Wwi Apush Essay

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD As World War I was raging in Europe, a political and social revolution defined by a struggle between the labor class and capitalists was taking place in Russia. This fear of communism became known as the Red Scare, and was very prominent in the early 1900s. The Russian Revolution of November 1917 made it clear that communism was no longer simply a theory, but now an important regime. Just as the Russian communists had appointed themselves the â€Å"champions of the workers,† the tiny U.S. group of communists had also taken up the workers’ cause. The American Communist Party was formed in 1919. They were quick to align with the pressing union issues, especially labor strikes brought about by high post-war prices. This alignment unsettled an American public already annoyed with a wave of strikes. The first notable strike occurred in February 1919, when Seattle was brought to a virtual standstill.Another round of strikes starting in Sep tember 1919, organized by the radical William Foster, resulted in approximately 340,000 steelworkers, factory workers, and dockworkers declaring a strike, which continued to heighten popular suspicion. These strikes are important because they marked a grave setback that crippled the union movement for over 10 years. In 1921, the Shepard Towner Maternity and Infancy Act, one of the first pieces of federal welfare legislation that provided funds for supporting the health of women and infants, was passed.The Sheppard-Towner Act was important because it provided for federal matching funds for such programs as health clinics for women and children, visiting nurses to educate and care for pregnant and new mothers, midwife training, and distribution of nutrition and hygiene information. So, in some cases, the fear of communism is beneficial, but, in others, the fear results in loss of jobs.

‘QWERTY’ Keyboard

1. Where does the name ‘QWERTY’ Keyboard come from?It comes from the top six keys on the keyboard, starting with leftmost in the keyboard which read they read exactly ‘q', ‘w', ‘e', ‘r', ‘t', ‘y'. The QWERTY keyboard was invented by Christopher Sholes who was issued a patent for a typewriter on July 14, 1868. The QWERTY keyboard is named after the five letter keys located at the top left side of the keyboard and is now the official standard of computer keyboards (ISO 9995). Today, the QWERTY keyboard is the most commonly found and used computer keyboard in the United States.2. Why do you think the QWERTY keyboard is the most popular method of data entry?The QWERTY keyboard is the most popular method of entering data because an easy way of usage and when you get used to it you start typing faster.3. Who might make use of a concept keyboard?A concept keyboard might be used by a fast food restaurant and primary schools4. What are the bene fits of using a concept keyboard?It is much faster for making non-text selections such as menu choices on the till of a fast food outlet. The keyboard is also waterproof which can be useful where there is dirt or the risk of splashes.5. Explain why a mouse often called a pointing deviceA mouse is often called a pointing device because it enables you to control what happens on the screen by moving the mouse on your desk and pointing, clicking and selecting items on the screen.6. Describe the difference between a mouse and a tracker ball? The difference between a mouse and a tracker ball are that a trackerball moved against two internal rollers to record the direction that the mouse was being moved in and a mouse uses ‘optical' or ‘wireless' technology to track mouse movement.7. Which type of input device would you choose if you were going to play a ‘shoot ‘em up’ computer game?If you were going to play a shoot em up computer game you would use a joystic k8. Who is likely to use a Graphics Tablet and why?Graphics tablets are most likely to be used by graphics designers and illustrators because it is much more natural to draw diagrams with a pencil type implement (the stylus) rather than with a mouse and its very accurate9. Explain briefly how scanners workA scanner works by shining a beam of light onto the surface of the object that you are scanning. This light is then reflected back onto a sensor that detects the colour of the light. This is then used to build up the digital image.

Laptops in Schools

Laptop Usage in Schools The issues of laptops being used in schools are brought up throughout the whole country. Many people think that if we provide every student with a laptop, we will end up spoiling our future generation and turn them into lazy, unimaginative individuals. But with the correct usage, maintenance, and supervision, the laptop proposal can work. For one, the students would have the internet right at their fingertips, making research quick and efficient. Along with the handiness of looking up all their notes with a simple click of a button.The laptop initiative has been proven to be very effective in schools in the United States; it has increased students productivity, accountability, and convenience. Administrators who are against the initiative of laptops argue that they are a waste of money and the schools budgets cannot handle it. They also believe that laptops would be a big distraction towards the student’s education. Some parents are also concerned about their children visiting inappropriate websites, along with having access to obscene material.Little do they know, there are abundant ways in disciplining the opposing view point. It has been proven in schools across the country that if we provide every student with a laptop, the productivity in classes will go up. To guarantee these successful results, both the students and the teachers would have to have the most up-to-date software’s and access to the internet through the wireless networks at school. A laptop is an essential tool, similar to how a pencil is required for class.If everyone shows up with their prepared material, the class can accomplish an increase in quality access to technology, transform quality of instructions, increase student engagement, improve academic achievement and technology literacy, increase economic competiveness, and enhance home-school connections. Along with so many more benefits. For example, if everyone had laptops, the teacher can easily send quick links of recordings or sources that relate to the curriculum. This is a more fun way to learn for most students. This can serve a sounding board for ideas, such as interactive programs, chat rooms, emails, and instant messaging.Judging from my own experience, I would definitely prefer engaging with different resources online rather than listening to my teachers boring lectures. Therefore, if classroom activities are more interesting, than students are more likely to participate. Laptops are a great way to make things more appealing, from all the educational games that are available to enlightening videos on the web. All of these benefits do not only apply to the students, but studies show that they certainly also have a positive effect on the schools when the results of the states test come in.Incorporating laptop usage in classrooms has also proven the development of student’s accountability. Students then have no reason for any papers being lost or not being able to receive an assignment when being absent. Teachers would also have the responsibility to post up all the required materials and objectives of the course, along with frequently updating lectures and assignments. With this technology, it makes it almost impossible for a student to make up any excuse for not doing their work, considering all the information they need to know is online.By using laptops at school, students have the ability to challenge their assumptions by seeking expert advice and researching data. Having that access gives the students the responsibility to have all the accurate answers on a test or an essay. Another advantage of having a laptop as a digital teaching assistant, all of the visual medium, multi-media, and interactive programs, motivate the students to participate because they can work at their own pace while still being challenged to get to the next level.This also forces the students to think critically by examining and analyzing multiple points of vi ew by participating in online debates. Overall, it has been proven that students, who are involved with laptop usage in classrooms, are more liable to get their work done on time and more competent. Laptops, when used correctly can stimulate a different type of learning and be a great convenience for students. No more would we be sitting in class with paper and an overhead.Paper notebooks will be old school and online and internal collaboration between students and teachers will be at an all time high. Getting rid of the notebooks and moving to laptop based study will help in getting rid of text books. No more lugging around 50 pounds worth of paper. Teachers will not have lectures anymore; instead they will have multiple study guides and utilize our Internet resources to find information. Text books will now be online, where students can quickly lookup parts of reading or study guides in a matter of minutes.Notes will be in the form of think bubbles where student will type their no tes and make them so they can truly understand what is being taught. This is extremely suitable for students for the reason that, it can help them simplify complex operations, such as converting numbers to charts by using excel processor, spell/grammar check, and office PowerPoint as a visual aid for presentations. This laptop initiative can expand student’s horizons by exposing them to new concepts and information, such as virtual tours and simulations.Several individuals, who disagree on the whole laptop idea, think that students would take advantage of the internet access by constantly being on Face book, Twitter, or YouTube. In reality, this is no where true. There are already blocks in place to keep students off of restricted web sites, and with these laptops, the tech administrators will know exactly who is using the computer. So there really is no downside to having laptops incorporated in classrooms.In conclusion, the entire world is changing quickly along with the ra pid revolution of technology. Our society is changing as well and people are adapting to it just fine. So schools should immediately get on the laptops in classrooms project because, technology is going to be in our everyday life soon, and we need to start teaching computers and word processing at a young age and incorporate it into everything we do. I mean why not? It has been proven to better our student’s productivity, accountability, as well as their convenience.

Pick 5 short stories and write 5 responds ( each just have to be one Essay

Pick 5 short stories and write 5 responds ( each just have to be one page) - Essay Example From the description about the colonel in the story, one could conclude that his personality could best be described as a remorseless person in a chaotic country that embraced violence among their people (James, Denise & Tom 85). The colonel reveals his evil personality to the author with no compunction, â€Å"He spilled many human ears on the table† (James, Denise & Tom 85). Furthermore, the author manages to reveal to the reader that the colonel behaved that way since his people had become hard to difficult to govern plus he had enemies. This story written by Fred Leebron remains as an intriguing fictional story that entails a lady that broke up with her boyfriend and sought for revenge. The story begins with a happy time memory of the couple being by the river side enjoying themselves, â€Å"She touches his hair by the river† (James, Denise & Tom 157). The author in the story jumps back and forth in telling her story as she reveals her past relationship and links to the current event. From the story, one could realize that the author enjoyed pleasant times with the man he dated before they moved to his apartment. As the author compares the past life with the present, one could realize that the two had broken up though the author had the key of the apartment. The author goes to her ex-boyfriends apartment and turns on the gas stove without lighting it, then walks away. The author is angry with the man and plans for a fire accident to occur in his apartment since she knew that he liked to smoke, â€Å"The air smells of autumn, burnt† (James, Denise & Tom 157). This story hence reveals the bitterness of a girl who feels cheated in entering a relationship with the man she speaks about, â€Å"His former girlfriends have turned into lesbians† (James, Denise & Tom 157). The readers remain left in suspense on what will happen to the former boyfriend when the author leaves the apartment with the gas stove on â€Å"I turn it on without lighting† (James, Denise & Tom

XCOM WK7 ASSIGNEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

XCOM WK7 ASSIGNEMENT - Essay Example The following report will focus on the benefits of this proposed tuition reimbursement to the employees and the company at large. Students taking a bachelor’s degree in business and communication degree gain skills in business practices and principles necessary in areas of marketing, networking, public relations, and advertising. Opportunities in business administration are also available to graduates of business and communication due to intense training in management and corporate communication. Sharpening of their skills in business management has led a choice by some graduates to start their own enterprises or become business consultant. Graduates in business and communication undergo training in making highly effective presentations, negotiations and speeches (Kupritz, 2011). They therefore develop strong language skills, technical skills and efficiency in working with a diverse range of people which the global market possesses. According to the dynamics in the American job market, employees with a degree in business and communication are better off than their colleagues how do not possess an equivalent qualification. This is because business and communication graduates have high chances of being absorbed in a variety of departments to work as Communication Managers, Public Relations Managers or Technical Writing officers (Freeman, 2007). Employees will benefit from new professional opportunities and hence the betterment of their career growth. If an employee graduates with a degree in business and communication, the employee shifts from being a casual laborer to being a more specialized employee in areas such as research and development, accounting and finance, management, strategic management, procurement and human resource management and corporate communication. These departments popularity has received immense focus in today’s world of business due to their tremendous contribution in

Microl8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Microl8 - Essay Example (c) The slope of demand function is – 2. It tells that with the increase in quantity demanded by 1 unit, price of that good or service decreases by $2 (or 2 currency units). (d) The slope of supply function is 1. It tells that with the increase in quantity supplied by 1 unit, price of that good or service increases by $1 (or 1 currency unit). ... That’s why any change in prices of food is prominent and significant for them, which makes their food demand flexible in response to its price changes; i.e. with the changes in price, they vary their food consumption accordingly. However, U.S. is a high-income country. Its consumption is diversely distributed to variety of luxury goods in addition to the necessity goods. Thus, food consumption of American people comprises of a smaller portion of their income; in fact it is much smaller if compared with a low-income country as Tanzania. That’s why any change in food prices is not so observed by them which makes their food demand almost irresponsive to price. In short, high elasticity of food demand in Tanzania imply higher level of its foods purchases as compared to that in U.S. where food purchases are not so higher as compared to the purchases of other goods – luxury goods (Parkin n.d., p. 95). Taxes S’ (= S+T) P S D Q With the imposition of tax, supply c urve shifts left as tax serves as increasing cost of production for producers. Now, the price paid by the consumer (PD) is not the same as that received by the supplier (PS) as the difference is to be paid as a tax; there would be no equilibrium now (The Impact of an Excise Tax or Subsidy on Price n.d.). It can be illustrated here in the graph that since the customer has to pay more price than before and since suppliers cost increases due to the tax, the market price would be increased and due to the increase in price, there would be leftward movement along the demand curve and thus the quantity demanded would be decreased. (a) Tax revenue would be greater from the good for which price increase would not much

TELEVISION STUDIES Library Research Project Paper

TELEVISION STUDIES Library Project - Research Paper Example They therefore designed some fieldwork involving 20 under-two year olds, ten male and ten female, who watched the same episode of Teletubbies in their usual home or playgroup environment while being video-recorded. The tapes were then synchronised with the actual Teletubby recording, in such a way that the child’s movements, verbalizations and expressions can be seen as they relate frame by frame with the program. The tapes were analysed according to criteria of attention level, parasocial responses, TV literacy response, verbal echoing, cognitive response, pleasure, action around the TV set, and sharing with a companion. The study made various conclusions regarding the impressive attention spans that were demonstrated in particular sections of the program and the good basis that this data delivered for further â€Å"theorizing the interactivity of our young respondents with media texts† (p. 334). This article provides an excellent methodological model, based on observa tion and simple technology, which could be very useful for those wishing to explore issues around media designed for the under two age group or any other group who may not be able to verbalize their responses effectively. This chapter from an academic book was written by a Professor from Amsterdam in the Netherlands who leads a research center for research on children, adolescents and the media. It traces in detail the way that a child’s early development levels relate to the way that the child interacts with various media. What is interesting about this chapter is that it shows things from the child’s point of view, and warns against an adult, or parent, perception of what the child is doing or what the program is trying to do. So, for example, programs like Teletubbies which appear boring, repetitive and monotone to an adult, are in fact very sophisticated media texts which use carefully chosen stimuli like

What impact national health policy may have on dental practices Essay

What impact national health policy may have on dental practices - Essay Example en national health policy changes the way dental healthcare is covered, dental practitioners are likely to change their attitude towards who they offer services. They are most likely to shift to where there are more incentives, better coverage, and well defined health coverage information. Additionally, dentists are much more likely to change their practices in response to changes in health policies, which might affect their liabilities and legal implications. There is a possibility that some sections of national health policy especially concerning information will change the way dental practitioners handle and present information. When measures that are more stringent are needed, dental practitioners will realize that they have to provide detailed information on dental procedures. The recent changes in national health policy demands that an elaborate and detailed information regarding coverage of healthcare bills be provided to the users. According to a Wall Street Journal article â€Å"Health-Plan Buyers Get a Look under the Hood,† every consumer of healthcare services will have to be provided with a concise and easy to understand information about the healthcare provided. This does not only affect insurers but also healthcare providers including dentists. It is claimed, â€Å"  it would not only tell consumers their overall deductibles, or the amount they must pay before coverage kicks in, but would also explain deductibles for specific categories, such as drug coverage† (Mathews and Adamy 1). Although the disclosure is particularly targeted for consumers, health practitioners including dentists will feel the impact. For instance, dental practitioners may be required to change the way they present information to patients. They may be forced to provide elaborate and detailed information on dental procedures, drug administration to patients and insurance providers. This article is provides very relevant information regarding issues of health policies and medical

Splice (2009 Movie) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Splice (2009 Movie) - Essay Example The horror does not necessarily lie in the fact that Dren is a terrifying monster, but that the human scientists continue to push boundaries in every sense of the word. As an audience member, I could hardly withstand the moment that Elsa and Clive decide to ignore the funding corporation’s rules and splicing human DNA with animal DNA due to the fact that the action created a red flag. It is not a secret that the controversial discussion about scientists and their work in respect to moral issues has been brought up. In this case, the decision of the scientists to disobey the law and morality for personal gain (becoming the first scientists to leap ahead in DNA discovery) is predictably going to go wrong. Why? There is a lesson to be learned when humans mess with nature: nature messes back. The act of playing God always ends badly in the fictional world. Not only was the fact that their experiment got out of control predictable, the initial bonding between Clive and Elsa to Dren was as well. At first it was somewhat easy to relate to Elsa and Clive’s relationship with Dren. The beginning stages show Dren as a peaceful, delicate creature that is entirely innocent in nature. Who wants to destroy that? Even despite the scientists’ inability to think beyond their impulse of creating Dren. The frustrating notion stems from Elsa and Clive’s lack of responsibility from the very get-go.

Key microeconomic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Key microeconomic - Essay Example CPI should not pose a threat to firms such as Proctor and Gamble. The firm can be position in a segment of the market where it would not have to compete directly with the market leaders. The best way to achieve that goal is by implementing a differentiation strategy. A variable that can help the company achieve a differentiation strategy is the quality of its products. A second important economic variable that CPI has to consider is pricing. The pricing strategy is very important because price determines the ability of a company to achieve superior profits. Products that are underpriced may sell well but its overall effect in the profitability of a company is not optimum. CPI has to study the market prices of all the products it sells. In a pricing study the firm should analyze the market price of each product in the US, internationally and online. Selling the products at a premium price can help the firm differentiate from low cost producers. The price structure of the company shoul d be sufficient to pay off for all variable and fixed cost while at the same time leaving a hefty surplus of profits. The profit margin of the enterprise should be equal or better than the industry average.

The Alienation of Emily Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Alienation of Emily - Essay Example Her mother is unable to offer any comfort or correction for life already passed, the wrinkles already set. "I Stand Here Ironing" is the way we live, succumbing to life and stoically accepting that there will never be enough time to build anything but walls. . The mother tells us early on that she has surrendered to the bad hand that she was dealt, and that she has accepted Emily's unknown and uncertain future. Her opening conversation with an unknown figure, possibly her own conscious, pleading to help Emily, shows her lack of will in the matter when she remarks, "Even if I came, what good would it do". The mother has given up on Emily. She gave up on Emily a long time ago, when Emily was young and the father had abandoned her. Just as is often the case in everyone's life, we see the mother making choices, accepting the lesser of the evils, foregoing the opportunity for fun or pleasure. Emily's mother knows that her daughter is the product of her own shortcomings. The old man's words, "You should smile at Emily more when you look at her", continue to haunt her, yet for Emily it was too late. She feels the guilt when she remembers, "It was only with the others I remembered what he said, and it was the face of joy, and not of care or tightness or worry I turned to them -- too late for Emily".

Wife of Bath in The Canterbury tales Essay Example for Free

Wife of Bath in The Canterbury tales Essay Scholarship identifies the personae of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury tales with various distinctive interpretations including feminist, antifeminist, irreverent, arrogant, ridiculous, and sophisticated. Scholar Rosalyn Rossignol points out that â€Å"‘the good Wife’ has attracted a great deal of critical attention, partly because of the controversy that arises over interpreting her character† (298). The Wife is both emotional and cerebral, a comic figure and a real person. She has been seen as a feminist challenging patriarchy, but she has also been viewed as a satiric and complaisant anti-feminist. How is it possible that she can be seen in such contrasting perspectives? E.T. Donaldson proposes a solution that Chaucer â€Å"discloses a world in which humanity is prevented by its own myopia, the myopia of the describer, from seeing what the dazzlingly attractive externals of life really represent† (935). However, if the Wife is everyman and everywoman, then all of these perspectives can be true. Rather than a singular, marginalized character with limiting aspects, the Wife is a complex and comprehensive blend of Chaucer’s creations, and the center to which all of the other pilgrims and their tales return. Her portrait is more descriptive than any other character portrayed, but it also demonstrates the characteristics uniquely identified with each of the other characters. The prologue to her tale is the longest of any of the other characters. Is she just long-winded and full of prideful arrogance? I suggest that the limited details each of the other characters possess emanates from the comprehensive detail of the Wife’s portrait and prologue which completes a circular exposà ©. I propose that Chaucer’s Wife is not just a Wife, or even a woman; she is an amalgamation of literary possibilities. Her literary knowledge is suspect, but her worldly experience spans a lifetime through which she acquires autonomy. In the introduction to The Wordsworth Chaucer, Editor Larry Benson discusses how Chaucer the poet draws on his own literary experience in creating his tales, and so too does Allisoun of Bath possess the experience that allows her to transcend the limits of definition (11). She is deaf in both ears and therefore cannot hear the hyperbole of dominant male discourse. She does not argue her right to speak, she just speaks. Contrary to acceptable femininity, she is a hypersexual woman, but sex is neither for enjoyment, nor procreation. Finally, Chaucer is not writing as a woman, or as a man attempting to write as a woman or using masculine writing to portray a female, he is writing in a manner that is useful to educate everyone to limitless possibilities. The Wife of Bath then, rather than a singly signified representation based on scholarship perspective, is, in reality, the nexus of the Canterbury Tales. Although like the Wife there are limitless possibilities for proving this argument, it is my plan to defend this thesis through the tropes of status, voice and experience as seen in her portrait, and the prologue to her tale. To prepare the way for the convergence of his themes, where everything and everyone emanate from and return to a central focus in the Wife of Bath, a General Prologue begins the tales with a representation of the biblical creation story in its hierarchical progression. In the opening lines, first there is water and wind, plants, followed by animals, and finally, portraits of the travelers are depicted. It is spring, a time of new beginnings, as well as a time of pilgrimage to give thanks for past favors, and in Chaucer’s fourteenth century world, twenty-nine diverse pilgrims â€Å"with ful devout courage† (22), gather at a public inn to sojourn to Canterbury, site of the holy shrine of the martyred Thomas à   Beckett. Born in Cheapside, London, Be cket’s inclusion in the tales illustrates human diversity, from vacuous impoverishment to reverential saintliness, themes also recurring throughout the tales and demonstrated by the Wife’s portrait and prologue. Twenty-four pilgrims are presented in the portraits which begins with the highest rank, â€Å"a Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man† (43), and ends with the lowliest, â€Å"a gentil Pardoner† (669). According to a popular websites, Alisoun, a name which means â€Å"of nobility†, and â€Å"sacred flame† (1), is also a common Middle English name. The name given by Chaucer to the Wife, it is apparent from the multiplicity of meanings that Alisoun represents both high and low culture, a correlation to the cross-cultural representations of her fellow travelers. Taken together, the pilgrims represent every facet of society, facets seen inclusively as the Wife’s total composition. Each line of her portrait represents an attribute or characteristic illustrated in the portrait of one of the other pilgrims. While some of the travelers mimic one another in style or attribute, no other pilgrim possesses all of the qualities signified in each of the others. That Chaucer the poet repeated his themes over and over is not surprising, but that those themes all converge in the Wife of Bath is significant since it centers privilege in a woman. If the Wife is the Nexus, then Chaucer’s allusion to the creation story points to her as the Eve from whom all women are descended. While Eve is not mentioned in the prologue to the Canterbury tales, she is a pivotal component of the creation story to which Chaucer alludes. Chaucer would have wished to avoid accusations of heresy, a realistic concern in his time period. To have openly equated Eve with the Wife, with specificity of declaration, would have opened him up to, at the very least, severe criticism, which was not what he was interested in. He was interested in opening up the minds of the people by writing alternative realities. However, there are two prominent women in Chaucer’s prologue, why wouldn’t the Prioress be Eve? The Prioress is dainty, prepossessing and high in the social strata. Her portrait appears before the Wife’s portrait in the general prologue. She has beautiful manners and is very sympathetic to even the smallest creature. Additionally, the Prioress is a nun, a woman who swears obedience to authority when she takes her vows. She is not a good prototype for Eve since the Prioress is certainly willing to acquiesce, whereas Eve and the Wife are not. The Wife is strong, bold, does not care what people think of her, she is her own person and like Eve, who was unwilling to accept the dictates of authority and wanted to control her own destiny, the Wife is also in search of control over her life. While Eve is not specifically referenced in Chaucer’s creationism allusion, she is definitely alluded to by virtue of the hierarchical progression of pilgrims that Chaucer introduces to his readers. Adam and Eve occur in natural hierarchical progression in the creation story, from the lowest to the highest, water to man/woman, similar to the Chaucerian hierarchy in which the Wife is introduced to the reader. A compelling testament to the argument of the centrality of her character as binder for the tales is witnessed in the make-up of this very Chaucer class, where approximately sixty percent of the students have chosen to write their term paper on some characteristic aspect of the Wife. No two representations are even similar, and analysis of her character ranges from psychological to pornographical arguments with everything in-between. The very diversity of these contemporary arguments do, however, represent the critical diversity argued over the past seven centuries but existing scholarship fails to recognize her important thematic centrality.

The Role of Women During the Crusades

The Role of Women During the Crusades The Crusades were a series of campaigns led by the Catholic Church. It took place in the Holy Land which was taken over by the Muslims. The Catholic Church urged the Catholic countries in Europe to send men and recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The final crusade was the 9th crusade in the Middle East which concluded the entire campaign (Jones vii). After the wars were over many countries were struck with military problems. The effects of the Crusades werent all negative some aspects were positive like the prosperity of economic. Economic was flourishing during this time because all the ships had to pass through Italy. Therefore the entire tradesman came from the Crusades or the Muslims. Therefore the Italian Renaissance was ignited from the effects of the Crusades (Rosenthal, Joel T.). The effects of the Crusades werent only to the men in society, but also to the women. The Crusades created hardship for many common families in Europe and especially Women. Women during this pe riod had to lose their identity as women and go out and fight, they also had to do the role as a father and as the leader of the family, and due to the absence of the husband they took up arts and culture to fill up the missing gap in their lives without their husbands. Women had to go out and fight also in the Crusades to fill up for the dead soldiers. Although women are physically weaker than men they still went out to war. Both sides of the war, Muslim and Christian women both went out to fight. They werent usually the ones fighting out in the battlefield but protected the castle or the base from being attacked. Their effects were being like a defensive wall so that the Muslim soldiers could not overcome a base while the Crusaders were fighting. A problem aroused despite the good job the women were doing. When women appear while looking at men for a long time, the sexual desires of man appear, so the women who were the washer women and the cooks became prostitutes. So after the 2nd crusade the Church prohibited women to go out and help fight in the battles (Crusades-Encyclopedia). During their battles they found out that a major problem with the soldiers was their lack of hygiene. So after the 3rd crusade only washer women were allowed to go to t he battlefield to take care of the lice of the soldiers. The only reason they were allowed to go was because they were very old of age and none of the soldiers had sexual attractions to them (University of Michigan). Women who went to war were not only common women but also royalty. The powerful queen Eleanor of Aquitaine also participated in the war. Even though she was a queen of two countries and despite she was very important in Europe she led 300 female crusaders during the second crusade. The second crusade like the first was a complete failure and the blame went to Eleanor and her women soldiers. The blame was put on her for the supply train she needed to support here soldiers. In reality though, it wasnt her fault but the poor strategies and lack of moral from the men leaders. She was a perfect example of what women could accomplish later in the future (Jones 81). When men from a family went out to the crusades it usually lasted for a couple of years so the women took over the family and accomplished the jobs of the father. When the husband was around it was easy for the women since her jobs were very limited, but when the husband went out to the crusades women decided to send messages to their husbands. During busy times it was highly unlikely that the message would be properly sent so the importance of the women increased greatly. The women had to deal all sorts of problems which arose within the house and in society. Due to the lack of men the women was considered the head, temporarily. When the husband died during battle the wealth and the land would go to the women, therefore socially women became stronger (Free Articles Directory). In those times womens jobs were childbearing, marriage, and housework. Due to the absence of men women became socially active. Royal women for example managed their own courts and solving problems such as knig hts trying to take over the manor using the absence of the husband as an advantage. Despite the gender difference women still fended off men. Peasant women had to do strenuous physical activities to raise and feed the children. The ones who couldnt do these usually left all the material aspects behind and became religious. Due to being a woman they were forbidden from being a priest, so they became spiritual advisers, visionaries, or writers (Rosenthal, Joel T.). This showed that despite the fact that the men werent with them they were able to do things which men could do. This chance became a spark for the women in the renaissance period later in time. Since men were out due to the crusades, women were affected by the absence of the man in the family, to feel the missing gap in life; women took up arts and culture. One aspect of culture was literature. Literature in medieval Europe increased greatly especially in the urban areas. During the medieval times all the books and church scriptures were written in Latin. Therefore women had a chance to learn to read and be educated (Rosenthal, Joel T). To replace the absence of the husbands many women became Trobairitz. A trobairitz is a patroness of literature. They composed lyrics, poems and they recited to the people. They managed to copy books in different languages (Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee) .The second generations of the patronesses of literature were raised as patronesses of art. After teaching art to the second generation the reputation of the women enhanced (University of Michigan). The idea of being a patroness was not only open to normal people but to royalty also. Many queens became patronesses such as Eleanor of Castille. She was a queen in 1290 of England and was an active patroness of vernacular literature. The books she copied and wrote were about romances and bibliographies on saints (Google Docs). Another royalty was Marie de Champagne who was the daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was an example of the offspring of many medieval women who raised their kids to be patronesses of the arts and cultures. She managed to write a lot of romance poetry, fables and moral tales (Fidel Fajardo-Acosta). These examples of how women became part of the male dominated society. By studying and learning women became knowledgeable which helped develop the country through culture and arts. The crusades although were bloody wars which killed many lives of the Europeans and the Muslims it helped women develop in a male dominated society. By taking over the manors and lands of the husband they learnt skills which they could never have learnt without the crusades. One of the biggest help the women did to society was taking up arts and literature. By taking these aspects it increased the status of the women, improved the literature and arts of the medieval period. When the men were out fighting women at the bases defended the walls and tended for the sick. Although Europe was a male dominating society and prejudice against women through these effects of the Crusades women became noticeable to society. This was the beginning of equality of men and women. MLA: Jones, Sydney. The Crusades: Biographies. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2005. vii. Print. Women Warriors During the Crusades. Crusades-Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Feb 2010. . Women-article. University of Michigan. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. . Jones, Sydney. The Crusades: Biographies. Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale, 2005. 81. Print. The role of women during the Crusades. Free Articles Directory | Submit Articles ArticlesBase.com. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. . Rosenthal, Joel T. Crusades. Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Trobairitz. Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. . Eleanor of Castille. Google Docs. 3 Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. . Marie de France. Fajardo-Acosta.com. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta, 2001. Web. 27 Feb. 2010. .

Evolution of the Office Worker Role

Evolution of the Office Worker Role Office is the place where people carry out the daily work of their businesses. All the work is done by the support of management policies and co-ordinate the role of various department and sections. Office is the most important part of the organization. Because office provides the base to the organization. It is where all the administrative work of the organization carried out. Employees can meet face to face, so they can enjoy professional and social interactions during their work. To do their work requires suitable environment and sophisticated technologies. Now in modern world due to the rapid growth of technologies significantly effected on office work place. As computers replace the typewriter, servers replaced the bulk files, punching machine/card machine replaces the huge register, email and voice mail eliminates stackable inbox and telephone massage slips and many more. In other word we can say that the technological inventions bring the evolution to the role of office workers. roles of office workers An over view of the past The locally oriented American economy of the early 1800s did not need offices as we know them today. Business was run then much as it had been run for half a millennium. Goods were made, transported, and sold. With the help of a few clerks, merchants ran their small companies as family businesses. (education, 1998) .As the article says in past days the organizations are too small and very difficult to maintain the administrative works. Because of the equipments and technologies used in those days. In those days office environment is not so flexible as today. Because in early days office means a secretary and a clerk. They will carry out their work in a small room. They will do all the works by hand. Eg: writing letters and documents through hand, keeping financial records in huge log books, to keep all business records in huge files. 2.2 factors enforcing to evolution In early 1800s the time offices were born they use very limited equipments and technologies in their work. They use typewriters as main equipment in office to carry out the administrative works like preparing documents and letters. But this type writer brings a lot more easer to do the work in the organizations and government offices. Because it is more suitable way to type a long business document rather than physically writing though the hands. Most of the organization started using it when the concept of scientific management developed in the 1880s. During these days most the clerical works are engaged with typewriters. And they are specialized in typing trough typewriters. Telephone brings an evolution to the way of communication. Since the telephone was first demonstrated in 1876, it has evolved into a vital communications tool, providing the gateway to the world of computer technology and information exchange. (education, office equipment, 1998). Business organization started using telephones to contact with their suppliers. It found more suitable way to send message than sending messages through hand or in mail. Facsimile or fax machine was invented in 1842. It sends a photocopy to another fax machine through telephone cable. It is highly used before email was invented 1843 to 1990. But in this present day also fax machine is use by some organizations. Computer is the most important equipment in the office today. It is hard to imagine conducting business without computers. Each day, millions of people working in offices and homes around the world depend on computer technology to do their jobs efficiently and economically. (office equipment, 1998). In each and every office environment we can see patterns of computers in all departments. But why? It has a valued reason because in present information age all the work office workers in every department is engaged with computer and computer softwares. And mostly all the modern technologies used in offices are under computer control. Eg: account department use special software to carry out their work, punching machine used in offices to mark the r egister of employs is linked with computers in hr department. Computer play biggest role in evolution of office work. When the internet and World Wide Web burst upon American since in the early 1990s, this new form of digital telecommunication forced me to rethink the relationship of information technologies to organization. (Foutain). Internet brings office work more easily done effectively. As it help to find more information about the business environment and competitors. And it helps to communicate throughout the world more easily and fastly at cheaper price. World Wide Web or internet is using in every organization today. Through web pages people can share the information to world. And anyone who wants to advertise the product can advertise through web pages. An email is web based mails through that allows sending files or message to anyone around the world from computer which is connected to the internet. Now in this present day most of the organizations depend on email to communicate with suppliers, customers and between departments. Punching machines is used in offices to maintain the registers of workers in office. Every worker need to place his or her fingerprint on that machine when he or she arrives to the office. So the machine will report to the hr departments computer through sophisticated software so hr people can recognize who are late to the office and who is not coming to office. Then hr manager can talk with employs who are repeating the same mistake. Due to the invention of punching machine it create a lot easier to human resource department. Because it eliminates the huge register which is manage physically by hand. In most offices of the 1990s, personal computers are linked to one other through internaland often externalnetworks. This networking allows employees to gather information from a vast array of outside sources (particularly the World Wide Web) and to share it quickly with their colleagues, outside business partners, and customers. (education, computer networks, 1998). Intranet or computer network in office is very common technology used in big organizations as to communicate between various departments. It is a privacy network which other outside users cant enter. It brings an easy and comfortable method of communication to the office workers. Global Vs local Globally most of the organizations are adept to new technologies and changes in their office environment as well as to the work. There are using the modern technologies to increase the work speed and to increase their productivity. Some international manufacturing companies have stated doing their own researches through research and development department by using modern technologies to invent new ways of production and new technologies. Nowadays the office environment also has been changed from privet cabins to the open floor in order to create a better environment where all the workers can enjoy social and professional interaction. As well as they can share ideas and knowledge. So it helps to new inventions and new ideas. Because of open office environment seems more equality as managers and CEOs are working with their staffs. So it helps managers to supervise and coordinate the works of staffs. The 1990s workplace has become lean and mean, opting for smaller and less private space s and more powerful, versatile technology. The walls are tumbling down: Managers and even some CEOs who once presided over their employees in large, private, wood-paneled offices have moved onto the floor, joining their subordinates in a maze of cubicles meant to foster equality, increased communication, and teamwork. (education, offices today, 1998). Due to the evolution of office work Maldivian organizations also have been started using the modern sophisticated technologies. In order to find the easiest ways to the workers, and increase their productivity. Most of the privet offices are using latest technologies like punching machines as a register and CCTV cameras as security systems and much modern softwares to do the administrative works. The new government of Maldives is also implementing modern technologies to the government offices. And the president also advising to use modern sophisticated technologies which are more environments friendly. conclusion Technologies will change as the world is going on at the same time the role of office workers will change and it will be much more easily in future than technologies which we are experiencing today. When we are talking about the modern technologies mean time we have to think about changes and new ways to do works. In other words we can say try to innovate our selfs. We have to get experience from old technologies and try to develop new ones.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight :: Canterbury Tales Essays

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight In the fourteenth century, an unknown author wrote Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and now this poem is one thought to be of the finest Arthurian romance that belongs to the Alliterative Revival. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a story about many complicated issues, and mainly it concentrates on the character of Gawain who is one of the best knights in Arthur’s kingdom. The action takes place when Arthur is still young and enjoys big celebrations in Camelot. The passage from lines 60 to 129 describes the New Year’s celebration in Arthur’s court around his famous Round Table. Celebrations at Christmas and the New Year’s holidays at Arthur’s court last for twelve continuous days. Nobility, knights and other guests gather in Camelot to enjoy music, entertainment and double portions of delicious cuisine: â€Å"This fair folk at feast two-fold was served†(line 61). Even though all plates are full, guests wait for the royal leader to arrive. Guests welcome Arthur with music, and they all sing Christmas songs: â€Å"When the king and his company were come in together. The chanting in chapel achieved and ended. Clerics and all the court acclaimed the glad season, Cried Noel anew, good news to men†(line 62). Before their meal, all guests gather to exchange gifts: â€Å"Then gallants gather gaily, hand-gifts to make, called them out clearly, claimed them by hand†(line 66). During the celebration, people exchange kisses, and the author describes some women who kiss many men: â€Å"Ladies laughed aloud, though losers they wereâ₠¬  (line 69). Then all the visitors wash their hands before the meal, which may give us important information about social practices at the fourteenth-century English court: â€Å"When they had washed them worthily, they went to their seats†(line 72). Arrangement of seats is precisely defined and the most powerful persons sit at the head of the table. GRAPH The queen Guenevere, Arthur’s wife, sits at the top

Kindergarten - Full Day or Half-Day? :: Teaching Education

Kindergarten - Full Day or Half-Day? On August 30, 2000, the Maryland State Board of Education made a request for mandatory full-day kindergarten to be added into their budget for the fiscal year of 2002. The Board’s goal is to have full-day kindergarten programs implemented in all state public schools by the 2004-2005 school year (Maryland State Board of Education [MSDE], 2000). Making this change from half-day kindergarten to full-day kindergarten, they hope full-day kindergarten will help children benefit academically in the long run. Despite these goals, it is unclear as to whether full-day kindergarten is actually beneficial to all children. The first day of kindergarten can be an awful experience. I vividly remember how terrible the first day of kindergarten was for me. I cried until I had no tears left, and I clung to my mom’s side for safety. After several attempts, my mom and Miss. Mariner, my kindergarten teacher, were able to coax me to enter the classroom. They provided me with several reasons as to why I would like kindergarten, but it was that final argument that school was only three hours long, which convinced me to â€Å"brave† it out. I didn’t have any disorders. I wanted to learn, and I was by no means antisocial. I was afraid of leaving my mom, and I was uncomfortable of changing my normal schedule. Fortunately, I loved kindergarten and after that first day there were no more tears. However, I was still preoccupied with the fact that three hours of my life were being taken from me. After the third week of school, I told my mom I had to quit all my other activities because school took up too much of my time. I laugh now at how precocious I was, but in the eyes of any five-year-old, three hours is a huge chunk of their time. I cannot even imagine what my behavior would have been like if kindergarten was a full day. After three hours of school, I was exhausted and a little irritable. This transition from no structure to six hours of structured school time may be too much for a young child to handle. This is why kindergarten should focus on acclimating a child to the school day by allowing them to wade into the â€Å"waters,† instead of throwing them into the â€Å"deep end.

The Golden Lily Chapter 7

I SPENT MOST OF THE NEXT DAY wrestling with my refusal to help Sonya, ruminating over the decision as I went from class to class. There was a part of me that felt bad about not giving blood for the experiments. After all, I knew what they were doing was useful. If there was a way to protect Moroi from becoming Strigoi, then that could theoretically be applied to humans too. That could revolutionize the way the Alchemists operated. People like that creepy guy Liam being held at the bunker would no longer be a threat. He could be â€Å"sterilized† and released, with no fear of him falling prey to the corruption of Strigoi. I knew also that Sonya and the others were running into walls with their research. They couldn't find any reason for what had made Lee impervious to turning Strigoi. At the same time, despite the worthiness of the cause, I still felt staunchly opposed to giving up my own blood. I really was afraid that doing so would subject me to more and more experiments. And I just couldn't face that. There was nothing special about me. I hadn't undergone a massive transformation via spirit. Lee and I hadn't had anything in common. I was the same as any other human, any other Alchemist. I just apparently had bad tasting blood, which was fine by me. â€Å"Tell me about the charm spell,† Ms. Terwilliger said one afternoon. It was a few days after Clarence's, and I was still mulling over those events even while ostensibly doing work in her independent study. I looked up from the book in front of me. â€Å"Which variant? The charisma one or the meta one?† She was sitting at her desk and smiled at me. â€Å"For someone so against all of this, you certainly learn well. The meta one.† That had been a recent spell I'd had to learn. It was fresh in my mind, but I made sure to sigh heavily and let her know in a passive aggressive way how inconvenient this was for me. â€Å"It allows the caster to have short-term control of someone. The caster has to create a physical amulet that he or she wears†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned as I considered that part of the spell. â€Å"And then recite a short incantation on the person being controlled.† Ms. Terwilliger pushed her glasses up her nose. â€Å"Why the hesitation?† She noticed every slip. I didn't want to engage in this, but she was my teacher, and this was part of my assignment so long as I was stuck in this miserable session. â€Å"It doesn't make sense. Well, none of it makes sense, of course. But logically, I'd think you need something tangible to use on the vict – subject. Maybe they'd have to wear an amulet. Or drink something. It's hard for me to believe the caster is the only one who needs enhancement. I feel like they would need to connect with the subject.† â€Å"You touched on the key word,† she said. â€Å"‘Enhancement.' The amulet enhances the spell caster's will, as does the incantation. If that's been done correctly – and the caster is advanced and strong enough – that'll push the power of command on to the subject. Perhaps it doesn't seem tangible, but the mind is a powerful tool.† â€Å"Power of command,† I muttered. Without thinking about it, I made the Alchemist sign against evil. â€Å"That doesn't seem right.† â€Å"Is it any different from the kind of compulsion your vampire friends do?† I froze. Ms. Terwilliger had long since admitted to knowing about the world of Moroi and Strigoi, but it was still a topic I avoided with her. My tattoo's magic wouldn't stop me from discussing the vampire world with those who knew about it, but I didn't want to accidentally reveal any details about my specific mission with Jill. Nonetheless, her words were startling. This spell was very much like compulsion, very much like what I'd seen Sonya do to soothe Clarence. Vampires could simply wield it unaided. This spell required a physical component, but Ms. Terwilliger had told me that was normal for humans. She said magic was inborn for Moroi but that we had to wrest it from the world. To me, that just seemed like more reason why humans had no business dabbling in such affairs. â€Å"What they do isn't right either,† I said, in a rare acknowledgment of the Moroi with her. I didn't like that the abilities I found so twisted and wrong were allegedly within human reach too. â€Å"No one should have that kind of power over another.† Her lips quirked. â€Å"You're very haughty about something you have no experience with.† â€Å"You don't always need experience. I've never killed anyone, but I know murder is wrong.† â€Å"Don't discount these spells. They could be a useful defense,† she said with a shrug. â€Å"Perhaps it depends on who's using it – much like a gun or other weapon.† I grimaced. â€Å"I don't really like guns either.† â€Å"Then you may find magical means to be a better option.† She made a small, graceful motion with her hands, and a clay pot on the windowsill suddenly exploded. Sharp fragments fell to the floor. I jumped out of my desk and backed up a few feet. Was that something she'd been able to do this whole time? It had seemed effortless. What kind of damage could she do if she really tried? She smiled. â€Å"See? Very efficient.† Efficient and simple, as easy as a vampire wielding elemental magic with a thought. After all the painstaking spells I'd seen in these books, I was stunned to see such â€Å"easy† magic. It kicked what Ms. Terwilliger had been advocating up to a whole new – and dangerous – level. My whole body tensed as I waited for some other horrific act, but judging from the serene look on her face, that was the only show of power she had in mind – for now. Feeling a little foolish at my reaction, I sat back down. I took a deep breath and chose my words carefully, keeping my anger – and fear – pushed down. It wouldn't do to have an outburst in front of a teacher. â€Å"Ma'am, why do you keep doing this?† Ms. Terwilliger tilted her head like a bird. â€Å"Doing what, dear?† â€Å"This.† I jabbed the book in front of me. â€Å"Why do you keep making me work on this against my will? I hate this, and you know it. I don't want anything to do with it! Why do you want me to learn it at all? What do you get out of it? Is there some witch club where you get a finder's fee if you bring in a new recruit?† That quirky smile of hers returned. â€Å"We prefer the term coven, not witch club. Though that does have a nice ring. But, to answer your question, I don't get anything out of it – at least, not in the way you're thinking. My coven can always use strong members, and you have the potential for greatness. It's bigger than that, however. Your perennial argument is that it's wrong for humans to have this kind of power, right?† â€Å"Right,† I said through gritted teeth. I'd made that argument a million times. â€Å"Well, that's absolutely true – for some humans. You worry this power will be abused? You're right. It happens all the time, which is why we need good, moral people who can counter those who would use the magic for selfish and nefarious reasons.† The bell rang, freeing me. I stood up and gathered my things together. â€Å"Sorry, Ms. Terwilliger. I'm flattered that you think I'm such an upstanding person, but I'm already caught up in one epic battle of good versus evil. I don't need another.† I left our session feeling both troubled and angry and hoped the next two months of this semester would speed by. If this Alchemist mission continued into next year, then creative writing or some other elective would become a very viable choice for my schedule. It was a shame too because I'd really loved Ms. Terwilliger when I first met her. She was brilliant and knew her subject area – history, not magic – and had encouraged me in that. If she'd shown the same enthusiasm for teaching me history as she did magic, we wouldn't have ended up in this mess. My dinners were usually spent with Julia and Kristin or â€Å"the family.† Tonight was a family night. I found Eddie and Angeline already at a table when I entered East's cafeteria, and as usual, he seemed grateful for my presence. â€Å"Well, why not?† Angeline was saying as I sat down with my tray. It was Chinese food night, and she held chopsticks, which seemed like a bad idea. I'd tried to teach her how to use them once, with no luck. She'd gotten angry and stabbed an eggroll so hard that the sticks had broken. â€Å"I just†¦ well, it's not my thing,† Eddie said, clearly groping for an answer to whatever her question was about. â€Å"I'm not going at all. With anyone.† â€Å"Jill will be there with Micah,† pointed out Angeline slyly. â€Å"Won't you need to come keep an eye on her since it's not at the school?† Eddie's answer was a pained look. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I finally asked. â€Å"The Halloween Dance,† said Angeline. That was news to me. â€Å"There's a Halloween Dance?† Eddie dragged himself from his misery to give me a surprised look. â€Å"How do you not know? There are signs everywhere.† I stirred around my steamed vegetables. â€Å"They must not be anywhere I've been.† Eddie gestured with his fork to something behind me. Turning, I looked back toward the food line I'd just been in. There, hanging above it on the wall, was an enormous banner that read HALLOWEEN DANCE. It listed the date and time and was decorated with badly drawn pumpkins. â€Å"Huh,† I said. â€Å"How can you memorize entire books but miss something like that?† asked Angeline. â€Å"Because Sydney's brain only records ‘useful' information,† Eddie said with a smile. I didn't deny it. â€Å"Don't you think Eddie should go?† pushed Angeline. â€Å"He needs to watch out for Jill. And if he goes, we might as well go together.† Eddie shot me a desperate look, and I tried to find him a way out of this. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course he'll go†¦ especially if it's off-site.† The banner mentioned some venue I'd never heard of. We'd seen no sign of the Moroi who were after Jill, but an unknown place presented new dangers. Inspiration hit. â€Å"But that's the thing. He'll be on-duty. He'll spend the whole time checking the place out, watching for mysterious people. It'd be a waste for him to, uh, go with you. You probably wouldn't have much fun. Better to go with someone else.† â€Å"But I should be protecting Jill too,† she argued. â€Å"Isn't that why I'm here? I need to learn what to do.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he said, obviously trapped by her logic. â€Å"You'll have to go with me in order to look after her.† Angeline brightened. â€Å"Really? Then we can go together!† Eddie's look of pain returned. â€Å"No. We're going together. Not together.† Angeline didn't seem to be fazed by the nuances. â€Å"I've never been to a dance,† she admitted. â€Å"Well, I mean, back home, we have them all the time. But I don't think they'll be like the ones here.† That I agreed with. I'd seen the types of social events the Keepers had. They involved raucous music and dancing around bonfires, along with some kind of toxic homemade alcohol that probably even Adrian wouldn't touch. The Keepers also didn't think a social event was a success if at least one fight didn't break out. It was actually kind of amazing that Angeline hadn't gotten into one yet here at Amberwood. I should have counted myself lucky that her only transgressions were dress code violations and talking back to teachers. â€Å"Probably not,† I said neutrally. â€Å"I don't know. I've never been to a dance either.† â€Å"You're going to this one, aren't you?† asked Eddie. â€Å"With Brody?† â€Å"Brayden. And I don't know. We haven't even had our second date. I don't want things to move too fast.† â€Å"Right,† Eddie said. â€Å"Because there's no bigger sign of commitment than a Halloween dance.† I was about to get him back by suggesting maybe he and Angeline should go together after all when Jill and Micah joined us. Both were laughing and had a hard time settling down to explain what was so funny. â€Å"Janna Hall finished a men's suit in sewing club tonight,† said Jill between giggles. Once again, I felt a rush of joy at seeing her so happy. â€Å"Miss Yamani said it's the only guy's outfit she's seen in there in five years. Of course, Janna needed a model, and there's only one guy in there†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Micah attempted a tormented look but was quickly smiling again. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. I did the manly thing and stepped up. That suit was awful.† â€Å"Aw,† said Jill. â€Å"It wasn't that awful – okay, it really was. Janna didn't try to go by any size guidelines, so the pants were huge. Like, tents. And since she didn't make any belt loops, he had to hold it all up with a sash.† â€Å"Which barely held when they made me do a runway walk,† said Micah, shaking his head. Jill gave him a playful nudge. â€Å"Everyone probably would've loved if it hadn't held.† â€Å"Remind me to never ever sign up for an all-girls club again,† said Micah. â€Å"Next semester, I'm taking something like shop or karate.† â€Å"You won't do it again? Not even for me?† Jill managed a look that was amazingly both pouty and alluring. That, I realized, was more effective than any charm spell or compulsion. Micah groaned. â€Å"I'm helpless.† I didn't consider myself particularly sentimental – and still disapproved of their timid romance – but even I smiled at their antics. At least, I did until I caught sight of Eddie's face. He wasn't giving away much, to be fair. Maybe hanging around Dimitri had provided some tips on the guardian poker face. But Eddie wasn't Dimitri yet, and I could see the faintest signs of pain and longing. Why did he do this to himself? He'd refused to tell Jill how he felt. He took the noble stance that he was her protector and nothing more. Some part of me could understand that. What I couldn't understand was why he kept torturing himself by endorsing her going out with his roommate, of all people. Even with his hang-up over Micah and Mason, Eddie was forcing himself to constantly watch the girl he wanted with someone else. I had no relatable experience, but it had to be agonizing. Eddie caught my eye and gave a small shake of his head. Let it go, he seemed to be saying. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Angeline soon piped in with more talk about the dance, interrogating Jill and Micah about whether they'd be going. She also brought up her plans to go â€Å"with† Eddie. That pulled him out of his melancholy mood, and although I knew she annoyed him, I wondered if that was better than continually being tormented by Jill and Micah's relationship. Of course, the conversation came to a halt – as did Eddie's problem – when Micah frowned and pointed out what the rest of us had missed. â€Å"Why would you go to the dance together? Aren't you guys cousins?† Eddie, Jill, and I froze. Another cover story mess-up. I couldn't believe this had now slipped past me twice. I should have mentioned this as soon as Angeline brought up the dance. In the school's eyes, we were all related. â€Å"So?† asked Angeline, missing the point. Eddie cleared his throat. â€Å"Um, third cousins. But still. We're not really going together. It's more of a joke.† That effectively killed the topic, and he couldn't help smiling triumphantly. Brayden picked me up immediately after school the next day so that we could make the windmill tour on time. Ms. Terwilliger had even let me go a few minutes early, after promising I'd get her a cappuccino on our way back to Amberwood. I was excited to see Brayden and the tour, yet as I got into his car, I felt a brief pang of doubt. Did I have any business doing these sorts of fun, personal activities? Especially now that the cover story had slipped a couple of times. Maybe I was spending too much time on me and not enough on the mission. Brayden had lots to tell me about the debate competition he'd attended over the weekend. We analyzed some of the more difficult topics he'd come across and laughed at the easy ones that had stumped the opposing team. I'd feared dating for years but was again pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to talk to him. It was a lot like the Shakespearean outing: an endless source of topics that we both knew lots about. It was the rest of the experience that still left me unsettled – the â€Å"date† stuff. The dating books I'd read since our last outing mostly advised on when to have sex, which was completely useless since I had yet to figure out holding hands. The giant windmills were pretty impressive. They didn't have the sleek beauty of cars that I loved, but I felt the same awe at the engineering they represented. Some of the windmills were over a hundred feet tall, with blades half the size of a football field. Moments like these made me marvel at human ingenuity. Who needed magic when we could create these kinds of wonders? Our tour guide was a cheery girl in her mid-twenties who clearly loved her job and all that wind energy represented. She knew all sorts of trivia about it – but not quite enough to satisfy Brayden. â€Å"How do you address the energy inefficiency that comes from the turbines needing wind speeds that fall into such a narrow range?† Then: â€Å"What's your response to studies showing that simply improving the filters in the conversion of fossil fuels would result in less carbon dioxide emissions than this sort of energy production?† And later: â€Å"Can wind power really be treated as a viable option when – after considering the cost of construction and other maintenance – consumers end up paying more than they would for traditional forms of electricity?† I couldn't be certain, but I think our guide wrapped up the tour early. She encouraged some of the other tourists to come back anytime but said nothing as Brayden and I walked past her. â€Å"That woman was sadly uninformed,† he told me, once we were back on the highway. â€Å"She knew plenty about the windmills and their facility,† I pointed out. â€Å"I'm guessing the latest controversies just don't get brought up much on these tours. Or,† I paused, smiling, â€Å"how to deal with, um, forceful tourists.† â€Å"I was forceful?† he asked, seeming legitimately surprised. He had gotten so caught up in his ideas that he didn't even realize it. It was endearing. I tried not to laugh. â€Å"You came on strong, that's all. I don't think they were prepared for someone like you.† â€Å"They should be. Wind power's got promise, true, but for now, there are all sorts of expenses and efficiency problems that need to be addressed. It's useless otherwise.† I sat there for several moments, trying to decide how best I should respond. None of the advice I'd gotten from the books or my friends really prepared me for how to handle discussions about alternative energy sources. One of the books – one I'd chosen not to finish – had a decidedly male-centric view that said women should always make men feel important on dates. I suspected that Kristin and Julia's advice right now would have been to laugh and toss my hair – and not let the discussion progress. But I just couldn't do that. â€Å"You're wrong,† I said. Brayden – who was a big advocate of safe driving – actually took his eyes off the road for a few seconds to stare at me. â€Å"What did you say?† Aside from learning that he had a vast store of extensive and random knowledge like I did, I'd also picked up on something else central to Brayden's personality. He didn't like to be wrong. This was no surprise. I didn't either, and we had a lot in common that way. And, from the way he'd discussed school and even his debate competition, I'd also deduced people never told him he was wrong – even if by chance he was. Maybe it wasn't too late to do the hair-tossing thing. Instead, I just rushed on. â€Å"You're wrong. Maybe wind isn't as efficient as it could be, but the fact that it's even being developed is a vast improvement over the outdated, archaic energy sources our society's been dependent on. Expecting it to be as cost-efficient as something that's been around much, much longer is naive.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"We can't deny that the cost is worth the benefits. Climate change is increasingly becoming a problem, and wind's reduced carbon dioxide emissions could have a significant impact. Furthermore – and most importantly – wind is renewable. It doesn't matter if other sources are cheap if they're going to run out on us.† â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"We need to be progressive and look towards what's going to save us later. To focus strictly on what's cost-efficient now – while ignoring the consequences – is short-sighted and will ultimately lead to the downfall of the human race. Those who think otherwise are only perpetuating the problem, unless they can come up with other solutions. Most don't. They just complain. That's why you're wrong.† I paused to catch my breath and then dared a glance at Brayden. He was watching the road, but his eyes were impossibly wide. I don't think he could have been more shocked if I'd slapped him. Immediately, I berated myself for what I'd said. Sydney, why didn't you just bat your eyelashes? â€Å"Brayden?† I asked tentatively when almost a minute passed with no response. More stunned silence met me. Suddenly, without warning, he pulled the car sharply off the highway and onto the shoulder. Dust and gravel kicked up around us. In that moment, I was absolutely certain he was going to demand I get out and walk back to Palm Springs. And we were still miles from the city. Instead, he caught hold of my hands and leaned toward me. â€Å"You,† he said breathlessly. â€Å"Are amazing. Absolutely, positively, exquisitely amazing.† And then he kissed me. I was so surprised, I couldn't even move. My heart raced, but it was more from anxiety than anything else. Was I doing it right? I tried to relax into the kiss, letting my lips part slightly, but my body stayed rigid. Brayden didn't pull back in revulsion, so that was a good sign. I'd never kissed anyone before and had been worrying a lot about what it'd be like. The mechanics of it turned out not to be so difficult. When he did finally pull away, he was smiling. A good sign, I guessed. I smiled back tentatively because I knew it was expected. Honestly, a secret part of me was a little disappointed. That was it? That's what the big deal was? It hadn't been terrible, but it hadn't sent me soaring to new heights either. It had been exactly what it seemed like, lips on lips. With a great sigh of happiness, he turned and began driving again. I could only watch him with wonder and confusion, unable to form any response. What had just happened? That was my first kiss? â€Å"Spencer's, right?† Brayden asked when we exited to downtown shortly thereafter. I was still so baffled by the kiss that it took me a moment to remember I'd promised Ms. Terwilliger a cappuccino. â€Å"Right.† Just before we turned the corner toward the street Spencer's was on, Brayden suddenly made an unexpected stop at a florist shop. â€Å"Be right back,† he said. I nodded wordlessly, and five minutes later, he returned and handed me a large bouquet of delicate, pale pink roses. â€Å"Thank you?† I said, making it more of a question. Now, in addition to the kiss and â€Å"amazing† declaration, I'd somehow earned flowers too. â€Å"They're not adequate,† he admitted. â€Å"In traditional floral symbolism, orange or red would have been more appropriate. But it was either these or some lavender ones, and you just don't seem like a purple person.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said, more firmly this time. As I breathed in the roses' sweet scent on the way to Spencer's, I realized that no one had ever given me flowers before. We reached the coffee shop soon thereafter. I got out of the car, and in a flash, Brayden was right by my side so that he could shut the door for me. We went inside, and I was almost relieved to see Trey working. His teasing would be a nice return to normality, seeing as my life had just detoured into Crazyland. Trey didn't even notice us at first. He was speaking intently to someone on the other side of the counter, a guy a little older than us. The guy's tanned skin, black hair, and similar facial features tipped me off pretty quickly that he and Trey were related. Brayden and I waited discreetly behind the guy, and Trey finally looked up, an astonishingly grim expression on his face that was pretty out of character. He looked surprised when he saw us, but then seemed to relax a little. â€Å"Melbourne, Cartwright. Here for a little post-windmill caffeine?† â€Å"You know I never drink caffeine after four,† said Brayden. â€Å"But Sydney needs something for her teacher.† â€Å"Ah,† said Trey. â€Å"The usual for you and Ms. T?† â€Å"Yeah, but make mine iced this time.† Trey gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Need to cool down a little, huh?† I rolled my eyes. The guy ahead of us was still standing around, and Trey nodded toward him while grabbing two cups. â€Å"This is my cousin Chris. Chris, this is Sydney and Brayden.† This must have been Trey's â€Å"perfect† cousin. At a glance, I saw little that marked him as better than Trey, except maybe his height. Chris was pretty tall. Not Dimitri-tall, but still tall. Otherwise, they both had similar good looks and an athletic build. Chris even had some of the same bruises and scrapes Trey often sported, making me wonder if there was a family connection to sports as well. Regardless, Chris hardly seemed like anyone Trey should be intimidated by, but then, I was biased by our friendship. â€Å"Where are you here from?† I asked. â€Å"San Francisco,† said Chris. â€Å"How long are you in town?† asked Brayden. Chris gave Brayden a wary look. â€Å"Why do you want to know?† Brayden looked surprised, and I didn't blame him. Before either of us could figure out the next move in the small-talk handbook, Trey hurried back over. â€Å"Relax, C. They're just being nice. It's not like they work for some spy agency.† Well, Brayden didn't. â€Å"Sorry,† said Chris, not actually sounding that sorry. That was a difference between the cousins, I realized. Trey would've laughed off his mistake. He never actually would have made the mistake. There were definitely different levels of friendliness in this family. â€Å"A couple weeks.† Neither Brayden nor I dared say anything after that, and mercifully, Chris chose that opportunity to leave, with a promise to call Trey later. When he was gone, Trey shook his head apologetically and set the completed coffees on the counter. I reached for my wallet, but Brayden waved me away and paid. Trey handed Brayden back his change. â€Å"Next week's schedule's already up.† â€Å"It is?† Brayden glanced over at me. â€Å"Mind if I go in the back room for a second? Figuratively, of course.† â€Å"Go ahead,† I said. As soon as he was gone, I turned frantically to Trey. â€Å"I need your help.† Trey's eyebrows rose. â€Å"Words I never thought I'd hear from you.† That made two of us, but I was at a loss, and Trey was my only source of help right now. â€Å"Brayden got me flowers,† I declared. I wasn't going to mention the kiss. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And, why'd he do it?† â€Å"Because he likes you, Melbourne. That's what guys do. They buy dinner and gifts, hoping that in return you'll – um, like them back.† â€Å"But I argued with him,† I hissed, glancing anxiously at the door Brayden had gone through. â€Å"Like, just before he got me the flowers, I gave him this big lecture about how he was wrong about alternative sources of energy.† â€Å"Wait, wait,† said Trey. â€Å"You told†¦ you told Brayden Cartwright he was wrong?† I nodded. â€Å"So why'd he react like he did?† Trey laughed, a big, full laugh that I was certain would draw Brayden back. â€Å"People don't tell him he's wrong.† â€Å"Yeah, I figured.† â€Å"And girls especially don't tell him he's wrong. You're probably the only girl who's ever done it. You're probably the only girl smart enough to do it.† I was getting impatient. â€Å"I get that. So why the flowers? Why the compliments?† Trey shook his head and looked like he was about to start laughing again. â€Å"Melbourne, if you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you.† I was too worried about Brayden returning to comment further on Trey's useless â€Å"advice.† Instead, I said, â€Å"Is Chris the perfect cousin you were talking about?† Trey's smirk faded. â€Å"That's the one. Anything I can do, he can do better.† I immediately regretted asking. Trey, like Adrian, was one of those people I didn't like seeing troubled. â€Å"Well. He didn't seem so perfect to me. Probably I'm biased from being around you all the time. You set the standard for perfection.† That brought Trey's smile back. â€Å"Sorry about his attitude. He's always been like that. Not the most charming branch of the Juarez family tree. That's me, of course.† â€Å"Of course,† I agreed. He was still smiling when Brayden returned, but when I cast a glance backward as I was leaving the coffee shop, Trey's expression had darkened again. His thoughts were turned inward, and I wished I knew how to help. On the drive back to Amberwood, Brayden said shyly, â€Å"Well. Now I know my schedule for the next two weeks.† â€Å"That's†¦ good,† I said. He hesitated. â€Å"So†¦ I know when I can go out again. If, that is, I mean. If you want to go out again.† That would've surprised me, if I wasn't already stumped by everything else that had happened today. Brayden wanted to go out with me again? Why? Girls especially don't tell him he's wrong. You're probably the only girl who's ever done it. You're probably the only girl smart enough to do it. More importantly, did I want to go out with him again? I glanced over at him and then down at the roses. I thought about his eyes when he'd gazed at me in the stopped car. I realized then the odds of me ever finding a guy who thought Shakespeare and wind farms were fun were pretty infinitesimal. â€Å"Okay,† I said. His narrowed his eyes in thought. â€Å"Isn't there some kind of dance your school's having? Do you want to go to that? People go to those, right?† â€Å"That's what I keep hearing. How'd you know about it?† â€Å"The sign,† he said. Then, as if on cue, he pulled into the driveway in front of my dorm. Hanging over the main door was a sign decorated with cobwebs and bats. GET YOUR SCARE ON AT THE HALLOWEEN DANCE. â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"That sign.† Eddie was right. I really did have selective data storage. â€Å"I guess we can go. If you want to.† â€Å"Sure. I mean, if you want to.† Silence. We both laughed. â€Å"Well, then,† I said. â€Å"I guess we're going.† Brayden leaned toward me, and I panicked until I saw that he was trying to get a better look at the sign. â€Å"A week and a half away.† â€Å"Enough time to get costumes, I suppose.† â€Å"I suppose. Although†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And that's when the next crazy thing happened. He held my hand. I admit, I hadn't been expecting much, especially after my mixed reaction to the roadside kiss. Still, as he laid his hand over mine, I was surprised to feel that it was again just like†¦ well, like touching someone's hand. I'd at least thought there might be goose bumps or a little heart fluttering. My biggest emotional reaction was worry over what to do with my hand. Lace fingers? Squeeze his hand back? â€Å"I'd like to go out sooner,† he said. That hesitancy returned. â€Å"If you want to.† I looked down at our hands and tried to figure out how I felt. He had nice hands. Smooth, warm. I could get used to holding those hands. And of course, he smelled like coffee. Was that enough to build love on? Again, that uncertainty nagged me. What right did I have to any of this? I wasn't in Palm Springs for my own entertainment. There was no â€Å"me† in Alchemy. Well, phonetically there was, but that wasn't the point. I knew my superiors wouldn't approve of any of this. And yet, when would I get this chance again? When would I ever get flowers? When would someone look at me with this kind of fervor? I decided to take the plunge. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"Let's go out again.†

Disastrous Consequence

In life, we encounter circumstances wherein we gave our all but we continue to fail. Our idealistic expectations were shattered by the realization that sometimes we cannot control our actions even if it was aimed for our individual betterment. In the end, the question remains to be on how we are going to address these hurdles and challenges facing us. The ability to recover and stand up despite these setbacks remains to be the ultimate goal for everyone.Looking back, there was one experience that disappointed me because I had ideal expectations towards a particular project that I had made. It happened when our instructor provided a topic for us to write about. This research shall be huge component for our research. I really need a good grade to pull out a good performance in the end. Due to this, we were allowed to choose a topic of our choice and relate it towards the lessons that were taught during the first half of the class.In addition to these, the specific details and objective s were given three weeks before submission. In a nutshell, the topic was my specialization since I had spent numerous times working on that issue. Moreover, I had gathered sufficient references that can guide me towards the process of writing. Since I really need a high grade for this paper, I made contact with the professor occasionally to inform her about my updates. Lastly, I was able to finish it one week in advance. That was why I had the chance to proofread and analyze the paper for errors.However, when the grades turned out, I was disappointed when I saw that my grade was not up to my expectations. In addressing this, I went to my professor and asked her the reason I got the grade. She indicated that I was too focused on creating a paper based on the idea that I know and failed to appropriately link it towards the subject. I felt bad on this because I had the opportunity to consult with her. But I used this experience as a learning opportunity for me to enhance and improve on my writing skills so next time I won’t achieve the same results.

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 22

â€Å"You faked it†¦ faked being affected by me,† I realized, shock making my words come out thick and faltering. Still chuckling, he took a step toward me, and I cringed, frantically trying to find a way to run, to get out of my own apartment. What had moments ago seemed safe and inviting now became close and stifling. My apartment was too small, the door too far away. I couldn't breathe. The amusement on Roman's face shifted to astonishment. â€Å"What's the matter? What are you afraid of?† â€Å"What do you think I'm afraid of?† He blinked. â€Å"Me?† â€Å"Yes, you. You kill immortals.† â€Å"Well, yeah,† he admitted, â€Å"but I'd never hurt you. Never. You know that, don't you?† I didn't answer. â€Å"Don't you?† I backed up farther, not that I had anywhere to go. I was faced in such a way as to only keep moving toward my bedroom, not toward the front door. That wasn't likely to do any good. Roman still seemed floored at my reaction. â€Å"Come on, I can't believe this. I would never do anything to you. I'm half in love with you. Hell, do you know what a wrench you've already thrown into this operation?† â€Å"Me? What have I done?† â€Å"What have you done? You've wrapped my heart around your little finger, that's what you've done. That day†¦ when you solicited me at the bookstore? I couldn't believe my luck. I'd been watching you all week, you know, trying to learn your habits. Christ, I'll never forget the first day I saw you. How feisty you where. How beautiful. I would have gone to the ends of the earth for you right then and there. And later†¦ when you wouldn't go out with me after the signing? I couldn't believe it. You were originally going to be my first target, you know. But I couldn't do it. Not after I'd talked to you. Not after I'd realized what you are.† I swallowed, curious in spite of myself. â€Å"What – what am I?† He took a step toward me, a rueful half-smile on his handsome face. â€Å"A succubus who doesn't want to be a succubus. A succubus who wants to be human.† â€Å"No, that's not true†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Of course it is. You're like me. You don't play by the rules. You're tired of the system. You don't let them push you into the role they've dictated for you. God, I couldn't believe it, watching you. The more you seemed interested in me, the more you tried to back off. You think that's normal for a succubus? It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen – not to mention the most frustrating. That's why I finally decided to call you out today. I couldn't decide if you'd really cut me off for my own good or were just interested in someone else now – like Mortensen.† â€Å"Wait – that's why you arranged that stupid little game today? For your own fucking ego gratification?† Roman shrugged haplessly, still looking self-satisfied. â€Å"It sounds so shallow when you put it like that. I mean, okay, it was pretty stupid. And maybe a little childish. But I had to know where your affection stood. You can't imagine how touching it was to see you so worried about me – not to mention the fact that you checked on me first. That was the real kicker: I got priority over the others.† I almost protested that I'd actually worried about Seth first, having only called Roman beforehand because I thought Seth was already accounted for. Fortunately, I had enough sense to keep my mouth shut on that issue. Better to let Roman think he'd proven his point. â€Å"You have issues,† I said instead, perhaps unwisely. â€Å"Making me jump through hoops like that. Me and the other immortals.† â€Å"Perhaps. And I am sorry for any discomfort I caused you, but as for the others?† He shook his head. â€Å"It's good for them. They need it, Georgina. I mean, doesn't it piss you off? What they've done to you? You're obviously not happy with your lot, but do you think the folks in charge are going to let you change things? No. No more than they're going to give me or my kind a break. The system is flawed. They're locked in their fucking ‘this is good' and ‘this is evil' mentality. No gray area. No mutability. That's why I go around and do what I do. They need the wake-up call. They need to know they aren't the be all and end all of sin and salvation. Some of us are still fighting.† â€Å"Go around†¦ How often do you do this? This killing thing?† â€Å"Oh, not that often. Every twenty to fifty years or so. Sometimes a century. Doing it sort of cleanses me for a while, and then, over the years, I'll start getting pissed off at the whole system again and stake out a new place, a new set of immortals.† â€Å"Is it always the same pattern?† I remembered Jerome's symbols. â€Å"The warning phase†¦ then the main attack phase?† Roman brightened. â€Å"Well, well, haven't you done your homework. Yes, it usually works that way. Take out a few lesser immortals first. They're easy targets, even if I always feel a little guilty about it. Really, they're as much victims of the system as you and I are. Still, messing with them freaks out the higher immortals, and then the stage is set to move on to the main attraction.† â€Å"Jerome,† I stated grimly. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Jerome†¦ the local archdemon.† I hesitated. â€Å"Your father.† â€Å"Oh. Him.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean? You don't sound like he's a big deal.† â€Å"In the grand scheme of things, he's not.† â€Å"Yeah†¦ but he's your father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So? Our relationship – or lack thereof – doesn't really change anything.† Jerome had said almost the exact same thing about Roman. Baffled, I sat down on the arm of a nearby chair since it appeared my imminent destruction wasn't quite so imminent after all. â€Å"But isn't he†¦ isn't he the ‘real target' – the higher immortal you're here to kill?† Roman shook his head, face turning serious. â€Å"No. That's not how the pattern works. After I move on from the lesser immortals, I focus in on the local bigwig. The real powerhouse in the area. That tends to unsettle people more. Better psychological effect, you know? If I can take out the big man on campus, then they worry no one is safe.† â€Å"So, that would be Jerome.† â€Å"No, it's not,† he countered patiently. † Archdemonor no, my illustrious father is not the ultimate power source around here. Don't get me wrong; I'm getting a nice bit of satisfaction from pissing in his territory, so to speak, but there's someone else who dwarfs him. You probably don't know him. It's not like you'd have reason to hang out with him or anything.† Stronger than Jerome? That only left – â€Å"Carter. You're going after Carter.† â€Å"Is that his name? The local angel?† â€Å"He's stronger than Jerome?† â€Å"Considerably.† Roman gave me a curious look. â€Å"Do you know him?† â€Å"I†¦ know of him,† I lied. â€Å"Like you said, I don't hang out with him or anything.† In reality, my mind raced. Carter was the target? Mild, sardonic Carter? I could hardly believe he was more powerful than Jerome, but then, I knew almost nothing about him. I didn't even know what he did, what his job or mission in Seattle was. Yet, one thing that was obvious to me – and only me, apparently – was that if the angel really did outclass Jerome, then Roman couldn't do anything to him, not if the rule about nephilim power not exceeding parental power held true. Roman shouldn't technically be able to harm either angel or demon. I chose not to mention this to him, however – or the fact that I knew Carter better than Roman believed. The more delusional he was, the more of a chance we had to do something about him. â€Å"Good. I didn't really figure a succubus would be too friendly with an angel, but with you, it's hard to tell. You may have a sharp tongue, but you still manage to gather a lot of admirers.† Relaxing slightly, Roman leaned against a wall, crossing his arms over his chest. â€Å"God knows I've already gone out of my way to avoid your friends.† Anger helped me overcome my fear. â€Å"Oh really? What about Hugh?† â€Å"Which one's he?† â€Å"The imp.† â€Å"Ah, yes. Well, I had to keep setting an example, didn't I? So, yeah, I messed with him a little. He'd been impertinent to you. But I didn't kill him.† He looked at me in what I supposed was meant to be an encouraging type of way. â€Å"That was for your benefit.† I stayed silent. I recalled how Hugh had looked in the hospital. Impertinent? â€Å"And what about the others?† he pushed. â€Å"That annoying angel? The vampire that threatened you? I wanted to break his neck on the spot. I got rid of them for you. I didn't have to do that.† I felt ill. I wanted no deaths on my hands. â€Å"Most considerate of you.† â€Å"Come on, give me a break here. I had to do something, and really, once I'd met your vampire friend at the dance lesson, I couldn't bring myself to do anything to him at all. You put me in a really tight spot. I was running out of victims.† â€Å"Sorry for the inconvenience,† I snapped, ire rising at his pathetic show of compassion. â€Å"Is that why you took it easy on me that night?† He frowned. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"You know what I mean!† Thinking back to my attack, it all made perfect sense. It had occurred after I'd been to Krystal Starz, the day after I'd run out on Roman at the concert. A perfect excuse for him to be angry and seek retaliation. â€Å"Remember? The day after Doug's concert? After I'd been with Seth?† Understanding washed over Roman's features. â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"That's all you have to say?† â€Å"It was a bit juvenile, I admit, but you can hardly blame me. It wasn't easy watching you cozy up to Mortensen after freaking out on me like that. I'd watched you go home with him the night before. I had to do something.† I sprang up from my seat, old apprehension returning. â€Å"You had to do something? Like beat the crap out of me in an alley?† Roman raised an eyebrow. â€Å"What are you talking about? I told you I would never hurt you.† â€Å"Then what are you talking about?† â€Å"I'm talking about that ice cream place. I'd followed you two around earlier in the day, and when I saw how cute you were getting over dessert, I got jealous and blew the door open. Juvenile, as I said.† â€Å"I remember that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off stupidly, recalling how the door had blown open at the parlor, letting the outside wind wreak havoc in the small store. Wind like that was certainly uncharacteristic here, yet I had never suspected supernatural influence. He was right; it had been juvenile. â€Å"So what's the alley thing you're talking about?† he prompted. I snapped out of my memory. â€Å"Later†¦ that night. I'd been running errands, and you†¦ or someone†¦ attacked me on the way home.† Roman's face turned cold, his eyes sharpening to aqua steel. â€Å"Tell me. Tell me everything. Exactly what happened.† I did, explaining my lead to the Harrington book, subsequent trip to Krystal Starz, and walk home in the dark. I edited the part about my rescuer, however. I didn't want Roman to know I had more than a casual acquaintance with Carter, lest the nephilim think I might be a deterrent to his plans. The more he thought I had no interest in the angel, the more likely I would be able to get out some kind of warning. Closing his eyes, Roman leaned his head against the wall when I finished, sighing. Suddenly, he looked less like a dangerous killer and more like a tired version of the man I'd come to know and nearly love. â€Å"I knew it. I knew noninterference was too much to ask.† â€Å"What†¦ what do you mean?† A strange feeling crawled down my spine. â€Å"Nothing. Forget it. Look, I'm sorry about that. I should have taken precautions beforehand to protect you. I knew too†¦ the next day? When I came by and you cut things off between us? I could tell you had been hurt, even through your shape-shifting. I could tell it was supernaturally inflicted too, but I never suspected†¦ I thought it was some other immortal – one of your own circle – you'd tangled with. You had sort of a residual effect on you†¦ the faint traces of someone else's power†¦ like a demon's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"But that's not – oh. You mean Jerome.† â€Å"Daddy dearest again? Don't tell me†¦ don't tell me he did something to you too.† Roman's brief lapse into mildness faded, replaced by something more sinister. â€Å"No, no,† I said hastily, recalling Jerome's psychic slap, pinning me to the couch. â€Å"It wasn't like that. It was more of a show of power that I caught the edge of. He wasn't the one who hurt me. He'd never hurt me.† â€Å"Good. I'm still not happy about what happened in the alley, mind you, but I'll have a little chat with the guilty party and make sure it never happens again. When I saw you that day, I had half a mind to take out all the immortals in the area. The thought of someone hurting you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Closer and closer he came to me. Hesitantly, he squeezed my arm. I didn't know whether to recoil or reach out to him. I didn't know how to reconcile my old attraction with this new terror. â€Å"You have no idea how much I care about you, Georgina.† â€Å"Then how†¦ in the alley – â€Å" Before I could follow that thought to completion, another suddenly poked its head up at Roman's words. When I saw you that day. He had visited me the day after the attack, coming over while Carter investigated a nephilim signature. But that was impossible. I couldn't remember where that particular signature had occurred, but it had not been close by. Roman could not have flashed Carter and then made it over to my apartment so quickly. Iknew noninterference was too much to ask for. I'll have a little chat with the guilty party. I understood then why Roman felt he could take on Carter, why having less power than the angel would pose no concern. The realization sank into me like lead, heavy and cold. I'm not sure what look crossed my face, but Roman's suddenly softened with compassion. â€Å"What's the matter?† â€Å"How many?† I whispered to him. â€Å"How many what?† â€Å"How many nephilim are in the city?†