something that the man wants and maybe it was something that the woman wanted at a certain point it is not that same now. In the text, we read: Thats the only thing that bothers us. Its the only thing thats made us unhappy. The girl looked at the bead curtain, put her hand out and took hold of two of the strings of beads. And you think then well be all right and be happy. I know we will. You dont have to be afraid. Ive known lots of people that have done it (Hemingway). In this excerpt, we see that the man still believes that through this procedure happiness will return. The idea that happiness will return is something that is frequent in the ideals of an expatriate, the belief that after devastation, there will always come happiness after the abortion, happiness will return. This can relate back to World War I and how many young soldiers found comfort in the aftermath and the beauty of Europe, while back in America, the country was bracing for the aftermath of many young Americans returning home. Throughout the short story of Hills Like White Elephants we are provided with little informational text aside from descriptive elements of setting and such. We are required to rely on our own understanding in order to decipher the subject and meaning of the story. Through the research, explanation and understanding of the trends of expatriates in Europe and what cause so many young people to decide on a life as an expatriate we can understand the story better. It seems to be one that shares with us the mentality of expatriates. Many focusing on the good life, the freedom and expressionistic ideals that are not present in America this plays a huge roll on the choices of many expatriates in Europe. In conclusion, a work like Hills Like White Elephants is one that evokes a sense of nostalgia and melancholy once we understand the trends and ideals of the subjects involved. The life of freedom, happiness, wealth, adventure and relaxation is a powerful pursuit and one that, once held, is something that is hard to let go of. With an understanding of life in the post-war 20th century, we are able to relate to a lifestyle that we have dreamt of one we have imagined to be just a fantasy but one that is not simply happiness and comfort. The depths achievable by man in pursuit of self-discovery and freedom may be deep but the heights that can come may be worth the turmoil and risk. This story explains that through less than enough words and we are the ones who need to unearth the true meaning of the work. Hemingway, Ernest. Hills Like White Elephants. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Ed. R.V. Cassill. New York: Norton Company, 1995. 443-447. Bolton, Matthew J. An American in Paris: Hemingway and the Expatriate Life. Critical Insights: The Sun Also Rises, edited by Keith Newlin, Salem, 2010. Salem Online. Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway: The Paris Years. 1989. New York: W. W. Norton, 1999. Kennedy, J. Gerald.Imagining Paris: Exile, Writing, and American Identity. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 1993.

America s War On Sex The Continuing Attack On Law,...

The book, â€Å"America’s war on sex: The continuing Attack on Law, Lust, and Liberty† by Marty Klein is a book that impacts on the sexual intellect of an individual. He is an American public policy analysts, author, educator, and sex therapist (Klein 6). Consequently, Klein is decisive of bowdlerization concerning the concepts of porn addiction, sex addiction, and anti-pornography movement. The book depicts how governments and religious right incorporates the regulation of information, health care, sexual expression, and entertainment to undermine the secular democracy of the society. According to Klein’s research, the today’s public policies are trying to resolve the wrong sexual predicaments. The policies ignore the genuine sexual issues that the American population is continuing to struggle with, which raises the demand for more suppressive approaches that does not work. The book’s target audience is the Americans and individual’s tasked with the formulation of the public policies. Klein presents a fast-paced and meticulous research that untangles the myths regarding aspects such as porn s actual effect to the society, the failure of the public policy, and the so-called activist judges (Klein 30). The paper provides my evidence regarding reading of the book, gives a thoughtful analysis and critique, besides the general evaluation of the book. The author’s primary assertions revolve on the following aspects, what must be done to stop the war on sexuality on an individualShow MoreRelatedWomen as Commodity8915 Words   |  36 Pagesmodern period have documented the value attached to daughters as a means by which to advance family name and social position. Although marriage formations differed widely according to social ranking, as B.J. Sokol and Mary Sokol note in Shakespeare, Law, and Marriage, â€Å"the convention among the gentry and aristocracy was for marriages to be arranged by families with a view to securing advantages or alliances, conforming to a patriarchal model.† Numerous early modern conduct manuals and sermons,Read MoreWomen as Commodity8899 Words   |  36 Pagesmodern period have documented the value attached to daughters as a means by which to advance family name and social position. Although marriage formations differed widely according to social ranking, as B.J. Sokol and Mary Sokol note in Shakespeare, Law, and Marriage, â€Å"the convention among the gentry and aristocracy was for marriages to be arranged by families with a view to securing advantages or alliances, conforming to a patriarchal model.† Numerous early modern conduct manuals and sermonsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesTiffany Ruby Patterson, Zora Neale Hurston and a History of Southern Life Lisa M. Fine, The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown, U.S.A. Van Gosse and Richard Moser, eds., The World the Sixties Made: Politics and Culture in Recent America Joanne Meyerowitz, ed., History and September 11th John McMillian and Paul Buhle, eds., The New Left Revisited David M. Scobey, Empire City: The Making and Meaning of the New York City Landscape Gerda Lerner, Fireweed: A Political Autobiography Read MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pagesspeech (occasionally this is carried over into English so that quarter /’kwÉ”:tÉ™/ is pronounced [’xwÉ”ta])9. 4. Alphabetization and arrangement The alphabetical order is as follows: a b ch d e f g gb gh gw h i á »â€¹ j k kp kw l m n nw ny Å‹ o á »  p r s sh t u á » ¥ w y z high tone (unmarked), step tone ( ¯), low tone (`). It will be observed that the order here is strictly alphabetical, in that dotted letters follow their undotted counterparts (e.g. á »â€¹ follows i) and double letters (digraphs) follow single

Analysing The Impact Of Leadership Governance †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Critically Analysing The Impact Of Leadership Governance Management On Organsational Change. Answer: Introduction Due to the advent of globalisation and modernisation, the change in the organisation has become an important element to grab the market opportunity and market sustainability. The leadership and governance encompass the organisational policies, plan and strategic direction of organisational activities. This oversight on the organisational regulation and employee motivation also affects the business activities. Change in an organisation involves cultural, technological and procedural changes that required proper intervene for appropriate execution. However, in this particular essay, it will be identified whether leadership, management and governance affect the organisational change or not. In this particular essay, the perspective of management, governance and leadership will be discussed to understand its influences on the organisational change management. Finally, the required intervention process to gain organisational change sustainability will be evaluated to establish the thesis statement. Impact of management, corporate governance and leadership to achieve sustainable change within organisation Leadership is considered to an action in order to lead a group of people to attain the organisational objectives. Crevani et al. (2010, p.78) stated that the responsibility of a leader within an organisation is to influences the behaviours of other employees by improving their perspectives. This influence also contributes in motivating employees for gaining the productivity. Leaders ensure guidance for the employees to develop organisational morale. In order to discuss the role of leader in organisational activities at first required to develop a clear vision for the leaders. As argued by Chaudhry and Javed (2012, p.7) is the leaders do not possess a clear vision of organisational objection they will not be able to communicate the objectives to the team to ensure the success of organisation's goals. Another responsibility that a leader holds is employee motivation by ensuring working relationship and work culture. As argued by Crevani et al. (2010, p.79) an organisation cannot acquir e performance enhancement, it the employees is not motivated. The success of organisation largely depends on the productivity of the employees. For performing own job role or responsibilities, employees require guidance from leader which needs to be positive and optimistic enough. The leaders based on the organisational structure undertake leadership style that influences the leadership approach. According to Lewins leadership style, leaders mainly undertake the leadership style of autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire leadership style. By implementing the autocratic leadership style the ensure no-participation of team members in the decision-making process which leads to the sense of absenteeism and huge employee turnover. Chaudhry and Javed (2012, p.5) observed that on the other hand, democratic leadership style consider the involvement of employees in the decision-making process which may hinder the quick decision-making process. Instead of delivering full freedom to the employees in laissez-faire leadership style, it may lead to mal-function time management by the team members. As argued that laissez-faire leadership style also deliver job satisfaction for the employees and contributes to improving their productivity. Corporate governance encompasses through the policies, practices and rules according to which the organisational activities are being governed. Foss et al. (2010, p.456) stated that with the help of corporate governance, the organisation tries to consider the interest of the stakeholder, which includes the suppliers, shareholders, customers, government, management, community and financiers. It also attains the framework to achieve the objectives and goals corporate governance is associated with every activity of the management of the organisation, which includes the business action plan and organisational internal policy. Governance contributes in the change management philosophy as change defines how the change will be incorporated and who will be affected by this. Ebrahim et al. (2014, p.82) pointed out that this helps to measures the performance of the organisation and contributes in corporate disclosure. Positive and negative corporate governance can understand the impact of corp orate governance on the managerial actions of an organisation. As argued by Richey et al. (2010, p.238) negative corporate governance delivers uncertainty in organisations reliability. However, it can be counter argued that positive corporate governance implies proper implementation of company rules and regulation that is able to deliver organisational reliability. Management is considered an exercise, which is mainly unstructured that entirely, contributes to the performance of the organisation. Within an organisation, an efficient manager holds the responsibility to implement every function to increase the ability of the employees by attaining organisational goals. It can be argued that only an efficient manager can ensure the success of a business organisation and gain competitive advantage. The major responsibilities of a manager are planning and organising the business activities, which can be resource allocation or time management. For ensuring the organisational goals, management can adhere to the directive managerial style that helps a manager to establish the organisational vision among the employees without being a dictator. According to supportive management style, a manager tends to be empathetic towards the employees which job satisfaction, however, can also lead malfunction of time management. To understand every stage of organisa tional activities, a manager can adapt with participative management style. As counter argued by Trkman (2010, p.126) this can obstruct the management of other departmental activities. The achievement oriented management style ensures less productivity among the employees. Leadership, governance and management are the elements, which are, correlated as a change in one element thoroughly effects on other elements. As argued by Myers (2013, p.7) these three factors have contributed to the organisational change in different aspects. As change is a team that is thoroughly associated with organisation improvement, to increase the market opportunity and gain competitive m advantage it is required to incorporate a change in organisational culture and business planning. The main reason for which the management undertake the decision of change is to continue with the ever-changing and emerging world market and technology. If an organisation does not acquire, the business activities become monotonous which also hinders the productivity. As opined by Bryman and Bell (2015, p.4) other aspects for which management prefers change with organizational performance is to mitigate the gap between customer requirements and final out. As the requirements of the customer ar e ever changing, it also requires continuous change and improvement in the results or output. Galliers and Leidner (2014, p.3) said that the process of implementing change can be identified through Kurt Lewins Model of change management where the employees are being informed to be ready for change (Unfreeze)and then execute the proposed change (Change) and finally change become permanent (Refreeze). An organisation decides to bring change in the decision-making process by neglecting team members participation. For introducing a new group for the decision-making process, it will be required to follow the Kurt Lewins change management stages. The leaders participate in change management by playing the role of a sponsor who will not let the activities and objectives of change management stop performing. Leaders continuously keep the spirit of acceptance of change among the team members. As counter argued by Chang (2016, p.4) the leaders not only be promote change however also be a role model for other team members by accepting change first. As the company has decided to eliminate the team members from decision-making process by appointing new representatives for them, the leaders have to communicate the process of change and mainly the objective of change to reduce the chances of employee resistance. As this change can develop a sense of absenteeism among the team members, the lead er has to contribute to the employee motivation and employee engagement in change management process. Peppard and Ward (2016, p.6) stated that the leaders need to hold the accountability or the responsibility of the team members participation in the change management process to gain the motive or goal of organisational change. Change management is mainly the approach where teams, individual and entire organisation become transition for ensuring a new organisational activities or existence, however, on the other hand, corporate governance refers to the practices and rules, which controls and directs the change implementation process. As stated by Donate and Pablo (2015, p.361) change management brings a resistance among the employees due to the lack of acceptance. This develops elimination of organisational alignment or mutual efforts in performing business activities. The organisation's decision of adopting a change in the decision-making process, which may not be, agreed all the employees. The management can incorporate change however, it will be difficult to maintain the changes in the organisational objectives and goals align. Birasnav (2014, p.1623) pointed out that to address this particular problem, the organisation can undertake assistance of corporate governance. DInnocenzo et al. (2016, p.1965) argued that on the other hand, corporate governance contributes in answering what is changing and why it is being implemented. As the organisation wants to bring change in the decision-making process by appointing a new group decision maker as representatives of team members, the board of directors of the organisation has to ensure effective cultural change, proper procedure of change implementation without avoiding company's main objectives or value. The managers can undertake consultancy with board members to reduce the chances of employee resistance. In the case of managers, to incorporate change management within the organisation, the managers have to undertake a change in individual self and then change among employees. Wang et al. (2014, p.182) counter argued that to ensure individual change a manager has understood the role of the manager in that particular change and then adapting the changes to understand its impact on individual self. Finally, the manager needs to identify the possible approaches to tackle the changes. Yarbrough and Yarbrough (2014, p.5) argued that the manager has to inform the employees regarding the managerial decision of eliminating team members from the decision-making process. After that, the manager will need to manage employees resistance by applying corporate governance and finally reinforce the change process to make it sustainable. Leader and managers have to work aligning with corporate governance to implement successful change process within the organisation. In order to make the organisational changes sustainable, the board of directors and managers have to make interventions in the change management process properly. Mller et al. (2014, p.1309) stated that to understand intervene process Kurt Lewins Model can be applied. In the stage of unfreezing, the leaders and managers have taken the responsibility to inform the employees regarding the changes. At first, the manager has to announce that a new group decision maker will be appointed to making effective and advanced decisions. The decision-making group will be mainly the representative of the views of team members. As argued by Filatotchev and Nakajima (2014, p.290) the leaders will have to perform the role of making the team members understand why the change is being implemented. The skilled decision maker will have more market knowledge and will be able to make a quick decision. However, this is not making the staff neglected by giving opportunity to perform their job properly. In th e unfreeze stage the responsibility of the managers and the leaders to advise the team members to get ready for experiencing changes. According to the model, the next stage changes require the assistance of corporate governance. Too and Weaver (2014, p.1383) counter argued that to execute the change the board of directors have to develop new rules and policies, which the staff members have to follow. Corporate governance helps to ensure that the implementation of change management is being done through a proper process. Cheng et al. (2014, p.178) stated that the corporate governance can lead develops a systematic approach to change management within the organisational culture. On the other hand, change intervene requires employee motivation. The company can motivate the employees by performance recognition through a reward system. The final stage of Kurt Lewins model is refrozen in which the board members of the organisation make the implemented change permanent. For making sure that the change is permanent, a continuous monitoring process has to be implemented. The HR department of the company will have to monitor and needs to eliminate the hindrances in the way change management to acquire business objectives successfully. Conclusion In this essay, the impact of management, governance and leadership has been presented. The leadership and management are the key components of managing organisational activities. The importance of systematic approach in organisational activities has identified here. To receive proper change management the employees need to get aware of change by managers and leaders. This has ensured the importance of communication between leaders or manager with team members. It has found that if the leader fails to become a role model for the team members to make them understand the importance of change then the organisation will not be able to acquire continuous success. Even the management also need to receive an individual change to understand required competencies to manage change. On the other hand, corporate governance needs align with change management for systemic delivery change management. Thus, it can be stated that corporate governance, management and leadership has a thorough influence on the sustainable change of an organisation, which helps the company achieve organisational objectives and competitive advantage. References Birasnav, M., (2014). Knowledge management and organizational performance in the service industry: The role of transformational leadership beyond the effects of transactional leadership.Journal of Business Research,67(8), pp.1622-1629. Bryman, A. and Bell, E., (2015).Business research methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chang, J.F., (2016).Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. Florida: CRC Press. Chaudhry, A.Q. and Javed, H., (2012). Impact of transactional and laissez faire leadership style on motivation.International Journal of Business and Social Science,3(7), p.p.1-10. Cheng, J.H., Chen, M.C. and Huang, C.M., (2014). Assessing inter-organizational innovation performance through relational governance and dynamic capabilities in supply chains.Supply chain management: an international journal,19(2), pp.173-186. Crevani, L., Lindgren, M. and Packendorff, J., (2010). Leadership, not leaders: On the study of leadership as practices and interactions.Scandinavian Journal of Management,26(1), pp.77-86. DInnocenzo, L., Mathieu, J.E. and Kukenberger, M.R., (2016). A meta-analysis of different forms of shared leadershipteam performance relations.Journal of Management,42(7), pp.1964-1991. Donate, M.J. and de Pablo, J.D.S., (2015). The role of knowledge-oriented leadership in knowledge management practices and innovation.Journal of Business Research,68(2), pp.360-370. Ebrahim, A., Battilana, J. and Mair, J., (2014). The governance of social enterprises: Mission drift and accountability challenges in hybrid organizations.Research in Organizational Behavior,34, pp.81-100. Filatotchev, I. and Nakajima, C., (2014). Corporate governance, responsible managerial behavior, and corporate social responsibility: organizational efficiency versus organizational legitimacy?.The Academy of Management Perspectives,28(3), pp.289-306. Foss, N.J., Husted, K. and Michailova, S., (2010). Governing knowledge sharing in organizations: Levels of analysis, governance mechanisms, and research directions.Journal of Management studies,47(3), pp.455-482. Galliers, R.D. and Leidner, D.E. eds., (2014).Strategic information management: challenges and strategies in managing information systems. Abingdon: Routledge. Mller, R., Pemsel, S. and Shao, J., (2014). Organizational enablers for governance and governmentality of projects: A literature review.International Journal of Project Management,32(8), pp.1309-1320. Myers, M.D., (2013).Qualitative research in business and management. London: Sage. Peppard, J. and Ward, J., (2016).The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. New Jersey: John Wiley Sons. Richey, R.G., Roath, A.S., Whipple, J.M. and Fawcett, S.E., (2010). Exploring a governance theory of supply chain management: barriers and facilitators to integration.Journal of Business Logistics,31(1), pp.237-256. Too, E.G. and Weaver, P., (2014). The management of project management: A conceptual framework for project governance.International Journal of Project Management,32(8), pp.1382-1394. Trkman, P., (2010). The critical success factors of business process management.International journal of information management,30(2), pp.125-134. Wang, D., Waldman, D.A. and Zhang, Z., (2014). A meta-analysis of shared leadership and team effectiveness.The Journal of applied psychology,99(2), pp.181-198. Yarbrough, B.V. and Yarbrough, R.M., (2014).Cooperation and governance in international trade: The strategic organizational approach. Princeton University Press, pp.1-98.

The World Of Computer Technology Is Continuously Advancing Each And Ev

The world of computer technology is continuously advancing each and every day. We look back at what we had 5 years ago and are amazed to see how far we have come in such a short time. To know what to expect in the upcoming years is impossible, for technology is at such a constant increase. Computer technology is a wonderful tool and can benefit many people if you are willing to accept it. One of the advancements on the rise is Smart Houses. A Smart House is a house that is controlled by computers with artificial intelligence. Many people are choosing to turn their houses into smart ones in order to create a safer and more technological environment. Throughout my report, I will discuss some features that I would include in my own smart house, such as safety and convenience. I think the most common reason that my house will be a smart house is for safety purposes. Not only does it give a peace of mind to know that my house is protected at all times, but it gives protection in times of danger. Brink's Home Security provides several packages which you can accustom to your price range and allows you to pick the package which is right for your home. The standardized system is controlled by a digital keypad, which allows you to type in a 3-digit number that enables the system. It also features three panic buttons that directly contact the police department, the fire department, and the hospital in one quick touch of a button. This package comes with 2 door and window sensors that set the alarm off if they are opened while the system is armed. It also comes with a motion detector that detects heat and body movements. If any of these features are triggered, a siren will sound which makes your family and the intruder aware that the Brink's monitoring center are being notified. Some extra features are a glass break protector, smoke & heat detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. The system also provides a keyless keyfob that allows you to enable or disable the system with a touch of a quick button. As you can see, the Brink's Home Security provides a thorough package of home safety features. Not only is it reliable, but also gives a secure way to keep your house safely protected. Other systems, such as the FireCracker Kit from X10.com , provide you with an affordable and easy system. It allows you to control all the systems in your house based from your computer. You can make your coffeepot start brewing or your turning off your lamp simply by the click of a mouse. Control all the lights in your house with your PC or with a remote. One touch of a button and your lights will be on, your heater turned up, and your bath tub already starting to get filled. How much better can it get? I would also have a Robo-dog in my Smart House. This is a robotic dog, which features a motion sensor that puts the dog into a barking frenzy when it is set off. This not only scares the intruder, but it also notifies me that there is something wrong. The Robo-dog provides the benefits of a good guard dog without the inconvenience of attending to a pet. It would be placed near the door so if an intruder breaks in, then my guard dog will stop him in his tracks. There are many simple and affordable ways to keep your house, and mine, secure. Another common reason for a Smart House is convenience. Imagine being able to control the temperature of your house or turning on your lights with one simple phone call. X10 provides just that . The touch-tone controller activates lights, reboots PC's and sets air for heating or air conditioning with a quick touch of a button. I can access this via any touch-tone phone or from the manual control keypad placed in my house. This gives the convenience of coming home to a warm, well-light house without having to go through the hassle of putting wood in the wood-stove or waiting for the heater to heat up the house. A