Diction And Reflection In Literature - 769 Words

During this course, I acquired a sizable list of skills regarding literature and government. First, I learned the many symbols and themes of novels by reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor at the beginning of the course. Additionally, while reading Things Fall Apart, I learned about the fragility and danger of male masculinity, as well as how to recognize underlying messages in the way an author uses tone, diction, and omission. Furthermore, during the government and economics part of the course, I learned about how supply and demand works, the roles of smaller division in the branches of government, and about the Syrian Civil War. I also learned about the government’s previous attempts at making low-income families’ lives†¦show more content†¦Additionally, while reading this book, I learned about missionaries, how male suppression of women affect a community, and how to interpret tone and diction. Furthermore, watching Chimamanda Adichie’s Te dTalk provided even more insight into the culture the book is based on and added a female perspective of the notion that men cannot be weak in any sense. Finally, I learned more about â€Å"single stories† and how it affects people to be perceived based on judgment. Furthermore, I based my senior research paper on the Syrian Civil War, which was the most engaging thing I did in this class. I learned about Syria’s president attempts to kill rebels in Damascus and Aleppo and killing hundreds of innocent citizens in the process. I also learned about the aid that is being provided by the U.S. and the U.N., which is non-violent and consists mostly of humanitarian help. While writing my research paper on this topic, I saw many news reports and videos about the massacre happening in the cities targeted, and was so affected that I even considered becoming a first responder in my early adult life. I learned how to polish a research paper as well, because before writing this paper, I turned in first drafts and was compliant with the grade I received. This time around was very different, because I was genuinely invested in this topic and wanted to deliver a good piece of writing. Lastly, I enhanced my editing skills, as IShow MoreRelatedBullied To B eautiful. Society Is Known For Holding Unrealistic1507 Words   |  7 Pages The history and dedication that many women contributed during this time affected the way our society is today. The feminist movement is largely related to Marge Piercy’s literature. The purpose of â€Å"Barbie Doll† is to display how society is the issue and never the person. Marge Piercy executed the message through strong diction and syntax, she easily relates the poem to the average American life. The women s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s has often been referred to as the second wave ofRead More Gerard Nanley Hopkins’ Poem God’s Grandeur Essay590 Words   |  3 Pagesillustrates the relationship connecting man and God. Hopkins uses alliteration and stern tone to compliment the religious content of this morally ambitious poem. The poem’s rhythm and flow seem to capture the same sensation of a church sermon. The diction used by Hopkins seems to indicate a condescending attitude towards society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first stanza states that we are â€Å"charged with the grandeur of God†, or the direct quality of God’s being. This statement begins to express the overall feel orRead MoreEssay Blue Heron577 Words   |  3 Pages In Cold Mountain and A Poem for the Blue Heron, tone is established in a multitude of ways. These two pieces of literature describe the characteristics and actions of a blue heron, both aiming for the same goal. 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Jonathan Edwards however sought to arouse the religious intensity of the colonists (Edwards 1) through his preaching. But how and why was Edwards so successful? What influenced him? How did he use diction and symbolism to persuade his listener, and what was the reaction to his teachings? In order to understand these questions one must look at his life and works to understand how he was successful. In his most influential sermon, â€Å"Sinners in the HandsRead MoreThe Actual Disappointment: The Work fo Aphra Behn Essay1114 Words   |  5 PagesAphra Behn, a remarkable author who â€Å"‘†¦earned†¦ [women]†¦the right to speak their minds’†, who was not afraid to speak her mind herself as evident in her works, and was a writer that aided in paving the way for women’s rights through the literature world (Th e Norton Anthology 2308). A majority of Behn’s works serve to further the voice of women in the oppressed society in which they were living in and this work being examined is no exception to this. The Disappointment serves as a perfect satiricRead MoreEssay about William Wordsworths Nutting1292 Words   |  6 Pagesmurmur on/For ever; and I saw the sparkling foam (Wordsworth 33) reveals his talent for turning common language into poetic genius.   Wordsworths sensational description of the stream is heightened through his tight fusion of landscape, symbolism and diction. The physical structure contributes as much to the tone of the poem as the words themselves.   The physical presentation of the poem can be seen as parallel to the course of the stream and similar to the emotional change of the speaker.   As theRead MoreAnalysis Of John Milton s A Very Simple Way963 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"On His Having Arrived at the Age of Twenty-Three† by John Milton the reader can appreciate an understandable and clear poem. This expression of literature refers to the author’s surprise of how fast the time passes. John is twenty-three and he is wondering what thing he has done at this age and if he is using that time properly. The application of figurative language like metaphors makes the reader connect to the poem. The poem contains a particular rhyme scheme, an individual point of view, directRead More Accepting Disabilities in On His Blindness by John Milton Essay724 Words   |  3 Pagesacceptance of his lack of vision through a conver sation with â€Å"Patience†. Milton often refers to his inability to see by using figurative imagery to contrast light and dark images throughout the poem. This type of imagery helps in portraying his reflection on his past life, when he was not blind, to the different life he leads now. The positive and negative images allow for various interpretations of light and dark. Milton first professes his blindness by making a reference to his lack of light inRead MoreThe Rise Of Poe By Edgar Allan Poe1635 Words   |  7 Pagesthrough to their platform. Though within his time, Edgar Allan Poe did not have an established platform and was seen as estranged; he still dabbled as an author and has made many famous short stories and poems that we enjoy to this day. Poe uses tone, diction, imagery, symbolism, elements of the supernatural, and allusions to illustrate his themes of sorrow, madness, revenge, and uses these to project and give refuge to his inner demons. Throughout many of Poe’s works he consistently establishes tones

Karl Marxs Conflict Theory - 796 Words

Current Events Conflict Theory The conflict theory based on the writings of Karl Marx emphasizes that inequality exists in society because  ¦those in control of a disproportionate share of societys resources go to great lengths to defend what they have accumulated (Crossman, 2013). Marx posited that the masses in society are not linked together because of shared values in all cases but rather they are bound by  ¦coercion at the hands of those in power (Crossman, p. 1). In other words, those with the most control generally have power over others; the conflict theory deals with the conflicted, negative, and ever-changing nature of society, Crossman explains (p. 1). How the sequester budget cuts relate to the conflict theory The gridlock in Washington, D.C., is not a new phenomenon but it is taking a toll on many average Americans because Congress and the executive branch are constantly at odds and both sides seem to refuse to budge. It has been obvious from the second year that President Obama has been in office during the mid-term elections of 2010, when conservatives and ultra-conservatives in the Tea Party helped create a conservative majority that the House of Representatives and the White House would be (and are) seriously conflicted. The most recent example of this conflicted state of affairs in Washington, D.C., was the sequester budget cuts - $85 billion in cuts to the federal budget that went into effect because the executive branch and theShow MoreRelatedKarl Marx s Theory Of Society1450 Words   |  6 PagesKarl Marx’s Theory Karl Marx was one of the many sociologist who was trying to look at society and how it can function in a new way. Marx’s was a German social philosopher, cultural commentator, and was political activist. He developed the terms â€Å"Conflict Theory† and â€Å"Marxism†. To start off with conflict theory is defined as a paradigm that see social conflict as the basis of society, social change and emphases a materialist view of society. Social inequality which is the unequal distributionRead MoreThe Three Sociologists: Marx, Durheim, and Weber1051 Words   |  5 Pagesthe world with many different theories and key elements within the sociological imagination. 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According to the University of Dayton, â€Å"the human person is part of a larger history of life on this planet. Through technology humans have the power to have an immense effect on that life.†[ii] The people of his time found that the impact of the Industrial Revolution would further man’s success within thisRead MoreCompare and Contrast the Philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx843 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx In the idea of human nature; origin of state, the nature of government, the rights of regulation can be drawn as the reflection of insightful philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx. By understanding this within the context of human nature, we can see their ideas play to how they perceive a modern philosophy. Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto illustrates the desire to build a society without economic classes. John Lockes Political Theory claims the establishmentRead MoreWhy Marx s Social Theory Place So Much Emphasis On Class Conflict And The Economic Aspects Of Society? Essay1524 Words   |  7 PagesWhy does Marx s social theory place so much emphasis on class conflict and the economic aspects of society? Karl Marx is one of the most influential and revolutionary philosopher, economist and sociologist of the 19th century. His thoughts not only shaped our understandings of the capitalistic world but also created a new system of social organization, communism. His ideology also defined the key political figures of the cold war period such as Stalin, Mao and Castro. Without MarxRead MoreKarl Marx And The Great Philosopher Essay988 Words   |  4 PagesKarl Marx was born in Trier, Prussia in 1818 to a Jewish family, but despite his baptism at age 6, he later became an atheist. Marx attended University of Bonn, but due to his imprisonment for drunkenness and variances with another student, he was enrolled in the University of Berlin by his parents. Marx earned his degree in philosophy and began writing for Rheinische Zeitung, a liberal democratic newspaper. He later became their editor. Marx was a member of Young Hegelian movement which was groupRead MoreKarl Marx s Influenc e On Society1149 Words   |  5 PagesKarl Marx emphasized conflict in the society due to consumerism, religion, intersectionality. He saw this conflict and determined that hidden structures can benefit him and others by using the term of ideology which can rely on true or false consciousness. Marx was a unique sociologist who expressed his own ideas in various ways. Applying to Marx’s Theory towards slavery, it showed how the society use to be and how it impacted the slaves to be part of their culture to manifest the society. Read MoreConflict Theory926 Words   |  4 PagesConflict theories are perspectives in social science that emphasize the social, political or material inequality of a social group, that critique the broad socio-political system, or that otherwise detract from structural functionalism and ideological conservativism. Conflict theories draw attention to power differentials, such as class conflict, and generally contrast historically dominant ideologies. It is therefore a macro level analysis of society. Karl Marx is the father of the social conflict

Auto Reck Essay Example For Students

Auto Reck Essay Auto Wreck By Karl ShapiroIn todays congested society, automobile accidents are an often sight that most people dont even blink an eye at. During the time of World War II, I am almost positive that even the slightest accident would turn heads considering the level of technological advancement in the automotive and medical fields were nowhere near where they are today. In his poem Auto Wreck, Shapiro has taken a personal experience from some point in his own life, and has described it for us. This poem is very highly organized into sections by what is going on in the accident scene. The first stanza of this poem is very descriptive of an ambulance coming to the rescue of crash victims, just as an angel is said to come for the recently deceased. The soft silver bell beating could be related to either the ambulance or the angel, however we do not usually think of an ambulance as being soft. The silver bells remind me of the Christmas carol, Silver Bells, which speaks of angels in its text. Shapiro however only mentions the bells, as in the angels, once. Shapiro is extremely good at creating images in are heads with lines like, The ambulance at top speed floating down past beacons and illuminated clocks, which I see as the ambulance speeding through a lit up commercial area with glowing signs and billboards, and other such things found on the side of a busy road. Once the ambulance reaches the scene of the accident, the doors leap open releasing a light of hope upon the mangled. These victims, like in the movies are quickly placed on the stretchers and put in the b ack of the ambulance. Shapiro calls the ambulance a little hospital trying to show their importance in aiding the wounded. Lifting the silence, tolls the bell as the ambulance with its terrible cargo rocking, moves away, as the doors, an afterthought, are closed. This line is not only showing how quick the medics are working, but also their level of concentration and order of priorities. Because of their movement in the back of the ambulance they do not even think to close the doors until the little hospital is already moving. As the Ambulance moves away from the scene with the severely injured, the uninjured or minimally injured people walk among the cops, Shapiro states, describing every action that the police are taking. One police officer is making notes, one is cleaning blood, and one is hanging lights on the wrecked sheet metal that was once a recognizable automobile. Shapiro refers to the mangled cars as empty husks of locust, to iron poles, which as you know, locust leave a perfect shell of their body whey they die, which can crumble into many pieces. As there are at many accident sites, bystanders are looking onto this gruesome scene. They cannot believe what they are seeing and yet, cannot seem to leave. In this third stanza, as the traffic slowly moves around this accident, I can picture every head turning to gawk at the scene in awe of its sick beauty, just as people do today. As every one looks on, their greatest fear is if it ever happened to me? We all think that, no matter what the case may be. Shapiro has recognized certain reaction patterns of society with this poem and jumbled them all together and put them on paper, along with the most common societal horror, an auto wreck. Shapiro questions death, as to who dies next and for what reason. He looks for a type of meaning for death; stating War is done by the hands, which I think, involves a level of intent. Suicide he says has cause, and still birth is logical because a stillborn baby would have had a terrible life of disease or disfiguration. Jumping back to the car accident, Shapiro implies fate or just a freak accident. He spends the last stanza looking for some sort of resolution to his curiosity about death, but does not succeed. He creates a magnificent type of imagery, which played in my mind like a famous movie. He also used a level of symbolism uncommon to myself, and a spiritual deepness that almost makes you want to cry. This poem is not just about a mere car accident, but about certain death which we all face one way or another for one reason or another. However, as Shapiro reminds us of the unspoken question, Who is innocent? English Essays

Three Birds Alighting on a Field Essay Example For Students

Three Birds Alighting on a Field Essay Theres a character in The Grace of Mary Traverse, the 1985 play that helped bring Timberlake Wertenbaker to the public eye, who neatly prefigures the themes that repeat and recur in varying forms throughout the playwrights later works. The characters name is Mrs. Temptwell, and she gleefully, maliciously and single-mindedly leads young Mary through a dark world of despair and corruption in 18th-century London, where sex and gerous. Marys journey costs her her innocence, but she gains in turn a redemption that can only be born out of suffering. Virtually all of Wertenbakers central characters undergo a similar journey and, like Mary, they dont merely lose their innocence; more often than not, its forcibly wrenched from them. But no matter how much they sufferand they do sufferpain brings self-knowledge, which can in turn bring transcendence. Mary determines to forgive history and love the world; in The Love of the Nightingale (1988), Wertenbakers retelling of a Greek myth, Philomelwho has been lied to, raped and had her tongue cut by her sisters husbandliterally gains a new voice; the abused convicts of Our Countrys Good (1988) discover the worth of their own dignity while rehearsing a play in an 18th-century Australian penal colony. Outline1 A chorus of voices  2 Gospel of uncertainty  3 Who are we? No answer.   A chorus of voices   We will write a custom essay on Three Birds Alighting on a Field specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Her 1991 play Three Birds Alighting on a Fieldnow having its American premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club, where it runs through March 27 with its original director and star, Max Stafford-Clark and Harriet Walter, imported from Londonunfolds in a contemporary London that has been shaken by the late 80s collapse of both the art market and Eastern Europe. Like Our Countrys Good, Three Birds does not have one central character but a chorusall of whom have legitimate points of view, and all of whom are allowed to have their sayof which two or three inevitably stand out. Both plays were originally directed by Stafford-Clark, and developed through the method he helped pioneer with the revolutionary British theatre company Joint Stock. Intent on breaking down barriers between writer, director and actor, Stafford-Clark (with William Gaskill and David Hare) devised a system wherein the actual writing of a play follows a research and workshop period in which all artistic collaborators participate. In the simplest terms, Three Birds observes the foibles and frailties of three characters: Biddy (Walter), an upperclass woman who becomes an art collector to please her husband, and in the process discovers the value of art and her own identity; her husband Yoyo (Zach Grenier), a social-climbing Greek millionaire who romanticizes the fictional England of Austen and Thackeray; and Stephen (Jay O. Sanders), an artist who, years earlier, had fallen out of fashion, and is resentful of the contemporary art markets desperate attempts to woo him back. Surrounding these three are a wide range of characters from the worlds of art (painters, critics, dealers, buyers and sellers), British high society, and politics (most evocatively, a Romanian who crashes into an art gallery and the play, bringing with him some of Wertenbakers most impassioned writing). The play is discursive, and thats both a strength and a weakness, Stafford-Clark says; and indeed, Three Birds leaps about, with nearly as many themes as characters, and styles as themes. Gospel of uncertainty   The one figure whose journey most closely follows Wertenbakers model of self-knowledge leading to transcendence is Biddy, and Harriet Walter carries her from denial to awareness, from an inability to see to something approaching wisdom, in a delicately balanced, high-comedy performance. Missing from this play, however, is the pain that so characterizes Wertenbakers earlier writing; Three Birds is the least angry of her major plays. Even Stephen (played by Sanders, a hulking giant, as an unstoppable force of nature) ceases railing and begins to relish a gospel of uncertainty. .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .postImageUrl , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:hover , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:visited , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:active { border:0!important; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:active , .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3cc323d577508fc1998f00520664965c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Painting the stage EssayAt its best, it is an unsettling as well as unsettled play: The plot comes together in a tidy resolution, but the characters themselves are left without answers. If Three Birds can be maddeningthere are so many central characters that the one we care most about, Biddy, gets lost for frustratingly long periods of timeits the plays seeming digressions, particularly its debate about political responsibility, that ultimately best serve Wertenbakers wide-ranging arguments. And although the art world setting provides the plays easiest targets as well as its satirical punchfrom the opening scene, when an authentically white painting entitled No Illusion is auctioned for more than one million pounds, Wertenbaker skewers the commercialization and pretensions of artit also drives the plays overriding emphasis on the necessity of individual judgment, interpretation and discrimination. Stafford-Clark is quick to point out that the danger of the play is that the laughs about the pretensions of art are very easy for the audience to pick up, and yet the plays not simply about that; its also about the value and worth of art, and that has to be made clear, too, or it will be too bland and reassuring. Who are we? No answer.   Where Wertenbaker most refuses to be reassuring is in the question of identity that is carefully drawn throughout the play, yet ultimately remains elusive. In the course of Yoyos climb into high society, a member of an exclusive club begins to ask his opinion about European politics. You cant ask him, Philip, hes one of us now, another member interrupts, to which Sir Philip replies, Yes, but who are we? Wertenbaker never answers Sir Philips query, which hangs in the air and over the play, and Three Birds ends with all its characters in as much a state of flux as they began. The importance of the question, however, is there in Greniers remarkable performance as Yoyo, a man who is terrified by his own absence of an interior life, who is a bully in private but withdrawn and stiff-necked in public; and, most of all, its there in the insecurities and enthusiasms that flicker across Walters face. As in all of Werten-bakers plays, it isnt the resolution that matters but the journey.

Msc. Management (FT) Essays

Msc. Management (FT) Essays Msc. Management (FT) Essay Msc. Management (FT) Essay Q1. Based on your own experience of traditional bookselling and your exploration of online bookselling, compare willingness-to-pay for books supplied by these two business models. In the US, the traditional bookselling had a market of about 26 million dollars in the year 1996 and had grown to about 33 million dollars in the year 2001.   It is growing at the rate of about 4.8 % per annum.   An average American citizen buys about 10 books a year in 1996.   Book buying usually increases during the weekends and during the fourth quarter of the year.   Usually individuals between the ages of 35 to 75, buy books. In the US, more than 50, 000 new titles are published every year.   However, people read both old and new releases.   When considering traditional bookstalls, it is important to take into consideration the publishers, wholesalers and the retailers.   One of the most popular publishers in the US is Simon Schuster (which hold a 11 % share of the market).   In recent years, many of the small publishers have been taken over by the larger ones as they were facing loses and it was increasingly becoming difficult to maintain relationships with writers and retailers.   In the traditional system of book vending, the publishers for bulk purchasers offer huge amounts of discounts to retailers and wholesalers.   Retailers are offered a discount of about 55 %, whereas wholesalers are offered a margin slightly above that.   However, there has been a lot of controversy in this regard, due to apparent favoritism.   Hence, many of tee publishers are now made to sign agreements with t he retailers and the wholesalers, regarding the amount of discounts that could be offered.   In the traditional system, the retailers and the wholesalers can return books to the publisher and they would get a full refund of the money.   However, it may be difficult to return the soft copies such as CD’s to get a credit on the amount.   The practice of returning the books to the publisher has developed as early as the depression period, in which retailers were guaranteed return of the unsold copies so that only the popular books could be kept on the shelves.   The number of return of books is rising gradually, as people want to read the new books and the best sellers.   In the year 1986, returns of the books were in the range of 15 to 25 % and in 1996 it rose to 30 %.   These books have to be recycled or sold through alternative ways with discounts. Baker and Taylor were one of the major wholesalers in the US and Ingram Books was another major wholesaler.   These wholesalers provided the retailers with discounts and volume-based purchases.   They acted as middlemen between the publisher and the retailer.   Although, the costs of services were slightly higher, they performed many functions for the convenience of the retailer and the publisher including speedy delivery, after sales services, free-services, cutting the gaps between the manufacturer and retailer, accepting feedback, etc. Retailers on the other hand have increasingly beginning to gain an important share in the market since the 1970’s.   The two largest chain stores in the US included Dalton and Waldenbooks.   There were several developments at the retail end of the book stores which really improved production of books and several other aspects including author profiles, wholesales, etc.   Supermarkets, malls and libraries began to be developed so that retailing could pick up.   One of the largest book chains stores in the US has been Barnes and Noble.   It employees about 20, 000 staff and had made sales of about 2.45 million dollars in the year 1996.   Barnes and Nobles remained as two separate store chains and were actually combined by Leonard Riggio in the year 1971.   The company has several stores in New York, Manhattan and Boston.   Barnes and Noble acquired Dalton chain of stores in 1985 for about 300 million dollars.   Barnes and Noble have also started with other busi nesses in the field of books.   They also have mail order book services and book clubs.   Barnes and Noble also set up shop in Canada, but it has major operations in the US.   The procurement of books for the malls and superstores of Barnes and Nobles has been centralized. Jeff Bezos had founded Amazon.com in the year 1995 and it reached sales of about 16 million dollars in the year 1996.   About 7600 employees were present in the organization in that year.   Amazon.com can reach much more people compared to Barnes and Noble, but it can sell only online, unlike Barnes and Noble.   Online booking selling seems to have one disadvantage over store book selling.   The customers in the stores are able to feel the book and read excerpts of the book.   In such a circumstance, they would be more interested in buying the book and would find the book its money’s worth.   With time, the internet is beginning to change, and many of the manufacturers are beginning to show case the product and actually permit the customer to sample it using the internet.   With the bookshelf model, it does seem that it would be costly to get the investment to setup the place, build shelves and get the logistics.   In comparison, an online store does not requir e much of investment and infrastructure.   The customer can access the online bookstore from almost any part of the world and can select the book.   The user would need only a computer, an Internet connection, and a membership username and within a short period of time the product would be delivered to the house. Willingness to pay is the maximum money the customer would be willing to pay for a product and it would demonstrate that the customer is concerned about the quality of the product; costs spend on the production and the good name of the product.   This characteristic varies from one individual to another and from one company to another.   Several characteristics play a major role including the quality, brand name, reputation, equity, etc.   Studies have shown that when the price of a product was lowered, below the willingness to pay, the customer is more likely to obtain the product.   The customer would obtain the product satisfactorily, if the price equals the willingness to pay.   The customer would not be happy if the price of the product is higher than the willingness to pay.   Barnes and Noble has a good reputation and has it stores located in various parts of the US.   The customers have a high willingness to pay for their products.   On the other hand, the will ingness to pay is lower for Amazon.com as the reputation and quality anticipated is not as high compared to Barnes and Noble.   Although people are paying more money for Barnes and Noble products, they feel they are obtaining more value for their money compared to Amazon.com.   Barnes and Noble is an older product and has a better reputation than Amazon.com.   People are more likely to trust Barnes and Noble.   In the US, Barnes and noble is a household name with several local stores.   On the other hand, Amazon.com is an online store. Q2. Assess Barnes Nobles response to the substitution threat from Amazon. How did Amazon respond and to what effect? When Amazon was launched in the year 1995, it was termed as the ‘Earths biggest river-Earths biggest bookstore’.   In the year 1995, the company ran it sales up to 0.5 million dollars, 16 million dollars in 1997 and 82 million dollars in the year 1997.   Amazon.com was eating into the sustainability of Barnes and Noble.   Substitution threat is a situation in which one player would be using an opportunity created by the vacuum left by the shortcomings or the deficiency of the other player.   The extent to which the opportunity exists depends on the characteristics of either player.   Amazon was using the deficiencies of Barnes and Noble to a great extent.   They were exploiting the limitations to store shopping and using the benefits of online business.   They were many ways in which Amazon were using the substitution threat such recombining, straddling, fighting, harvesting, etc.   However, Barnes and Noble began to attack Amazon’s online strategy in January 1997.   The company went online and offered the customers huge discounts for online hardcover and paperback versions (up to 30 %).   At the same time it also filed a litigation against Amazon.com for having the slogan â€Å"Earth’s biggest bookstore’, when it was actually not.   It wanted to launch an all-round offensive against Amazon.   Barnes and Noble felt that Amazon was not a bookseller but a book broker.   Using the substitution threat again, Barnes and Noble wanted to dominate the online book market.   Barnes and Noble wanted to become the leader in online bookselling by displacing Amazon within a period of two years.   They felt that online business offered much greater opportunities, as people could not find a bookstore with a variety. People from even other countries could do online shopping and improve the sales of the company.   The investment over infrastructure and setting up a shop was much higher compared to a bookstore compared to online shopping.   People, who did not have the time to search for a bookstore, could now do it setting in the comfort of their homes.   This seemed to be one of the greatest advantages of online shopping.   Through online shopping, the books could be advertised and marketed and this could really boost sales.   Barnes and Noble operated a sorting facility in Jamesburg, and slowly this facility began to expand.   They developed a very efficient strategy in comparison to Amazon, and claimed to bring the book to the customer much faster than what Amazon actually did.   However, the operations of both, Barnes and Noble and Amazon were similar.   Barnes and Noble also created better web features compared to Amazon.   They also separated out the online operations from the bookstore in order to evade tax.   At the back end of the operations, Barnes and Noble also tried to establish relations with the publishers and the wholesalers.   One advantage the company had observed was that the operations were much lesser compared to a standard bookstore as infrastructure costs were saved.   Barnes and Noble soon began to offer to the online customers, books at the wholesale or warehouse rates.   The company also offered several services.   Many people felt that the services offered by Barnes and Noble were much similar to that offered by Amazon.   The software tool of Barnes and Noble was much superior to that of Amazon.   The company permitted the customers to store personal data and also buy the books very easily.   They also signed up with several Internet organizations such as AOL and the New York Times to provide extra services.   AOL provided software and news services. Once Barnes and Noble actually entered into the online market, Amazon began to feel the heat and suggested breakthrough measures for the customers in order to increase their sales.   They offered higher discounts to the customers (up to 40 %) and added more than a million titles to the online book collections.   They also offered personalized services so that the customer could use the software and select books according to their personal preferences.   They also developed ties with several software giants such as Yahoo, Excite and AOL.com.   The company developed a very strong advisement and publicity strategy so that the public could select its products compared to that of Barnes and Noble. The services provided by Barnes and Noble were much similar to that of Amazon but some of these services were different in nature.   Barnes and Noble were also trying to imitate the business of Amazon by using a successful business model.   By collaborating with some of the website with which Barnes and Noble also had combined.   As Barnes and Noble offered personalized services, it could be combined to the Harvesting model of substitution. Barnes and Noble also tried develop a website much richer than that of Amazon.   Barnes and Noble also began to involve the operations of the book supply system so as to improve the online strategy.   The software technology utilized by Barnes and Noble was also much superior to that of Amazon.   During the initial period Barnes and Noble failed to draw in huge customers. I do feel that the marketing strategy played by Barnes and Noble to launch its product was not very effective.   It was able to achieve its objectives only to some extent.   Amazon had its name already established in the online book market.   They were seeking to make relationships with the customers and improve their business further.  Ã‚   Although Amazon had already established itself in the market, Barnes and Noble were eating up its share. Q3. Considering both Barnes Nobel and Amazon, how sustainable will their respective business models be in the future? Who will be the online leader? Give reasons. Sustainability of a business is threatened by imitation, substitution, holdup and slack.   The added value of the business is threatened by imitation and substitution.   The added values cannot be used to obtain the benefits if holdup and slack threats are present.   In fact holdup may divert the benefits to the suppliers and the customers.   Several factors are present in the market, which would help to determine the ability to attract.   These five factors that may be present include: threat from several new comers, rivalry between the competitors, ability of the buyers to bargain or demand more, strength of the suppliers in the market, and the substitution threat (such as changes in technology).   Porter, an American Aeronautical engineer to determine the competitive strength of a business and to evaluate its market position, framed these factors or forces.   The Porters five-force analysis is frequently utilized with other management tools such as SWOT analysis and PEST analysis to determine the strategy a company should be following.   Companies can also develop business decisions and plan investment according to the Porters analysis (Chapman, 2005). The new entrant in the field on online bookselling was Amazon.com.   It began to be functional in the year 1996.   It had sales of about 150 million dollars in the year 1997.   It had also developed huge amount of losses in the year 1996 and 1997.   Bezos had actually developed Amazon.com keeping in mind the potential of the Internet.   Jeff Bezos was also found of the bookselling business, and seeking the huge potential of the Internet.   He founded the Amazon.com Inc, and had a stake of about 41 %.   He was much fascinated with online trading in other fields and soon began to employ it for book selling.   He developed the slogan Earths biggest river-Earths biggest bookstore to describe his bookstore.   Amazon developed a virtual storehouse, which was catering to its online operations.   This was located in Seattle. The company on purpose did not offer huge amount of graphics to the users on its website as it felt that the speed of downloading would be reduced. The competitors of Amazon.com in the field of online bookselling were Barnes and Noble.   This was basically following the slogan â€Å"Earths biggest bookstore, which it strongly opposed and brought about a lawsuit.   The first thing that Barnes and noble did was to have litigation against Amazon.com for using this slogan.   Barnes and Noble claimed that Amazon was a mere agent that was passing on the books to the public.   The company began to offer huge amounts of discounts that bought books from them online.   About 20 % discount was offered for the paperback versions and 30 % for the hardbound versions.   The company initially planned to become the top online bookseller within a period of two years.   Barnes and Noble developed its own sorting out facility for Internet orders at Jamesburg.   They started to compete with Amazon.com in beating them out in promptly serving the customers with the orders.   They were able to delivery the orders faster to the custom ers, but their charges were similar to that of Amazon.com.   The graphics of the website that belonged to Barnes and Noble was much more esthetically pleasing compared to Amazon.com.   The site began to provide with personalized services.   The company claimed that it did not have to pay much for initiating online operations.   Barnes and Noble worked in collaboration with AOL.com.   This company was providing several online services to its customers.   It had provided great software support to Barnes and Noble.   It also collaborated with The New York Times in providing a book review. The buyers are the people who actually purchase the books from the booksellers. They would be looking at several benefits they would be having from the company which include the costs of the books, marketing, advertisement, brand name, services provided, reputation, delivery time, discounts provided, range of after sales services, etc.   The education level, nationality and intelligence of the buyers play a major role in determining the book company they would be selecting.   Even Bill Gates was one of Amazon’s customers, and it felt that the website offered a huge collection within a very short period of time.   The online services offered by Amazon were very user friendly.   The company also provided several online services to the buyers such as information of the books, interview with the writers, etc.   Barnes and Noble went to provide a discount for the buyers.   The felt that the customers ha a huge benefit over Internet shopping.   They could save time and also access the Internet as per their time of convenience.   Even international customers were benefited through the online business model.   Amazon was able to offer greater amount of discounts to the customer and also seemed to have a larger online collection compared to Barnes and Noble. The fourth factor is the suppliers that provide the books to the online booksellers.   Ingram and Doubleday supply Amazon and Barnes and Noble has its own warehouse for supplies.   The booksellers should be able to obtain the logistics within a very short period and should be able to supply the customer immediately.   In an online shopping model, it is very important to answer to the demands of the customer immediately. The fifth factor is the substitution threat.   According to this threat one player would be filling up the deficiency created by another.   In this case, Amazon had left a very small gap, and Barnes and Noble were effective in filling this gap.   It provided the customers with discounts, and faster delivery times.   Besides, it was able to provide the customers with a more appealing website and personalized services. With relation to the online leader, I do feel that Amazon.com is more likely to be an online leader in book sales.   Amazon.com was the first to start with the concept of online book selling.   It was able to setup global or international customers much earlier than Barnes and Noble.   Although, they cannot be termed has having a bookstore, they are turning out to be good agents, providing highly specialized services to the customers.   The online collection and options that Amazon.com is providing is much larger as that compared to Barnes and Noble.   It is also providing greater amount of discounts compared to Barnes and Noble.   Amazon.com is exclusively an online vendor but Barnes and Noble is a bookstore vendor, which has recently extended its services online.   As Amazon provides its customers with other online services (shopping of other products), it could provide several other benefits to its customers.   The customers could also buy other products from its w ebsite.   Hence, on the whole, Amazon.com is more likely to provide a greater range of services compared to Barnes and Noble.   As Amazon does not have any offline trading, it is more flexible to incorporate changes than Barnes and Noble.   Hence, they are more likely to adapt to changes in the market.   Amazon would also be spending less money on infrastructure and hence is in a better position to offer discounts to the customers and at the same time make profits.

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I)

10 Facts About the Element Iodine (Atomic Number 53 or I) Iodine is element 53 on the periodic table, with element symbol I. Iodine is an element you encounter in iodized salt and some dyes. A small amount of iodine is essential for nutrition, while too much is toxic. Here are facts about this interesting, colorful element. The Name Iodine comes from the Greek word iodes, which means violet. Iodine vapor is violet-colored. The element was discovered in 1811 by French chemist Bernard Courtois. Courtois discovered iodine by accident while he was making saltpeter for use in the Napoleonic Wars. Making saltpeter required sodium carbonate. To get sodium carbonate, Courtois burned seaweed, washed the ash with water, and added sulfuric acid to remove contaminants. Courtois discovered adding an excess of sulfuric acid produced a cloud of purple vapor. While Courtois believed the vapor was a previously unknown element, he couldnt afford to research it, so he offered samples of the gas to his friends, Charles Bernard Desormes and Nicolas Clement. They characterized the new material and made Courtois discovery public. Isotopes Many isotopes of iodine are known. All of them are radioactive except for I-127, which is the only isotope found in nature. Because there is only one natural isotope of iodine, its atomic weight is precisely known, rather than an average of isotopes like most elements. Color and Other Properties Solid iodine is blue-black in color, with a metallic sheen. At ordinary temperatures and pressures, iodine sublimates into its violet gas, so the liquid form is not seen. The color of iodine follows a trend seen in the halogens: they appear progressively darker as you move down the group of the periodic table. This trend happens because the wavelengths of light absorbed by the elements increases due to the behavior of the electrons. Iodine is slightly soluble in water and more soluble in nonpolar solvents. Its melting point and boiling point are the highest of the halogens. The bond between atoms in the diatomic molecule is the weakest in the element group. Halogen Iodine is a halogen, which is a type of non-metal. It is located beneath fluorine, chlorine, and bromine on the periodic table, making it the heaviest stable element in the halogen group. Thyroid The thyroid gland uses iodine to make the hormones thyroxine and triiodotyronine. Insufficient iodine leads to development of a goiter, which is a swelling of the thyroid gland. Iodine deficiency is believed to be the leading preventable cause of mental retardation. Excessive iodine symptoms are similar to those of iodine insufficiency. Iodine toxicity is more severe if a person has a selenium deficiency. Compounds Iodine occurs in compounds and as the diatomic molecule I2. Medical Purpose Iodine is used extensively in medicine. However, some people develop a chemical sensitivity to iodine. Sensitive individuals may develop a rash when swabbed with tincture of iodine. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock has resulted from medical exposure to iodine. Food Source Natural food sources of iodine are seafood, kelp and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. Potassium iodide often is added to table salt to produce iodized salt. Atomic Number The atomic number of iodine is 53, meaning all atoms of iodine possess 53 protons. Commercial Source Commercially, iodine is mined in Chile and extracted from iodine-rich brine, notably from the oilfields in the US and Japan. Prior to this, iodine was extracted from kelp. Iodine Element Fast Facts Element Name: IodineElement Symbol: IAtomic Number: 53Atomic Weight: 126.904Group: Group 17 (Halogens)Period: Period 5Appearance: Metallic blue-black solid; violet gasElectron Configuration: [Kr] 4d10  5s2  5p5Melting Point: 386.85  K  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹(113.7  Ã‚ °C, ​236.66  Ã‚ °F)Boiling Point: 457.4  K ​(184.3  Ã‚ °C, ​363.7  Ã‚ °F) Sources Davy, Humphry (1 January 1814). Some Experiments and Observations on a New Substance Which Becomes a Violet Coloured Gas by Heat. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. 104: 74. doi:10.1098/rstl.1814.0007Emsley, John (2001). Natures Building Blocks (Hardcover, First ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 244–250. ISBN 0-19-850340-7.Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Swain, Patricia A. (2005). Bernard Courtois (1777–1838) famed for discovering iodine (1811), and his life in Paris from 1798 (PDF). Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. 30 (2): 103.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

New Product Development is the Key to Apple's Marketing Success Coursework

New Product Development is the Key to Apple's Marketing Success - Coursework Example The latest product introduced by Apple is the iPhone 4S. Apple announced the launch of iBooks 2 for iPad which would feature iBooks textbooks, iTunes U application for iPhone, iPad and for iPod touch (Apple Inc-a, 2012). Apple aims to bring the best experience for its customers through its product and services. The business strategy of Apple is to leverage the unique abilities of designing and developing the company’s own operating system, software and hardware in order to provide its customers with superior products and innovative designs. The company believes in innovation which is the key strategy for the success of the company; as a result, Apple invests in its research and development in order to introduce new and innovative products. Apart from its R&D, the company also invests in its marketing and advertisement as a part of Apple strategy to stay ahead of its competitors. Apple strategy also includes expansion of its distribution network to reach more clients and provid e the potential customers with high quality of sales and post purchase experience (Apple Inc, 2011, p.1). New Product Development Any changes made to a product are termed as new product development. ... New product development is one of the key strategies of Apple; it is through new product that the company has been able to taste success being one of the leading companies globally. Apple launches new product in the markets to stay ahead of its competitors, to continue the product life cycle, to give the customers what they need, and to enhance the strategy. According to Steve Jobs, new product lines tend to give people the products which are needed by the consumers. The company expresses its vision with the help of its product, exciting the customers and making them proud of owing an Apple product. The life cycle of any product needs to be modified carefully. Apple introduces new product when its earlier products are entering the maturity phase of the PLC giving no or less chance to its competitors to stay ahead. Thus, with continuous innovation, Apple provides a huge competitive edge over its competitors and helps in maintaining its number one position. With its innovation strategy the company has introduced many new products and also planned to launch few more in the coming years or so. Apple has applied a strategy of continuously milking its cash cow and has done a fantastic job. Each of its products, ranging from the Mac, iPhone, and iPod has been fertile, speaking about leverage designs and supply chain. The main motive of milking its product is to stay competitive in the market. Apple product possesses elegant design which integrates software, hardware and its services. One of the closest competitors of Apple is Android which has come up with similar products and is doing quite well in the market. Therefore, Apple should constantly introduce new products with elegant design which is the USP of Apple for its consumers. Apple

Discussion of Dance for Life Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Discussion of Dance for Life Program - Essay Example The 40 different weekly sessions involved in the program have drawn an initial 1,500 people in the first year to its current 20,000. Most of the people involved are under 18 and almost half come from minority ethnic communities. Classes in Dance For Life include salsa, street dance, modern dance and dance exercise, as well as others. (Dance for Life). The program has only been funded for three years but Middleton has gotten the support of many civic groups and has the program running strong. Their website discusses their objectives in detail, which include their focus on empowering young people to deal with obesity and stress. In addition to these weekly classes, Dance For Life has a professional dance group, Stance, that has workshops in the Bradford District at schools and youth groups. This company of 5 dancers have arrangements that "talk" about social issues including bullying, communication and how they feel "living in their own skin" (Dance for Life). Teachers comments have included: "Children all enjoyed the workshops and were fully engaged throughout" and "Excellent performance - pupils totally absorbed". The kids involved have commented positively as well. The following is an example of the classe s offered: 1. Asian Women's Exercise Women only; informal classes run by Dance for Life for Asian women; Thursday mornings at Attock Community Association 2. Belly Dancing @ Cafe West Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; Thursday evenings at Cafe West, Allerton 3. Breakdance for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; YMCA, Little Horton 4. Classes for Children and Young People Informal classes run by Dance for Life for children and young people; various times and locations throughout the Bradford area 5. Contemporary Dance Informal classes run by Dance for Life; Tuesday evenings at Bradford College Using multiple agencies as support has been one of Middleton's primary efforts, and has organizations such as the Health Improvement Fund, the Children's Fund, the Bradford Council and other community service groups included. A common agenda among these groups is disease prevention and health education of the public, especially about non-communicable diseases that have surpassed communicable disease in global mortality (Scriven 2003:2). A new public health agenda in the UK has emerged and building multi-professional understanding and capabilities has become crucial to the success of their programs. Health promotion The whole idea of health promotion was only coined in the 1970's and has loosely been explained as a confluence of "health education, self-care movements, public health, preventative medicine and the women's movement" (Scriven 2003:1). But defining health promotion has brought about many different points of views from egalitarian to radical politics. In the article by Scriven, health promotion is called "the radical militant wing" of public health. There are four types of health promotion (Scriven 2003:6). The primary level focuses all of its energy toward the

The Stereotype of Intolerance Essay Example for Free

The Stereotype of Intolerance Essay I have many international friends in my area, with whom I have shared good times and bad.   I have slept in their homes, and even been considered by their parents a genuine part of their families.   Yet I disliked the fact that Indian families may often act only the basis of emotions.   I blamed their emotionally charged natures on the Indian soap operas they watched day after day.   I disliked those Indian shows even though I had watched only two of them in my entire life.    Still, I knew that it was best not to feel negative emotions in myself.   I had to stop being stereotypically intolerant, after all, and love my friends as I loved my own family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Indian dramas that my friends’ families loved to watch daily were just slow motion pictures in my opinion.   Each moment of each drama focused on lethargic and unreal adventures in emotions.   Nothing went very far.   Crying; getting offensive about everything under the bright blue sky; and blaming one another were the themes of the shows.   I disliked them with all my heart.   And, whenever it was time for my friends’ families to watch those Indian shows, I found myself leaving their homes.   I was even uncomfortable leaving in those moments, given that my own negative emotions were obnoxious enough to seem to strangle me because I did not understand them at all.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to understand my emotions, in the face of the fact that I loved my Indian â€Å"families,† I made an effort to watch â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee† (2006) with my friends another time.   While watching the show this time, I was observant of my own reactions and feelings.   At the same time, I observed the others in the TV lounge watching the show with me.   Two of Vijay’s aunts sobbed during the show.   To my surprise, Vijay, his mom, and his dad also started to laugh during the show soon after I had witnessed the sobbing aunts.   I relaxed there and then, and from that point on, the show was a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee† lasts only thirty minutes each time, five days a week, I disliked it the first two times I watched it.   I believed that it was the TV drama that had taught my Indian friends to overreact to certain emotional issues in the past.   I also believed that the emotional drama was a bad influence on me. Obviously, I was being oversensitive at the same time as I blamed the drama for teaching oversensitivity to its viewers.   Besides, I was not thinking that it is the individual himself with the prerogative to allow conditioning of any sort.   Nobody can force us to be influenced by anything.   Thus, being stereotypically intolerant is nobody’s problem except our own.   The good news is that it is possible for us to get rid of our stereotypes by analyzing them like I did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Now I have stopped detesting the Indian shows that I previously could not digest.   I can stay in my friends’ homes as long as I please.   Apart from this, I have understood that my Indian â€Å"families† have a right to feel and believe whatever they do.   Choosing emotions over the intellect many a times is their choice and responsibility.   And if I love them, I must do so regardless of the different perspectives we have about dealing with ourselves and others. While I imagine that I am granting my Indian friends this â€Å"space to breathe,† in actuality this space is mine to occupy.   I give up my stereotypical intolerance today – and for ever – but only after realizing that I had adopted this stereotype subconsciously, or perhaps just by observing it in society.   After analyzing this stereotype, I feel like a different, freer person altogether.   For sure, it was difficult to breathe in negativity. References â€Å"Kyunke Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee.† Star Plus (30 December 2006). TV Series.

Epicureans: A Debate Essays -- Philosophy, Rosenbaum, Luper

My topic focuses on Rosenbaum’s defense of the epicurean view, Luper’s critique of this view and my argument on who has a stronger position in regards to the topic. I am going to do this by describing both arguments in a detailed manner. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view while Luper argues against, both sides provide excellent arguments and my argument is that which I feel is more superior. Rosenbaum defends the epicurean view throughout his essay. Epicurus â€Å"argued that since death is neither good or bad for the person dead and since the fear of that which is not bad for one is groundless, it is unreasonable to fear death† (Benatar, 175). A person when dead is lifeless and therefore cannot feel anything. This person is nonexistent and according to Rosenbaum because of this, the statement of whether death is good or bad does not apply to this situation. Since one cannot feel anything, one cannot experience a death situation and determine whether it is good or bad. Therefore it does not matter and there is no reason to fear death. According to Rosenbaum there are three different concepts, which must be understood. These are, dying, death and being dead. The first two are often not distinguished; Rosenbaum says they must be distinguished as they mean two completely different things. â€Å"Dying we may say is the process whereby one comes to dead or the process wherein certain causes operate to bring about one’s being dead† (Benatar, 176). This is essentially the last phase of one’s life. It is the prelude to death itself. It is the process, which leads to becoming dead. Rosenbaum goes on to explain, â€Å"the process of dying may be comfortable or uncomfortable† (Benatar, 176). The process leading to eventua... ...uper’s argument he is missing the point of Epicurus’s argument, which Rosenbaum has further explained. Of the two arguments Rosenbaum’s argument arguably has more points to back up the epicurean view than Luper’s. Luper’s is based on assumptions and we cannot live on assumptions. In my essay, I provided a detailed description of both Rosenbaum’s argument and Luper’s in an unbiased manner. I did this by highlighting the main points of both arguments and getting this main point across. Both sides of the arguments are presented and I contrast and compare deciding which one I feel is superior. In my argument, I present points, which I have, accurate counter points for, from each argument. In conclusion, Rosenbaum and Luper both present arguments both for and against the Epicurean view, this essay is mainly describing each one and choosing a side at the end.

Urban Ministry: the Kingdom of God Response

From the section â€Å"Did I really say that? †: â€Å"Tell us you made it, Zack. Be our example of a rich man who broke free from the grasp of greed. Tell us you won the struggle with mammon and abandoned yourself to the Christ who touched you. Tell us, Zack, that we can be liberated from the power of privilege. † This paragraph is really powerful to me. Even though compared to some people like celebrities and such, we may not seem so rich, but overall, we live a life of abundance. We are constantly striving to achieve more in life too, like what we have is never enough. And for the most part, the things we strive for really don’t benefit us spiritually. When you think about it, having really nice jobs leads to more money, which eventually turns into greed and brings out the worst in most people. I really like the statement and thoughts the author says above. If we are too busy being chained down to our jobs and money and social status, we can never truly focus on what truly is important. From â€Å"Kingdom Playgrounds†: One of my favorite verses is â€Å"Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven† (Matthew 18:3). It sounds like a simple thing to do-to act like children-but it really isn’t. We are so corrupted today, that it sometimes sounds silly to go back to acting like children. Children are innocent and care free about the ridiculous things that adults worry about. And if you go back to being innocent and care free, then you can really see the little things that children see, and really appreciate those things. Love isn’t seen as a complexity as it is to adults; children love everyone. They see past the negative in others and see only the positive.

Proposition 8

Do you believe society should have the ability to determine if same sex partners should marry? Determining your soul partners should be a privilege for all, such as homosexuals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals etc. and not society. Homosexuals are not abnormal humans, so there is no reason to treat them any different, after all they are citizens who oblige to the same jurisdictions. In the brief article, 8 Is Not Hate: The Meaning of a proposition by Jennifer Roback Morse, Morse explains how marriage is a gender-based institution that attaches mothers and fathers to each other and to their children, but I disagree with her theory of marriage.I believe marriage is based on the love, trust, and the ability to provide for one another. If you were brought into this world as a homosexual then who are you to deny marriage to same sex partners, because although you deny marriage to same sex couples they’re not going to change their beliefs and values just because society does not accept th em for who they are. Same sex couples should have the ability to choose their own spouses, without having to deal with ignorant bigots such as those who won’t accept others preferences, because of religious beliefs and values morals.If homosexuals have the same responsibility, consequences, and obligations as straight people then there is no reason to keep marriage away from same sex partner. Being homophobic is having fear of or contempt for lesbians and gays. Proposition 8 is seen as a discriminating proposition towards to gays and lesbians, because same sex couples are judged by almost all who don’t accept their sexual desires.Not only are homosexuals judged but they are also verbally assaulted, physically harmed, and even threatened by homophobic bullies who have hate against same sex couples. I experienced this discrimination and bullying three months ago. I have a co-worker whose name is Rene and that is gay and I got to be good friends with him over the summer. He described how he would go to school and he would have students call him names, and at times physically harm him because of his sexual preference.I asked him when he realized he was gay and he told me he always liked girl accessory for some reason. It’s like if he was born gay so what can he do about it? He is a very confident young man and explained how he wants to marry his boyfriend, so why can’t he choose who to marry his soul mate. I don’t believe anyone should have the ability to decide on other people’s ability to marry, only god can decide that and apparently he doesn’t mind because he put homosexuals into this world so why deny the love they share for each other.If gays/lesbians don’t have ability to decide if straight people could get married then I don’t believe straights should decide who homosexuals should marry. Proposition 8 is denying same-sex partners to marry through civil law then there should be no implementation s on the religious side. Morse also describes how, â€Å"The court changed the jurisprudence of sexual orientation discrimination cases, giving same sex-couples the highest level of protection.This means that in contest between religious liberty and sexual orientation discrimination, religious liberty would almost always lose. † (p. 83) Morse is describing how the court ruled over religion because in reality same-sex couples that get married through civil law have nothing to do with religion. If same-sex partners do not get married under religion, then there is no reason for people who believe in religion and marriage as only heterosexual couples to decide if homosexuals have the ability to marry.In the bill of right of the United States the first amendment states how congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting free exercise thereof. If being a homosexual is a free exercise and no law Is made to respect religion, then there shouldnâ€⠄¢t be a proposition banning the same- sex marriage, because it is only in the bill of rights to do as you please as long as it’s in the jurisdiction bounds. . Our society is not as tolerant as it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it should be tolerant towards certain issues such as the one on proposition 8.Homosexuals will not stop fighting this issue because marriage is a part of life and if religion does not have anything to do with this issue because they are getting married through the civil law, then let them live just like they let us live. Voting no on proposition eight is what everyone should do not only because it’s the right thing to do but also because in the end they will not turn straight just because society does not let them marry. Same-sex couples will not stop fighting this issue that has to do with their realties and not ours, so let them be.

Free Essays on Teaching Perspective

Teaching Perspective Teaching to me is broken down into two major facets. The first being that you are there to help teach new subjects to children that they need to comprehend and learn what is being taught in the classroom. Second, teachers need to be able to help children apply what they learn in everyday life. This is why I want to teach so very badly. I want to be able to help people grow, mature, and learn life’s lessons. I think that teachers have the greatest possible job because they will be able to affect the minds of 20 –30 kids every single year for the rest of their lives. When you think about how much of your life is spent in a classroom from preschool up to your senior year of high school, it is amazing. Today’s youth needs people that want to be there to help them learn about things for their future. Parents put a lot of trust and faith in teachers to help their children progress in life. This is why teaching excites me so much. I want to help shape the minds of tomorrow’s future. One thing I know is that some children don’t get enough guidance or attention from their parents at home. They come to school because they want to feel important and learn new things everyday. These are kids that want to make a difference, whether they realize it or not. I cannot wait to be with these children everyday. These kids have endless possibilities for their future, and I want to help make their dreams become reality. Every student is special in their own way, and brings unique characteristics to the table. I want to help these children excel to the highest levels they can everyday. Teaching allows you to see your results on many different levels, and that is an exciting aspect about it. I know that as I got older, it seemed my parents got busier with their lives and started to pay less attention to me. School was my way to feel proud about things I was doing on a daily basis. Now my parents we... Free Essays on Teaching Perspective Free Essays on Teaching Perspective Teaching Perspective Teaching to me is broken down into two major facets. The first being that you are there to help teach new subjects to children that they need to comprehend and learn what is being taught in the classroom. Second, teachers need to be able to help children apply what they learn in everyday life. This is why I want to teach so very badly. I want to be able to help people grow, mature, and learn life’s lessons. I think that teachers have the greatest possible job because they will be able to affect the minds of 20 –30 kids every single year for the rest of their lives. When you think about how much of your life is spent in a classroom from preschool up to your senior year of high school, it is amazing. Today’s youth needs people that want to be there to help them learn about things for their future. Parents put a lot of trust and faith in teachers to help their children progress in life. This is why teaching excites me so much. I want to help shape the minds of tomorrow’s future. One thing I know is that some children don’t get enough guidance or attention from their parents at home. They come to school because they want to feel important and learn new things everyday. These are kids that want to make a difference, whether they realize it or not. I cannot wait to be with these children everyday. These kids have endless possibilities for their future, and I want to help make their dreams become reality. Every student is special in their own way, and brings unique characteristics to the table. I want to help these children excel to the highest levels they can everyday. Teaching allows you to see your results on many different levels, and that is an exciting aspect about it. I know that as I got older, it seemed my parents got busier with their lives and started to pay less attention to me. School was my way to feel proud about things I was doing on a daily basis. Now my parents we...

Monarch Migration

Monarch Migration The phenomenon of monarch migration in North America is well known, and quite extraordinary in the insect world. There are no other insects in the world that migrate twice each year for close to 3,000 miles. Monarchs living east of the Rocky Mountains in North America fly south each fall, gathering in central Mexicos Oyamel fir forest for the winter. Millions of monarchs gather in the this forest area, covering the trees so densely that branches break from their weight. Scientists aren’t sure how the butterflies navigate to a place they have never been. No other population of monarchs migrates this far. The Migrant Generation: The monarch butterflies that emerge from chrysalides in late summer and early fall differ from the previous generations. These migrant butterflies appear the same but behave quite differently. They will not mate or lay eggs. They feed on nectar, and cluster together during the cool evenings to stay warm. Their only purpose is to prepare for and make the flight south successfully. You can see a monarch emerge from its chrysalis in the photo gallery. Environmental factors trigger the migration. Fewer hours of daylight, cooler temperatures, and diminishing food supplies tell the monarchs it is time to move south. In March, the same butterflies that made the journey south will begin the return trip. The migrants fly to the southern U.S., where they mate and lay eggs. Their descendants will continue the migration north. In the northernmost part of the monarchs range, it may be the great grandchildren of the migrants that finish the trip. How Scientists Study Monarch Migration: In 1937, Frederick Urquhart was the first scientist to tag monarch butterflies in a quest to learn about their migration. In the 1950’s, he recruited a handful of volunteers to help in the tagging and monitoring efforts. Monarch tagging and research is now conducted by several universities with the help of thousands of volunteers, including school children and their teachers. The tags used today are small adhesive stickers, each printed with a unique ID number and contact information for the research project. A tag is placed on the butterfly’s hindwing, and does not impede flight. A person who finds a tagged monarch can report the date and location of the sighting to the researcher. The data collected from each season’s tags provides scientists with information about the migration path and timing. In 1975, Frederick Urquhart is also credited with finding the monarch’s wintering grounds in Mexico, which were unknown until that time. The site was actually discovered by Ken Brugger, a naturalist volunteering to help with the research. Read more about Urquhart and his lifelong study of monarchs. Energy-Saving Strategies: Remarkably, scientists discovered that migrating butterflies actually gain weight during their long journey. They store fat in their abdomens, and use air currents to glide as much as possible. These energy-saving strategies, together with feeding on nectar throughout the trip, help the migrants survive the arduous travel. The Day of the Dead: The monarchs arrive at their Mexico wintering grounds en masse in the final days of October. Their arrival coincides with el Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, a Mexican traditional holiday that honors the deceased. The indigenous people of Mexico believe the butterflies are the returning souls of children and warriors. Sources: Monarch WatchLongest Regularly Repeated Migration, University of Florida

Literature Review Examining the Impact of Oil Resources Availability Essay

Literature Review Examining the Impact of Oil Resources Availability on Economic Growth in An Oil-Based Economy with reference to Saudi Arabia - Essay Example the case of Saudi Arabia, the availability of rich oil resources has brought untold affluence to this tiny nation, however despite this, economic growth has been slow since the eighties and there has been increasing unemployment, with the unemployment rate among young Saudis estimated to be between 8 to 13 percent. The question of how such a situation could have developed in a country rich in natural oil resources is examined below. The Petroleum Sector in Saudi Arabia comprises roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of its GDP and 90% of its export earnings (www.e.wikipedia.org). Saudi oil reserves are estimated to be the largest in the world – about 260 billion barrels - and the country is the world’s largest exporter, with oil comprising 95% of the country’s exports and almost 75% of government revenues (www.en.wikipedia.org). In view of the country’s heavy dependence on oil, the Government has recently begun to encourage more development in the private sector, including in the power generation and telecom sectors. Saudi Arabia has also joined the WTO in 2005, in order to enhance its trading, diversify its economy and attract a higher proportion of foreign investment. The Government has also been spending larger amounts on infrastructure development, job training and education. Oil was first discovered in Saudi Arabia in the 1930’s, by U.S. geologists. Oil production in Saudi Arabia soared in the 60s and gave rise to a period of strong economic development which continued into the 1970s.(www.en.wikipedia.org). During the Seventies, there was an oil boom and the Gross Domestic Product per capita of Saudi Arabia soared, reaching a figure of 1,858%, however such growth was unsustainable and shrank to 58% in the eighties, although it has registered a 20% increase in the nineties.(www.earthtrends.wri.org) Most of the oil in the country is produced on behalf of the Saudi Government by a single Company, Saudi ARAMCO. After the 1973 Arab Israeli war, there

Culture shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culture shock - Essay Example iliar signs and symbols of social intercourse, they have to try to adapt themselves to different lifestyles, living conditions and business practices in a new cultural setting and this often proves to be a long term and difficult process. In this condition, feelings of alienation accumulate sharply because of poor adaptation and consequentially, culture shock occurs, followed by a series of psychological confusion and emotional discomfort (Xia, 97– 101). There tends to be many responses to culture shock and this depends on individuals. Some people often choose to immerse themselves completely in the new culture, which they have encountered in an attempt to fit into the fabric of the new society. Such people often shun the culture, which they previously used to practice and instead develop a very negative attitude towards it (Dongfeng, 70–74). Others choose to adopt only the aspects of the new culture they have encountered which they consider good but continue to practice the culture familiar to them. A third group chooses to completely reject the new culture and tightly stick to the culture that they believe to be the best for them. These often create their own settlements or sectors within the society in which they have gone to live and it is only on rare occasion that they encounter the new

Health profile examining a health issue in the community i worked Essay

Health profile examining a health issue in the community i worked - Essay Example The disorder is a chronic inflammatory condition often linked to allergies, in which the airways develop increased responsiveness to various stimuli, characterized by bronchial hyper-responsiveness, inflammation, increased mucus production, and intermittent airway obstruction. The symptoms of asthma, which can range from mild to life threatening, can usually, be controlled with a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes. Many environmental factors are known to precipitate attacks of asthma. These factors are all either allergens or irritants. Allergic factors play a role in many, but by no means every, case of asthma. Some factors and triggers that can cause an asthma attack are: dust, animal dander, pollen, an infection, breathing cold air, exertion, reactions to certain medications, workplace chemicals and cigarette smoke. Asthma is increasingly becoming a public health concern because of its rapidly increasing prevalence, affecting up to one in four urban children.2 Susceptibility to asthma can be explained in part by genetic factors, but no clear pattern of inheritance has been found. Asthma is a complex disease that is influenced by multiple genetic, developmental, and environmental factors, which interact to produce the overall condition. The incidence of asthma seems to be higher among low-income populations, which in the western world are disproportionately minority, and more likely to live near industrial areas. Additionally, asthma has been strongly associated with the presence of cockroaches in living quarters, which is more likely in such neighborhoods.3 A genetic role in asthma has long been suspected, primarily due to the clustering of cases within families and the concordance for asthma in identical twins. Several studies conclude that heredity increases ones chances of developing asthma, particularly if allergies or other allergic conditions are present. Moreover, one may pass this tendency to asthma to the next generation. The

Childcare Center Director Essay Example for Free

Childcare Center Director Essay Do you enjoy working with children? Is a question that I like to think of when it comes to working in the field dealing with the responsibilities of taking care of children. Today, there are more needs for children to be taking care of and learning about why it is so important to have a good education. I can remember when I was about ten or eleven years old, I use to babysit children during the summer, I would teach them their ABC’s, how to count, and recognize numbers, shapes, sizes, and their colors. Being a Childcare Center Director is my dream career, because I wanted to ensure that my children will be taught and learn why it is so important in having a good education. I will not only have a Childcare Center to sit and watch children just to earn an income, I want to ensure the parents that my Center will benefit their child or children that this is an educational center as well. Today, Childcare Directors are among one of the highest paying job in the United States, according to the http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-childcare-centers-directors.htm (visited December 19, 2012). Childcare Directors are expected to grow by eight percent between the years of 2008-2018. A Preschool and Childcare Center Directors is an institution of early childhood education for children between the ages of three-to-five year old. Directing a Preschool/Childcare Center is exhausting and can also be complicated at times when you have a problem that involves the matter with a parent and one of your employees. It is your responsibility to make that your staff understands the responsibility in handle and dealing with problems that have occurred. It is a dedicated job, but you must have the desire love and work with children’s. What do they do as a Director? Is one of many question people tends to ask and wonder about. Being a Childcare Director is not just a job sitting behind a desk, they have many responsibilities to tend to such as, providing a clean, safe and educational environment. For example, they have to hire and training staffs, communicate with the parents, employee and children’s on a day-to-day base. But the most important of their job is to ensure that the staff is well trained and that they are well qualified to meet and follow the center’s rules and guidelines. They have to make sure that they comply with the state and federal laws. To be a Childcare Director they also must meet certain requirements that are set among the state laws, depending on the location and state that you desire to work in. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (www.dfps.state.tx.us) , that anyone serving as an administrator of a Childcare Center in Texas must hold a Childcare Administration License. Depending on the location or state, you have different requirements and standards to meet. The Directors are required to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree, some even required to have Master’s Degree. Being a Childcare Director you have the opportunity to earn a certification but you are not required to have one. According to the Bureau of Labor (www.bls.gov) the highest paying states in Childcare Center Director are District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, California, and Alaska. Comparing to others daycare positions a Daycare Directors have the highest wages, they have almost 20,000 more per year than just been a Daycare Center employee. You can at least expect to gross out between $39,000 to almost 43,000 a year, in which that means you making between $20.00 to $22.00 an hour. Since Childcare Directors have the responsibility of the financial management of the centers, with their salaries this means that they will be able to develop a budget, manage the accounting and over sees accounts, payable and receivable. Being a Childcare Directors plays a major role in the world today. As you can see working as a Childcare Director is not just a sit down or working behind a desk job, you have to be active, ensuring parents that your center is not only a Childcare center, but a center to where their child will be taught and learn the basic of what it will take for them to have a better education. You are the sole owner and responsible for whatever goes on in your facility under your care, rather it is setting up meetings, dealing with the parents or seeing about the children. You are responsible from the time your doors are open until closing. So as you can see that why I love to work with children, because I want to make sure that once they leave my daycare, they can have something to look forward the next and to their future. References Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Human Resources Managers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/human-resources-managers.htm (visited December 19, 2012). Preschool and Childcare Center Directors [pic]. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition. Preshcool directer: Job description and requirements. (2003-2012). Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/preschool-childcare-centers-directors.htm (visited December 19, 2012). http://educationportal.com/articles/Preschool_Director_Job_Description_and_Requirements.html © copyright 2003- 2012 Education-Portal.com. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. [pic] http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9031.00#menu

Jean Piaget Essay -- Essays Papers

Jean Piaget Introduction Now known as one of the trailblazers of developmental psychology, Jean Piaget initially worked in a wide range of fields. Early in his career Piaget studied the human biological processes. These processes intrigued Piaget so much that he began to study the realm of human knowledge. From this study he was determined to uncover the secrets of cognitive growth in humans. Jean Piaget’s research on the growth of the human mind eventually lead to the formation of the cognitive development theory which consists of three main components: schemes, assimilation and accommodation, and the stage model. The theory is best known for Piaget’s construction of the discontinuous stage model which was based on his study of children and how the processes and products of their minds develop over time. According to this stage model, there are four levels of cognitive growth: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. While a substantial amount of psyc hologists presently choose to adhere to the constructs of the information processing approach, Piaget’s ground breaking cognitive development view is still a valuable asset to the branch of developmental psychology. Whether or not Piaget uncovered any answers to the mysteries of human knowledge is disputable, but one belief that few dispute is that Jean Piaget did indeed lay a strong foundation for future developmental psychologists. Historical Background In 1896 the summer in Switzerland was just an ordinary, uneventful three months. However, during this ordinary and uneventful span of time, a child was born who would become an extraordinary developmental psychologist and fulfill the future with ground breaking events in the field of cognitive psychology. He was the son of an intelligent man and a stern, smart religious woman, and the godchild of respected epistemologist Samuel Cornut. With such scholarly surroundings, there is little surprise that Jean Piaget developed into such an intelligent individual. At age eleven, young Piaget wrote a paper on albino sparrows and got it published. This publishing provided him with the opportunity to meet a man who would turn out to be very influential, Paul Godet, the curator at the local museum. Young Piaget also benefited highly from his prestigious high school in Neuchatel, along with the aforementi... ...they themselves are innovative theoretical components. Impact on Society Jean Piaget was the leaning experimental epistemologist, thanks in some part to Simon and Binet’s work, but he set the standard that would not be accepted by the ethnocentric Americans until they were desperate during the Cold War and decided to open their eyes and accept his findings. Once they did this, they implemented Piaget’s theory into many American school systems which would have had a much more beneficial outcome had the powers that be implemented the great man’s work more carefully. Yet Piaget and his theory have survived and he is labeled as â€Å"the dominant force in shaping the cognitive-field and perceptual-field theories.† His theory was strong because he placed intellectual development over the child’s emotional, social, and moral development because he viewed the intellect as having influence over these other developing entities. In conclusion, Piaget summarized the cognitive development theory best in this statement: â€Å"M y secret ambition is that the hypotheses one could oppose to my own ill finally be seen not to contradict them but to result from a normal process of differentiation.†

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 10

When I came home from Seth's the next day, there was another note stuck to my door reminding me about the package. I plucked it off and went inside, surprised to find Vincent there again. I'd figured his angel business would be keeping him busy elsewhere. â€Å"How's it all going?† I asked. I rummaged through my cupboards, looking for food. I'd skipped breakfast. â€Å"I mean, if you can tell me without having to kill me.† He sat at my kitchen table, leafing through newspapers. â€Å"Ah, well, still can't give you details, of course, but I can say that†¦um, well, progress isn't being made as quickly as we'd like. There's leftover lasagna in the refrigerator if you want it.† I opened the refrigerator door. Sure enough. â€Å"Wow. Did one of the angels conjure this up for you?† â€Å"Only if you consider Yasmine's cooking a type of conjuring.† I uncovered the casserole dish. It looked great. There might be magic afoot after all. I put a piece in the microwave and set the timer. Sitting down across from him, I peered at the spread out newspapers and remembered finding them left out the other day. â€Å"You sure like your news.† He grimaced. â€Å"Most of it's depressing.† Glancing at the headlines, I had to agree with him. Murder. Corruption. Theft. â€Å"You hear about the cop shooting the other day?† I asked. â€Å"That one was really depressing.† Vincent turned his attention away from a story about domestic abuse. â€Å"No, what happened?† â€Å"This cop was outside a convenience store and claims someone was inside shooting his partner. So, he ran in, gun in hand, and started shooting. He ended up killing his partner himself.† Vincent frowned. â€Å"Huh. I hadn't heard that one,† he murmured. From the distracted look in his eyes, his mind had clearly latched onto something I wasn't privy to. I gave him a sidelong glance. â€Å"That mean anything to you? Maybe to this mission from God you're on?† His easy smile returned. â€Å"You're good but not that good. You know I can't say anything.† The microwave dinged, and I retrieved my food. As I stabbed a piece of cheesy pasta, I recalled what he'd said about Yasmine's cooking. My curiosity got the better of me. As it often did. â€Å"Vince†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly, carefully keeping my eyes on my food. â€Å"I know it's none of my business†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed. â€Å"I always love it when people introduce topics like that – and then go ahead and dive in anyway.† Blushing, I shut my mouth. â€Å"No, no,† he said, clearly entertained. â€Å"Go ahead. What were you going to say?† â€Å"I†¦well, nothing really. It's just, I mean, it doesn't matter to me†¦but I just sort of noticed that you and Yasmine seem, um, close.† His levity faded. I quickly looked up and met his eyes apologetically. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I blurted out. â€Å"Forget I said anything.† â€Å"No†¦it's, I don't know.† He folded up the newspaper, staring at it without really seeing it. â€Å"Yeah, I guess. I've known her for a long time, and after a while, it's easy to†¦well, she's easy to like.† â€Å"Yeah, she is.† A few pregnant moments passed. When he spoke again, I heard affection in his voice. â€Å"I first met her at this fair in Akron, of all places†¦about, oh, fifteen years ago. Not sure what she was doing there – you never do with them – but I found her walking away from a concession stand. She had this giant tower of cotton candy. I swear, it was taller than she was. And, since I could tell she was an angel, it made the situation that much more absurd.† The story made me smile too. It also shed light on why he was here with the A-Team. I could tell she was an angel. He was another gifted human, like Erik and Dante, who could sense the immortal world. â€Å"And you went and talked to her?† â€Å"I hadn't planned to, but then the cotton candy started to fall over, so I went to help her and ended up eating half of it myself.† â€Å"That's sweet,† I said. â€Å"Er, no pun intended.† It didn't matter that in the last few months, I'd fucked one guy in an office chair, used a leather whip on another, and gone down on another in the back room of a seedy club. I still loved romantic stories. â€Å"She started asking for my help after that, off and on, once she realized what I could do. It was supposed to just be that†¦nothing more than her, you know, professional cases. But after a while, we couldn't help it. We're together all the time now.† I swallowed another piece of lasagna. It was divine. Seriously. â€Å"Do any of the other angels know?† â€Å"Yeah, right. Joel barely tolerates me now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But obviously, you guys aren't, um, you can't be – â€Å" â€Å"No, but it doesn't matter. It doesn't have to be physical. Really, it's ironic. Angels are creatures of love. They're supposed to love everyone. They're just not supposed to love one person so much more than another.† â€Å"That's stupid,† I stated adamantly. â€Å"To you, maybe. And to me, I suppose. But to her†¦well, she devotes her entire existence to the service of a power and cause bigger than all of us. To be so in love with something – or someone else – is distracting. You can't serve two masters without eventually betraying one.† I looked down again, turning over his words. â€Å"And yet you guys still stay together. Sort of.† He shrugged. â€Å"In as much as we can. Maybe I should move on with my life, but, honestly, there's no one else I want to be with. I accept what she is. It's why I love her. I'd rather be with her in a limited capacity than none at all.† Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. He'd just stated a variant of what Seth used to tell me all the time, back when I would continually urge him to leave me and find someone else. I'd accepted his choice by now and honestly couldn't imagine not having him in my life. But still. Sometimes I didn't entirely get how he could be okay with everything between us; hearing another person support such a choice was refreshing. As though reading my mind, Vincent gently asked, â€Å"Am I hitting too close to home? Carter mentioned a boyfriend†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No. Yes. I don't know. He – Seth, my boyfriend – says the same thing as you. That if it can't be any other way†¦well, then this is the way he wants it.† â€Å"Exactly. And thus, life goes on.† Vincent started gathering up the newspapers. â€Å"I tell you though, I think your side and hers are both so fucked up, it's not even funny. Why the rules? Why does a succubus always have to take away someone's life when she's with them? Why can't you have the choice? And why can't Yasmine make love? Why can't she be in love?† Good question. I don't think Vincent really expected an answer, but I had to give one anyway. â€Å"Because that's the way it is. The way the system works. The way it's always worked.† â€Å"The system is fucked-up,† he said. I thought about it and nodded. â€Å"No arguments.† Smiling, he reached for his coat and slipped it on. â€Å"You're okay for a succubus.† Vincent left, off to do whatever it was one did with a posse of angels. I almost envied him because I had something to do that I wasn't looking forward to at all. It was another necessary evil. I had to get Tawny a job. After that debacle of a dance lesson, I'd told her I'd help. I might not be able to do much about my mysterious energy loss or angelic romances, but I sure as hell could do something to expedite Niphon's departure. I drove down to Seatac, a city that owes its entire existence to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It's more of a shadow, really, spreading around the airport in a blanket of long-term parking lots and cheap hotels. It also has a couple of strip clubs because really, what else are out-of-town businessmen supposed to do in their downtime? It was late afternoon, so business was slow when I stepped inside Low Blow. A few bored-looking men sat scattered throughout the place, which was dingy and in need of some serious redecorating. Or, well, any decorating. A couple of the guys glanced up with interest as I walked through. Apparently, I held more appeal than the poor brunette trying her damnedest to fuck a pole in time to the dulcet sounds of Pink Floyd's â€Å"Young Lust.† I opened my mouth to speak to the bartender, but a voice behind me interrupted. â€Å"Ho†¦ly†¦shit. I don't believe it. I don't fucking believe it.† I turned and looked into the long, narrow face of Simon Chesterfield, the proud proprietor of this dive. Between his face and lanky body, he always reminded me of a weasel. His black mustache never quite seemed able to grow in completely, and he dressed in brand name clothes that were always one size too small. He was chummy with the local Hellish players, and rumor had it he was in line to be an imp, eventually selling his soul for immortality and the chance to be a diabolical salesman. â€Å"You finally come to dance for me, doll?† â€Å"You wish.† For a sleazy guy who ran a sleazy establishment, Simon actually had a legitimate appreciation for dance. I'd once seen him trying to choreograph his strippers and had been impressed by his sense of aesthetics and rhythm. His employees hadn't really caught on. Such talents were kind of wasted here, and I used to wonder why he didn't take his business to one of the more affluent suburbs where he could get a higher caliber of dancers. The reason he stayed, I'd later learned, was that this was a better venue for all sorts of other shady business he conducted. Still, Simon had a sharp eye and knew what a good dancer I was. He'd been on me for years to come work for him. â€Å"We need to talk,† I explained. â€Å"Business.† â€Å"It's what I do.† With a sweeping gesture, he pointed to a doorway beside the bar. â€Å"Let's go to my office then.† His ‘office' was barely a broom closet, but it had a stool for me to sit on. Resting my heels on a mid-level bar, I brought my knees up to my chest. It made my gray linen skirt slide up a bit. Simon watched with an interest that was more professional than personal. â€Å"Fuck, woman. You come dance for me, and I could make a killing.† He shook his head and collapsed into a rolling faux leather chair. â€Å"A succubus on my stage. Fuck.† I tilted my head to the side. â€Å"It's funny you mention that because that's kind of why I'm here.† I think my innocent tone set his alarms off. He eyed me suspiciously. â€Å"I thought you said you didn't want a job.† â€Å"Not me. We just got a new succubus, and she's looking for a gig. Didn't you hear?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned. â€Å"And she wants to dance? Here?† â€Å"Yep,† I said glibly. â€Å"She can't wait to take her clothes off.† Wasn't that the truth. Simon leaned back in the chair and put his feet on the desk. Casual pose or not, he was still on guard. â€Å"What's the catch?† â€Å"Why does there have to be a catch? You should be excited about this. We're doing you a favor.† â€Å"You're offering to drop a succubus into my lap. That sounds too good to be true, so it is too good to be true.† He paused, still thinking. â€Å"And why are you here instead of her?† â€Å"I'm altruistic.† â€Å"Georgina,† he said warningly. â€Å"Okay,† I admitted. â€Å"She's kind of†¦new.† â€Å"How new?† â€Å"Really new. Still under warranty.† â€Å"There's still a catch here somewhere.† â€Å"Well†¦she's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I spun through my mental rolodex of adjectives. â€Å"Inept.† He raised one narrow eyebrow. â€Å"Inept?† â€Å"She's still learning how to get men.† Since Simon probably wanted sexy women working for him, I figured it wasn't worth mentioning that Tawny wasn't so much learning as she was still trying to find her way to class. â€Å"And she's a, um, bad dancer.† â€Å"How bad?† â€Å"Bad.† â€Å"Can you be a little more specific on what level of bad we're dealing with?† â€Å"Remember Gigli?† â€Å"Jesus. So, why do you think I'd want to take on a shitty dancer?† â€Å"Simon,† I exclaimed. â€Å"All your dancers are shitty.† â€Å"Not all of them,† he said. â€Å"And it's not like I'm trying to get more. We have standards.† I gave him a pointed look. â€Å"Alright, alright.† He ran a hand through his gelled black hair. â€Å"What do I get in return?† Now I was the indignant one. â€Å"What do you mean? You're getting a succubus dancer. What else do you need?† â€Å"I'm getting a succubus charity case. I'm the one doing you a favor.† His eyes were shrewd. Yeah. He'd make a good imp someday. He was this close to breaking out a contract. â€Å"I want you. Dance for me two nights this week.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"One night.† â€Å"Simon, there is nothing in this world that's going to get me to dance here, not even a succubus charity case. Pick something else.† â€Å"Okay, fine.† He pondered. â€Å"You. I want you.† â€Å"Hey, I just told you – â€Å" â€Å"No, no. Not as a dancer. As in right now. On the desk.† I sighed. That kind of want. â€Å"Look, if I've gotta hire a bad succubus, I might as well fuck a good one.† â€Å"Interesting logic. Aren't you worried about your soul?† He looked at me like he couldn't believe I'd had the audacity to ask such a thing. It was similar to the look I'd given him when he said Low Blow had standards. â€Å"Noted.† I stood up. â€Å"But not this body. Pick another shape.† Simon snorted. â€Å"You think I'm interested in a pinup girl crossed with an Ann Taylor model? Fuck that. I want a sixteen-year-old version of Liza Minnelli. In a school girl's uniform.† I stared. â€Å"I have no idea what that would look like.† He started undoing his pants. â€Å"You're a smart girl. Figure it out.† Sighing again, I shape-shifted, taking on a small body with a black pixie haircut. Baby smooth skin. Green plaid skirt with matching vest. Simon grunted his approval. Turning, I rested my hands on the desk and bent over, thrusting my ass out toward him. I hoped it would be over soon. If I could just get the weasel comparison out of my head, this would probably be a lot easier. I felt his hands slide along my legs as he pushed the skirt up. Suddenly, he froze. â€Å"A thong? Are you insane, woman?† â€Å"You're a sick bastard,† I told him. The thong changed to white cotton panties. â€Å"Don't I know it.† He pushed the panties down and thrust forward. Well, I guess it was a thrust. Simon wasn't that well-endowed. I was on the verge of saying something like, â€Å"Are you there yet?† Alas, the Tawny situation was too dire. I couldn't risk Simon changing his mind about her for the sake of a joke, no matter how funny. But, whatever Simon lacked in size, he made up for in enthusiasm. He gripped my hips, nails digging into my bare flesh as he pounded away. I had to keep a fierce hold on the desk. Eventually, seeking variety, Simon flipped me over to my back. He unfastened my blouse and bra, exposing small, perky breasts that had just â€Å"blossomed into womanhood.† Eyes on them and not my face, he grabbed my legs and spread them so that my ankles practically rested on his shoulders. He returned to the task at hand, and when he finally came, I have to admit I welcomed the energy burst. It wasn't a lot – the guy practically worked for Hell already – but I needed it. Simon pulled out of me, and I sat up, mildly sated from an energy standpoint, if not a physical one. I honestly hadn't done much but lie there the whole time, but he regarded me as though we'd just gone through the entire Kama Sutra. â€Å"Definitely worth putting up with an inept succubus,† he said happily, pulling his pants back up. I wanted to say that he might want to withhold judgment until he actually met Tawny, but instead, I just smiled. I knew when to keep my control switch on.