Saturday, August 22, 2020

How is tension created in ‘The tell tale hearts’ and ‘The black cat’? Essay

In this exposition I am going to contemplate the short stories ‘the dark cat’ and ‘the obvious heart’ composed by acclaimed author Edgar Allen Poe and perceive how strain is made in the two stories. The two stories are written in a gothic repulsiveness kind and Poe’s expectation for this was to chill and disrupt the peruser, to cause them to envision what would occur straightaway, as though it was truly occurring. Poe prevails with regards to doing this by the substance of the stories, halfway being the extraordinary and the pressure he makes, which assumes a significant job in both. He makes this strain by utilizing a few unique procedures including plot, characterisation and numerous complex gadgets. One way that Poe makes pressure is the plot of the story and where is it set. ‘The obvious heart’ is set in no place and late around evening time, when it is dim outside. This consequently makes the peruser uncomfortable, as evening time and haziness is emblematic of dim and terrible deeds. Poe specifies more than once that it is set ‘about midnight’ and that it is dull, ‘black as pitch’, he continues helping the peruser to remember this, as he probably is aware it is emblematic and the peruser will be careful about this. Crooks will frequently follow up on this time, as they are bound to pull off the wrongdoing, as they can't be viewed as without any problem. Individuals are generally careful about easily overlooked details, sounds and sights like shadows in obscurity and will be nervous. Haziness and evening are broadly startling and dangerous, depicted in books and movies as when everything awful occurs and now is the cliché see. The haziness appears to be an inability, vision isn't completely accessible, and the mind begins so meander as to on the off chance that anything could be round the corner, prowling, holding up on the grounds that in all likelihood individuals will feel that something awful will occur. The tales are written in first individual account, which causes the peruser to feel just as they are in the story, included actually, and is caused to feel what the storyteller feels. From the earliest starting point of the stories the peruser gets a thought of what sort of stories they will be and may feel uncomfortable as Poe clarifies that the storyteller is distraught. The storyteller talks casually and over and again makes statements that make it clear he isn't rational. Right off the bat, they start by disclosing to you that they are not frantic, regardless of what we may think. In ‘The obvious heart’ Poe composes ‘You extravagant me frantic. Psychos know nothing’ and in ‘The dark cat’, ‘Mad surely would I be to expect it†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ‘Yet distraught I am not’ this is full of feeling, as it appears just as the storyteller doesn’t very trust it himself, and is attempting to persuade himself that he isn't frantic, and will bother the peruser as they don’t comprehend what's in store from this sort of character. Likewise, in ‘The dark cat’ it says ‘yes, even in this felon’s cell’ which implies that he is in prison, anticipating preliminary and indictment. This will strengthen the reader’s questions about the man as it advises them by and by that he has fouled up. ‘The dark cat’ is the account of the homicide of a vulnerable creature, which was slaughtered by the individual who once cherished it more than anything. The feline was the storytellers ‘favourite pet and playmate’ he says and he cherished having pets, ‘never was so glad as when taking care of and touching them’. So it comes as a stun to the peruser when he starts to mis-treat them, ‘not just ignored, however not well utilized them’ prodded on by his nonsensical conduct and emotional episodes, brought about by his dependence on liquor ‘for what malady resembles Alcohol!’. ‘deliberately cut one of its eyes from the socket!’ shows the degree of how the liquor has influenced him, and the peruser will feel just as they can't confide in his activities as a result of this which causes pressure and they will be tense as they don’t comprehend what's in store straightaway. Not long before he executes his feline he says ‘And then came, as though to my last and unavoidable oust, the soul of PERVERSENESS.’ This shows he knows that he isn't himself, which adds increasingly pressure to the story, as he didn't do anything to stop it. Poe composed the word unreasonableness in intense, capital letters intentionally, to show the peruser that it is significant in the story, he is doing all these terrible things since he isn’t totally rational, so the peruser will foresee the keeps an eye on each move. ‘The obvious heart’ is the tale of how a man kills another, and the main rationale we are given for this is the old keeps an eye on eye. The storyteller depicts this eye as ‘the eye of a vulture’, which isn't typical and ventures a picture into the perusers mind. He continues alluding to the eye, ‘Evil Eye’ so the peruser knows the amount it inconveniences him, similar to he is fixated on it, which isn't the indication of a normal man. The storyteller at that point keeps on saying how he painstakingly arranged the man’s murder, all the accuracy in question, ‘I opened it-you can't envision how covertly, subtly until, finally a basic diminish ray’, once more this shows the peruser that he isn't typical, and will make the peruser feel not trust his activities and to see that he is erratic. Most pressure is worked towards the finish of the story, when the police show up and the man appears to be shockingly quiet. ‘I grinned, †for what had I to fear?’ gives us that he is distraught, any typical individual would be apprehensive and nervous when the police came. Strain is worked here, as the peruser doesn’t comprehend what will occur, regardless of whether he will proceed with his demonstration and pull off the homicide, or he will entangle by one way or another and all will be uncovered, whatever happens the peruser will tensely anticipate. Indeed we are reminded that the storyteller is frantic when he begins hearing a commotion, ‘a low, dull, snappy sound’ which no one but he could hear. Plainly he was envisioning it, maybe prodded on by a mystery feeling of remorse, the peruser realizes that he is battling with mental shakiness and may feel tense as they don’t comprehend what his next activities will be, he is flighty, yet in addition the peruser may feel frustrated about him. In the two stories pressure is constructed on account of the executing of the helpless, ‘The dark cat’ takes a gander at the slaughtering of a feline and ‘The obvious heart’ is the homicide of a man. Neither of them did anything incorrectly to merit what they got so it appears to be insensitive and out of line for the storyteller to have done it. It shows that the executioner is certifiably not a decent individual, as no typical individual would slaughter honest creatures/individuals so the peruser doesn’t have numerous desires for the man and would think about what else might occur in the two stories. I think nonetheless, that Poe’s complex gadgets add the most pressure to the stories, the mix of accentuation and sentence length. He utilizes runs in sentences in his work to include pressure, to make them moment’s stand apart from the remainder of the content. ‘There was taking note of to clean out-no stain of any sort - no blood spot whatever’ is a case of this in ‘The obvious heart’, where Poe is attempting to underscore the point, so the peruser will take more notification of it. ‘It was a dark feline - a huge one - completely as extensive as Pluto’ is a case of this from ‘The dark cat’; once more it shows that Poe is attempting to get the peruser to see the point he is making. Poe additionally utilizes clarification imprints to depict the tone and when the storyteller in ‘The dark cat’ says, ‘so a lot of terrible wo! Alas!’ it shows plainly that he is insane and is in developing inconvenience. The pace of the stories change. Poe utilizes short sentences to accelerate the pace, which includes a lot of pressure. ‘There was no throb, he was stone dead his eye would inconvenience me no more.’ Poe writes in ‘The obvious hearts’ which is extremely full of feeling to the peruser. They stand apart from the long distinct ones and in this way make to a greater extent a blemish on the peruser. They are likewise simpler to take in as they are extremely short, and all the more then two short sentences straight makes the pace increment which, once more forms increasingly pressure. Poe’s utilization of runs and commas additionally separate the long sentences, which makes it simpler to process what is composed and perusers anticipate what will occur, as it is developing an image step by step. ‘In the dark cat’ Poe composes ‘from inside the tomb!- by a cry, from the start muted and broken, similar to the wailing of a kid, and afterward quickly†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which is exceptionally successful. When perusing, the peruser will have perused it quicker and quicker hurrying to get as far as possible of the sentence, to arrive at its peak. All in all, Poe prevails in his point, to chill and agitate the peruser, by building strain in various perspectives. He does this by composing the stories in first individual story, where the man is clearly distraught, consequently deceitful, in spite of the fact that the peruser is slanted to feel what he feels. Likewise the substance of the tales makes strain, the slaughtering of exposed and helpless vertebrates is plainly a terrible activity so the peruser know the storyteller isn’t decent. It is additionally discomforting to the peruser to realize that a human can do such things. Setting ‘The obvious hearts’ in the evenings is cliché for awful things occurring so the peruser will consequently know that something terrible will occur and presenting black magic in ‘The dark cat’ adds to the pressure as black magic is baffling and un characteristic. Poe’s utilization of short sentences, commas and runs additionally develop strain as they separate the story, make it simpler to take in and develop the pace where the story is perused. I feel that Poe’s uniqu

Wednesday, July 15, 2020

What Exactly Is a Pyromaniac

What Exactly Is a Pyromaniac Addiction Addictive Behaviors Print Pyromania Causes and Treatment By Amy Morin, LCSW facebook twitter instagram Amy Morin, LCSW, is a psychotherapist, author of the bestselling book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Dont Do, and a highly sought-after speaker. Learn about our editorial policy Amy Morin, LCSW Updated on February 14, 2020    Rolfo Brenner / EyeEm / Getty Images More in Addiction Addictive Behaviors Caffeine Internet Shopping Sex Alcohol Use Drug Use Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Despite culture’s flippant treatment of the term “pyromaniac”â€" often jokingly shortened to “pyro” or termed “firebug”â€" people with pyromania have a serious mental health condition.?? Pyromania is characterized by intentionally and repetitively setting fires â€" and doing so compulsively. Pyromaniacs feel unable to stop the behavior. Setting a fire releases inner tension or anxiety and gives the person a rush of pleasure or relief. Symptoms The latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) files pyromania in the disruptive, impulse-control, and conduct disorders section.?? The essential feature of pyromania is the presence of multiple episodes of deliberate and purposeful fire setting. In addition, individuals with pyromania experience tension and affective arousal before setting a fire. Other symptoms may include: A fascination with fire, which may include interest, curiosity, and attraction to fire and fire setting paraphernalia.??Watching fires in the neighborhood, setting off false alarms, or gaining pleasure from institutions, equipment,  and personnel with fireSpending time at a local fire department, setting fires to be affiliated with the fire department, or becoming a firefighter.Experiencing pleasure, gratification, or relief when starting a fire, witnessing the effects, and participating in the aftermath People with pyromania do not set fires for monetary gain. They also aren’t trying to conceal criminal activity, gain vengeance, or improve their living situation. The symptoms also cannot be in response to delusions or hallucinations. The fire setting also cannot stem from impaired judgment, such as an intellectual disability. The diagnosis also won’t be made if the behavior is better explained by another mental illness, such as conduct disorder or antisocial personality disorder or if it occurs during a manic episode. People with pyromania may make considerable advance preparation for setting fires. They may be indifferent to whether anyone is physically or financially harmed or they may gain pleasure from the destruction they cause. Pyromaniacs vs. Arsonists A pyromaniac might hoard matches and lighters, burn holes in fabric, rugs, or furniture and set fire to pieces of paper or other flammable materials. They may seem obsessed with setting fires. But, pyromaniacs don’t have a desire to harm anyone and they aren’t looking for monetary gains from the fires they set. So while an arsonist may burn down someone’s house to get revenge or to try and collect insurance money, pyromaniacs are doing it purely for the emotional benefits they gain from starting fires.     Causes There isnt a single known cause of pyromania.?? Research suggests there might be a genetic link and it may be similar to a behavioral addiction.?? It’s not known exactly  how many people have pyromania. Researchers estimate it  only affects a very small portion of the population, however. The lifetime prevalence of fire setting is reported to be 1.1 percent of the populationâ€"and that’s only one component of pyromania. So it’s likely there are far fewer people who meet the full criteria for a diagnosis. When researchers examined individuals in the criminal system who had exhibited repeat fire-setting behaviors, they found only 3.3 percent of that population met the full criteria for pyromania. People who have certain other mental illnesses may be at a higher risk than the general population. People with a gambling disorder, bipolar disorder, substance use disorder, and antisocial personality disorder may be more likely to be pyromaniacs.?? The condition appears in both males and femalesâ€"though it’s significantly more common in malesâ€"and people of any age, even as young as 3 years old.   It’s more common in people who have learning disabilities or lack social skills, and there are environmental factors in play, too. Pyromania has been associated with people who have been sexually or physically abused, or suffer parental neglect or abandonment. People who have a history of crime also tend to display more fire-setting tendencies. For example, more than 19 percent of those diagnosed with pyromania has been charged with vandalism at least once, and around 18 percent have been found guilty of non-violent sexual offenses.   Pyromania in Children Fire setting is a major problem in young people.?? More than 40 percent of individuals arrested for arson in the United States are under the age of 18. But, few of those young people meet the criteria for pyromania. There isn’t a typical age of onset for pyromania. It may be identified during childhood but it’s not clear if pyromania lasts into adulthood. Fire-setting behaviors often come and go in people with pyromania. So a child who exhibits symptoms of pyromania may seem to get better over time before engaging in fire setting again. Pyromania may be identified during childhood. Family, friends, or teachers may be among the first people to recognize a child seems obsessed with fire. Fire setting in adolescents is often associated with conduct disorder, ADHD, or an adjustment disorder.?? Treatment Immediate treatment of suspected pyromania is key to avoid the risk of injury, property damage, jail time or even death. The sole method of treatment for pyromania is cognitive behavioral therapy, which teaches a person to acknowledge the feelings of tension that can lead to setting fires and finding a safer way to release that tension.?? Family members who are concerned about an individual who seems obsessed with fire might benefit from family counseling. Family therapy can help loved ones understand the disorder while also teaching them how to keep the family safe. At this point, there haven’t been any controlled trials of medication for pyromania, though proposed medical treatments include the use of SSRIs, antiepileptic medications, atypical antipsychotics, lithium, and anti-androgens. Therefore, cognitive behavioral therapy is considered the only viable treatment option at this time. A Word From Verywell Pyromania isn’t a joking matter, nor is it something to treat lightly. Potential pyromaniacs should seek help immediately to keep themselves, as well everyone in their lives and in their community, safe from harm or damage.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

`` Utopia `` By Thomas More - 1521 Words

Thomas More’s book, Utopia, was constructed to criticize aspects of European life during the 1500s. One issue that More evaluates is the subject of politics and war. War during this time was used to gain territory or increase the ruler’s power. The Utopians are a peaceful group of citizens that rarely have any altercations occurring upon their island. They have a strict daily schedule that provides a minute amount of time for leisure, resulting in a low rate of problems. So why does More bring up the issue of war, if the people of Utopia infrequently misbehave? More analyzes this issue to exemplify how war was implemented in Europe under the reign of King Henry VIII. In addition, more describes the Utopians’ preparations when they engage in war. More wrote Utopia to provide the citizens of Europe with a source of hope for a new outlook on life. The citizens of Utopia are easygoing people who do not take interest in territorial development and do not make alliance s with other nations because they believe that those actions are not the way to settle disputes. â€Å"They despise war as an activity fit only for beast†, because they solely use war for the protection of the island and its inhabitants (More 77). Thomas More constructed the values and citizens of Utopia to be set apart from that of European values in the 1500s. In Europe, single-minded King Henry VIII did not shy away from any form of conflict. He wanted to increase his territory to gain prominence, and by engaging inShow MoreRelated`` Utopia `` By Thomas More1493 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout human history, Utopia is a word that have been eulogized as a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities. This idea has been promoted by Thomas More via his fiction work and political philosophy in 1516. Utopia, then, becomes a final goal of many wealthy people around the world, who are seeking for the happiest and the most secure place to maintain their p roperty. However, most of individual prefer to keep benefits for themselves rather than sharing with othersRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1350 Words   |  6 PagesMore’s Utopia Thomas More’s book, Utopia, was constructed to criticize aspects of European life during the 1500s. One issue that More evaluates is the subject of politics and war. War during this time was used to gain territory or increase the ruler’s power. The Utopians are a peaceful group of citizens that rarely have any altercations occurring upon their island. They have a strict daily schedule that provides a minute amount of time for leisure, resulting in a low rate of problems. So why doesRead MoreUtopia By Thomas More s Utopia1927 Words   |  8 PagesIn Thomas More’s Utopia, the character Thomas More writes a letter to Peter Giles of this island nation Raphael told him about called Utopia. At this point Thomas more is in Denmark (?) making negotiations when he meets Raphael who introduces him to the thought and place of Utopia. More heard that it is a wonderful place ruled entirely by logic, but in the end he tells Peter Giles that he does not know how well that wou ld actually work. In Utopia, everything is perfect because the Utopians use logicRead MoreThomas More s Utopia?1464 Words   |  6 Pages Thomas More’s Utopia By: Jocelyn Torres English 2322 12 October 2017 Jocelyn Torres English 2322 Read MoreAnalysis Of Utopia By Thomas More1710 Words   |  7 Pages Utopia- good place, or in other words, no place. Thomas More, in his work Utopia, describes a nation in a parallel universe free from greed, pride, immorality, poverty, and crime; told as a narrative of a well-traveled explorer Hythloday to Moore himself, Hythloday speaks of a nation founded purely upon rationality, efficiency, and perfect morality. Thomas More’s work is no political or social theory, but rather a social critique and a commentary. In an age experiencing political and social struggleRead MoreUtopia And Dystopia By Thomas More1472 Words   |  6 Pages Utopia and dystopia are two main narrative platforms that have been employed as vehicles for demonstrating social fabric of the society. They are constituents of speculative fiction which allows historians to evade some contentious facts of the past in order to create a new world. Notably, these terminologies have stood the test of time and they have proved to be paramount tools for affecting change in the soci ety. Utopia is a Greek word which refers to no place. Since inception by Thomas MoreRead MoreIs Thomas More s Utopia?1374 Words   |  6 PagesThomas More’s Utopia is a work of fiction that explores the idea of the commonwealth of Utopia as an ideal society both governmentally and productively. Later thinkers delved deeper into the questions of society, looking at why people enter societies, what type of governments are most successful, and distribution of wealth among the population. Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Adam Smith, and Karl Marx all had varying thoughts on how to achieve social order in the societies in which they lived. Their differingRead MoreThomas More s Utopia?2123 Words   |  9 PagesThomas More’s Utopia Thomas More wrote this book in 1516. He was latin and published this book in Louvain which is basically belgium. This book was written as a conversation between these three people, Thomas More, Peter Giles and Raphael Hythloday. More and Giles are real people who lived and breathed on this earth but Raphael is completely fictional he did not exist at all. They meet and their meeting turns into the book we now know as Utopia. I believe that a lot of the ideas presented inRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of Utopia By Thomas More1195 Words   |  5 PagesIn his book Utopia, Thomas More utilizes several different rhetorical devices to not only describe Utopia as a place, but also to compare the commonwealth of Utopia to the current state of Europe at the time. One literary device used throughout the novel is tone. While there are several other literary devices that contribute to the reading of Utopia, tone is one of the most useful in determining the views of More as an author. In Uto pia, more usually sustains a satirical tone, sometimes accompaniedRead MoreUtopia by Thomas More Essay1077 Words   |  5 PagesUtopia as a text is a clear reflection and representation of More’s passion for ideas and art. Through the character of Raphael, More projects and presents his ideas, concepts and beliefs of politics and society. More’s Utopia aims to create a statement on the operations and effectiveness of the society of England. This text is a general reflection of More’s idea of a perfectly balanced and harmonious society. His ideas and concepts of society somewhat contrast to the rest of 16th century England

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Importance Of The No Child Left Behind Act - 1461 Words

Originally known as Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the No Child Left Behind Act is a policy believed to improve achievement from K-12 students with aid from government funding within high poverty schools. The NCLB has been a great initiative to promote performance for all students, especially those from minorities, special education and English Language Learners (Chen, G.) As stated in ‘Examining the Assumptions of Underlying the NCLB Federal Accountability Policy on School Improvement,’ this policy has received a great amount of recognition as well as many flawed assumptions that make us question if the good really out-ways the bad. The NCLB Act has created a multitude of presuppositions and this article is a start to explain†¦show more content†¦There are a couple problems with this algorithm, one being that it only takes into account the school improvement based on the tests and not necessarily how effective the school is throughout the rest of the year. Another problem is that a school can put on AYP if they miss one or two targets in each of the consecutive years (Forte, E. pg. 78). This may not be the best indicator for seeking out schools who need improvement because missing one area in testing shouldn’t mean that a school isn’t effective and needs to automatically be placed on the list for improvement. With this being the case, many schools who actually need the help are either being over-looked or now have to share these resources with a school who may not necessarily need as much support. Once a school is placed on improvement, the school must come up with an improvement plan explaining the strategies and resources they will use to better the success of students. As indicated by the NCLB, the plan must also identify additional indicators the school will use to monitor progress, how the school will improve parental involvement and professional development quality, and its program for teacher mentoring as w ell as offering parents the option to move their child to a different school in the first year as well as grant them Title I dollars to supportShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of The No Child Left Behind Act1062 Words   |  5 Pagespercent, which is above national average. According to the No Child Left Behind Act, issued by President George W. Bush and signed into law in 2002, by the year 2014 all students who had completed their eighth grade year should have been proficient in academic skills. For many years, schools were just shuffling kids through the system without giving them the proper education they need to succeed later in life. Unfortunately, this act has not been effective and did not give children the actual educationRead MoreThe Importance Of No Child Left Behind Act1769 Words   |  8 Pagesrequired. That’s when the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was placed to ensure schools were being required to assess the students, and put forth standards and regulations f or students to pass. Primarily this act was in accordance to those within the lower income neighborhoods, because the main purpose of enacting the NCLB was to correlate with Title I Funding, which gave funding to those schools with a higher percentage of lower income students. The main target that this act was destined for was childrenRead MoreThe Importance of Improving Public Education Essay examples1453 Words   |  6 Pagesspecifically the â€Å"No Child Left Behind Act.† The No Child Left Behind Act was not the first law passed to affect the nation’s educational systems, nor will it be the last. There have been several problems laid out with the various educational systems put into place, and there are many things we could do today to better our educational systems in the future. Before President Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act went into place there was the â€Å"Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.† However,Read MoreNo Child Left Behind Act1621 Words   |  7 Pages The support for the No Child Left Behind Act plummeted down shortly after the act passed. Many people supported the act at first simply because they supported the goals of the act, once they saw the results, their opinions changed. One of the biggest arguments towards No Child Left Behind is that it is unfair. People believed the resources of difference schools were unequal, and thought the Title 1 funding that the schools received should go to ensuring all schools had equal resources. Many peopleRead MoreEssay on No Child Left Behind Program1154 Words   |  5 Pagesto improved curriculums and extraordinary dropout rates. In an effort to combat these issues, the Bush administration implemented an act that purported to help schools to receive necessary funding for qua lified teachers and to close the racial and ethnic gaps, known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). However, the NCLBA failed to deliver on its promises and left already struggling schools and children in disarray attempting to reach government mandates rather than ensuring a balanced educationRead MoreQuality Of Education : State And Federal Involvement1642 Words   |  7 PagesPresident, once stated, â€Å"A child miseducated is a child lost.† The importance of education has been hammered and embedded into our minds from the first day of school. We are constantly told education is the key to life. This is because education is â€Å"the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life (Dictionary.com).† Therefore, if a child is not educated at all orRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act1670 Words   |  7 Pages Literature Review: Every Student Succeeds Act Suzanne Hatton, BSW, LSW University of Kentucky-SW 630 Abstract This literature review seeks to explore the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015), a bipartisan reauthorization and revision to the No Child Left Behind Act (2002). The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the first law passed in fourteen years to address Reneeded changes to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Considered progressive and innovative at the time of itsRead MoreIn The Year 2000, Only 32 Percent Of Fourth-Graders Could1377 Words   |  6 Pageslevel (â€Å"ed.gov/importance†, 2002). This is a staggering number, but all we see is that 62 percent have are able to read at grade level and that’s still a decent percentage considering it’s the entire US population. These statistics are all taken using adults ages 25 and up. To reach over the age of 25 without having attained at least your HS degree in today’s society is astounding. In 2008, when Barack Obama was still a US Senator, he campaigned to get the No Child Left Behind act fixed. During this Read MoreThe Role Of State And Local Control Of Education850 Words   |  4 Pagesqualified individuals have mastered the skills that they need to be a certification teacher. The law, however, must maintain and establish the governing body that establishes and makes sure that school districts employ only qualified individuals. The importance of state and local control of education is crucial and provides the opportunity for each state to develop their own definition of what qualifications are needed by individuals in order to be considered â€Å"highly qualified†. This definition must beRead MoreThe Concept of Federalism in the US1083 Words   |  4 Pagesthe way that states govern themselves. Even with this, education has always been a field that Federalism focused on, considering that it emphasized the importance of government involvement in the way that education is provided. There is actually much controversy regarding this topic, as even though contemporary federalism promotes the importance related to states governing themselves, it is also dedicated to having all individuals in the U.S. experience little to no problems in their attempts to

Mark O’Connor Imagery Free Essays

Poet and Environmentalist, Mark O’Connor, expresses his admiration for the cyclical and resilient aspects of which nature is comprised. The persistence of nature depicts the ideas that nature is just as, if not more, dominant as man. His poems Turtles Hatching and To Kill An Olive explore these themes and elucidate O’Connor’s compelling perspective of nature. We will write a custom essay sample on Mark O’Connor Imagery or any similar topic only for you Order Now These two poems hold distinctively visual images that enable the reader to envisage the scene presented. Turtles Hatching’s poetic recount encapsulates the trials and tribulations of the turtles. O’Connor describes the turtles as â€Å"high revving toys†, ready for their chance at life. He elucidates the persistence of the turtles by using distinctively visual images describing how determined these turtles were at reaching their safe haven: â€Å"Scrambling in sand, scrabbling in slime, or sculling deluded through sand-pools to beaches of death†. This alliteration of the visual images highlights the desperation of the turtles on their fight for survival. O’Connor has created a distinctive image to aid readers in creating an idea of just how determined and persistent, not only the turtles were, but also just how determined the crabs were at preventing the turtles from reaching their goal. â€Å"Queued up crabs† gives readers an image of an army of crabs; so many as they wait for the turtles to come. Not only was natures tenacity evident in Turtles Hatching, O’Connor has also brought this theme to the readers attention in To Kill An Olive. O’Connor has started out To Kill An Olive, diving straight into the resilience and persistence of olives trees. He has accumulated the many things that are incompetent of killing an olive tree elucidating just how determined they are at overpowering man. â€Å"Hack one down, grub out a ton of main root for furl, and next spring every side-root sends up shoots†. O’Connor has described visually these connotations of just how in destructive these trees are, despite are the treatment it is being subject to. O’Connor has made reference to the prolonged period of time these olive trees has been persistent in overcoming mans many obstacles. â€Å" Burnt-out ribs  of siege machines† not only highlights how long these olive trees have been standing for, but also how the tree has overcome the old-timed machines and gone and lived another age. The distinctively visual images used here can encapsulate this theme and gives readers a deeper understanding of the tenacity these olive trees are willing to relinquish. O’Connor is fascinated by just how much humans underestimate nature. The smallest creatures can overcome any adversity and the dullest of trees can overpower any man. Nature, if it wants to, can be just as powerful as man. In Turtles Hatching, Mark O’Connor has done just this. How to cite Mark O’Connor Imagery, Papers

Saturday, April 25, 2020

Jackie Robinson A legacy free essay sample

The Roaring twenties had a lot happening for the people of America. This is the time when the stock market crashed, prohibition was in full swing, and racism was strongly agreed upon. This is the decade of prosperity and dissipation. This era was filled with jazz music, bootleggers, flappers and speakeasies. On August, 18, 1920, The Womans Suffrage Amendment to the U. S Constitution was ratified. This was huge that women could now vote. A lot was happening already in the 1 asss and something even bigger was about to occur. Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born in Cairo, Georgia in 1919. His four siblings ND his mother was all he had known in the prejudice world that they lived in. Growing up in a single parent family, Jackie loved to play sports and was excellent at all he played. Jackie went on to UCLA and became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports. We will write a custom essay sample on Jackie Robinson: A legacy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He won in baseball, football, basketball and track. In 1 941 Jackie was put on to the All American football team the Honolulu Bears. Jackie had to leave college because of financial problems. Jackie decided to join the army and after two years he was honorably charged because of racial issues that he had. In spring of 1945 Jackie joins the Negro Baseball League and plays for the Kansas City Monarchs. He goes on to play on the American All Stars team. On April 16 of the same year he had tryout for the Boston Red Sox. Neither the players nor the coach showed up for his tryout. He joined the Dodger Organization and signed a contract to play with the Montreal Royal of the International League. He received a six hundred per month salary, and a three thousand five hundred bonus. Jackie test married to Rachel sum and leaves soon for spring training. This is where he meets another African American player. The Montreal Royals are locked out of the stadium because there are African American players on the team. Jackie was the first Negro player to ever play in organized baseball. His first game he hit four times, got three singles, a home run, scored three times and drove in four runs. Montreal one 14-1 . His team won the Little World Series. Jackie finished the season as the International League batting champion. InFebruary of 1 947 the Brooklyn Dodgers sign Jackie. In October of the same year he is voted the first ever major league Rookie of the Year. He also finished fifth in the National Leagues Most Valuable Player. In July of 1 949 Jackie joins Roy Campanile, Don Newcomer and Larry Dobby as the first African Americans to play in an All Star Game On July 18 Jackie testifies before the House Un-American Activities Committee about the role of blacks in the military an dhow this is unfair. In October Jackie is named the National ague Most Valuable Player.He wins the batting title by batting . 342, with 203 hits, 124 Ribs and 37 stolen bases. In 1962 Jackie was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. As an African American player Jackie Robinson was judged by the whole country. His life and legacy will be remembered for ongoing time. He broke the color barrier of Major League Baseball. He stood up against people for racial equality to be able to do the things he loved and that was playing sports. Jackie never gave up. He showed persistence and he changed the way baseball is played today.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Bonus Banking Case of UBS

Bonus Banking Case of UBS Introduction Background Employees of financial institutions have been considered for quite some times as being among the top earners in the country. Indeed, financial service organizations have defended their compensation and bonus structure, claiming that it helps them attract, recruit and retain the best talent. In addition, these organizations have previously claimed that their employee are remunerated based on their performance.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Bonus Banking: Case of UBS specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, employees will be motivated to work hard and in return create long-term value to all the organizations’ stakeholders. On the other hand, it would be expected that when an organization underperforms, the employee will similarly be affected and hence their bonus reduced (Pert Clark 2010) However the recent events, prior and during the global financial crisis, have clearly proved t hat this has not been the case. Most financial institutions were heavily criticized for their continuous persistence of highly rewarding their employees, especially top executives, despite their poor financial performance. In deed, there is clear evidence to support this augment. For instance, despite Citigroup and Merrill lynch, suffering losses of not less $ 27 billion dollar, they still paid bonuses; the first one paying $ 3.6 billion and the latter $ 5.3 billion. Likewise, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, in the year ending 2008, paid out bonuses that were higher than their annual earnings. To be specific, Morgan Stanley paid $ 4.5 billion dollar despite making $ 1.7 billion. Similarly, JP Morgan chase paid 8.7 billion dollar after making $5.6 billion and, last but not, least, Goldman Sachs paid $ 4.8 billion while the earning was $ 2.3 billion (Pert Clark 2010). Such actions lead to a public outcry by various stakeholders; including shareholders, the media, r egulators and even some of the staff. In addition, it strained the relationship existing between these institutions and their customers, with most of them perceiving the organization as to lack accountability and integrity. Certainly, the institutions have come to the realization that the previous systems of incentive do not serve their intended duty of creating the long-term value. It is for this reason; they have opted for other alternatives, such as Bonus banking, which they believe will create both short-term and long-term value by building greater relationships with stake holders such as customers and employees (Pert Clark 2010; Watkins Warren 2010).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aim This report will therefore aim to investigate the potential of bonus banking. It will study the benefits of this compensation by comparing it to the previous system. Studying UBS, a financial institution which has opted for this approach, will give a clearer picture. Case Study: UBS UBS is among the largest financial services organizations in the world. Priding itself with more 150 years of experience, this organization offer wealth management, investment banking and asset management services for corporate, institutions and high net worth individuals around the world. In fact, it is considered as the second world largest private wealth manager. The organization, whose headquarters are in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, is cited as the biggest in that country. In addition it has over 50 offices around the world, most of them in major financial cities. The bank is also a major employer with about 65,000 employees directly under it (UBS 2010). Just like any other major financial service organization, this institution was had hit by the global financial crisis. By august 2008, it was established that it incurred the biggest lost among its peers in Europe. Ac tually, it was faced by double tragedy. Apart from the effects of the crisis, the organization was charged with allegation of helping its US client evade taxes. These allegations had profound effects on it. They threatened its continuity and hence the government opted to unveil a substantial bail out plan to help it stay afloat. This did not escape the eye of the general public. In view of the possibility of its action affecting its relation with existing and potential new clients, the institution opted to adopt some reforms. Accordingly, a bonus banking system was adopted since it appeared as the best option to counter the perception of greed associated with the institution (UBS 2010; Irv 2009; Kamil Rai 2009). UBS Bonus Banking System According to Christie (2009), bonus banking is an incentive practice whereby a certain amount of annual earned bonus is banked in a special account referred to as a bonus account. The banked bonus is paid in specified proportion in the years followi ng.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Bonus Banking: Case of UBS specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Its major difference with the heavily criticised bonus plan is the fact that negative bonus also known as mulus can be declared and subtracted from the accumulated bonus. This usually happen, if the employees underperforms and is generally reflected in the organization, especially financially (Pert Clark 2010; Christie 2009). UBS bonus banking system was motivated by the belief, that if properly executed, executives will no longer work for the short-term interest motivated by the annual bonus. This system will target senior executives, division leaders and high risk traders, who are in charge of trading a substantial amount of the institutional capital. The annual bonuses, both in terms of shares and money, earned will be held in special accounts for five years. This stipulation is believed, by its designers, that it wi ll ensure the categorized employees to act in line with corporate strategy, and hence enable the organization achieve both its short and long-term. It diminishes the possibilities of the executive operating with an intention of quickly making short-term gains which will see their annual bonus increase (UBS 2010; Irv 2009; Heineman, Goodman Downes 2009). The employees will be expected to act within the set policies. Performance will be measured and negative bonus applied; if the performance target is missed, are breach of trading rules is experienced, or whereby personal misconduct affects the organization. On the same font, if a financial loss is experienced by the company or any of its division, or any cases whereby asset write-down occurs, the employee in charge will incur a negative bonus. Persistence negative performance can result in completely wiping out bonuses previously earned in terms of shares or a two-third reduction in the amount earned in cash (Irv 2009). Incentive Pl ans and Customer relationship There is, if any, a very thin line between the customers and investors in financial service organizations, such as UBS. For example, all its clients in its investment bank arm double up as investors. Perhaps only in its Swiss Bank UBS, which offer retail services, one can at very minimum observe the difference.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nevertheless, due to the sensitivity involved in offering the financial service, building a relationship between the institution and the customers can be an uphill task. The connection between executive compensation plans, and global financial crisis affected the relationship negatively. Customer, especially at the UBS, need to feel that their interest is protected and the risk is minimized (Irv 2009; Watkins Warren 2010). UBS and other banks targeting corporate and high net worth individuals have mastered the art of managing customer relationship. Having this group, as a niche market, call for perfectionism. This is because they are usually well aware of their rights as customer and have the capability of easily moving to another FSO that they feel will suit them adequately. Nonetheless, the previous bonus incentive plan has had some benefits. To begin with, if properly linked with the organization’s mission and vision, the incentive would have served as platform of attract ing, recruiting and retaining the best talent. This group of employee would therefore be motivated, posses customer relationship skills and hence ensure the institution enjoys a high revenue and rate of return. Despite attracting great talent at UBS, and various strategic manager outlining the employee incentive plan will help achieve both the short-term and long-term, the approach fell short of expectation. Indeed, this compensation plan was not focused on longer-term objectives. It failed to link the risk and reward and therefore allowed employee to take short term approach that ensured performance in the period appeared favourable. Eventually this affected negatively the organizations by putting the clients’ investments and deposit was at risk. At one point, the risk was too much to bear and the clients opted to end their business. It took the intervention of a former and retired Chief Executive to convince them otherwise (Pert Clark 2010). With the new bonus banking syst em, the relationship between the institution and its clients is expected to improve in the long-term. Employees, especially executive, who a responsible for decisions and actions that can significantly affect the organizations, will automatically be directly affected by both the short and long-term performance of the organization. The potential to either gain or lose bonuses depending on their performance is viewed by many clients as form of increasing both institution and employees’ accountability. Employees just like clients and investor can directly lose both money and shareholdings (Pert Clark 2010). Nerveless, as cited by Christie (2009), Bonus banking can at times fail to motivate employees. One reason for this is because the system does not allow for employees to enjoy the immediate reward of their effort. In addition, are form of insecurity develops considering the bonus earned previously can be significantly reduced and sometimes claw back applied. For that reason, employees might be reluctant to put extra-effort and hence result in either average or just above average result. This performance will be observed by the clients and potential harm any profitable relationship. Incentive Programs and Sales People Without a doubt, sales people play an integral role in any organization. The importance of their duties is further propelled when the institution in question offer financial and investment services. When the organization deals with ultra high net-worth and/or just high net-worth individuals, the sale’s people need to be equipped with the resources, knowledge and motivation needed to handle this unique group of client. Such is the case at UBS. This institution implicitly states that its sales force support its business in a very significant way. It is the sales people who regularly come in contact with clients and potential clients and in the process offer financial and investment advice. Similarly, they are responsible of ensuring th e existing clients are retained and potential new customers procured (Levil and Curtis 2010; UBS 2010). However, to ensure that this group of employees maintain a consistent high performance, sale’s managers have opted to adopt various recognition and sales incentive programs. Sale incentive program usually target to reinforce a certain behaviour that an organization perceive to be contributing towards its objectives (Levil Curtis 2010). Levil Curtis (2010) claims, there is enough evidence to support the premise that an effective incentive programs can increase sales team performance by approximately 30 percent. The program adopted at UBS aim to retain the best talented sales people while at the same time encourage them to engage in practices that maintain and increases their business. Judging by the number of awards this organization has received through out the countries it operates; it was considered to be on the right track (UBS 2010). A sale’s manager, neverthel ess, faces quite some challenges while designing an incentive program. They can range from the internal impact they have on the institution, to external influence. For starters, it is an expensive endeavour. Official figures estimate that businesses in the US spend about $ 9.5 billion and $101 billion on non-cash and cash incentives respectively. Therefore managers have to ensure the program adopted serve the organization’s both short-term and long-term goals. Both the institution and the sale’s people want to recoup their investment, and earn their returns at the shortest time possible. This therefore increases the chance of entering in practices that might affect the organization and stakeholder negatively; especially customers. To be eligible for the incentive reward, sales people have to hit a certain sales target. They can at times be tempted to apply even unscrupulous practice to close a sale deal. Sales manager therefore need to be well aware of this issues sinc e they can have negative legal implication on the institution. For example, customers have various rights, such as right to information. This is particular important to financial service organization such as UBS. Legislation across Europe and other countries entitled the person issuing investment opportunity to provide the client with prospectus and/or statement of investment. These documents are meant to clearly elaborate the nature of the investment; such as the background, potential return and risk involved. Sale’s people, to increase their chance of reaching the target, can decide to withhold any information that might make their client reconsider the offer. A good example is belittling the risks involved and exaggerating the potential return (UBS 2010; Glick 2009; Levil and Curtis 2010). Sales managers also need to consider the tax implication of any incentive program adopted. Employers therefore should be ready to declare the value of any benefits and incentive enjoyed by this group both in terms of cash and non-cash. In the US, the legislation set and govern by the IRS specify this benefits to be taxed as ordinary income. Effectively taxing the incentives and high bonuses especially those rewarded to senior sale executives can potentially reduced the negative public perception. Although this cannot be a solution by itself, the financial institutions need to contribute a larger percentage of the money which is used to bail them out in moments of crisis (Cleverley Rai 2010). Conclusion Financial services organisations have been forced to change their incentive compensation plan in order to balance between short and long-term. This was necessitated by the fact that, the recent financial system was closely associated to the bonus systems that previously existed. As a result, the relationship existing between these organizations and other stake holders such as customer and even some employees was negatively affected. Accordingly, companies such as UB S have opted to adopt bonus banking so to ensure long-term value is created. Employees, just like customers and shareholders, will have to directly lose in case the organization underperforms. Reference List Christie P. (Mar 2009) ‘Is bonus banking the answer to banking?’ Financial  World, March 2009. Cleverley, B. (2008) Tax Consideration in a Sales Incentive Program: Avoid Future Legal Surprises. Corporate information, 12(7), pp. 123-42. Glick, R (2009). Comparing the Recent Global and the 80’s Asian Financial Crisis. Economic Paper, 4(2), 7-22. Heineman B, Goodman, N and Downes, K. (2009) Balancing Long and Short term Goals to achieve the corporate strategies: Lessons from the Meltdown. Leeway journal of finance, 12(25). 32-40. Irv, M. (2009) Will the Bonus-Mulus System restore UBS Public Perception.  Centre of Finance, 2(1), pp. 10-23. Kamil, H and Rai. (2010) Effect of Financial Crisis on Foreign Banks Lending.  The NIS bank Working Paper, 10 (102).10- 34. Levi, N and Curtis, M. (2007) Respecting Consumer Right When Closing the Deal: Salespeople Motivation. Consumers’ right and Information guide,  8(2), pp. 12-28. Pert, L and Clark. (2010) The Role of Executive Compensation Plan in the Global Crisis. International journal of economics, 20(8), pp. 10-45. UBS (2011) UBS Global Home Page [Online] Available from  https://www.ubs.com/global/en.html . Watkins, M and Warren, K. (2010) Adopting Reforms in the Current Pay Plan through Bonus Banking. Adept research journal, 3(6), pp 15-28.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Essay on Public Opinion

Essay on Public Opinion Essay on Public Opinion This is a free sample essay on Public Opinion: Public opinion, which can be swayed by the manipulation of the media and to some degree by the President’s persuasion, greatly impacts the policies made by public officials. George Bush promised tax cuts if elected as President of the United States of America. He was able to convince the public that they should be able to spend their money rather than the government. According to the Gallup Poll of September 11-13, 2000 , 74% of the public was in favor of tax cuts. The media’s support of tax cuts was divided; therefore it was not as effective in swaying public opinion as when all media are united in their opinions. Even the Democratic leaders, who were generally against the tax cuts, were unable to prevent the tax cuts. This was due to Democratic leaders like Max Baucus, John Breaux, Blanche Lincoln, and Robert Torricelli who voted in favor of the tax cuts which was guided by the wishes of their constituents. Policies made dealing with Afghanistan cannot be compared to typical policies made by our government officials. These polices are a result of terrorist attacks on America. Because of the nature of the attacks, most everyone agrees on the same policies, which are in the best interests of our country. The ability of President Bush to set specific goals and a unifying cause, has been a major affect in gathering the support of both the people and the media. The Gallup Poll shows that about 90% of the people are in favor of President Bush’s policies at this time . If public opinion should start to change, President Bush would probably reconsider his policies involving Afghanistan, as would any public official when trying to appeal to their constituents. ______________ is a professional essay writing service which can provide high school, college and university students with 100% original custom written essays, research papers, term papers, dissertations, courseworks, homeworks, book reviews, book reports, lab reports, projects, presentations and other assignments of top quality. More than 700 professional Ph.D. and Master’s academic writers. Feel free to order a custom written essay on Public Opinion from our professional essay writing service.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Does the EU have negative impacts on small states in the EU Does it Research Paper - 1

Does the EU have negative impacts on small states in the EU Does it fringe them The divide between the north and the south - Research Paper Example Additionally, it is hard to identify the similarities among the foreign policies of these small states. On the other hand, it is a challenge to enhance the influential factor on their international relations. It comes to a point that we need to plan and strategize what we know and what we need know to identify and understand the challenges facing the small states. This article confirms such doubts by giving answers to four questions: what is a small state according to the European Union? What is the behavior of a small state in the European state? What are challenges facing the small states in the European Union? What are the general effects of European Union on the small states in the European Union? This paper adopts the thesis statement that European developments have brought out many alterations on small states. However, these alterations occur in both positive and negative measures. Smaller states are in consideration because their economic development happens to less than compared to other bigger states such as Britain and France. Additionally, the population level in small states happen to be low than the bigger states. In most cases, such small states have less influence on the decisions made by European Union. Such happenings happen to be in existence because decisions made by European Union during different summits affect these small states in general. For example, the regulations set to regulate the interest levels have affected the small states both positively and negatively. This research is beneficial since it initiates better understanding on the policies affecting small states either positively or negatively. Additionally, this research identifies the major reasons as to why such small states are affected by the policy developments made by European Union. In general, the research will offer differential weight on the benefits and effects of policy development by the European Union to the small states. The relevant question at hand

Saturday, February 1, 2020

Analyze Capital Budgeting Methodologies (NPV, IRR, MIRR, etc..) Research Paper

Analyze Capital Budgeting Methodologies (NPV, IRR, MIRR, etc..) - Research Paper Example Some of the major capital budgeting techniques are: 2. Where â€Å"NPV† is â€Å"zero†, it is acceptable to the organization as it promises equal return to the required rate of return. However, the organization is in differential towards such a project, as it gives no profit. This technique uses discounted cash flows in its analysis, which makes it one of the most accurate capital budgeting techniques. This is because it incorporates and considers both the risk and time variable aspect of the project. Therefore, it measures the net benefit of the project in today’s currency terms (Accounting4managment, n.d). One of the major limitations of NPV method is its difficulty to make accurate forecast of the future cash flows and another is its vulnerability of manipulation through different discount rates as there is no standard to set a discount rate (Michel, 2001). Internal Rate of Return or also called yield on project is actually the rate of return of the investment project earned over the useful life of the project. The benefits and cost of the project are equal to each other at this discount rate. In other words, it is the discount rate where the NPV of the project is zero (Accounting4managment, n.d). There is no specific direct formula for manual calculation of IRR. Instead, the calculation is based on the equation where NPV id zero using various cash flows at different discount rates. However, it can be easily calculated on Excel and financial calculators. 1. Where â€Å"IRR† of the project is greater or equal to â€Å"project’s cost of capital†, the organization accepts the project as it indicates that the return is higher than what organization pay to borrow money for the project. 2. Where â€Å"IRR† of the project is lower than the â€Å"project’s cost of capital†, the organization rejects the project indicating that it would obviously not prefer to receive a return lower than what they pay to borrow

Friday, January 24, 2020

Essay --

Most people thing that being an electrical engineer means that you spend your day going to people’s house and fixing their electrical problems. In reality there is more to this career than meets the eye. What they don’t know is that being an electrical engineering is a very advanced field that requires you to invent, design, and construct electrical and electronic devices as well as be able to adapt to different roles when the opportunity arises. For a career in this field you are required a minimum of a bachelors degree of science in engineering and a good computer skills. Electrical engineering has nine divisions, each with its own specialty but even though their field is a bit different they all go through the same steps. The only difference is the product. It could be a computer, a generator or even a robot. According to what can you do second edition, electrical engineers first have to invent and design the device they want to build. This phase is mostly done with computers so computer skills are very necessary for this job. After this phase is complete they begin their construction phase. In this phase they build and test the new built devices. This is the phase where you apply your understanding of electrical components. For this job you are required to work eight hours a day, and make business trips once in a while but this is mostly an office job. For a carrier in the field of electrical engineering, a minimum of a bachelor’s degree of science in engineering is required. To get this degree, you will have to take 4 years of college. I am planning on attending University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The reason I am planning to go there is because they teach this field up to PhD. Therefore, if I e... ...ddition this carrier is found at about anywhere in the world, wherever you are at you have a good chance of getting a carrier in this field. But that is not the only reason that I choose to pursue this carrier. The other reason is that you gain a wide range of knowledge during studies. Even with the basic lessons you improve your knowledge and that knowledge can be applied to many of your daily activities. Another reason is for a better is for a better understanding of computers. Now days computers are becoming a big part of our life, lots tasks are performed by computers and for that good computer skills are necessary. Electrical engineers are challenged with computer problems on every step of their study, field and their everyday life. For electrical engineers, computer play a very important role in their job and without them there will be no modern engineering.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 8

Paige was all smiles when I went in for the early shift the next day. â€Å"Nice work with Seth Mortensen,† she told me, glancing up from the neatly stacked paperwork on her desk. The desk Doug and I shared in the store's back offices tended to look like an apocalyptic war zone. â€Å"How so?† â€Å"In convincing him to write here.† I blinked. With our assorted U District and Krystal Starz adventures, I'd never said a word about him becoming our resident writer. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"I saw him upstairs in the cafe just now. He said he had a great time yesterday.† I left her office, baffled, wondering if I'd missed something from yesterday. It hadn't seemed like that stellar of an outing, but I supposed he felt pleased and grateful over the discounted books. Had anything else notable happened? Unbidden, the memory of touching Seth's hand suddenly rushed back to me, the odd shockwave of familiarity it had sent through me. No, I decided, that had been nothing. I had imagined the moment. I went up to the cafe for a mocha, still puzzled. Sure enough, Seth sat in a corner, laptop spread out on the table in front of him. He looked much the same as yesterday, save that his shirt today sported Beeker from the Muppets. His fingers moved furiously along the keys, his eyes locked on the screen. â€Å"Hey,† I told him. â€Å"Hey.† He offered no more. He didn't even look up. â€Å"Are you working?† â€Å"Yes.† I waited for elaboration, but it never came. So I kept going. â€Å"So, um, Paige told me you're moving here.† He didn't answer. I didn't even know if he'd heard me. Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes sharpening. â€Å"Ever been to Texas?† That took me by surprise. â€Å"Sure. Which part?† â€Å"Austin. I need to know what the weather's like there.† â€Å"When? This time of year?† â€Å"No†¦ more like spring or early summer.† I racked my brain. â€Å"Hot. Rain and storms. Some humidity. The edge of tornado alley, you know?† â€Å"Ah.† Seth turned thoughtful, then nodded smartly and returned his attention back down. † Cady'll love that. Thanks.† It took me a moment to realize he meant one of his characters. Nina Cady's dislike of inclement weather was notorious. My stomach suddenly dropped out of me and hit the floor. It was a wonder he didn't hear the thud. â€Å"Are you†¦ are you†¦ writing something with Cady and O'Neill? Right now?† â€Å"Yeah.† He spoke very casually, like we were still discussing weather. â€Å"Next book. Well, next-next book. The next one's already queued up for publishing. I'm about a quarter through this one.† I stared in awe at the laptop, like it was a divine golden idol from days of old, capable of performing miracles. Providing rain. Feeding the masses. Now I felt speechless. That the next masterpiece was being created right in front of me, that I might say something that could influence it was too much to bear. I swallowed heavily and dragged my eyes away from it, forcing calm. After all, I could hardly be excited about another installment when I had yet to read the current one. â€Å"A Cady and O'Neill book. Wow. That's really – â€Å" â€Å"Um, so, I'm kind of busy here. I've got to run with this right now. Sorry.† The words stopped me cold. â€Å"What?† Was I being dismissed? â€Å"Can we talk later?† I was being dismissed. I was being dismissed without even being looked at. Heat flushed my cheeks. â€Å"What about my book?† I blurted out ungracefully. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"The Glasgow Pact. Did you sign it?† â€Å"Oh. That.† â€Å"What's that mean?† â€Å"I'll send you e-mail.† â€Å"You'll send me – so you don't have my book?† Seth shook his head and kept working. â€Å"Oh. Okay.† I didn't understand the e-mail bit but wasn't going to waste my time begging for his attention. â€Å"Well. I'll see you later then. Let us know if you need anything.† My voice was stiff and cold, but I doubted he even noticed. I tried not to storm downstairs. Where did he get off acting like that? Especially after I'd shown him around yesterday. Famous author or no, he didn't have the right to be a jerk to me. I felt humiliated. Humiliated over what, being ignored? chided a reasonable voice inside me. It's not like he made a scene. He was just busy. After all, you were the one complaining he didn't write fast enough. I ignored the voice and went back to work, still feeling put-out. Business didn't allow me to nurture my wounded ego for long, however, as the afternoon and lack of staff ensured I stayed busy on the floor. The next time I managed to return to my office, it was only to grab my purse at the end of my shift. As I was about to walk out, I saw a message from Seth in my e-mail's inbox. I moved to the computer and read. Georgina, Have you ever paid much attention to real estate agents – the way they dress, the kinds of cars they drive? Truth is stranger than fiction, as they say. Last night, I expressed interest in living in the University District to my brother, and he called up this real estate agent friend of his. She arrived in something like two minutes flat, no small feat I guess, since her office is in West Seattle. She pulled up in a Jaguar, whose shiny whiteness was rivaled only by the day-glow white of her Miss America smile. While gushing nonstop about how exciting it was to have me here, she hacked away at a computer, searching for appropriate residences, typing with nails long enough to impale small children on. (See? I remembered how much you liked the word â€Å"impale.†) Each time she found a place that might work, she'd get really excited: â€Å"Yes – yes. Oh yes! This is it! This is it! Yes! Yes!† I confess, by the time it was through, I felt kind of sleazy and exhausted, like maybe I should have tossed some cash on the pillow or something. Her theatrics aside, we did end up finding a nice condo not too far from campus, brand new. It was as pricey as you insinuated, but I think it's exactly what I want. Mistee – yes, that's her name – and I are going to look at it later tonight. I'm kind of afraid to see her reaction if I bid on the place. No doubt the thought of the commission will lead straight to multiple orgasms. (And to think, I always thought missionary position was what inhibited women from true fulfillment.) Anyway, I just wanted to give you the update since you were the one who first showed me the U District. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to talk earlier; I would have liked to pick your brain about restaurants over there. I still don't know the area that well, and my brother and sister-in-law are too busy with their suburban life to recommend any restaurants that don't serve children's meals. Well, I guess I should get back to writing, so I can afford said new lodging. Cady and O'Neill are impatient mistresses – er, that is, an impatient mistress and master – as you observed earlier. Speaking of which, I haven't forgotten about your copy of The Glasgow Pact. I intended to write something semi-original in it last night, after our nice day together, but the real estate vortex caught me up. My apologies. I'll bring it to you soon. Later, Seth I reread the letter twice. I felt pretty confident that in the short span I'd known Seth, I'd never heard him utter aloud as many words as he'd just written. Not only that, they were funny words. Entertaining words. Like a mini Cady and O'Neill novel, addressed just to me. A far cry from his halting attitude this morning. If he'd said anything remotely comparable in person, I probably would have passed out. â€Å"Incredible,† I muttered to my screen. Part of me felt mollified by the letter, though another part felt he still could have been a bit more tactful in his earlier treatment, busy or no. The rest of me pointed out that all of these â€Å"parts of me† probably should be in therapy, and besides, I really needed to leave and go see Erik about the vampire hunter thing. I quickly sent back a response: Thanks for the letter. I suppose I'll make it another day without the book. Good luck with the real estate agent, and be sure to wear a condom when you make an offer. Other good places to eat in that area are Han & Sons, the Plum Tomato Cafe, and Lotus Chinese. – Georgina I left the store, promptly forgetting about Seth, happy there'd be no traffic this early in the day. Driving up to Lake City, I easily found the intersection the girl at Krystal Starz had indicated. Locating the store itself proved more of a challenge. Strip malls and assorted businesses packed the area, and I read through myriad billboards and storefronts in the hopes of finding something promising. Finally, I spotted a small, dark sign tucked away in the corner of a less-frequented cluster of stores, arcana, ltd. That had to be it. I parked in front, hoping it was actually open. No one had posted hours or anything on the door, but it gave way without resistance when I pushed on it. Sandalwood incense burned in the air around me as I entered, and faint harp music played from a small CD player set up on the counter. I couldn't see anyone else in the room, and so I wandered around, admiring the sights. Real books on mythology and religion – not the flashy fluff Krystal Starz sold – lined the walls, and carefully arranged display cases held handcrafted jewelry I recognized from a few different local artists. Assorted ritual items – candles, incense, and statuary – filled in the nooks and crannies, giving the whole place a sort of jumbled, pleasantly lived-in feel. â€Å"Miss Kincaid. It is an honor to see you again.† I spun around from where I had been admiring a White Tara statue. Erik walked into the room, and I reined in my surprise at his appearance. When had he grown so old? He had been old the last time I saw him – dark skin wrinkled, hair gone gray – but I did not remember the slight stoop in his walk, or the hollowed look around his eyes. I tried to remember the last time we'd talked; I hadn't thought it'd been that long. Five years? Ten? With mortals, it was easy to lose track. â€Å"It's good to see you too. You aren't easy to find anymore. I had to go poking around Krystal Starz to figure out what happened to you.† â€Å"Ah. I hope the experience wasn't too†¦ awkward.† â€Å"Nothing I couldn't handle. Besides, I'm glad you got out of there.† I looked around at the cluttered, dimly lit shop. â€Å"I like this new place.† â€Å"It's not much – doesn't bring in much either – but it's mine. It's what I've been saving for, where I'll spend my last years.† I grimaced. â€Å"Don't turn melodramatic on me now. You aren't that old.† His smile broadened, his expression turning slightly wry. â€Å"Neither are you, Miss Kincaid. Indeed, you are as beautiful as the first time I saw you.† He gave me a slight bow, bending lower than someone with his back probably should have. â€Å"How may I be of service?† â€Å"I need information.† â€Å"Of course.† He gestured to a small table near the main counter, currently covered with books and an elaborate candle holder. â€Å"Sit and have tea with me, and we'll talk. Unless you are in a hurry?† â€Å"No, I have time.† While Erik fetched the tea, I cleared off the table, setting books in neat stacks on the floor. When he returned with the teapot, we made small talk and sipped our drinks for a bit, but my mind really wasn't into it. My restlessness must have come through loud and clear as my fingers danced along the cup's edge and my toe tapped impatiently. Finally, I broached my topic. â€Å"I need to know about vampire hunters.† For most other people, this would have been a weird request, but Erik only nodded expectantly. â€Å"What in particular would you like to know?† â€Å"Anything. Their habits, how to recognize them. Whatever you've got.† He leaned back in his chair, holding the cup delicately. â€Å"My understanding is that vampire hunters are born, not made. They are ‘gifted,' so to speak, with the ability to kill vampires.† He proceeded to relate several other details, most of which matched up with what I'd learned from Peter. Pondering what Cody had said, about the sense of being followed by someone he could not see, I asked, â€Å"Do they have any other special abilities that you know of? Can they go invisible?† â€Å"Not that I know of. Some immortal beings can, of course, but not vampire hunters. They're still just mortals, after all, despite their odd talents.† I nodded, being one such creature who could turn invisible, though I rarely used the power. I toyed with the thought that Cody's phantom might have been an invisible immortal, trying to play a trick, but he still should have sensed the telltale signature we all carried. Indeed, he should have sensed a mortal vampire hunter as well. The fact that he had neither seen nor felt anything lent credence to Peter's theory that the stalker had all been in Cody's head. â€Å"Can vampire hunters harm anyone else? Demons†¦ or other immortal creatures?† â€Å"It's very hard to do anything tangible to an immortal,† he mused. â€Å"Certain denizens of good – powerful priests, for example – can drive off demons, but they can't harm them permanently. Likewise, I've heard of mortals capturing supernatural creatures, but doing much more than that†¦ I'm not saying it's impossible, just that I've never heard of it. To my offhand knowledge, vampire hunters can only harm vampires. Nothing else.† â€Å"I value your offhand knowledge more than most confirmed facts.† He eyed me curiously. â€Å"But this isn't the answer you were expecting.† â€Å"I don't know. It's pretty much what I've already been told. I was just thinking there might be more.† It was entirely possible that Jerome had been telling the truth, that this was merely a case of a rampant vampire hunter and that his warnings to Hugh and me had been simple courtesies to protect us from discomfort. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that Jerome had held back information, nor did I really believe Cody to be the kind of person who imagined things. I must have looked perplexed because Erik offered, somewhat hesitantly it seemed, â€Å"I could look into this more for you, if you'd like. Just because I've never heard of something capable of harming other immortals doesn't mean it's out of the realm of existence.† I nodded. â€Å"I'd appreciate that. Thank you.† â€Å"It's a privilege to be of assistance to someone like you. And if you like, I could also make other inquiries into vampire hunters in general.† He paused again, choosing his words carefully. â€Å"Were such a person to be at large, certain signs would show up in the local occult community. Supplies would be bought, questions asked. Such beings do not go unnoticed.† Now I hesitated. Jerome had told us to be careful. I had the feeling he wouldn't appreciate any vigilante work, though speaking with Erik now probably counted as exactly that. Surely it wouldn't matter if I sent out my own feelers. Gathering information was not the same as me personally going out to find this person. â€Å"I'd appreciate that as well. Anything you could find out would be useful.† I finished the last of my tea and set the empty cup down. â€Å"I should probably leave now.† He rose with me. â€Å"Thank you for having tea with me.. Being with a woman like you is generally the sort of thing that only happens in a man's dreams.† I laughed gently at the veiled joke, referencing the old story of succubi visiting men in their sleep. â€Å"Your dreams are safe, Erik.† He returned my smile. â€Å"Come back in a few days, and I'll tell you what I've learned. We'll have tea again.† Glancing around at the empty store, thinking how no customers had shown up during our visit, I suddenly felt the need to give him some business. â€Å"Let me buy some of that tea before I go.† He gave me an indulgent look, his dark brown eyes amused like he knew the game I played. â€Å"I always took you for more of a black tea advocate – or at least an admirer of caffeine.† â€Å"Hey, even I like to shake things up once in a while. Besides, it was good†¦ in an herbal, decaffeinated sort of way.† â€Å"I'll pass your compliments on to my friend. She makes the blends, and I sell them for her.† â€Å"A lady friend, huh?† â€Å"Just a friend, Miss Kincaid.† He walked over to a shelf behind the register where several varieties of tea lay. Approaching the counter to pay, I admired some of the jewelry under its glass. One piece in particular caught my eye, a three-stranded choker of peach-colored, freshwater pearls, occasionally intermixed with copper beads or pieces of sea green glass. An ankh made of copper hung as its centerpiece. â€Å"Is this from another of your local artisans?† â€Å"An old friend in Tacoma made it.† Erik reached into the case and took the choker out for me, laying it on the counter. I ran my hands over the fine, smooth pearls, each one slightly irregular in shape. â€Å"He mixed some Egyptian influence in with it, I think, but he wanted to sort of invoke the spirit of Aphrodite and the sea, create something the ancient priestesses might have worn.† â€Å"They wore nothing so fine,† I murmured, turning over the necklace, noting the high price on its tag. I found myself speaking without conscious thought. â€Å"And many of the ancient Greek cities did have Egyptian influence. Ankhs appeared on Cyprian coins, as did Aphrodite.† Touching the copper of the ankh reminded me of another necklace, a necklace long since lost under the dust of time. That necklace had been simpler: only a string of beads etched with tiny ankhs. But my husband had brought it to me the morning of our wedding, sneaking up to our house just after dawn in a gesture uncharacteristically bold for him. I had chastised him for the indiscretion. â€Å"What are you doing? You're going to see me this afternoon†¦ and then every day after that!† â€Å"I had to give you these before the wedding.† He held up the string of beads. â€Å"They were my mother's. I want you to have them, to wear them today.† He leaned forward, placing the beads around my neck. As his fingers brushed my skin, I felt something warm and tingly run through my body. At the tender age of fifteen, I hadn't exactly understood such sensations, though I was eager to explore them. My wiser self today recognized them as the early stirrings of lust, and†¦ well, there had been something else there too. Something else that I still didn't quite comprehend. An electric connection, a feeling that we were bound into something bigger than ourselves. That our being together was inevitable. â€Å"There,† he'd said, once the beads were secure and my hair brushed back into place. â€Å"Perfect.† He said nothing else after that. He didn't need to. His eyes told me all I needed to know, and I shivered. Until Kyriakos, no man had ever given me a second glance. I was Marthanes ‘ too-tall daughter after all, the one with the sharp tongue who didn't think before speaking. (Shape-shifting would eventually take care of one of those problems but not the other.) But Kyriakos had always listened to me and watched me like I was someone more, someone tempting and desirable, like the beautiful priestesses of Aphrodite who still carried on their rituals away from the Christian priests. I wanted him to touch me then, not realizing just how much until I caught his hand suddenly and unexpectedly. Taking it, I placed it around my waist and pulled him to me. His eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull back. We were almost the same height, making it easy for his mouth to seek mine out in a crushing kiss. I leaned against the warm stone wall behind me so that I was pressed between it and him. I could feel every part of his body against mine, but we still weren't close enough. Not nearly enough. Our kissing grew more ardent, as though our lips alone might close whatever aching distance lay between us. I moved his hand again, this time to push up my skirt along the side of one leg. His hand stroked the smooth flesh there and, without further urging, slid over to my inner thigh. I arched my lower body toward his, nearly writhing against him now, needing him to touch me everywhere. â€Å"Letha? Where are you at?† My sister's voice carried over the wind; she wasn't nearby but was close enough to be here soon. Kyriakos and I broke apart, both gasping, pulses racing. He was looking at me like he'd never seen me before. Heat burned in his gaze. â€Å"Have you ever been with anyone before?† he asked won- deringly. I shook my head. â€Å"How did you†¦ I never imagined you doing that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I learn fast.† He grinned and pressed my hand to his lips. â€Å"Tonight,† he breathed. â€Å"Tonight we†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Tonight,† I agreed. He backed away then, eyes still smoldering. â€Å"I love you. You are my life.† â€Å"I love you too.† I smiled and watched him ago. A minute later, I heard my sister again. â€Å"Letha?† â€Å"Miss Kincaid?† Erik's voice snapped me out of the memory, and suddenly I was back in his store, away from my family's long-since crumbled home. I met his questioning eyes and held up the necklace. â€Å"I'll take this too.† â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† he said uncertainly, fingering the price tag. â€Å"The help I give you†¦ there's no need†¦ no cost†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know,† I assured him. â€Å"I know. Just add this to my bill. And ask your friend if he can make matching earrings.† I left the store wearing the choker, still thinking about that morning, what it had been like to be touched for the first time, touched only by someone I loved. I exhaled carefully and put it from my mind. Just like I had countless other times.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

The History of Gender Inequality - 1124 Words

Gender inequality has been the main focus for many centuries through the use of discrimination and oppression women were exploited. Where women had very little rights of their own or a voice in society but made many sacrifices to achieve equal rights whether it be in employment or other areas of inequality. As men were seen as masculine breadwinners and women as more feminine by looking after the family and raring of children. What is oppression and discrimination There has been a major development in women’s equal rights since the Equality Act 2010 was introduced that includes gender equality as one of the strands which states people under this act cannot discriminate or harass and victimise another individual( Ref). The gender pay gap between men and women has been on debate for many years. This essay will examine whether or not in this modern day society their still remain gender inequalities through the use of relevant theories this essay is determined to establish whether these inequalities still exist in employment by exploring social, biological and cultural explanations and differences between men and women. Why women are more likely to be discriminated and oppressed and how I can use this awareness to challenge and address gender inequalities in employment. 1 History At the time of First World War in 1914 restrictions were applied by men and benevolent contributors for the removal of female employment in industry. In 1841 men progressively eliminated femaleShow MoreRelatedGender Inequality Is A Grave Issue Throughout The History Of Time972 Words   |  4 PagesGender inequality is a grave issue throughout the history of time. 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