Monday, September 30, 2019

Models of decision making Essay

When we speak of rational behavior, we should remember that our focus in this discussion is not on making decisions, but rather on how to support the process of making decisions. Managers are change agents, not just decision makers, so the steps before and after a decision are as important as the actual choice of action. Preparatory steps include creating tension for change, understanding the positions of the various constituencies, and developing political support for a chosen action. Steps after the decision include naming the change monitor and identifying the monitoring methods. Therefore, the mission of good information system is broader than just collecting data to make a choice. Designers of information systems must understand not only how managers think but also how the decision process will be implemented in the managers’ environment. An information system that is well design is an information system that is used. Thus, an information system, in order to be useful, must be implemented. To understand the implementation process better, we review three models of organizational decision making rational, administrative, and political. The Rational Model. The rational model of decision making was introduced earlier in this chapter. It is based on the logic of optimal choice: the choice that would maximize value for the organization. The manager is assumed to be an objective, totally informed person who would select the most efficient alternative, maximizing whatever amount and type of output s/he values. We can summarize the rational choice process as follows: 1. An individual is confronted with a number of known alternative courses of action. 2. Each alternative bears a set of possible consequences. These consequences are known and are quantifiable. 3. The individual has a system of preferences or utilities that permits him or her to rank the consequences and choose an alternative. There is no empirical support for the contention that these three phases are actually used. In reality, managers seldom have the time or money to analyze all alternatives or envision all consequences. If rationality were ever-present among members of an organization, the organization would appear as a coherent and rational  policy-making entity that maximizes the attainment of a unique set of goals and has no internal conflicts. In other words, a rational decision process implies a rational organization. A rational organization is an organization that has (1) centralized power, (2) harmony and consistency of goals across boundaries, and (3) members who are objective, fully informed, and inclined to choose alternatives that maximize the common good of the organization. The rational model represents a sanitized vision of how organizations make decisions. In reality, organizations often seem more like complex groups of coalitions fighting for shares of limited resources, and using multiple sources of information with varying reliability to achieve a set of fluid goals. Individuals within organizations typically have widely divergent perceptions and goals and act to maximize their own gains, not necessarily those of the organization. Because of this disparity between the rational model and reality, we prefer to accept the rational model primarily as a benchmark for comparing the remaining two organization decision-making processes. In searching for a more realistic description of how organizations make decisions, we turn to the satisficing, or administrative, model. The Administrative Model. The quest for a more realistic description of organization decision making produced a variation called the administrative model. This model sees decision makers as people with varying degrees of motivation who are besieged by demands but have little time to make decisions and thus seek shortcuts to find acceptable solutions. Under the administrative model, a decision maker does not try to optimize but instead â€Å"satisfices† treats objectives as loose constraints that can tighten if there are many acceptable alternatives that fulfill those constraints. While optimization would require choosing the alternative with the highest value, satisficing requires finding the first alternative with an acceptable value, that is, an alternative with a value above a minimally acceptable level on a given constraint. Assume you had a car you wanted to sell. If you listed your car for $2,500 and had 10 offers, you could choose with either method. With the rational method, you would determine which offer had the highest value in terms of conditions and price. With the satisficing model, you would accept the first offer that met your lowest acceptable price. Satisficing may lead to a reduced decision quality, but it saves time and effort. Satisficing is a dynamic construct: the aspiration levels of the manager and the number of alternatives determine what is a â€Å"feasible, good enough solution.† It has been pointed out that satisficing is an appropriate (i.e., rational) strategy when the cost of delaying a decision or searching for further alternatives is high in relation to the expected payoff of the supposedly superior alternative. When you take into consideration the costs related to extended search, it is questionable whether the optimum procedure is to search for the optimum value. When a decision has been reached and the solution to the problem implemented and found to be acceptable, then the organization institutionalizes the procedure used to solve the problem into astandard operating procedure (SOP). SOPs are rules, programs, and routines that are invoked by managers to gain time and to avoid the task of solving a problem from scratch each times it appears. Sometimes managers invoke those SOPs when the organization is facing a similar but not identical problem to the one that the SOP originally solved. Since SOPs are often processes that worked once but nobody is quite sure why or whether it was the best way to solve the original problem in the first place. SOPs are not always the time-savers they are supposed to be. Once implication of having rationally bounded decision makers in organizations is that organizations cannot be seen as single entities. Rather, problems are broken down and assigned to specialized units within the organization that develop their own priorities and goals. These goals, sometimes termed subgoals, may not agree with the organization’s overall goals. This phenomenon has been called local rationality.3 Using the perspective, organizations could be viewed as constellations of loosely allied units, each having a set of SOPs and programs to deal with its piece of the problem. As time passes, these units become more distinct and their subgoals more entrenched. These divergences are enhanced by increasingly distinct perceptions of priorities, information, and uncertainty; they are further reinforced by recruitment, rewards, and tenure. When these tendencies are very strong, the loose alliance of organization units breaks down into â€Å"organized anarchies.† In the extreme case, coalitions are created with conflicting interests. This leads us to the political model of rationality. You should note that the term political does not imply that this model is only relevant in the public  (government) sector; rather the term applies to a type of organization that may exist in any industry or industry sector. The Political Model. In contrast to the rational model, players in the political model (often referred to as incrementalists) do not focus on a single issue but on many intraorganizational problems that reflect their personal goals. In contrast to the administrative model, the political model does not assume that decisions result from applying existing standard operating procedures, programs, and routines. Decisions result from bargaining among coalitions. Unlike in the previous models, power is decentralized. This concept of decision making as a political process emphasizes the natural multiplicity of goals, values, and interests in a complex environment. The political model views decision making as a process of conflict resolution and consensus building and decisions as products of compromise. The old adage, â€Å"Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours,† is the dominant decision-making strategy. When a problem requires a change n policy, the political model predicts that a manager will consider a few alternatives, all of them similar to existing policy. This perspective points out that decisions tend to be incremental— that managers make small changes in response to immediate pressures instead of working out a clear set of plans and a comprehensive program. This incrementalist approach can be seen as the simplest or most extreme form of satisficing. The incremental approach of the political model allows managers to reduce the time spent on the information search and problem definition stages. Incremental decision making is geared to address shortcomings in present policy rather than consider a superior, but novel, course of action. In the political model, the stakeholders have different perception, priorities, and solutions. Because stakeholders have the power to veto some proposals, no policy that harms a powerful stakeholder is likely to triumph even if it is objectively â€Å"optimal.† Our purpose in reviewing these models of organizational decision making is to highlight the realities of decision making that must be recognized when developing or acquiring information systems. If the designer of an I/S assumes that the rational model is a valid representation of the way a given organization is being managed when in fact the political model is a more valid description, s/he may encounter serious implementation  problems. For example, access to information can be very sensitive issue, since in politics, â€Å"information is power.† If managers discover that once a new information system is implemented they will no longer have access to certain data, it is quite possible they will resist the implementation effort. When we consider the issue of organizational decision making, it is important to recognize that the structure of the organization has a strong influence on how and when information is communicated and who gets involved in what decisions. We now turn our attention to the issue of organizational structure.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

What Is a Good Salesperson

A good salesperson is someone that can think on its feet (respond quickly with satisfying answers) and has the skills to deliver a message that is just right (not too elaborate and not too shallow). Basically, a good salesperson should be able to baffle someone with information; it should be able to knock someone of its feet leaving that person to wonder about his current ways. In the extent of what has been proposed by Dixon and Toman (2012) good salespeople should be able to create instability in the customers mind, removing it from its comfort zone and creating a state of confusion.If a sales person can create a state of confusion and provide the tools to alleviate this mind state of the consumer, it becomes quite possible for the salesperson to convince the consumer into buying the product offered by the sales rep. Therefore a good sales rep is able to contrive consciousness about prospective problems and with that lead the customer to an epiphany about how to solve these problem s on mutually beneficial grounds.In order to achieve these things it is a prerequisite for a sales rep to have a set amount of skills amongst which for example: sagacity (acumen), distinctness, relationship management and needs assessment. However, there are three (not two) skills in particular that are most essential for salespeople to succeed in any sales environment: Uniqueness in perspective, debate and tangibilization.Uniqueness in perspective: Salespeople should be able to offer new perspectives that were unexpected which makes it far more difficult for the customer to debate on the subject and far easier for the sales rep to radiate expertise. Furthermore, these new perspectives help in destabilizing the customer’s position making him subjective to education for new solutions. Debate: Debate entails the ability to fine tune your argumentation rather than to overpower someone with arguments. In other words, debate is about challenging the consumer rather than overruling it.As soon as the customer is destabilized it is necessary for the sales rep to create awareness and conviction which means that the sales rep should try to instigate the customer to really believe that he has a problem and the salesperson’s product is the only solution. It is important that the consumer is not overpowered by arguments but naturally finds its way to the proposed solution. Therefore the sales rep does not tell the consumer what to do it just pushes it in the right direction so that it will eventually make its wn decision. Tangibilization: Salespeople often subject themselves to ill-designed efforts to communicate the intangible benefits of their service offerings, making the service benefits less rather than more apparent. A good sales rep should have the ability to make any concept understandable and â€Å"tangible† without using any tangible props, this is the key in educating the customer. In the end all these traits have one thing in common: the ab ility to read and anticipate the customer and its point of view. .

Saturday, September 28, 2019

An Overview of MOVE and Black Lives Matter, and Their Impact in Philadelphia

An Overview of MOVE and Black Lives Matter, and Their Impact in Philadelphia Abstract The MOVE organization was a group formed for the purpose of freedom by activists who were all nature loving. The group consisted of mostly Black people in Philadelphia in the early 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s. The organization’s leader, John Africa, was silenced when the police dropped a bomb on their house on May 13, 1985. All members of the group adopted the Africa surname with its social workers preaching self-reliance, recognition of the environment and nature. The Black Lives Matter organization is also brilliant in its cry against racist police violence. The organization exploded into a wildfire that has probably engulfed the whole country today. Both the MOVE and Black Lives Matter organizations relate since the idea of black empowerment was, and is currently the motive of the social groups. A variety of academic sources such as journal articles and books describe the formation of the African empowerment group from Philadelphia as well as the Black Lives Matter group. There is sufficient evidence for the fact that both the two groups are empowering to Black culture and are essential to achieving equity in the United States of America. The Impact of MOVE on Philadelphia A. Scenes of Crime in Philadelphia after the 1985 Bombing that Targeted the MOVE Historical records indicate that there were several scenes of crime upon the formation of MOVE organization in Philadelphia. The first major crime scene was witnessed in Philadelphia when the police department dropped a bomb on the house occupied by members of the organization, using a helicopter. The bombing led to several deaths including the death of the group’s leader, John Africa. It is indicated that those who escaped, including children were shot by the police, a situation that led to a period of tension. Eventually, all the people and animals that were rescued perished. The police argued out that the MOVE organization had committed a crime by protesting against the existence of zoos and pet shops that were meant to take stray animals. Academic sources also illustrate that homeschooling and spreading the gospel of sacredness of life in the middle of a city that was too busy to listen was an offense (Coard, 2015). Evidently, it was a crime for the police department in Philadelphia to carry out shootings with claims that MOVE had empowered its members with automatic weapons for self-defense. Apparently, records show that no traces of such weapons were found in the ashes that were examined after the horrific fire. It was a worst situation in Philadelphia when children and some few adults who happened to be fleeing from the bombing site were also shot dead by the police. As reported by the fire department at the time, there were sounds of automatic fire when MOVE members were seeking for their safety after the bombing. Apparently, the incidence could have impacted the lives of other people who lived and worked in Philadelphia since there was uncertainty on when such an event could happen again. Moreover, the gunshots could have captured those who were trapped in the affected locations but were not members of the MOVE. Again, those who witnessed the inferno, as recorded in historical books, noted that bodies were being picked inside the property lines yet the people were outside the property lines of the interior of the bombed house. The movement of bodies could have been a motive by the police to seal off the crime scene during and after the inferno. B. An Atmosphere of War in Philadelphia It was unrealistic for an organization that was conscious and health minded to be bombed in the American city of Philadelphia. Despite the several infractions lobbed at the group via the courts over the past years, the MOVE had remained peaceful in the city. The bombing automatically created an atmosphere of war in the city of Philadelphia since there was the motive of revenge from the group. For instance, historical journals on the development of black movements in the United States note that the MOVE defended themselves through diatribes via loudspeakers that were attached to their rooftop (Volpe, 1989). The atmospheric war in Philadelphia was evidenced by several protests concerning the existence of zoos in the American city. Initially, the protests were peaceful since the MOVE was aiming to promote the aspect of respecting nature in the society. The protests later on turned to be violent since the police department in Philadelphia was involved. One incidence when an expectant was brutally beaten and kicked by the police is an evidence for the atmosphere of war in the city. Unfortunately, the beatings resulted in a miscarriage for the woman. Police attacks became rampant in the city, a show of lack of peace and dignity for humanity in the city. In another incidence, the police executed an attack against the MOVE members, killing a three-week-old baby. The police deliberately crushed the baby under his boots after throwing it from the mother’s arms. However, the courts never acknowledged the existence and murder of the baby, Lifa Africa, since there were no hospital records. The MOVE members had made it a trend to give birth at home, a situation that led to no records of the newborn babies being kept (Coard, 2015). The atmosphere of war had saturated the American city of Philadelphia and the black liberation movement. MOVE, for instance, felt pressured to defend themselves from the persistent police attacks that often led to deaths. The idea of defense resulted in the death of one police officer in 1978 when the police had carried out a raid of a house occupied by MOVE members. It is recorded that some MOVE members were charged in a court of law for the murder, and they were to serve life imprisonment, where some members still remain to date. The existence of the black liberation organization in Philadelphia also created an environment where justice was no longer carried out. For instance, in the case concerning the death of a police officer, evidence was overlooked yet the MOVE members were sentenced to life in prison. The composting by the MOVE in Philadelphia was seen as a sanitation problem to the city, the loudspeakers, an annoyance, and the campaign procedures a nuisance that the city officials wanted to eradicate. Moreover, the environment of war in Philadelphia led to the destruction of property in the city, a situation that was a threat the development of infrastructure in the American city. As noted, the bombing that was carried out earlier led to the destruction of city blocks and about 250 people were rendered homeless. There was also the incineration of six adults, five children as well as their animals (Wright Wagner-Pacifici, 1996). A film entitled â€Å"Let the Fire Burn† shows the chronology of years of tension between the police department in Philadelphia and the MOVE and its neighbors. The tragic ending of the tension is noted as the title of the film goes. The local authorities made a decision to let the fire during the bombing engulf the compound without intervention. The movie highlights an incident that was probably the stimulant of the fire inferno in Philadelphia. The killing of one police officer in 1978 when a confrontation between the police and the MOVE occurred unfortunately led to the imprisonment of 9 members of the MOVE. The film makes a presentation that explains the claim of the MOVE that the death of the police officer was due to a friendly fire. The MOVE later provoked the police by constructing a very intimidating, bunker-like structure on their roof, with holes to shoot out. A scene of the police carrying out massive operation aimed at removing the group from its compound is shown in the film, an indication of the intensity of the tension between the police department and the MOVE in Philadelphia (Let the Fire Burn, 2013). C. Philadelphia on a Move As quoted from John Africa, all living things on the planet are equally important. The MOVE, headed by John Africa, noted that human beings, domestic animals, wild animals, and natural resources such as rivers and lakes were equally significant and they to be taken by the authorities in the right manner. The group intended to create an atmosphere where healthy life could cycle to the next level. The vision of the MOVE was to see land, forests, rivers, and all wild nature flourishing; thus keeping Philadelphia on a move. The killings and resistance from the police, according to the group, was a true testament to the power of people who were simply rejecting a social structure. The natural world, according to the authorities in Philadelphia, could lead to disorganization in the society. In the contemporary society, freedom prevails whereby people can home-school their children, eat raw foods, and campaign for equality of human beings and not get bombed (Wright Wagner-Pacifici, 1996). Black Lives Matter The group is an up-to-the-minute movement that has apparently taken shape in the empowerment of the Blacks in the United States. The organization is a rallying cry of a new group for the police to put a stop to the violence against the African-American population. The group is sparkling in its simplicity in asserting the message that there has to be a stop in racism in the United States. The group that started as a small but fierce rebellion in a St. Loius has eventually taken a nationwide position in dealing with the issue of inequality. The social movement has been stable since even the police and democrats have been able to stop its operations. Occasionally, city authorities across the United States have accepted the challenge of business integration due to the operations by activists who promote equity in the society. In one incident, marchers in New York City repeatedly shut down most major bridges and tunnels while the police appeared to be powerless in bringing the situation t o control (Ransby, 2015). Relating MOVE and Black Lives Matter to the Idea of Black Empowerment Strong at its Beginning Shortly after the formation of the movement, it shattered what had remained a notion of the post-racial America, re-orienting the entire national conversation on anti-Black racism. The movement follows the tradition of the Black struggles in the United States whose impacts were felt more than the number of people involved in the struggles. For instance, in fighting for the empowerment of the Blacks in America, the movement uses the same criteria of protests and demonstration as was the case in the MOVE family. The MOVE cracked open the conservatism of the era that was associated by police brutality against the Blacks in Philadelphia. The impact created by the MOVE in Philadelphia was an inspiration of mass social change many decades later. Similarly, the strength of today’s Black Lives Matter movement is gauged in several ways that are comparable to the MOVE tactics in fighting racism. Militant Protests The movement Black Lives matter has been militant from its inception. The MOVE family also used military tactics to fight the police who appeared to be going against their rights for peaceful protests in the American city of Philadelphia. The peaceful protests eventually turned out to be chaotic and several deaths were reported during police operations to stop the campaigns. The current movement aimed at empowering the Blacks has been known for the recurrent city protests where activists match onto highways and disrupt traffic. The activists have in many cases linked arms across railroad tracks to stop trains, sat in public grounds to delay sporting events, and temporarily occupied shopping malls and city halls. The MOVE family fought to end racism by carrying out campaigns that were noted to be disrupting city activities by the city officials. In the modern society, the Black Lives Matter movement activists also claim that anti-Black racism is a systematic challenge to the society t hat ought to be confronted by disrupting work, business operations, traveling of commuters, and other daily operations of the US society. The disruptions are noted by the activists to be creating a sense of the intensity of the need for Black empowerment in the society (Volpe, 1989). As a matter of fact, the Black Lives Matter movement has continued to show its power and the chord that it has struck by carrying out as many Black Lives Matter protests in many cities as possible. News outlets have reported anti-Blacks protests in towns with few Blacks residents, some protests being multiracial in character. Activists have influenced students from high schools, middle school, and elementary schools across the United States to participate in the protests. Moreover, college students from campuses of all types have been captured participating in similar protests across the country. Most importantly, the activists from the Black Lives Matter movement have ensured that a day of action is organized for the medical students where a symbol of white coats for Black Lives is used nationwide. The military protests in the Black Lives Matter movement are also evidenced by its connection with other movements that support the empowerment of Black people in the United States of America. For instance, in its vision of eradicating racism in the United States, the Black Lives Matter Union has inspired the Palestine solidarity activists to participate in the protests, whereby organizations highlight the importance of police cooperation with the Israeli state. Television reports have indicated the intensity of the conflict that exists between the police and the Israeli state. Palestine solidarity activists have, therefore, been at the forefront in the anti-Black racism protests, to bring out the need for cooperation between the police and the Israeli state. Such influences were also rampant in the MOVE family, as recorded in historical books and journals. Children and women were reported to be among the people who were shot during police raids in the compounds occupied by the MOVE members, an indication of the growing influence to solve the challenge of black empowerment in the United States. The solidarity of the Black Lives Matter union has been extended beyond the United States. International news broadcasting television stations have reported the participation of activists from countries such as Hong Kong in the anti-Blacks racism protests. The activists have been noted to be matching in many occasions, with their hands up, a â€Å"don’t shoot† gesture, to show their solidarity while protesting. The internet platform has been significant in confronting the issue of police racism in the United States. The issue has caught global attention, and there have been many views that mostly tend to rebuke the ill motive of the police officers in the United States. The movement has other notable aspects of bringing out the idea of Blacks empowerment in the United States. The commitment by the Blacks Lives Matter movement has been indicated by the union’s idea of linking racism to other factors affecting the society at large. Reports indicate the movement has continually desired for the existence of a new generation of leaders who can fight Black liberation. The efforts of the union are indicated by the involvement of the women leadership and the LGBTQ community in the movement. The MOVE family also noted poor leadership in the city of Philadelphia, a factor that led to the resistance to changes that were proposed by the MOVE family. Addressing Racial Bias The Blacks Matter movement is keen on ensuring that policies and laws with disparate racial impact are revised to empower the Blacks as well in the United States. Careful data collection in police departments indicate sources of racial bias that ought to be solved as soon as possible. The movement takes a lot of time in following drug cases where the Blacks are involved. Members and supporters of the union are aware that the police have an option of transferring individuals arrested on drug and prostitution charges to social services rather than sending them deeper into the criminal justice system. Activists make follow ups on such cases to ensure fairness by the police department, on the deciding on which path to take with the Blacks who get arrested for minor offenses (Rodriguez, Geronimus, Bound Dorling, 2015) The MOVE union made similar attempts to ensure that the police provide fair trials to the Blacks who were arrested during protests. Activists who supported the MOVE were keen in making follow-ups for the Blacks cases in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, the authorities in the city were in support of the police even as they offered cruel options to the Blacks. The arrested MOVE members were often taken through the criminal justice system, where they would be sent to prison for violating the law. The Blacks Lives Matter have been vigorous in ensuring Blacks empowerment in the United States by starting up programs that ensure equality in schools and other public places where racism may be a challenge. Data reveals that several school districts have enacted new school disciplinary policies to help in reducing disparities in out-of-school suspensions and police referrals. The union has ensured that school-based arrests are cut by more than half; hence reducing cases of suspension, more so for Black students. In some schools such as the Los Angeles district school, there has been total elimination of police-issued truancy tickets and a new policy set in to replace the old rule that could trigger police racism in the school. The school currently has little reliance on its school police department. Under the new rule, it is upon the school officials to deal with students who happen to go against the schools set of rules (Ghandnoosh, 2014). The MOVE union in Philadelphia was also formed with the motive of reducing if not eradicating and revising laws with disparate racial impact. Historical records indicate that the MOVE family was not pleased with inequality in the American city of Philadelphia at the time the movement was formed. In ensuring the revision of laws with racial impact, the movement practiced home-based schooling for their children to reduce their chances of suffering inequality at school. Moreover, the union was interested in revising laws that would treat every living being in America in the same manner. Activists from the union made claims that it is the inequality in the treatment of living beings in America that promoted police racism in Philadelphia. According to the Union, the existence of zoos and other features restricting the movement of animals was a way of promoting inequality in the American society. The Blacks Lives Matter movement activists have noted, time and again that once Black people in the United States of America are arrested they are also likely to be charged more harshly than the whites. Once charged, people of color are also likely to be convicted, a situation that would see them face stiff sentences. According to the activists in the movement, it has become a trend for the police to account for relevant legal differences such as crime severity and criminal history of the Blacks who claim to be harassed by the police departments in the United States (Harris Terborg-Penn, 2006). Challenges Faced by the MOVE and Black Lives Matter in Making the Idea of Black Empowerment a Success The MOVE family was faced by several challenges even as they fought to ensure equity and respect to nature in the society. Historical records and films indicate an incident when a police officer was killed in Philadelphia as a result of the increase tension between the police department and the MOVE union. The killing of the police officer resulted in the imprisonment of nine members of the MOVE family. From the films that act the historical events, it is evident that the Black commitment was not protected by the law, another element of inequality in the American Society during the era. The police officers committed several crimes during their raid missions against the Blacks but they sealed off evidence that could be used against them in the court of law. A similar incident occurred when a police officer killed a newborn baby and an expectant mother, but the Blacks were viewed by the authorities to be the cause of the problems. The Black Lives Matter movement in the United States of America today faced a great challenge when two police officers were murdered in New York City during a protest by the movement. The movement was held responsible for the deaths as it is alleged that there was an incitement for violence in the streets even as the movement protested against police racism. After the reported deaths of police officers, it is reported that the police department has decided to threaten publicly and defy anyone who challenge its rights to carry on with systematically racist practices. The police in Philadelphia also carried on with their racist practices against the MOVE family after the incident of the murder of a police officer. The challenge of revenge has been real and extreme even as the two movements struggle to bring out the idea of equality in the society. For instance, the bombing and other scenes of crime that were executed by the police in Philadelphia came after the death of their colleague ; a sign that the police has the ill intention of proceeding with their brutality to the Blacks in the United States of America (Ghandnoosh, 2014). It can be argued that today’s movement Black Lives Matter activists have been a target for the police after the death of two police officers in the city of New York. It was reported that one unarmed Black man was shot dead by the police as he walked down the stairs in his home in Brooklyn. Several protests were witnessed as a sign that the Black Lives Matter movement had not been cowed by the police ill operations against the Blacks. Similar to the perseverance employed by the MOVE, the Black Lives Matter movement has been vigorous in its efforts to ensure Black empowerment even after the revengeful acts from the police. News headlines reported that several protests were experienced in most cities after the shooting of the Black man in his home. The protests have been ranging from small die-ins of several dozens to matches of thousands in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, where groups have blocked highways to antagonize the police. Organizations, political leaders, and lab or unions have recently joined the Black Lives Matter movement as a show of the growth of the union in its efforts to ensure the empowerment of the Blacks (Combs, 2015). Lack of clear leadership in the Blacks Lives Matter movement appears to be a major challenge in ensuring the empowerment of Blacks in the United States. Internet information indicate that Black stars love to support the message behind the Black Lives Matter movement, but many are not capable of helping in the shaping the movement to the right direction. Similar reports indicate that the Black stars only notice the clear lack of real direction and good leadership in the union. For instance, sources have it that Oprah Winfrey recently criticized anti-police brutality activists by claiming that their leadership skills have failed to articulate clear demands for their rights as it was the case in 1960 when the Civil Rights movement made precise and elaborate demands for their rights. The growing size of the Black Lives Matter union has been a major challenge since a set of clear leaders has not taken the responsibility of emerging and giving followers of the movement the right directions on what they ought to do to ensure the empowerment of the Blacks in the United States (Combs, 2015). Similarly, the MOVE family in the 1990s in Philadelphia lacked clear leadership after the death of John Africa in a bombing of the building where the group members had gathered. The lack of proper leadership in MOVE after the death of John Africa is evidenced by lack of historical quotes from other known leaders of the union. Apparently, historical records only noted down quotes from John Africa. John, at one point, stated that revolution refers to total change; a complete dissociation from everything that happens to be the cause of the problems the society is revolting. His known quotes reflected the qualities of a good leader who could come up with the required ideas in tackling daily challenges (Coard, 2015). The Black Lives Matter movement, in striving to ensure the empowerment of the Blacks in the United States, has had a focus that is too narrow to bring the dream to reality. The protests behind the Black Lives Matter have a restricted focus since they were sparked under unclear circumstances in the American history. The killing of an unarmed man was the major reason for the protests that have continued to exist. The protests carried by the MOVE also failed to focus on the deeply rooted issues at hand that impacted the Black community in Philadelphia. Conclusion The MOVE had several negative implications to the people of Philadelphia since the movement was not supported by the city authorities. The union led to a lot of tension in the American city, resulting in the displacement of many innocent residents. The war environment created by the movement in Philadelphia also led to the loss of lives even as the organization’s members strived to ensure equality in the United States. The Blacks Lives Matter movement has been significant in creating awareness on the existence of police racial discrimination in the modern society of the United States of America. The movement’s vision may be reached due to the increasing attention given to police racism; an issue of social concern.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition Term Paper

Psycholinguistics and Second Language Acquisition - Term Paper Example We are asked to memorize the three forms of verb, and I think the technique really works. I studied in an EMI (English School) in Hong Kong when I was in the primary. Later, I immigrated to Canada when I was 14 years old. When I went there, I had to study in an â€Å"English as a Secondary Language† (ESL) class. Since English was not my first language, I found it quite tough. I was not taught English grammar in Canada. Therefore, I only know English grammar as much as I was taught till my primary. I think my grammar is quite weak because I passed a lot of time in Canada where I did not learn any grammar. I came back to Hong Kong at the age of 23 and started teaching English. I have expressed and shared my English learning experiences in this paper which explain the role of various psychological factors that have influenced my learning. â€Å"Psycholinguistics is, as its name implies, basically concerned with language as a psychological phenomenon, and most characteristically, with language in the individual†. (Garman, 1990). English is known as an International language in the present age. Internationally, all communication is majorly carried out in English. There are a lot of opportunities in the rapidly developing modern world but our access to them is limited merely because of a lack of knowledge of the International language. â€Å"Learning a new language and culture increases the size of your selection pool.† (Sauve cited in Ager, 2010). I always used to think that I would go abroad to gain higher education. But, it becomes very difficult to study in a foreign country without knowing how to speak, write, read and understand English. Realization of this fact inculcated an extrinsic / instrumental motivation in me and I thought I had better learn English in order to play good in my practical life. This was where my journey of learning English language actually commenced. Before I started to study English language, I always used

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Malaria Prevention and Treatment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Malaria Prevention and Treatment - Essay Example According to World Health Organization, â€Å"half of the world’s entire population that is approximately 3.3 billion people is at the risk of malaria† (WHO, 2010). This results into two hundred fifty million cases of malaria every year with the majority belonging to the underdeveloped countries. Africa, in particular is highly vulnerable to the disease with 20% of the deaths in children attributed to this disease, which means that roughly every 30 seconds, malaria takes away one young life. What is malaria? Malaria is a â€Å"parasitic disease characterized by high fever, flu-like symptoms, and anemia† (WHO, 29, 2010). It results from a parasite carried from one human to another by the bite of a female mosquito, Anopheles. As the infection transfers, the parasites called sporozoites enter the bloodstream and arrive at the liver where they develop into merozoites and then attack the red blood cells present in the blood. The symptoms of malaria occurs 10 days to a month after the infection strikes the red blood cells but this time span can fluctuate from 8 days to over an year. The symptoms include â€Å"nausea, vomiting, chills, sweating, muscle pains, jaundice, headache, fever, bloody stools, and convulsions† (WHO, 2010). These symptoms are outcomes of anemia, which might follow from the destruction of red blood cells or a surplus of hemoglobin in the blood due to massive breaking of these cells. Not only human to another human, parasite can also transfer from a mother to her unborn baby and by blood transfusions as well. However, the parasite thrives in high temperature, which makes the countries on the equator most vulnerable to the disease. A major challenge is that in some parts of the world mainly Africa, the malarial mosquitoes have developed a strong immunity towards the insecticides, which means that it is getting harder and harder to get rid of them. Worse, the parasites, which attack the cells of

Research proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Research proposal - Essay Example The study will therefore focus on establishing various formal verification and security methods. The methods are expected to play a crucial role in the minimization of computer crimes and information wars. Formal verification and security are of great importance in the growth of hard ware and software systems. In the past years, there has been a tremendous progress in both the speed and capacity of constraint technology. In the 19th century the percentage of computer crimes and information war were very low. This was greatly attributed to lack of industrialization hence low technology advancement. However, in the 21st century, technology has drastically emerged amongst many societies in the world. Brake and Johnson (2001), states that technology has greatly advanced leading to computerization of various homestead and commercial based systems such as mobile phones, washing machine, automated teller machines among others. The increase in technology has led to emergence of various computer crimes and information wars hence the need for formal verification and security methods. Original methods and approaches are now being developed in order to protect the systems involved against attackers, to identify the attackers and to collect sensitive information so as to eliminate the threats. In the past, security protocols were designed and verified through informal techniques. The absence of formal verification led to security errors remaining undetected. Recently, emergence and presence of formal verification techniques have led to provision of a systematic way of discovering protocol flaws. Due to the increase in computer crimes, information wars and computer intrusions, the study purports to establish effective formal verification and security methods. The methods are expected to reduce computer crime rates in the world. The study also focuses on exploring possible applications of

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 115

Case Study Example ounder of the company, Robert Stephens, started the company with only $200 after realizing the need for the use of technological equipment and machines and the challenges in operating such machines. Most of the people complained that the manuals for the equipment took a long time to read and they could not understand the instructions (Kerin 47). Stephens took advantage of this gap in the market and established the company to help the population manage their equipment, and at standardized cost. There exists the problem of competition that faces the Geek Squad Company due to the changes in the environment. There is also a lot of technology improvement in the market, an aspect that has created the need for more and specialized maintenance of the equipment provided to customers. The key environmental factors that contributed to the start of the Geek Company is the presence of customers who could not understand nor cope up with the technology present in the various equipment they purchased. Stephens took advantage of this gap to start up Geek Squad. The Best Buy Company purchased Geek Squad in 2002. The main factors that contributed to this purchase were the increasing awareness among the customers for the increasing importance of service (Kerin 52). The customers were so happy when they bought items at Best Buy but they soon returned them and demanded for a refund since they could not efficiently operate the equipment. This was the case especially for the women who expected personal services during and after the service, and especially for installation purposes. As such, Geek Squad should have consideration for the trends likely to affect the business in the future. There is increasing technology that will make consumer electronics more complicated (Kerin 54). More people will want to purchase one of the electronics, and this will increase the demand for the services of Geek Squad but lower the costs of maintenance of the equipment. However, there will be an

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Getting to Know Portugal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Getting to Know Portugal - Essay Example The other important issue that changes in different countries is the taxation. Different countries tax different amounts for different goods. A person willing to venture into international spheres needs to realize this and thus find out the tax for the country he is going to. Additionally, it is important to note that there are some international rules that govern all countries in the world. A good example is dumping. Dumping is disallowed by international law. Therefore, this law applies to all countries. This paper will go into the details regarding international business particularly in Portugal and how one would conduct international business in the country. Legal System For decades, Portugal has been known to be a bit relaxed as regards their legal system. However, business people coming to Portugal must adhere to the Commercial Code, Competition legislation, Securities Code as well as the /Commercial Companies Code. Therefore, carrying out business in that country may seem to b e easy relative to its more stringent European counterparts. It is important to identify the sources of law in Portugal. The country has both a parliamentary system and constitutional republic (Ibpus.com, 2008). Other than the constitution, the law that regulates trade in Portugal is also found in the ordinary laws that govern the land as enacted by the National Assembly. The country also follows the laws of the land as stipulated by the European Union, of which it is part. The EU became one trade area without internal tariffs. Additionally, it applies common standards to the entire range of commercial life. The unit of currency used in the country is the Euro. It is important that one familiarizes oneself with the law as per the European Union because Portugal too is part of that law. Culture The Portuguese take their culture rather seriously. They speak their language and are very adherent to their particular customs and norms. The Portuguese are a rather laid back people who even when conducting business do it in a very relaxed manner. The country has a very rich history that is the pride of its people. The Portuguese culture is one that embraces its people indiscriminately. When one is in Portugal, one feels a special sense of belonging and thus one has to conform to their ways. However, it leaves room for personal development and preference. It is imperative that the Portuguese build lasting bonds with each other and take their personal time to develop those relationships. The citizens of Portugal may be assumed to have a certain degree of xenophobia. This is in the sense that they only conduct business with those that they know. It is rare for the Portuguese to associate with a stranger even if it is only for professional reasons. For one to successfully conduct business with the Portuguese one must foist take their time to get to know these people and their ways. It is important to note that in Portugal unlike many other countries, business relationship s subsist between people as opposed to companies (Paulo and Bento, 2009). Communication The official languages in the country are Mirandese and Portuguese, although Portuguese dominates (Sitkin, & Bowen, 2013). Most business people in the country speak some bit of English although not fluently. Therefore, language barrier remains a big problem for the conduct of business in Portugal. As a business person with the intention of setting up

Monday, September 23, 2019

Aggressive Breast Cancer Vs.Suicide Rates Term Paper

Aggressive Breast Cancer Vs.Suicide Rates - Term Paper Example To achieve my goal, I collected data from the American Cancer Society of both the suicidal rates and aggressive breast cancer rate from thirty states in United States randomly. This data is more recent (2010). Breast cancer is one of the most fatal and prevalent of all killer diseases and ranks in the top three killers of women in the USA, though it also affects men. Meanwhile there has been an association of the aggressive breast cancer with suicides in the United States. In this study, I will conduct statistical test to verify this relationship of aggressive breast cancer with rates of suicides. My hypothetical theory is that victims of the aggressive breast cancer are more prone to commit suicide. I anchor my theory to the worrying trend of the increasing mental anxiety and depression among the aggressive breast cancer patients. To achieve my objective of linking suicide rates to aggressive breast cancer condition, I collected data for the suicides rates and aggressive breast cancer from thirty states. I subjected this data to statistical analysis to establish a link in these two variables. These states were collected randomly. PRESENTATION OF RAW DATA AND DISCUSSION ARRAY OF ALL DATA FROM THE THIRTY STATES Presentation of data on arrayed form with discussion   Table 1: Female Breast Cancer Incidence and Suicide Rates in thirty states (2002-2006) State Breast Cancer Incidence Suicide Rates Alabama 114.9 23.2 Alaska 128.9 22.0 Arkansas 113.9 22.8 California 128.0 23.9 Colorado 123.7 22.6 Connecticut 137.5 24.3 Delaware 123.8 23.5 Florida 115.9 21.8 Georgia 120.7 22.5 Hawaii 139.1 21.7 Idaho 118.7 22.5 Illinois 124.1 24.2 Indiana 115.1 24.2 Iowa 124.3 22.8 Kansas 125.2 24.2 Kentucky 118.8 24.4 Maine 128.0 23.4 Massachusetts 134.6 24.4 Missouri 122.2 25.3 Montana 118.8 23.0 Nevada 115.1 24.9 New Jersey 132.6 27.3 New Mexico 115.6 23.4 Oklahoma 127.6 25.0 Oregon 130.5 24.2 Pennsylvania 124.1 25.9 Rhode Island 129.6 23.5 South Carolina 121.2 22.8 Virginia 121.4 24.4 Wyoming 118.2 22.9 Source: Source Incidence 4, 2009 Data which is to be subjected to statistical tests for ascertain the relationship of the two v ariables. The data is listed alphabetically according to states Array of aggressive breast cancer incidence in thirty states data, in descending order State Aggressive Breast Cancer Incidence Suicide Rates 1. Hawaii 139.1 21.7 2. Connecticut 137.5 24.3 3. Massachusetts 134.6 24.4 4. New Jersey 132.6 27.3 5. Oregon 130.5 24.2 6. Rhode Island 129.6 23.5 7. Alaska 128.9 22.0 8. California 128.0 23.9 9. Maine 128.0 23.4 10. Oklahoma 127.6 25.0 11. Kansas 125.2 24.2 12. Iowa 124.3 22.8 13. Illinois 124.1 24.2 14. Pennsylvania 124.1 25.9 15. Delaware 123.8 23.5 16. Colorado 123.7 22.6 17. Missouri 122.2 25.3 18. Virginia 121.4 24

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Reluctant Collectivists Essay Example for Free

Reluctant Collectivists Essay The events of the 20th century, especially of its first part had brought a lot of things to think over in political and economical sphere. The global economical crisis of the 1930ies and the War time had proved there have to be changes made in the regulation of the political and social relationships as well as in the government policy. Time showed that for consistent and stable development of the country there as to special welfare social programs that would defend all classes of the society.    Reluctant collectivists proposed that there has to be state intervention in the country’s economy that would execute the role of mechanism for making good the failure of the market to control avoidable ills, but they didn’t have a purpose of using it as the only instrument for economical change.    Two of the most known reluctant collectivists Keynes and Beveridge are known to be the founders of the British Welfare sate. They strongly believed in the concept of free market relations, and the minimization of the state intervention by their opinion would maximize the efficiency of economics, political and social freedoms.   Ã‚  Ã‚   But still reluctant collectivists argued that for a wide variety of political and economical reasons the market in the free society was not working on the ideal level as it was noted by economic theorists. The economical problems and social issues that Great Britain faced during and after WW2 motivated the need of state regulation, as they proposed. By their opinion the economical waste and instability may discredit parliamentary democracy and gave the birth to mistrust to the government.    Even though that reluctant collectivists were in favor of state regulations and intervention of state to the market and economics of the country in the serious period of economical situation, they still didn’t fully support social insurance system. By their opinion the organization of social security is not the state’s problem, the assistance schemes of the government according to reluctant collectivists should simply include the guarantee of living income for each citizen. And that’s why the living standards above the minimum wage have to be gained by individuals themselves.    The philosophical premises of the reluctant collectivism are originated in the theories of free market, which is considered to be the best mechanism that insures initiative of the individual and hence political freedom.   But here comes the question: if there has to be a need in state regulation of market and economical relations how much of the intervention is needed for that. The obvious answer is the following: the weakness and the strengths of the market have to be analyzed first. This pragmatism puts reluctant collectivists close to the conservatives, whose philosophy accepts the preserving of the best that remains from the past, while adopting new things that are most likely to change the situation for better.    Justification of their political aims and program by reluctant collectivists during the period of serious economical issues in the UK helped Conservatives to come to power in 1950ies and 1960ies. But still the theory of â€Å"reluctant collectivism† that seems to rapidly react on the changes in state’s market and economy can not fully answer the question what is good for the further development of market that doesn’t face problems. As the result the existing problems in understanding of the market development program caused the contradictions in the views of conservatives and those who belonged to reluctant collectivists. The understanding of the market virtues by reluctant collectivists didn’t give the chance for introducing and practicing economical and market reforms. As a result most of their programs lost their actuality in 1960ies. Reference George. V. Wilding, P(1985). The Reluctant collectivists. In ideology and social welfare(pp.44-68). New York: Routledge.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ecotourism In The Uk Tourism Market Tourism Essay

Ecotourism In The Uk Tourism Market Tourism Essay Introduction In the recent past eco-tourism became more and more attractive for tourists worldwide. This paper gives a definition of eco-tourism and is searching to answer the question why it is not promoted as a major tourism sector of the United Kingdom (UK). The position of eco-tourism and its noticeable lack of promotion within the UK are examined, while the role and potential of ecotourism in the UK is discussed. Definition of ecotourism Based on Fennell (2008), Ecotourism has various meanings but he suggested that five individual objectives have to be set to create ecotourism: Minimal impact management/small scale Nature-based product/low impact Contribution to community Environmental education Contribution to conservation Mc Laren (2003: 91) defined ecotourism as a participatory experience in the natural environment. At its best, ecotravel promotes environmental conservation, international understanding and co-operation, political and economic empowerment of local populations, and cultural preservation. When ecotravel fulfils its mission, it not only has a minimal impact, but the local environment and community actually benefit from the experience and even own or control it. At its worst, ecotravel is environmentally destructive, economically exploitive, culturally insensitive, greenwashed travel. Due to the development of ecotourism, a variety of new destinations have been encountered which have been previously dismissed as isolated and unreachable for tourists. Some examples of this trend could be tropical rainforests, oceans and even desert environments, where the majority are situated in the less-developed areas on the globe. Most of these new destinations are poor and underdeveloped. Timothy and Boyd (2003) explain that ecotourism and heritage tourism overlap, where ecotourism encompasses the natural and protected types of landscape, which include eco-tourists visiting heritage attractions. This could be for instance state houses, castles and national parks . The problem with the term ecotourism is, that any tourist-operator can label and promote its product as ecotourism, because there are disappointingly no restriction that rule the use of it. The term ecotourism may be used inappropriate out of ignorance of the principles and ideals that the term carries, but misuse on purpose as a marketing tool also appears to be very common (Black and Crabtree 2007). Another reference from book Forms of ecotourism in the UK The UK has four national tourist agencies, the English Tourism Council, the National Ireland Tourist Board, VisitScotland and the Wales Tourism Board. These promote each country to international and domestic tourists. The Green Tourism Business Scheme in the UK accredits different places for tourists which are trying to trim down their environmental impact. Every business is getting tested in a 2-year period to ensure they fulfil the criteria (i.e. support of public transport, use of local produce,). (Green Tourism 2009). Ecourism is already getting promoted within the UK. An example could be the ECO-Guide 2010 of the Tourist Information which promotes to people who love to walk in nature how they can reduce their environmental impact. It offers different walks such as some in the Lake District and where you can discover the hill carvings in Oxfordshire. Hall et al (2007) describes the beach as vital national asset for the international and domestic tourism in the UK, and a new Marine and Coastal Access Bill from 2009 made by the UK government was created to secure a long-distance route around the coast of England. The aim was to provide public access for coastal walking and other recreational activities, as well as designate marine conservation zones to protect them from damaging activities (direct.gov.uk). . Various different eco-tourism operators promote destinations which are fulfilling -or partially fulfill the components for ecotourism. Patterson (2007) relates that the growth of the ecotourism market has stimulated the development of eco-operators. An example of this is the growth of seal-watching at spots on the UK coastline. The Wales Tourism Board is offering through operators wildlife adventure boat trips to experience the landscape scenery and see seabirds, seals, whales and dolphins. These are stating on their website that they are acutely aware of their responsibility to the unique eco-system within which they operate and follow the codes of conduct to provide a low impact, educative (visitpembrokeshire.com). The difficulties to generate Ecotourism in UK The problems ecotourism operators are facing when they are looking for a possible destination is that there are not a lot of natural relatively untouched areas left within the UK. Consequently it cant actually satisfy the criteria of low impact and small scale orthodox tourism. There are approximately 62 million people living in the UK and the population density amounts to 659,6 people per square mile , which is the 51st highest rate in the world. Furthermore, the Office for national Statistics predicts that the UK population will increase by 4,3 million by 2018. If that trend continues, in 2033 there will be 71,6million people living in the UK (statistics.gov.uk). Beeton (1998) identified that the main ecotourist group are the 20-40 year old, followed by a second large group, 55 years and older. She indicates that people of this age are seeking for different types of holiday. In addition to that she states that ecotourists tend to be higher educated than other tourists and having a higher incomes, which is generally linked with that. Due to the fact they have a higher income, they have therefore the money to spend it on more expensive and exotic ecotours abroad. In destinations abroad they can full fill their desire to see nature and wildlife which they cant see in the UK. Trends and Potential in the UK Responsible travel has been receiving quite strong coverage in UK travel media. Ecotourism is rising as a considerable market trend in the UK, as wider consumer market trends towards lifestyle marketing and ethical consumption spread to tourism. and places this in the context of campaigns by Voluntary Service Overseas and Tearfund. Between 1999 and 2001 the percentage of UK holidaymakers aspiring to be willing to pay more for an ethical holiday increased by 7 per cent from 45 per cent to 52 per cent (sagepub.com ). There have been many developments in the UK with regard to the adoption of sustainable practices and techniques amongst tourism providers. Case Study: Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire Paradise park is a Zoo located in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire and has a passion for wildlife conservation and is involved in various breeding programmes for endangered species. They even managed to rear two White Lion Cubs, of these just a few ones are existing in the world. The Park has recently opened a new Discovery Centre which is committed to educate visitors in their new classrooms. The Park is making constant efforts to become more green and sustainable, it introduced recycling of rubbish throughout the park. Paradise Park became the number one visitor attraction in Hertfordshire if looked at number of visitors, and is providing not just Jobs inside the park, it also contributes to the local community by bringing tourists into the city. (pwpark.com) Conclusion Ecotourism has the characteristics of sustainability, conservation and appreciation of the attraction being visited. Due to the named reasons completely orthodox ecotourism in the UK is unlikely, but if the more passive objectives like natural environment were removed, there is a great potential to generate more ecotourism. These may satisfy all the criterias of other active components (i.e. environmental education, contribution to conservation), even it is a more artificial type of ecotourism. There are many ecotourism activities taking place in the UK but it doesnt get promoted as a major market because not that many ecotourism destinations are existing. The trends reveal that the customer demand is changing to more sustainable types of holiday which offers a great potential to eco-tourist operators to promote and sell more of their tours.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Beneath the Smooth Skin of America Essay -- Scott R. Sanders Literatur

Beneath the Smooth Skin of America Change is something you are probably familiar with. In â€Å"Beneath the Smooth Skin of America,† Scott R. Sanders talks about many changes in his life. The author starts the story looking throw the eyes of himself as a child. As a child he remembers that all that was in his sight was all he could see. The author’s best example of this is he says, †Neighbors often appeared†¦where they came from I could not imagine† (27). As the author begins to see more by leaving the area he was around so often he starts to see more and more things. He started moving around to different places and started seeing the things that he had not see before. The author points out many things that he began to see like the stores around the town and the different colors of places. The smell of the certain area over the one smell he was used to. In his travels to the south he noticed the bathrooms signs in the south read, â€Å"Colored† and â€Å"White.† All these d ifferent changes made his world seen bigger and bigger. As the author got out more the more world started to irritate him. The author’s relatives, who lived in the southern states, helped the author to think of himself as, â€Å"A Northerner†(p.28). After leaving for college in Rhode Island he explains that in his college days he thought of himself as a â€Å"Midwesterner.† The other students of his college, using the stereotype, made fun of him and the way he acted. â€Å"I was square, my new friends assured me† (p.28). This ...

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Essay -- Edgar Allen Poe Writers Authors E

The Life of Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe was a bizarre and often scary writer. People throughout history have often wondered why his writings were so fantastically different and unusual. They were not the result of a diseased mind, as some think. Rather they came from a tense and miserable life. Edgar Allan Poe was not a happy man. He was a victim of fate from the moment he was born to his death only forty years later. He died alone and unappreciated. It is quite obvious that his life affected his writings in a great way. In order to understand why, the historical background of Poe must be known. Poe was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 19, 1809. His parents were touring actors and both died before he was three years old. After this, he was taken into the home of John Allan, a prosperous merchant who lived in Richmond, Virginia.1 When he was six, he studied in England for five years. Not much else is known about his childhood, except that it was uneventful. In 1826, when Poe was seventeen years old he entered the University of Virginia. It was also at this time that he was engaged to marry his childhood sweetheart, Sarah Elmira Royster. He was a good student, but only stayed for a year. He did not have enough money to make ends meet, so he ran up extremely large gambling debts to trying make more money. Then he could not afford to go to school anymore. John Allan refused to pay off Poe's debts, and broke off his engagement to Sarah Elmira Royster. Since Poe had no other means of support, he enlisted in the army. By this time however, he had written and printed his first book, Tammerlane, and Minor Poems (1829).2 After a few months though, John Allan and Poe were reconciled. Allan arranged for Poe to be released from the army and enrolled him at West Point. During this time, his fellow cadets helped him publish another book of poetry. However, John Allan again did not provide Poe with enough money, and Poe decided to leave this time before racking up any more debts Still, Poe had no money and necessity forced him to live with his aunt, Mrs. Clemm, in Baltimore, Maryland. None of his poetry had sold particularly well, so he decided to write stories. He could find no publisher for his stories, and so resorted to entering writing contests to make money and receive exposure. He was rarely suc... ...f the House of Usher† what kills Roderick Usher is the sheer terror of his sister who appeared to have come back from the dead. According to Marie Bonaparte, one of Freud's friends and disciples, all the disorders Poe suffered from can be explained by the Oedipus Complex and the trauma he suffered when his mother died. The Oedipus Complex is best described as a child's unconscious desire for the exclusive love of the parent of the opposite sex. The desire includes jealousy toward the parent of the same sex and the unconscious wish for that parent's death. In fact, upon examining the women in Poe's stories, we find that they bear striking resemblance to the mother that Poe never had. So one gets a glimpse at how Poe's life, filled with insurmountable obstacles and full of disappointments, indeed played a role in his writing. A good comparison would be Vincent Van Gogh. He also endured hardship and died at an early age. Poe was only forty when he passed away. Insignificant in his lifetime, it was only after his death that he was appreciated. He is now acclaimed as one of the greatest writers in American history. It is indeed a pity that he will never know or care.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

intellectual health :: essays research papers

Intellectual health comes from mental stimulation and what we get out of our work, school and other hobbies that we take part of. To begin an intellectually healthy life we must first have the desire to learn more and have an overall interest in what is going on around us. Every human being has the desire to know, but what’s more important is how we go about that. At a young age school teaches us that we must gain all the knowledge we can in order to be successful, therefore making school the first step in how to begin an intellectually healthy lifestyle. Higher education as in college is not always needed to be considered â€Å"intellectually healthy†, but getting the most out of the education level u do reach is key. As long as our minds are constantly being challenged and stimulated we are on the right track. Our work plays a key role in developing an intellectual healthy life as well. We do not want our work to be too stressful; we want it to be stimulating and enjoyable. Too much mental stimulation can lead to being stressed out and affect other parts of one’s life in a negative way. The way we go about work should be something challenging and yet enjoyable and leave us with an overall good feeling about what we are doing at the end of the day. Religion plays a large role in being intellectually healthy. Religion keeps our m inds thinking about GOD and trying to add him into our everyday lives, which is a challenge and goal for most if not all of us. GOD is more prevalent in some lives than in others but having some sort of belief in a higher power is good for the human desire to want to know more. We all want answers. Making an effort to find them is what makes us intellectually healthy. Hobbies such as playing a sport are very much part of being intellectually healthy. Athletics make us think things through in and out and really challenge not only our minds, but our bodies as well. For example: The football team is losing by 7 points with 5 seconds left in the game and they have one last shot to tie or win the game. The quarterback has a million things going through his mind all at once and can ultimately make only one decision that will win his team the game, or blow it for them.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Digging-Seamus Heaney

The message in this poem is Heaney is feeling slightly Guilty for not following the footsteps of his father in becoming a farmer instead he became a writer. The guilt is brought arcross as Heaney is breaking a agricultural tradition in his family. The techniques Heaney uses in this poem are onamatopoeia â€Å"Squelch† for example. Also in the second last verse Heaney uses a listing device. Also he uses lieration â€Å"curt cuts† whichgive added ethisis. Heaney also uses roots to describe his family roots. Heaney is effectively â€Å"digging† his memories at the instant he begins to write, he looks out his window and starts reminiscing about his past, he then becomes enthralled in guilt because he did not follow his grandfather, and fathers path, which leaves him feeling guilty and below them, he feels his forefathers were great men and he is not, however he still speaks of his pride in his own choice in a â€Å"pen is mightier than the sword† kind of way This poem compares his life to that of his father. He looks at the skill of his father and sees that he can never do what his father is so skilled at â€Å"digging†. He describes in fine detail the art and mechanics of digging potatoes and the ease at which his father can do it. He compares the skill of his father digging potatoes to that of his grandfather digging in the bog, a completely different skill. Again he described in fine detail the art of digging turf and the sights and sounds that are part of it. The wonderful line that shifts time lines from the present , where he looks at his father perhaps clearing up a gravel path â€Å"comes up twenty years away† to him digging potatoes. In the second last verse a line from each generation is compared and tells him that his that his only skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† He knows that he can never be as good with a spade and feels that he is more comfortable with a pen. (snug as a gun) Repeating the lines in the last verse confirms this comfort and confirms his only way to match their skill is to â€Å"dig with his pen† I like to think this poem has that simple message. I hope you agree ! Someone asks about â€Å" Toners bog† This is the name of a local bog, (a family name called Toner ) Seamus Heaney tries to explain a change in time with this poem. He uses a good choice of language within this poem to effectively illustrate his views on an old tradition in many English towns. The mining off coal, gold and earth which is used to burn fires, these are all things that were apart of most common families that did this day in day out as a living. a change in time and of course educational circumstances and the fact that the mines and these methods of work have become irrelevant in modern times have made the person in the poem change, thus allowing him to have a different future through the pen, a good life not a hard one like his father and grandfather before him who used the spade. He says within the poem that he has ‘no spade to follow men like them' this is because that way of life has now become history and change has come by. For me, Heaney uses ‘the squat pen' as his intricate tool of choice, the use of which for him, transcends that of a spade. the free verse style of the poem is used to enable this professed deviation from this traditional ancestral manual labour. Throughout the poem, Heaney displays nothing but respect for his ancestor's particuarly his grandfather, of whom his memories are particuarly fond. One can find examples of Heaney's admiration and aspiration to the man when he depicts his inferior actions ‘corked sloppily with paper' compared with his grandfather's ‘nicking and slicing neatly. ‘ The use of assonance here also serves the emphasise the importance of his grandfather's skillset. Heaney however in the penultimate stanza, realizes that he can never spark a passion for the ‘cold smell of potato mould' and ‘soggy peat' and the diction reflects this mood shift to disillusionment. Overall, Heaney realises that in choosing ‘the squat pen' over ‘the spade' he is in fact ‘digging' up memories of his ancestors, complementing and helping their work to be realised in this sense. So all in all, he draws the conclusion that whilst we must not forget our roots,we must pursue our passions and dreams in life. For Heaney, it is writing in which he finds solace, which enables him to transfer memories onto paper, giving old thoughts the power to transcend time.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Storm Born Chapter Two

Wil Delaney was in his early twenties, with straw-yellow hair in need of a haircut. He had pasty white skin and wore wire-rimmed glasses. When I showed up at his house the next morning, he had to undo about twenty locks before he could open the door, and even then, he would only peek out with the security chain in place. â€Å"Yes?† he asked suspiciously. I put on my business face. â€Å"I'm Odile. Lara set up our appointment?† He studied me. â€Å"You're younger than I thought you'd be.† A moment later, he closed the door and undid the chain. The door opened again, and he ushered me inside. I glanced around as I entered, taking in stacks and stacks of books and newspapers – and a definite lack of light. â€Å"Kind of dark in here.† â€Å"Can't open the blinds,† he explained. â€Å"You never know who'll be watching.† â€Å"Oh. Well. What about the lights?† He shook his head. â€Å"You'd be amazed how much radiation lights and other electrical devices emit. It's what's making cancer run rampant in our society.† â€Å"Oh.† We sat at his kitchen table, and he explained to me why he thought his sister had been abducted by the gentry. I had a hard time concealing my skepticism. It wasn't like this kind of thing was unheard of, but I was starting to pick up on Lara's â€Å"schizo† vibe. It was highly possible that the gentry could simply have been a figment of his imagination. â€Å"This is her.† He brought me a five-by-seven picture showing him and a pretty girl leaning into each other against a grassy backdrop. â€Å"Taken just before the abduction.† â€Å"She's cute. And young. Does she†¦did she†¦live with you?† He nodded. â€Å"Our parents died about five years ago. I got custody of her. Not much different than how it used to be.† â€Å"What do you mean?† Bitterness crossed that neurotic face, an odd juxtaposition. â€Å"Our dad was always off on some business trip, and our mom kept sleeping around on him. So it's always just sort of been Jasmine and me.† â€Å"And what makes you think she was taken by gen – fairies?† â€Å"The timing,† he explained. â€Å"It happened on Halloween. Samhain Eve. That's one of the biggest nights for abductions and hauntings, you know. Data supports it. The walls between the worlds open.† He sounded like he was reciting from a textbook. Or the Internet. Sometimes I thought Internet access was like putting guns in the hands of toddlers. I tried not to roll my eyes as he rambled. I didn't really need a layman explaining remedial information to me. â€Å"Yeah, I know all that. But a lot of scary people – humans – roam around on Halloween too. And lots of other times. I don't suppose you reported it to the police?† â€Å"I did. They weren't able to turn up anything, not that I really needed them. I knew what had happened because of the location. The place she disappeared. That was what made me know fairies did it.† â€Å"Where?† â€Å"This one park. She was at a party with some kids from school. They had a bonfire in the woods, and they saw her wander off. The police traced her tracks to this clearing, and then they just stopped. And you know what was there?† He gave me a dramatic look, evidently ready to impress me. I didn't give him the satisfaction of asking the obvious question, so he answered it for me. â€Å"A fairy ring. A perfect circle of flowers growing in the grass.† â€Å"It happens. Flowers do that.† He shot up from the table, incredulity all over his face. â€Å"You don't believe me!† I worked hard to keep my face as blank as a new canvas. You could have painted a picture on it. â€Å"It's not that I don't believe what you're describing, but there are a lot more mundane explanations. A girl alone in the woods could have been abducted by any number of things – or people.† â€Å"They said you were the best,† he told me, like it was some kind of argument. â€Å"They said you kick paranormal ass all the time. You're the real deal.† â€Å"What I can or can't do isn't relevant. I need to make sure we're on the right track. You're asking me to cross physically into the Otherworld. I almost never do that. It's dangerous.† Wil sat back down, face desperate. â€Å"Look, I'll do anything at all. I can't let her stay there with those – with those things. Name your price. I can pay anything you want.† I glanced around curiously, taking in the books on UFOs and Bigfoot. â€Å"Uh†¦what exactly do you do for a living?† â€Å"I run a blog.† I waited for more, but apparently that was it. Somehow I suspected that generated less money than even Tim made. Hmphf. Bloggers. I didn't get why everyone and their brother thought the world wanted to read their thoughts on†¦well, nothing. If I wanted to be subjected to meaningless blather, I'd watch reality television. He was still looking at me pleadingly, with big blue puppy dog eyes. I nearly groaned. When had I grown so soft? Didn't I want people to think of me as some cold and calculating shamanic mercenary? I'd vanquished a keres yesterday. Why was this sob story getting to me? It was actually because of the keres, I realized. That stupid sexual suggestion had been so revolting to me that I just couldn't erase the image of little Jasmine Delaney being some gentry's plaything. Because that's what she would be, though I'd never tell Wil that. The gentry liked human women. A lot. â€Å"Can you take me to the park she disappeared from?† I asked at last. â€Å"I'll get a better sense if fairies really were involved.† Of course, it actually turned out that I took him because I quickly decided I wasn't going to let him drive me anywhere. Having him as a passenger taxed me enough. He spent the first half of the ride slathering some really thick sunscreen all over him. I guess you had to take precautions when you lived in a cave and finally emerged into the light. â€Å"Skin cancer's on the rise,† he explained. â€Å"Especially with the depletion of the ozone layer. Tanning salons are killing people. No one should go outside without some kind of protection – especially here.† That I actually agreed with. â€Å"Yeah. I wear sunscreen too.† He eyed my light tan askance. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Well, hey, it's Arizona. Hard not to get some sun. I mean, sometimes I walk to the mailbox without sunscreen, but most of the time I try to put it on.† â€Å"‘Try,'† he scoffed. â€Å"Does it protect against UVB rays?† â€Å"Um, I don't know. I mean, I guess. I never burn. It smells pretty good too.† â€Å"Not good enough. Most sunscreens will protect from UVA rays only. But even if you don't burn, the UVB rays will still get through. Those are the real killers. Without adequate protection, you can probably expect an early death from melanoma or some other form of skin cancer.† â€Å"Oh.† I hoped we got to the park soon. When we'd almost reached it, a traffic light stopped us under an overpass. I didn't think anything of it, but Wil shifted nervously. â€Å"I always hate being stopped under these. You never know what could happen in an earthquake.† I again schooled myself to neutrality. â€Å"Well†¦it's been awhile since our last earthquake around here.† Yeah. Like, never. â€Å"You just never know,† he warned ominously. Our arrival couldn't have come a moment too soon. The park was green and woodsy, someone's idiotic attempt to defy the laws of southern Arizona's climate. It probably cost the city a fortune in water. He led me along the trail that went to Jasmine's abduction spot. As we approached it, I saw something that suddenly made me put more credence in his story. The trail intersected another one at a perfect cross. A crossroads, often a gate to the Otherworld. No circle of flowers grew here now, but as I approached that junction, I could feel a slight thinness between this world and the other one. â€Å"Who knew?† I murmured, mentally testing the walls. It wasn't a very strong spot, truthfully. I doubted much could pass here from either world right now. But on a sabbat like Samhain†¦well, this place could very well be an open doorway. I'd have to let Roland know so we could check it when the next sabbat rolled around. â€Å"Well?† Wil asked. â€Å"This is a hot spot,† I admitted, trying to figure out how to proceed. It appeared I was zero for two in gauging the credibility of these last two clients, but when 90 percent of my queries were false leads, I tended to keep a healthy dose of skepticism on hand. â€Å"Will you help me then?† â€Å"Like I said, this really isn't my thing. And even if we decide she was taken to the Otherworld, I have no idea where to look for her. It's as big as ours.† â€Å"She's being held by a king named Aeson.† I spun around from where I'd been staring at the crossroads. â€Å"How the hell do you know that?† â€Å"A sprite told me.† â€Å"A sprite.† â€Å"Yeah. He used to work for this guy Aeson. He ran away and wanted revenge. So he sold the information to me.† â€Å"Sold it?† â€Å"He needed money to put down a deposit on an apartment in Scottsdale.† It sounded ludicrous, but it wasn't the first time I'd heard of Otherworldly creatures trying to set up shop in the human world. Or of crazy people who wanted to live in Scottsdale. â€Å"When did this happen?† â€Å"Oh, a few days ago.† He made it sound like a visit from the UPS guy. â€Å"So. You were seriously approached by a sprite and only now thought to mention it?† Wil shrugged. Some of the sunscreen he'd missed rubbing in showed on his chin. It kind of reminded me of kindergarten paste. â€Å"Well, I'd already known she was taken by fairies. This just sort of confirmed it. He was actually the one who mentioned you. Said you killed one of his cousins. Then I found some locals that backed up the story.† I studied Wil. If he hadn't seemed so hapless, I almost wouldn't have believed any of this. But it smacked too much of truth for him to be making it up. â€Å"What did he call me?† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"When he told you about me. What name did he give you?† â€Å"Well†¦your name. Odile. But there was something else too†¦Eunice?† â€Å"Eugenie?† â€Å"Yeah, that was it.† I paced irritably around the clearing. The second of two Otherworldly denizens to know my name in as many days. That was not good. Not good at all. And now one of them was trying to get Wil to lure me into the Otherworld. Or was it truly a lure? Sprites weren't really known for being criminal masterminds. If I'd killed his cousin, I suppose he might hope some other motivated creature would take me down. â€Å"So what? Are you going to help me now?† â€Å"I don't know. I've got to think on it, check up on some stuff.† â€Å"But – but I've shown you and told you everything! Don't you see how real this is? You have to help me! She's only fifteen, for God's sake.† â€Å"Wil,† I said calmly, â€Å"I believe you. But it's not that simple.† I meant it. It wasn't so simple, no matter how much I wanted it to be. I hated Otherworldly inference more than I hated anything else. Taking a teenage girl was the ultimate violation. I wanted to make the guilty party pay for this. I wanted to make them suffer. But I couldn't cross over with guns blazing. Getting myself killed would do none of us any good. I needed more information before I could proceed. â€Å"You have to – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I snapped, and this time my voice wasn't so neutral. â€Å"I do not have to do anything, do you understand? I make my own choices and take my own jobs. Now, I'm very sorry about your sister, but I'm not jumping into this just yet. As Lara told you, I don't generally do jobs that take me into the Otherworld. If I take this one, it'll be after careful deliberation and question-asking. And if I don't take it, then I don't take it. End of story. Got it?† He swallowed and nodded, cowed by the fierce tone in my voice. It was not unlike the one I used on spirits, but I felt only a little bit bad about scaring Wil with it. He had to prepare himself for the highly likely possibility that I would not do this for him, no matter how much we both wanted it. On the way home, I swung by my mom's place, wanting to talk to Roland. Sunset threw reddish-orange light onto their house, and the scent of her flower garden filled the air. It was the familiar smell of safety and childhood. When I walked into the kitchen, I didn't see her anywhere, which was probably just as well. She tended to get upset when Roland and I talked shop. He sat at the table working on a model airplane. I'd laughed when he picked up this hobby after retiring from shamanism, but it had recently occurred to me it wasn't so different from working puzzles. God only knew what stuff I'd find to keep me busy when I retired. I had the uneasy feeling I'd make a good candidate for cross-stitching. His face broke into a smile when he saw me, making laugh lines appear around the eyes of the weathered face I loved. His hair was a bright silver-white, and he'd managed to keep most of it. I was five-eight, and he was only a little taller than me. But despite that height, he was solidly built and hadn't lost muscle with age. He might be pushing sixty, but I had a feeling he could still do some serious damage. Roland took one look at my face and gestured me to a chair. â€Å"You're not here to ask about Idaho.† I hadn't really understood their recent vacation choice, but whatever. Giving him a quick kiss, I held my arms around him for a moment. I didn't love many people in this world – or any other – but him I would have died for. â€Å"No. I'm not. But how was it anyway?† â€Å"Fine. It's not important. What's wrong?† I smiled. That was Roland. Always ready for business. If my mom would have let him, I suspected he'd still be out there fighting, right by my side. â€Å"Just got a job offer. A weird one.† I proceeded to tell him all about Wil and Jasmine, about the evidence I'd found for her abduction. I also added in Wil's bit of information about this Aeson guy. â€Å"I've heard of him,† said Roland. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Not a lot. Never met him, never fought him. But he's strong, I know that much.† â€Å"This gets better and better.† He eyed me carefully. â€Å"Are you thinking about doing it?† I eyed him back. â€Å"Maybe.† â€Å"That's a bad idea, Eugenie. A very bad idea.† There was a dark tone in his voice that surprised me. I'd never known him to back down from any danger, especially one where an innocent was involved. â€Å"She's just a kid, Roland.† â€Å"I know, and we both know that the gentry get away with taking women every year. Most don't ever get recovered. The danger's too high. That's the way it is.† I felt my ire rising. Funny how someone telling you not to do something can talk you into it. â€Å"Well, here's one we can get back. We know where she is.† He rubbed his eyes a little, flashing the tattoos that marked his arms. My tattoos depicted goddesses; his were of whirls, crosses, and fish. He had his own set of gods to appeal to – or in this case, God. We all invoked the divine differently. â€Å"This isn't a drop-in and drop-out thing,† he warned. â€Å"It'll take you right into the heart of their society. You've never been that deep. You don't know what it's like.† â€Å"And you do?† I asked sarcastically. When he didn't answer, I felt my eyes widen. â€Å"When?† He waved a hand of dismissal. â€Å"That doesn't matter. What matters is that if you go over in body, you'll get yourself killed or captured. I won't let you do that.† â€Å"You won't let me? Come on. You can't send me to my room anymore. Besides, I've gone over lots of times before.† â€Å"In spirit. Your total time over in body's probably been less than ten minutes.† He shook his head in a wise, condescending way. That irked me. â€Å"The young never realize how foolish something is.† â€Å"And the old never realize when they need to step aside and let the younger and stronger do their jobs.† The words came out before I could stop them, and I immediately felt mean. Roland merely regarded me with a level look. â€Å"You think you're stronger than me now?† I didn't even hesitate. â€Å"We both know I am.† â€Å"Yes,† he agreed. â€Å"But that doesn't give you the right to go get yourself killed over a girl you don't even know.† I stared at him in surprise. We weren't exactly fighting, but this attitude was weird for him. He'd married my mom when I was three and adopted me shortly thereafter. The father-daughter bond burned in both of us, obliterating any longing I might have had for the birth father I'd never known. My mom almost never spoke about him. They'd had some sort of whirlwind romance, I knew, but in the end, he didn't want to stick it out – not for her, not for me. Roland would have done anything for me, kept me away from any harm that he could – except when it came to my job. When he'd realized I could walk worlds and cast out spirits, he'd started training me, and my mother hated him for it. They were the most loving couple I'd ever met, but that choice had nearly broken them apart. They'd stayed together in the end, but she'd never been happy about what I did. Roland, however, saw it as a duty. Destiny, even. I wasn't like one of those silly people in the movies who could â€Å"see dead people† and go crazy from it. I easily could have ignored my abilities. But as far as Roland was concerned, that was a sin. To neglect one's calling was a waste, especially when it meant others would suffer. So he tried to treat me as objectively as he would any other apprentice, fighting his personal feelings. Yet, for some reason now, he wanted to hold me back. Weird. I'd come here for strategy and ended up on the defensive. I changed the subject abruptly, telling him about how the keres had known my name. He cut me a look, not wanting to drop the Jasmine topic. My mom's car pulled in just then, giving me a temporary victory. With a sigh and a look of warning, he told me not to worry about the name. It happened sometimes. His had eventually gotten out too, and little had come of it. My mom came into the kitchen, and shamanic business disappeared. Her face – so like mine, down to the shape and high cheekbones – put on a smile as warm as Roland's. Only hers was tinged with something a little different. She always carried a perpetual concern for me. Sometimes I thought it simply had to do with what I did for a living. Yet, she'd had that worry ever since I was little, like I might disappear on her at any moment. Maybe it was just a mom thing. She placed a paper bag on the counter and began putting away groceries. I knew she knew what I was doing there, but she chose to ignore it. â€Å"You going to stay for dinner?† she asked. â€Å"I think you've lost weight.† â€Å"She has not,† said Roland. â€Å"She's too skinny,† complained my mom. â€Å"Not that I'd mind a little of that.† I smiled. My mom looked amazing. â€Å"You need to eat more,† she continued. â€Å"I eat, like, three candy bars a day. I'm not depriving myself of calories.† I walked over and poked her in the arm. â€Å"Watch it, you're being all momlike. Smart, professional moms aren't supposed to be that way.† She cut me a look. â€Å"I'm a therapist. I have to be twice as momlike.† In the end, I stayed for dinner. Tim was a great cook, but nothing could ever really replace my mom's food. While we ate, we talked about their vacation in Idaho. Neither Jasmine nor the keres ever came up. When I finally got back home, I found Tim getting ready to go out with a gaggle of giggling girls. He was in full pseudo-Indian regalia, complete with a beaded head wrap and buckskin vest. â€Å"Greetings, Sister Eugenie,† he said, holding up a palm like he was in some sort of Old West movie. â€Å"Join us. We're going to a concert over in Davidson Park, so that we may commune with the Great Spirit's gift of springtime whilst letting the sacred beat of the music course through our souls.† â€Å"No thanks,† I said, brushing past him and going straight to my room. A moment later, he followed sans girls. â€Å"Oh, come on, Eug. It's gonna be a blast. We've got a cooler of beer and everything.† â€Å"Sorry, Tim. I don't really feel like being a squaw tonight.† â€Å"That's a derogatory term.† â€Å"I know it is. Very much so. But your bleach-blond posse out there doesn't deserve much better.† I eyed him askance. â€Å"Don't even think about bringing any of them back here tonight.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know the rules.† He flounced into my wicker chair. â€Å"So what are you going to do instead? Shop on the Internet? Work puzzles?† I'd actually been thinking of doing both those things, but I wasn't about to tell him that. â€Å"Hey, I've got stuff to do.† â€Å"Fuck, Eugenie. You're becoming a hermit. I almost miss Dean. He was an asshole, but at least he got you out of the house.† I made a face. Dean was my last boyfriend; we'd broken up six months ago. The split had been kind of unexpected for both of us. I hadn't expected to find him screwing his real estate agent, and he hadn't expected to get caught. I knew now I was better off without him, but some niggling part always wondered what about me had made him lose interest. Not exciting enough? Pretty enough? Good enough in bed? â€Å"Some things are worse than staying home alone,† I muttered. â€Å"Dean is one of them.† â€Å"Timothy?† one of the girls called from the living room. â€Å"Are you coming?† â€Å"One moment, gentle flower,† he hollered back. To me he said, â€Å"You sure you wanna hole up here all night? It isn't really healthy to be away from people so much.† â€Å"I'm fine. Go enjoy your flowers.† He shrugged and left. Once by myself, I fixed a sandwich and shopped on the Internet, exactly as he'd predicted. It was followed by a puzzle depicting an M. C. Escher drawing. A bit harder than the kitten. Halfway through, I found myself staring at the puzzle pieces without seeing them. Roland's quiet, fierce words played over in my head. Let Jasmine Delaney go. Everything he'd told me had been true. Dropping this was the smart thing to do. The safe thing to do. I knew I should listen to him†¦yet some part of me kept thinking of the young, smiling face Wil had shown me. Angrily, I shoved some of the puzzle pieces aside. This job wasn't supposed to be about gray moral decisions. It was black and white. Find the bad guys. Kill or banish. Go home at the end of the day. I stood up, suddenly no longer wanting to be alone. I didn't want to be left with my own thoughts. I wanted to be out with people. Clarification: I didn't want to talk to people, I just wanted to be around them. Lost in the crowd. I needed to see my own kind – warm, living and breathing humans, not undead spirits or magic-infused gentry. I wanted to remember which side of the fence I was on. More important, I wanted to forget Jasmine Delaney. At least for tonight I threw on some jeans and the first bra and shirt I could find. My rings and bracelets always stayed on me, but I added a moonstone necklace that hung low in the shirt's V-neck. I brushed my long hair into a high ponytail, missing a few strands. A dab of lipstick, and I was ready to go. Ready to lose myself. Ready to forget.