Economic Report on Housing Sector in Scotland Essay

Economic Report on Housing Sector in Scotland - Essay Example This paper is divided into three parts. Part A will present an analysis of the Scottish housing market for the first decade of the new millennium (2000-2010). It will look at the major factors affecting demand, supply, and price of housing units. In the process of analysis, it will also seek to determine whether the housing sector in Scotland is volatile or not and what are the reasons for this. Part B will go on to review specifics regarding the reasons for the ups and downs in the housing sector. Part C will differentiate between factors that are indigenous to Scotland and factors that may affect the whole of the UK housing sector. It will then end with recommendations to be implemented that when done, will hopefully reduce the volatility of the housing market in the UK in general and in Scotland in particular.  Ã‚  Available data shows that the average number of new housing units established per year in Scotland since the 1980s was 20,000 units; these have however peaked at 25,0 00 in 2007 and there has been a decline since then to around just 17,000 units in 2010. This decline was seen in the years 2009 and 2010. The average UK house price was  £163,244 at the end of 2010, with London being the most expensive region in the UK overall, and Edinburgh leading the price rise in Scotland.  Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire were areas that had recorded a housing demand growth of 4 percent over the year ending December 2010. These areas have benefitted from strong and stable economic opportunities.  

Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Essay Example for Free

Ethical and Socially Responsive Business Essay Chipotle Restaurant first opened its door in 1993 (www.chipotle.com) in Denver Colorado by Steve Ells. There are currently 1600 franchised restaurants in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom specializing in burritos and tacos. Careers range from accounting and management, information technology, cashiers and cooks. The success of any business, particularly the restaurant industry relies heavily on its code of ethics. Chipotle has an â€Å"open door† policy of which any of its employees who feel that any of its code of conducts is being violated are free to partake in. As the CEO of Chipotle, there are several key areas in Chipotle’s code of conduct significant to its success. Chipotle will do its best to protect the privacy of its employees who decide to partake in its open door policy. Some of those key areas relating to Chipotle’s code of conduct include: 1. Anti-Discrimination Policy- Chipotle believes that all of its employees should be treated with respect regardless to race, religion, national origin, disability, origin, gender, marital status or sexual orientation (ir.chipotle.com). The also applies to its hiring practices, as well as pay, performance reviews, training advancements and the ability to advance. 2. Sexual Harassment Policy- Chipotle strictly prohibits such behaviors posed upon any of its employees, male or female. Sexual harassment encourages intimidation and could lead to abuse of power. Chipotle defines sexual harassment as unwelcomed sexual advantages, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and nonverbal conducts sexual in nature. Examples of this type of behavior include verbal comments regarding physical body parts and jokes that are verbally offensive. 3. Discrimination Policy- Chipotle stands firm  this policy and includes discrimination of race, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, and any other discrimination practice and like the anti-discrimination, applies to its hiring practice, pay, performance reviews, training and the ability to advance (ir.chipotle.com). It is every employeeâ⠂¬â„¢s responsibility at Chipotles to ensure that each code of ethics is being carried out and any such violation must be reported. Every employee is expected to use good judgment and act reasonable and responsible and avoid potential conflicts that may interfere with the day to business of Chipotle. However, it is the responsibility of those in management to enforce the rules. As soon as management sees for them self or receives confidential information regarding any ethical violation, management should immediately respond to that violation by informing their immediate supervisor/ director. Behaviors such as sexual harassment and discrimination may be grounds for immediate dismissal. Chipotle will also take actions against management that fail to recognize any ethical violation upon its employees. There are several ways Chipotle can engage in socially responsible behavior within the communities they operate. This can be achieved by donating a portion of their profits to the communities they operate out of. An example would be Chipotle pledging to donate a percentage of all orders for carne burritos to the local community center. Chipotle can also help the communities they operate out of by offering each employee paid time off for agreeing to volunteer for specific tasks performed throughout the community. An example of employee volunteerism is offering all employees two hours paid time off per quarter for volunteering to assist with the grounds maintenance at the local elementary schools. Lastly, but not least is through the offer of employee incentives. Employees can receive bonuses for meetings the company’s goal for reducing energy costs for the quarter. References: http://ir.chipotle.com/phoenix.zhtml www.chipotle.com/en-us/company/about_us.aspx

Synesthesia and the Nature of Perception Essay example -- Biology Essa

Synesthesia and the Nature of Perception Although scientists do not fully understand the workings of the brain and perception, the basic concept seems fairly simple on an intuitive level. The brain interprets one set of stimuli in a specific way. Certain people with synesthesia, however, can experience a single stimulus in different ways. Are they naturally predisposed to hear red? Do these people have extra neural connections allowing them to taste green? Some scientists claim that all humans begin their lives as synaesthetes until they learn to differentiate their senses. It brings into question the nature of perception, and how the brain perceives reality. Synaesthetes experience "cross-modal" associations involuntarily, so that the feeling of one sense stimulates the sensations of another (1). Five features for clinical synesthesia exist (1): People with the rare condition of synesthesia experience it passively, but it requires a certain stimulus to elicit a response. The individual projects the sensations into his peri-personal space. The sensations do not change over time, and are generic, unelaborated sensory perceptions. In addition, the experiences are very memorable; one subject said that "he was merely a passive observer as the reminiscence unfolded itself" (1). Experiments with a single synesthetic subject show perfect consistency for colour descriptions of words, compared to a 17% consistency rate of a control subject with similar intelligence and memory levels (3). Not only did the subject seem genuine, based on her high level of consistency, but she gave far more detailed and vivid descriptions of the associated colours than the control subject. In a larger group of nine subjects, the consistency rate fo... ...until the brain learns to separate sensations. The source of the connections, the limbic brain, still serves as an emotional guide to the rational objective world, giving reality different perspective for each individual. Internet Sources 1)http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v2/psyche-2-10-cytowic.html, in Psyche 2)http://www.psychiatry.cam.ac.uk/isa/whatis.html, Overview on the ISA homepage 3)http://www.psychiatry.cam.ac.uk/isa/expinv.html, Experiments on the ISA website 4) http://www.ozemail.com.au/~ddiamond/synth.html,paper on Synesthesia 5)http://psyche.cs.monash.edu.au/v2/psyche-2-27-baron_cohen.html, in Psyche 6)http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9511/synesthesia/, article on CNN 7)http://www.ad-i.com/viral/what/synes2.html, paper by Kamel 8)http://www.healthlink.usa/synesthesia.html,health information about synesthesia from Healthlink

Fiji Water

Introduction FIJI Water LLC is a U. S. based company, that market its famous brand in more than a dozen countries out of its bottling plant located in the Fiji Islands. The product concept was developed in the early nineties by David Gilmour, the Canadian-born owner and founder of Fiji’s renowned Wakaya Island Resort. 1 As of 2008, FIJI Water marketed its bottled mineral water in about a dozen countries in North America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It was marketed as FIJI Natural Mineral Water in Europe and as FIJI Natural Spring Water in Australia.The two main markets for the product were the United States and Australia. At the same time, the company’s relationships with the Fiji government were at the lowest point. The government accused FIJI Water of transfer price manipulations and seized hundreds of containers carrying FIJI brand. The company’s tax- free concession granted by the Fiji government for 13 years in 1995came to an end in October 2008 and th e company will be required to pay corporate tax in Fiji. The new water resource tax, although much lower than the draconian 20-cents-a-litre excise, still will adding about FIJI$1 million to its cost every year.In other hand, the company was making efforts to live up to its good corporate citizenship claim by focusing on its contributions to the local communities. In the following report you will find my selected analysis of the FIJI Water Case Study. I have chosen to respond to Question 2: What factors contributed to the marketing success of FIJI Water? And Question 5: Are the FIJI government's concerns about the â€Å"negative† contribution of the FIJI Water to the local environment justified?Does the company do enough to improve its relations with the FIJI government and the local community? What else should it do to improve those relations? What factors contributed to the marketing success of FIJI Water? 1 James McMaster and Jan Nowak, â€Å"Natural Waters of Viti Limite d-Pioneering a New Industry in the Fiji Islands,† Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management, 9:2,2003 (Special Edition on Management Case). FIJI Water’s International Market Expansion FIJI Water global trends in bottled water consumption and demand were very important.Since more than 90 per cent of all the FIJI Water was exported, the sales of FIJI Water in the domestic market were very small. In 2007, Eurpoe and North America were the biggest regional markets for bottled water, accounting for 30. 9 and 30. 7 per cent of the world’s sales volume, respectively. Asia accounted for 24. 3 per cent and the rest of the world accounted for 14. 1 per cent. 2 FIJI Water had made its strategy revolve around capturing international market opportunities and strongly positioning the brand in large and growing markets for bottled water.Conquering the U. S. Market The United States is the very first and important international market that FIJI Water launch ed. Due to its light mineralization, FIJI Water was characterized by a smooth taste and no aftertaste. The light mineralization also gave the water a clean, pure taste. Many U. S. consumers instantly liked the taste of the water and, having tried it, repurchased the product in preference to the more mineralized waters. Also the company continued to educate the consumer about main advantages over other bottled water brands. 3The successful marketing equation plays an important role in the product content. One of the important elements was packaging. The packaging is the first thing that comes to the customer’s eye. For many years, all bottles containing natural water were the same—round, with paper labels. Packaging, one of the most fundamental ways to differentiate a product, was not used as such a toll in bottled water markets. Over the last decade, both companies and consumers had discovered the power of packaging in bottled water brand positioning and imagery.Simila rly to packaging, FIJI Water’s price was higher than that of most brands offered to U. S. consumer; people all believe that a premium-price policy reinforced the product’s high-quality image. Another important factor that had contributed to FIJI Water’s success in the U. S. market was its distribution. Having good distributors was important in that it enabled the brand to be well placed in and readily available to the market. Building an image of the high quality, uniqueness and class of the product was another aspect of this successful marketing campaign.The successful launch of FIJI Water in the United States was attributed to a skilful marketing strategy and the high quality of the people who drove the initial marketing campaign. 4 The company made people believes that FIJI Water was much more than just pure, good-testing liquid; it was also a promise of good health, refinement, status, and exclusivity. It evoked images of unspoiled natural beauty and purity. It was a tropical paradise captured in a bottle. 2 â€Å"The Global Bottled Water Market. Report 2007,† Beverage Marketing Corporation, January 2008. www. fijiwater. com. 4 Paul Yavala, â€Å"Fiji Water Travels,† The Fiji Times, November 2000, P. 4. Relations with the FIJI Government The â€Å"negative† contribution to the local environment—Tax Issues Fiji Water appeared to provide little direct benefits to government revenue because of the tax-free status granted by earlier governments The success of FIJI Water was very evident to all citizens of Fiji as they observed the large number of trucks transporting containers of bottled water to the ports of Lautoka and Suva using the Queens highway.One could argue that the damage caused to the national roads and bridges by the huge number of heavily laden trucks carrying FIJI Water might have exceeded the road and fuel tax, and that the citizens of Fiji were subsidizing FIJI Water. Based on FIJI Water’s export levels, the new export tax would result in the company paying many millions to the government coffers. In 2006, FIJI Water exported 119,000,000 litres of bottled water to the United States. Appling a tax of 20-cents-per-litre, FIJI Water will be paying the government FJ$24 million just for its exports to one market. FIJI Water and the nine other companies immediately mounted a campaign against the new tax. They first threatened to cease production and to lay workers off. They argued that this sudden decision by the Cabinet was made without thorough analysis of the economic costs and benefits. They also pointed out that it would undermine the government’s economic development strategy that was based on increasing the level of investment and export-oriented growth. A critical issue was the likely impact of this new tax on both foreign and local investment.Behind the scenes, the bottlers were very active in seeking the support of the media and key decision makers, trade unions, village leaders and local chiefs as well as lobbying interim ministers and members of the Military Council. On July25, 2008, the Fiji government made an announcement that it had decided to drop the new tax. Immediately after the announcement of the repeal of the tax, the major bottled water-exporting companies resumed production and re-employed the hundreds of workers who had been laid off. 0 In November 2008, the Fiji government re-introduced the disputed water tax as part of the 2009 budget in a different form. It was called â€Å"water resource tax† and was progressive depending on the amount of water extracted. FIJI Water’s tax-free concession granted by the Fiji government for 13 years in 1995 came to an end in October 2008, and the company will be required to pay corporate tax in Fiji. The new water resource tax, although, much lower than the draconian 20-cents-a-litre excise, is nevertheless likely to erode the company’s profitability by adding ab out FJ$1 million to its costs every year.This is expected to coincide with a slow-down of growth or even stagnation of FIJI Water sales in its main markets due to the global recession. 5 FIRCA Press Release, July 21,2008, www,frca,org,fj/docs/firca/press_release/Press Release 21. 07. pdf Transfer Pricing In January 2008, the government became concerned that FIJI Water was engaging in transfer price manipulations, selling the water shipments produced in Fiji at a very low price to the company headquarters in Los Angeles.A press release by FIRCA, issued in January 2008, noted that FIJI Water had received advice from international law firm Baker ; McKenzie, which conducted an economic study on transfer pricing and declared what the company was doing in Fiji was fair. FIRCA rejected the claim by stating that: â€Å"FIRCA will not passively accept the verdict of Baker ; McKenzie without itself having access to the information on which same is based, and to the instructions on which same is based, and without the opportunity to conduct its own transfer pricing study based on such matters and upon the profitability of Natural Waters of Viti Limited. 6 Relations with the local community Establishing and maintaining good relations with the five neighboring Fijian villages that were the traditional landowners of the Yaqara basin, where the bottling plant was located is very important. FIJI Water had established an excellent work environment with good interpersonal relationships among the workforce. In other hand the company also supported children’s education, provided the pre-schools with equipment, educational material, teacher training and other support.In March 2002, the company voluntarily established an independently administrated community development trust fund and allocated FJ$275,000 to it. The Trust provided founds for developing the infrastructure, expertise and skills needed to supply clean, safe and sustainable water to more than 100 communities, s chools, health centers and nursing stations throughout Fiji. 7 Maintaining good relations with the Fiji government will be vital. A series of ads sponsored by FIJI Water, placed in the popular daily Fiji Times in late 2008 and early 2009, was focused on letting the public and the overnment knows how good a corporate citizen the company is. The ads highlighted FIJI Water’s contribution to creating new jobs, improving education and raising standards of living in Fiji. FIJI Water was making efforts to live up to its good corporate citizenship claim. But is it enough to dispel government officials’ and ordinary citizens’ doubts about FIJI Water’s positive contribution to the local economy and community? 6 â€Å"Press Release,† Fiji Islands Revenue ; Customs Authority, January 11, 2008, p. 3. 7 www. fijiwater. com

Siddhartha Climax Apotheosis and Ultimate Boon

The climax of a novel or another literary work, such as a play, can be defined as the turning point at which the conflict begins to resolve itself for better or worse. The climax of Siddhartha occurs in the chapter entitled â€Å"By the River,† when Siddhartha hears the word Om while standing at the river as he considers drowning himself. This mystical sound heartens him, restoring his will to live. The moment represents a turning point that eventually leads to his achievement of nirvana. One day Siddhartha’s pain becomes too much and Siddhartha sets off in a desperate search of his son, but stops as he hears the river laughing at him. He looks into the river, sees his own father whom he had left, and turns back, concluding that â€Å"everything that was not suffered to the end and finally concluded, recurred, and the same sorrows were undergone†. Returning to his hut, Siddhartha tells Vasuveda all of this, but as he does, Siddhartha notices a remarkable change in the old man. After listening to Siddhartha, Vasuveda leads Siddhartha back to the river, telling him to listen deeply. At first Siddhartha hears only the voices of sorrow, but these voices are soon joined by voices of joy, and at last all the voices are under the great sound of â€Å"Om. Realizing the unity of these voices, Siddhartha's pain fades away and â€Å"his Self had merged into unity†. He has at last found salvation. Recognizing his friend's achievement, Vasuveda departs into the woods to die, thereby joining the unity he had helped Siddhartha find at last. Siddhartha realizes the unity of all things in the world which is the apoth eosis of the novel. The ferryman is a guide for both the river and the path to enlightenment. The ferryman is positioned between ordinary world and enlightenment, and those who seek enlightenment and are open to guidance will find what they need within the ferryman. The ferryman, however, shows Siddhartha how to find enlightenment within himself. The first time Vasudeva meets Siddhartha, Siddhartha wants only to cross the river, and that is all Vasudeva helps him do. Vasudeva is not a teacher who will simply tell Siddhartha what he should know, but a guide who will lead him where he wishes to go. Years later, Siddhartha searches for knowledge from the river itself, and Vasudeva guides him in his attempts to hear what the river has to say. Siddhartha himself becomes a ferryman after he achieved his goal of attaining nirvana.

Jahind Davis 7-4 Essays - Boxing, Sports, Free Essays, Term Papers

Jahind Davis 7-4 Essays - Boxing, Sports, Free Essays, Term Papers Jahind Davis 7-4 March 6th.2017 Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) [pic] Born to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay on January 17th , 1942, Louisville Kentucky Muhammad Ali became one of the most influential black sports figure in history. During his early childhood he endured one specific event in which, in 1953 the red & white Schwinn was stolen. He quoted that ,"I'm gonna whup whoever stole my bike. So naturally he went and reported it to fellow police officer,Joe martin. Luckily enough on it's own it had sparked an idea for Joe Martin to undergo teaching him how to box for a total of 6 years.After graduating Louisville Central High school in 1958, 376 out of 391 his compassion of boxing became even more noticeable. After that the sessions went on, and Joe had noticed his admiration for it so it had pulled more of his work ethic and determination along with his Amateur tittles. So he fought all the way to the 1960 Olympics. Where from there had shot him to the greatest match yet. His first professional match, so in October 29th,1960 he played his first match against Tunney Hunsaker So Ali's reaching of 178 cm a rather fierce intimidating figure had became a deterrent. After a egregious bloodied 6 round match Ali won in an unanimous decision. Outside the ring he was vocal about some of his views and opinions on some of the current problems facing the majority of blacks or African Americans at the time being. Albeit he didn't experience the same problems to a draconian degree that most Blacks suffered, but he found a way to do so through using his popularity. He stated that "I know i got it made while other black folks are out there catching hell, but as long as they ain't free, i ain't free." Also to embellish on this statement in 1964 he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, Muhammad meaning "The one worthy of praise." He further stated that he changed it because it was a slave name. Which of course at the time influence blacks to do things to lessen the oppression by whites at the time. Along with this he joined The NOI or Nation Of Islam, a religious following that fuses Black Nationalism and Sunni part of Islam. So on May 25,1965 Ali had won a bout to the beforehand unbeatable at the time to Sonny Liston(1930-1972), so during that match Ali had won dominantly towards the 6th round carrying on to the 7th round. So after that he had won the title of World Heavyweight Champion. Outside the ring he done something that had put everything including his career on the line. But before here is a time line of the military and him. In 1964 Ali had failed the USAF qualifying test because he wasn't versatile with reading and writing. So with the rising of the infamous Vietnam War(1959-1975),the government needed more soldiers to use for battle so test standards were lowered so more people who weren't educated which was 2.4 percent based on the NAAL (National Association of Adult Literacy) allowed for Ali to be qualified again. So in 1965 that caused for Ali to be reclassified as an 1-A in February of 1966. This casted a new status, eligiable to be drafted and an inducted into the United States Armed Forces. Of course his teachings at the NOI meetings had really taught him a lot about the world around him.. So when he was alerted by this he stood his ground and declared he wasn't going to serve in the army. He stated that he was taught by the honorable Elijah Muhammad(October 7th,1987-February 25th,1875) that,"War is against the teachings of the holy Qu'ran.I'm not trying to dodge the draft.We are not supposed to take part in no war execpt for when Allah or The messenger. We dont take part in Christian wars or any unbelievers." Also he stated in an interview that,"My concious wont let me go shoot my brother or some darker people or some poor hungry people who live in the mud for big powerful America and for what?!, They never called me a nigger or

LinkedIn + Microsofts Resume Assistant Friend or Foe

LinkedIn + Microsofts Resume Assistant Friend or Foe The biggest conversation about LinkedIn nowadays seems to be about the perils of Resume Assistant, a child of LinkedIn and Microsoft’s recent marriage. LinkedIn touts Resume Assistant as an integration between LinkedIn and Microsoft Word that will help you accurately reflect who you are and what you’ve done, in a way that is tailored to the role you’re aspiring to. But is it all that? What is Resume Assistant? According to Rock Your Resume With Resume Assistant From LinkedIn + Microsoft, this is how Resume Assistant works: If you are a Microsoft 365 subscriber, you can open Resume Assistant from the Review tab in Word. You can then enter a position and industry, and Resume Assistant will pull information from millions of people’s public profiles on LinkedIn that match that position and industry. You can then use the examples to inspire your own resume content and â€Å"make sure you stand out from the crowd.† LinkedIn claims, â€Å"Ditch the one-size-fits-all resume†¦ Resume Assistant provides the top skills other professionals in your desired role and industry have, as well as job requirements from real job postings. You can then think about how your applicable skills can be transferable for the role you want, then tailor your resume to fit that role.† All this sounds too good to be true. It requires users to think hard on their own, resist the temptation of copying and pasting, and basically write their own resume. I’m not sure it will make resume writing easier for anyone who does it right. Perhaps it will provide some valuable research, but beyond that, I’m not clear on its usefulness. Is Resume Assistant Evil? One of the most vocal opponents of Resume Assistant is Donna Serdula, who claims LinkedIn is committing â€Å"Profile Plagiarism.† I don’t know about that. Certainly a diligent person can do their own search for people with their position title, and model their profile or resume off someone else’s. My understanding is that what Resume Assistant does is crunch numbers so you get a more accurate picture of what skills are the most important to include in your profile. It seems to me that Resume Assistant is streamlining a process, not committing plagiarism. What is disturbing to me, and to Donna, is that LinkedIn and Microsoft have failed to inform LinkedIn members that Resume Assistant will pull information from your profile unless you opt out. Even if all the information is from your public profile and your name is not attached to it, making people’s profiles automatically available for scanning is a bit sneaky, if you ask me. Here’s how to opt out of the Resume Assistant so your information is kept out of people’s hands who are using the program. Note that if your profile is public, resourceful folks could still find your profile and â€Å"flatter† you with imitation. Click on your profile image thumbnail in the upper right corner. From the drop-down menu, select Settings Privacy. On the Privacy tab, scroll down to Data privacy and advertising, and under Microsoft Word, flip the switch to No. Or,  follow this link. I’m choosing for now to keep my information public and available to Resume Assistant. At least I know I’ll be contributing quality material to those who need it. How Does Resume Assistant Really Work? Unfortunately, at this time, I am not able to tell you exactly how Resume Assistant works. I had to go to Microsoft’s article, Write your best resume in Word with help from LinkedIn in Resume Assistant, to figure out that it’s supposed to show up under my Review tab in Microsoft Word. Microsoft provides a bit of practical information, including how to opt out of having your information used. None of the information I could find on LinkedIn actually explains how to start using it. I’m hoping that will change soon. One big question that remains for me is about the quality of information that shows up on Resume Assistant. Believe me, I’ll be testing it out as soon as that option appears in my version of Word! I’m concerned that low-quality information could steer people in the wrong direction as they’re writing their resumes. There might be something I’m not aware of, but I would not want to take just anyone’s profile in my industry and model my resume after it. I can’t emphasize enough that someone else’s achievements are samples only! If you imitate their achievements exactly, you are either committing plagiarism or you have some work to do in distinguishing yourself in your career. Will You Use Microsoft’s Resume Assistant? While Resume Assistant seems like a marketing ploy to get people to subscribe to Office 365, for me, the jury is still out on whether might actually have true value. I hope you’ll test it out if it’s available to you and you’re looking for ways to improve your resume. Perhaps it will be the resume writers’ new favorite tool! I look forward to sharing more as the opportunity to use Resume Assistant becomes a reality. If youd like to have your resume professionally crafted by a certified resume writer from The Essay Expert,  use our web contact form  to send us your current resume and LinkedIn profile URL, and well connect to discuss your needs further.

Beatrixs Act Two Monologue from Promedy

Beatrixs Act Two Monologue from Promedy This comedic monologue is from Promedy, a teenage comedy about the senior prom, written by Wade Bradford. This monologue can be used as practice material for a performer, or as a monologue to use at an audition. It is also appropriate as a classroom exercise for drama students, especially for high school classes. Context of the Promedy Monologue In this scene, Beatrix confronts Dante, an arrogant drama-geek who has been chasing after the girl of his dreams since kindergarten, the lovely cheerleader, Kay Nordstrom. But once Kay finally falls for Dante, he freaks out and tries to run away. Fortunately, his friend and rival Beatrix talks some sense into him. BEATRIX: Hold it right there, Dante! I’ve watched you do this all your life, from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. But it’s not going to happen tonight. Don’t look at me like that, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Remember first grade? The lunchroom. You’re walking around begging for a chocolate chip cookie. â€Å"Oh, I’m little Dante and I’m so sad. My mommy packed nothing but veggies. Oh, I wish I had a cookie. Oh if only!† Here, Dante, I said kindly, here’s a chocolate chip cookie, and what did you say? I’m not hungry. Flash forward. Third grade, playground. It’s the game of tag. You’re it. A hundred kids are running around and you can’t catch a single one. You’re desperate, you’re panting, you’re crying for someone to slow down so that you don’t have to be it anymore. So, feeling sorry for you, because I’m an idiot, I walk right up and say, â€Å"Here Dante, I’ll be it. You can tag me.† And you say? I don’t want to tag you. That’s too easy. Whatever you can’t have, that’s what you want. That’s why you’ve said you were in love with Kay all these years. You knew, deep down that, she would never return your affection. And that made things easy and safe. Every time she ignored you, that meant that you’d never have to feel anything real. You’d never have to know what it’s like to have someone who wants to be with you, which meant that you could always be alone. But is that what you want, Dante? Look at her. You’ve been chasing Kay like she was some sort of dream. Well†¦don’t you want it to come true? Wait, why are you looking at me like that? Exploring the Monologue Beatrix is a senior in high school who has a romantic vision of the senior prom as a special event in life that should not be missed. However, the prom is canceled and she must find a way to revive it or risk losing out on this rite of passage. In this monologue, she shows a degree of maturity in understanding Dantes habit of only pursuing desires he cannot fulfill. Once they are possible, he abandons them. The performer can choose how sarcastic and mocking to be in delivering the lines. It can be played with a mix of genuine affection for Dante as a friend as well as the need to tell him the hard truth about his behavior. Promedy is published by Eldridge Plays.

Healthy eating in young people 13 to 19, Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthy eating in young people 13 to 19, - Essay Example Actually unhealthy eating patterns are associated with the leading causes of death due to coronary heart disease (CHD), cancer, stroke, and type-2 diabetes. Nutritional factors also are linked to osteoporosis, and are the major fundamental cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women and elderly people. Various nutritional factors are included in correlation between nutrition and health. The main concern is that consumption of more saturated fat and less consumption of vegetables, fruits, and grain products that are high in vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, that are significant to good health (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). Healthy eating add to an overall sense of well-being, and is the basis in the prevention of various conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, and asthma. Particularly for children and young people, healthy eating is important for the prevention of the above degenerative diseases, healthy growth and cognitive development. Eating habits cultivated during this period are likely to be continued into adulthood, emphasize the importance of encouraging healthy eating practice. It is recommend consumption of at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, reduced intakes of saturated fat and salt and increased consumption of complex carbohydrates. However, the average consumption of fruit and vegetables in the UK is only about three portions a day. Recent studies show that an alarming numbers of obese and overweight children and young people are on the rise. To tackle the ‘epidemic’ of obesity an effective health promotion policy is essential (Shepherd, et al. 2005). The food with nutritional value is one of the key factors influencing health. If people eat healthily, they can stay away from many preventable diseases and can live long. Many countries have started to promote healthier eating, and are concerned about the fast-food

Study Guide Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Study Guide - Coursework Example His music was mainly politically focused thus being referred to as King of Blues. I agree with Peter Wald, that Josh White had become a leading top blind blue singer in the 1920s, and the first young man to stir a competition in the race record market (Wald 75). During the period of 1920, Josh White was considered the most popular blue stars and could not even be compared to Robert Johnson. Later on in 1930s, he discovered the notorious New York public which occasionally appeared alongside his jazz band making it become popular in the folk world as many of his counterparts referred to him as Mr. Folk. Amidst, all these Josh White struggled to maintain a balance that will keep his career afloat by making a declaration that his main purpose was to unite the communist. In conclusion, Josh White’s outspoken stance on civil rights issues were greatly manifested during the folk revival. This accorded him the opportunity to be renowned as the most popular folksinger enabling him performs in such events like the Martin Luther King’s promotion at glory (Wald

H.H. Holmes Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

H.H. Holmes - Case Study Example The second floor of the castle consisted of sinister guest rooms equipped with trap doors, peepholes, chutes leading to the basement, and moving walls. The chutes led to either a vat of quicklime or acid, or to the incinerator. The rooms were fire resistant padded with asbestos lining (Larson 4). Holmes is known to have committed most of the murders he allegedly was responsible for in the hotel. It was confirmed that Holmes actually committed four murders while he made confession of having committed twenty-seven. It is speculated that he may have committed as many as two hundred murders. Some of his victims were taken from the World’s Fair, which took place about two miles away from his hotel. Holmes is reported to have killed his victims either by pumping poisonous gas into the rooms as guests slept or by poisoning them with chloroform after sneaking into their rooms through the trap doors as they slept. He disposed the bodies by carrying them to the chutes. Apart from the gu est rooms, the Castle had a torture room equipped with an elasticity determinator, which he used to stretch his victims to death (Schechter 13). In a jewelry store on the first floor of the castle, Holmes employed a man as the manager. According to Ramsland, the man had a wife, about six feet tall. She ended up having an affair with Holmes that led to divorce from her husband. She later got pregnant and was convinced by Holmes to have an abortion. Holmes offered to perform the abortion. Later on, Holmes sold a six-foot tall skeleton of a woman for $200 to Hahnemann Medical College. In another incident, a woman named Emmaline Cigrand fell in love with Holmes. They arranged for a marriage; however, Holmes suffocated her to death in a vault, in the Castle, on the day the marriage ceremony was expected to take place (Schechter 37). After a case of murder that had occurred in Philadelphia in 1894 was discovered, the case of Holmes started developing. The police were informed of a scam th at had recently occurred by Marion Hedgepeth, who had once shared a cell with a man named H. M. Howard, and had given Howard the name of an attorney to assist in committing an insurance fraud. The scam involved another man called Benjamin Pitezel, who was assisted by Holmes to get a $10000 life insurance cover from Fidelity Mutual Association in Chicago; and would later fake his own death in an explosion in the laboratory in order to claim insurance compensation. Holmes had informed Pitezel that they would use a cadaver to fake the death. Holmes tricked his accomplice into heavy drinking before soaking him in benzene and burning him to death. He then extinguished the fire and poured chloroform into the stomach of Pitezel’s body. Holmes then altered the scene to create an impression that the death had been caused by an accidental explosion (Geyer 63). In order to collect the money from insurance compensation, there was required a family member to identify the body. Since Pitez el’s wife was sick, Holmes took his daughter for the task. Pitezel’s wife was unaware of her husband’s death. The money was to be shared among several participants in the scam, including Hedgepeth, but Howard schemed and made off with the money. A detailed letter written by Hedgepeth about the scam was passed on to the insurance company, where it was realized that the Howard in question was actually Holmes. Hedgepeth offered the

Super Prison Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Super Prison Project Management - Essay Example The act of imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty possibly imposed by the state for a crime committed. The history of prisons dates back to the Biblical history of Joseph in Egypt. However, it began in the 19th century in Britain and has advanced to most countries in the World. In England and Wales, the history of prisons has been that prisoners are assigned security classes when sentenced, while all prisons are provided with specific security classifications depending on the prisoners’ types and numbers recommended (Alexander M., 2012). For instance, the classifications were into category A, B, C, and D. i. Category A: Meant for those whose escape from the prisons would most likely endanger the public and national security. ii. Category B: those of no serious/ maximum security needs, however for those who needed to be highly bared from escaping the prisons. iii. Category C: convicts who own no trust from the prison administrations in case they are left in the open c onditions, but are unlikely to make any escape attempts (Carlson M. and Garrett S, 1999). iv. Category D: convicts who can be reasonably trusted not to make any attempts of escaping from the prisons, and are hence provided with the privilege of an open prison. Such prisoners are subject to approval by the prison administrations and given Release On Temporary License to be able to work outside the prison and or leave for home upon passing their Full License Eligibility Date, which is usually a quarter of any sentence period (Ayers E. L., 1984). Super prison project is entitled to include among other things: religious facilities housing chaplaincy officers and other facilities for counseling; education facilities including library, with provision of adult education and continuing education opportunities; health facility; an exercise yard; a sally port; a segregation unit; a unit for vulnerable prisoners; safe cells; visiting area; a death raw; staff accommodation area; support facilit ies area; agriculture or industrial plant run with the convicts’ labor; a recreational area; and an administration area for prison management (Diiulio J., 1990). 2. Work Breakdown Structure This is a representation of the stakeholders’ roles in diagrammatic format (Harrison F. and Dennis L., 2004). Project management as a discipline involves planning, motivating, organizing and controlling the available resources so as to attain a specific goal; in this case the construction of the Super Prison (Young-Hoon Kwak, 2005). The stakeholders will therefore the managers of each department assigned to them. 3. Stakeholders A stakeholder is anyone involved in a project for the purpose of successful implementation of the project’s strategies. Effective implementation of this project requires composition of stakeholders who will be charged with the responsibility of foreseeing and supervising each and every activity that are undertaken (Dennis L., 2007). A number of stakeh olders, each assigned specific duties will have to demonstrate their potential in undertaking the proposed functions schedule for each rank in the project management. The stake holders will include: a. Executive Sponsor The Executive Sponsor of this Super Prison development and implementation project will be the government of England, and will have the responsibilities of: owning the project and funding it directly; being responsible for the project’s benefits; providing recommended resources and key Implementation Officers to the project in a timely manner; working very closely with the Project manager to deliver the expected benefits; chairing of the Steering Committee in case called upon; approving project initiation plan, statement of project scope, project plan, and any other changes to the set plan, scope or benefits;

Health and Safety in the Construction Industry Term Paper

Health and Safety in the Construction Industry - Term Paper Example The National Audit Office report established, among other things, that the accident rate in the United Kingdom was one of the lowest in the European Union.   In 2002-2003, 226 workers were fatally injured, and about 70% of these were construction workers; about 4000 construction workers suffered minor injuries, and health records indicated that musculoskeletal diseases were prevalent among the workers.   These numbers are very alarming.   They imply that there are not enough safety precautions in place to prevent injuries and to ensure the safety of these construction workers.   The statement of the NAO in their report stressed that those creating the health risks are also legally responsible for controlling and managing such risk.   The report goes on to say that everybody has to safeguard his own safety and the safety of those affected by their work.   These statements imply that those who create the risk and those who are exposed to the risk bear the responsibility of keeping each other safe.   The report was able to establish that many stakeholders in the construction industry are not aware of their responsibilities in the industry.   And this lack of knowledge and lack of awareness is impacting greatly on the health and safety performance of stakeholders involved.   The report cites that some public sector agencies are sometimes too preoccupied and are more concerned with getting the lowest possible price for various construction projects and that they ignore the whole life costs and the health and safety of the workers who will later be invol ved in the project.   Many designers also are not aware of their responsibilities, and some of them actually think that they do not have any duties or responsibilities towards their employees.   These beliefs are very dangerous in the construction industry.   They place construction workers in a position that exposes them to serious injuries and possibly unfortunate fatalities.   The NAO report serves as a warning, an eye-opener for all the stakeholders in the construction industry. There are various cases of violations of the Health and Safety Act as far as the construction industry is concerned.  

Super Prison Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Super Prison Project Management - Essay Example The act of imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty possibly imposed by the state for a crime committed. The history of prisons dates back to the Biblical history of Joseph in Egypt. However, it began in the 19th century in Britain and has advanced to most countries in the World. In England and Wales, the history of prisons has been that prisoners are assigned security classes when sentenced, while all prisons are provided with specific security classifications depending on the prisoners’ types and numbers recommended (Alexander M., 2012). For instance, the classifications were into category A, B, C, and D. i. Category A: Meant for those whose escape from the prisons would most likely endanger the public and national security. ii. Category B: those of no serious/ maximum security needs, however for those who needed to be highly bared from escaping the prisons. iii. Category C: convicts who own no trust from the prison administrations in case they are left in the open c onditions, but are unlikely to make any escape attempts (Carlson M. and Garrett S, 1999). iv. Category D: convicts who can be reasonably trusted not to make any attempts of escaping from the prisons, and are hence provided with the privilege of an open prison. Such prisoners are subject to approval by the prison administrations and given Release On Temporary License to be able to work outside the prison and or leave for home upon passing their Full License Eligibility Date, which is usually a quarter of any sentence period (Ayers E. L., 1984). Super prison project is entitled to include among other things: religious facilities housing chaplaincy officers and other facilities for counseling; education facilities including library, with provision of adult education and continuing education opportunities; health facility; an exercise yard; a sally port; a segregation unit; a unit for vulnerable prisoners; safe cells; visiting area; a death raw; staff accommodation area; support facilit ies area; agriculture or industrial plant run with the convicts’ labor; a recreational area; and an administration area for prison management (Diiulio J., 1990). 2. Work Breakdown Structure This is a representation of the stakeholders’ roles in diagrammatic format (Harrison F. and Dennis L., 2004). Project management as a discipline involves planning, motivating, organizing and controlling the available resources so as to attain a specific goal; in this case the construction of the Super Prison (Young-Hoon Kwak, 2005). The stakeholders will therefore the managers of each department assigned to them. 3. Stakeholders A stakeholder is anyone involved in a project for the purpose of successful implementation of the project’s strategies. Effective implementation of this project requires composition of stakeholders who will be charged with the responsibility of foreseeing and supervising each and every activity that are undertaken (Dennis L., 2007). A number of stakeh olders, each assigned specific duties will have to demonstrate their potential in undertaking the proposed functions schedule for each rank in the project management. The stake holders will include: a. Executive Sponsor The Executive Sponsor of this Super Prison development and implementation project will be the government of England, and will have the responsibilities of: owning the project and funding it directly; being responsible for the project’s benefits; providing recommended resources and key Implementation Officers to the project in a timely manner; working very closely with the Project manager to deliver the expected benefits; chairing of the Steering Committee in case called upon; approving project initiation plan, statement of project scope, project plan, and any other changes to the set plan, scope or benefits;

Demand and suppy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Demand and suppy - Essay Example With regard to the case assignment reading i.e. "What is Driving Oil Prices?" by Richard G. Anderson and Jason J. Buol, it is observed that in the period of August 2004, according to the observation of the International Energy Agency, global oil demand had been rising faster in comparison with any other phase in the previous 16 years. A key reason behind such hike in demand is the quick economic expansion of a number of nations in particular China. Moreover, China had accounted for around 40% of the demand growth regarding global oil production in the period of early 2000s and this demand had been expected to augment rapidly. With regard to supply, it can be said that issues such as political conflicts in nations like Iraq and Venezuela have had a major effect on the fluctuation of oil prices. Contextually, as per the assessment made, it is determined that factors such as enhanced speculation can be a major aspect in affecting oil prices (Anderson and Buol, "What is Driving Oil Price s?"). Both the demand & supply of oil are comparatively inflexible in the short run period. Changes in price have modest impact on either the ‘quantity supplied’ or the ‘quantity demanded’. ... Meanwhile as the quantities demanded as well as supplied change very less as the prices rise & fall, both the curves are reasonably vertical as shown below: Figure 1: Elasticity and Prices Source: (Stonebraker, â€Å"Demand and Supply Applied: Oil Prices†) Due to the reason that quantities are reasonably fixed in the short run period, any alteration in supply or demand will bring about considerable extent of changes in price. For example, if it is assumed that supply has fallen, the reduced supply generates a short-term shortage that will begin to boost price. If demand is elastic, only a small hike in price will be needed to get consumers to cut their purchases to as much as necessary in order to meet the new lowered output. Nonetheless, in the oil industry if demand is inelastic, it will assume a much greater price escalation to create the required reduction in quantity necessitated (Stonebraker, â€Å"Demand and Supply Applied: Oil Prices†). 2a. EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENS TO QUANTITY OF OIL DEMANDED WHEN THE PRICE OF OIL DECREASES, ASSUMING THAT THE SUPPLY DOESN’T CHANGE. Quantity demanded generally refers to a definite amount that will be demanded each unit of related time at a specific price, if other aspects remain fixed. Market equilibrium is a condition where demand and supply for a certain product matches. The price and quantity only remains fixed at the point of interaction of the demand and supply curve. In accordance with the question, it can be stated that if the price of oil falls then the quantity of oil demanded will definitely surge as oil is a price sensitive product and its demand stands always higher. In terms of movement of curve, it can be said that the curve will shift to the right. The effect of the above

Ethical issues Essay Example for Free

Ethical issues Essay Code of ethics for education defines the professional behavior of educator and serves as a guide to ensure there is ethical conduct. Professional standards commission came up with standards that give guidance as far as conducts that are general accepted in education profession. For this case, there is assurance of protection of safety, health and general welfare of teachers and students to ensure some degree of accountability within the education profession and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary action. Educators ought to uphold ethics such as moral sensitivity, moral judgment, moral motivation and moral character among others wile working. Ethical standards are set such as criminal acts, abuse of students, alcohol or drugs, misinterpretation, public fund and property mismanagement and improper remunerative conduct among others (Code of ethics for Educators, 1999) How is it then possible for a teacher, who has been trusted with the welfare of children, dare think, for a moment to have a sexual relationship with a student? Well, here is a case study in Leewicks High School in America. English teacher charged with having affair with student, February 1998 English teacher, Mary (not real name), 35 years old was charged with criminal sexual exploitation and having a sexual and romantic affair with a minor 16 year old boy. She admitted having sex with the boy. Suspicions were raised about the affaire when people saw them together cuddling and holding hands away from the school. Another teacher, Mrs.  Shael (not real name) also found a hand written note with the student’s initials on Mary’s desk. There was also a piece of paper with a list of things she wanted to do which included dinner out and â€Å"great sex! † Police said they seized letters in which Mary wrote. She was upset that the boy wanted to breakup the relationship. The boy told the police that the relationship started when he was 15 years old while baby sitting Mary’s son and taking care of her dogs and cats. They also exchanged gifts and letters, including wedding rings, police said. Mary was arrested at school and initially denied the allegations, saying the boy was fantasizing. Police said that she later confessed. Prosecutors noted that Mary initially made up a cancer story to save her marriage from breaking, and later on continued to use the same lie in order to be absent in her place of work and in an effort to keep the lover boy from terminating the relationship Mary was ordered on bail and could be sentenced to more than eight years. She was suspended with pay. She has separated with the husband; they had a 9 year old son. Mark (not real name), the principal of the school said the whole school felt betrayed. This became the topic of discussion among students and teachers in the school. Some students found it hard to believe the story as they described her as a very nice teacher who is always positive. † She was a very dear teacher to us† student commented. Some felt the act was disguising. The disciplinary action taken might lead Mary to be fired by the education managers. She is likely not to serve the eight years in jail because she can easily be released on bonds. Mary could alternatively have been asked to compensate the teen for sexually using him. The ministry of education could monitor the educator’s conduct and performance after an investigation is held. This action is to ensure that the prosecuted educator is abiding by laws and regulations of the sector. Professional certificate or license could be suspend or revocation. The action is usually taken the way it is outlined in educator’s code of ethics. Another alternative way of dealing with the case is not to allow the educator to be engaged in to play the role of volunteers. Or substitute teachers or any position during the time of her revocation, suspension or denial for the violation of the code of ethics. These solutions though acceptable, may complicate the situation because the students will loose the teacher and the education performance be affected. The sector will also have lost a human resource.

British Broadcasting Corporation

British Broadcasting Corporation Why For So Much of its History was British broadcasting organised as a public service? By way of introduction, it is important that I explain about the British Broadcasting Corporation, known otherwise as the BBC, in order to get a better insight to what I will be explaining further on. Being the first and the Worlds biggest broadcasting organisation, it has been known to be a public service broadcaster, which has been up and running since 1922, providing services on the internet, TV and radio. I should highlight the fact that when we talk about a â€Å"public service†, we mean services which have been provided to us via the government. Though according to Ofcom, (Office of Communications) a problem lies when we define this term, as it has 4 meanings attached to it. â€Å"Good television; worthy television; television that would not exist without some form of public intervention; and the institutions that broadcast this type of television.† (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/) The BBC first started as a private company by manufacturers, whom in order to en courage their radio sales to the public, needed to go through a dependable foundation. The government therefore intervened in this new change, until 1926, when the Crawford Committee decided that the BBC should turn into a public corporation. The objective of this essay is to realise why the BBC has been linked with the public service for a great period of time. I will now begin the main part of the essay, where I will be discussing the history of the BBC followed by reasons to why it has been what it is. Firstly, let me shed light on the word broadcasting. Broadcasting is the transmitting of programmes to be heard simultaneously by an indefinitely large number of people-is a social invention, not a technical one. This form of conveying out messages started in the First World War, but was not yet completely recognised until the 1920s. Due to this recognition, in 1922 there was an increase in demand for applications in setting up broadcasting stations, which needed to be controlled. Quoted by one of the companys first employees, â€Å"the BBC was formed as an expedient solution to a technical problem. It owes its existence to the scarcity of air waves.† (Curran, 2003:110) In order to address the situation, rival manufacturers were persuaded by The Postmaster General to come together and join all the small broadcasting stations together into one station, which was The British Broadcasting Company. The BBC was to be financed by both tariffs and a licence fee, which after some time proved to be unsuccessful for the rapid expansion of the station. Listeners were building their personal sets with low-priced foreign components, and applying for new licenses. The BBC was not in favour of this and manufacturers were irritated that the production was not proving to be as cost-effective as it should have been. As a result of this, the Sykes Committee was established to help out. Two years later, the Crawford Committee accepted the essential need of a monopoly and proposed that the private company should be swapped with a â€Å"Public Commission operating in the National Interest.† (Curran, 2008:111) There were certain reasons to why the BBC was regulated, which we can consider. One of which, was that there was limited space on the frequency spectrum, which therefore meant that no organisations could appear freely without any government rule, so to limit this, the government had to step in. In other words, there were technological constraints. It was not technically possible to have numerous amounts of signals altogether, which could ultimately cause blockages. Further more, the Post Office were forcing all the electrical manufacturers to create a single system as it was finding it very difficult to control the private broadcaster who were transmitting messages freely without obtaining a licence from them. More over, being a more important reason was linked with the first managing director of the BBC, John Reith, whom believed that the aim of the BBC was to â€Å"inform, educate and entertain.† (Revue of the BBC Royal Charter, 2005:107) Being brought up within a Calvinism background, he viewed the world very differently and this increased his strengths and weaknesses on his view of broadcasting in general. â€Å"His duty as the managing director of a national company was to act in the national interest, which he interpreted along the lines of not broadcasting anything which might help to spread the strike and thus damage the nation.† (Sales, 1986:49) This quote therefore gives us the impression that according to Reith, the cultural life of Britain would improve, and whatever was to be shown should not only be done so to make the listeners happy, but at the same time to increase tastes and attitudes. Reith argued that the medium should be accessible to everyone, as he exp lained â€Å"There is no limit to the amount which may be drawn off. It does not matter how many thousands there may be listening; there is always enough for others.† (Curran: 2008, 113) For that reason, having a monopoly was crucial and support from the State was needed. Following on, we can also take the example of USA into account. The way in which the model of organisation was in USA was not accepted by Britain, as the Politicians thought it was inappropriate and were not fond of what they saw, and moved to other models. The way in which the BBC is funded needs to be examined as well. It is through the licence fee, under the Wireless Telegraphy Act, that enables the BBC to act in the public interest. This fee is paid by households and is undoubtedly a reason to why the BBC is a public service, as the public are paying and therefore the BBC should be publicly responsible. Apart from analysing some factors which donated to the function of a public service, the relationship which existed between the BBC and the State can be looked into as it could have a part to play in why the BBC was organised as a public service for so much of its history. The BBC was neither self-governing of, nor managed by the government and was sympathetic of any values and institutions that were given by parliamentary democracy. In general they had a good relationship between one another, but sometimes the bond between Reith and the state was unsettled. However, this did not stop both parties from taking into account â€Å"a shared interest in reaching a mutually acceptable modus vivendi.†(Khun, 2007:43) The General Strike in 1926 could also help to understand the relationship between the BBC and the State, due to it being a very crucial time for the BBC, as it was the first serious confrontation it had with the Government. This strike happened when the BBC was going through an important change. Due to the strike, which lasted for a period of nine days, newspapers were not being published and as result the whole country turned to the BBC. At this point in time the BBC was favoured by Winston Churchill, as he could see that the radio was a more adaptable method to communicate with the population and therefore asked the Prime Minister of that time, Stanley Baldwin to take control of the company. This decision was not in Reiths favour as according to him, the company was doing very well being independent with the public, whilst avoiding any control by the government. Nevertheless, this was not an unavoidable situation, as under the BBCs 1923 Wireless Broadcasting Licence, the governmen t had legal rights to have the BBC broadcast what it wanted. Before I finish off, it is worth noting that from the Second World War, it was an end of the BBC monopoly in broadcasting and a beginning of the duopoly, as ITV was then introduced. However, this did not stop the BBC from being highly regulated. It was still under government control. Due to the opening of ITV, there was an increase in the variety of broadcasting, which undoubtedly had caused competition between the BBC and its competitors. However, the BBC along with other public service channels were doing well, as they were â€Å"achieving the purposes of public service broadcasting† (Ofcom, Service Broadcasting Review:5) But we need to take into consideration the effect digital age will have on these methods of broadcasting. For example, consumers will have more choice, as they can watch or listen to whatever they wish via the internet. However it is considered that the BBC will â€Å"continue to make a strong contribution to the purposes of public service broadcasting, g iven its scale and the certainty of its finances to the end of digital switchover. (Ofcom, Service Broadcasting Review:6) As a final point, it is interesting to note that the only thing which comes close to the BBC in the UK is the NHS, both being a very unique and popular corporation, which has expanded an enormous amount since its first opening. BBC however started as a radio show and now provides eight TV services, ten national local radio stations and has the most admired website in the world. Therefore, what the future holds for the BBC is vital, as it is important that the Corporation keeps up to date with the digital age and technology, and more over the BBC should still remain to serve the citizens, especially the ones who pay for it through licence fees. According to the BBC Charter Review2006, the role of the BBC is â€Å"recognised and admired by the British public and extensive consultation on the future of the BBC has shown that the public want that role to continue† (Page 9) The Government have realised up to what level the publicly-funded broadcaster plays on everyday life, and as a result, it wants to keep it like this due to the gains license fee payers and society as a whole get out of it. In conclusion, it is possible to say that the BBC has had a positive outlook, being able to adapt to any change to audiences attitudes quite easily. It did remain a public service for a very long time until the 1980s, until the whole notion of public service was called into question. The Thatcher government wanted to test out the notion of public service with broadcasting, by introducing a new thought linked with consumer sovereignty. Nevertheless, the fact that the BBC stayed under government control for a period amount of time acting as a monopoly, showed that it was successful in many ways. Yet, there are contradictions which exist, as many believe that the BBC should be fully regulated by Ofcom, whilst others disagree with this fact, as to them Ofcom did not have the BBC in mind when it had its goals laid out and also it is a busy regulator. As a result of this, the solution is to make sure the BBC board of governors provide successful regulation of the BBC in order to prevent t he BBC being under Ofcom. Throughout this essay, I have explained factors to why for so much of its history the BBC was organised as a public service. In order to achieve an overall answer, we as readers need to reflect over the reasons to why it continued to have any input from the government, which I have previously discussed. There are no explanations which show us that the BBC was not doing well under regulation, as since its change from a private to a public corporation in 1926 till today, the BBC has been the most popular broadcasting company in the UK and should remain to do so in the future. Bibliography  · Curran, J. and Seaton, J. (2003, 6th edition) Power without responsibility, Routledge.  · Kuhn, R (2007) Politics and the Media in Britain, Palgrave.  · Sales, R. (1986) An Introduction to Broadcasting History, Longman.  · Ofcom, Service Broadcasting Review  · http://www.ofcom.org.uk  · www.bbccharterreview.org.uk A Public Service for all: The BBC in the digital age 2006.

The Moral Lessons of Shakespeares Macbeth :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Moral Lessons of Macbeth "Your hand, your tongue: look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under't." (Shakespeare 1.5. 64-66) Throughout Shakespeare's Macbeth, things are not always as they seem. Deception in this play is always present, especially with the main characters - Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is the most skilled at persuading others, especially her husband, into believe things that are not true. The above quote, spoken by Lady Macbeth to her husband, shows exactly how manipulative and deceiving she can be. She is telling Macbeth to look and act pure, but to be evil inside. Macbeth, evidently led by his wife, but also by his own ambitions, is likewise guilty of deception. He deceives his best friend Banquo, King Duncan, as well as his public. Lady Macbeth and Macbeth also try to use denial and rationalization to deceive themselves. This self-deception leads to grave circumstances for them both. Macbeth is forced into further and further lies, making life difficult and u nbearable. Lady Macbeth is also caught in the depths of deception and eventually kills herself. Therefore, it is obvious that the main characters of Shakespeare's Macbeth are all negatively affected by the recurring theme of deception. Throughout the play, Lady Macbeth uses her ability to mislead others in many ways. First of all, she decides to use deception to push her husband's ambition to be king. ...Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round...(1.5.25-28) Lady Macbeth believes that, to be successful in his ambitions, Macbeth must rise above his goodness and accept her evil ways. She knows that the process of making her husband believe what she wants may not be easy. Lady Macbeth has to be cunning, and she is up for the challenge. The thought of being in power - the King and Queen of Scotland - drives her and she cannot be stopped. Lady Macbeth often has to reinforce her immoral beliefs to her husband, giving him a boost. Was the hope drunk, wherein you dressed yourself? hath it slept since, and wakes it now, to look so green and pale at what it did so freely? From this time such I account thy love.

Love Esaay

24HourAnswers. com Online Homework Focused Exercises for Math SAT Skill Set 17: Sequences Many of the problems in this exercise set came from The College Board, writers of the SAT exam. 1. 7, 15, 31, 63, †¦ The first term in the sequence above is 7, and each term after the first is determined by multiplying the preceding term by m and then adding p. What is the value of m ? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 1 2 3 4 9 2. 2, 6, 14, 30, †¦ In the sequence above, the first term is 2. Each number after the first is obtained by adding 1 to the preceding number and then doubling the result.What is the sixth number in the sequence? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 122 123 124 125 126 3. 150, 30, 6, †¦ 1f f f In the sequence above, each term after the 1st term is f of the term 5 preceding it. What is the 5th term of this sequence? 4. The first term of a sequence is 20 and the second term is 8. The third term and each term thereafter is the average (arithmetic mean) of the two terms immediately preceding it. What is the value of the first term in the sequence that is not an integer? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 22. 6 1. 23 24. 7 12. 5 6. 8 5. a, 3a, †¦The first term in the sequence above is a, and each term after the first is 3 times the preceding term. If the sum of the first 5 terms is 605, what is the value of a ? 6. 8, 17, 26, 35, 44, †¦ The first 5 terms in a sequence are shown above. Each term after the first is found by adding 9 to the term immediately preceding it. Which term in ` a this sequence is equal to 8 ? 26 @ 1 9 ? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 7. The 8th The 9th The 25th The 26th The 27th In the repeating decimal 0. 1246812468†¦ where the digits 12468 repeat, which digit is in the 4,000th place to the right of the decimal point? A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 1 2 4 6 8 8. The first term of a sequence of numbers is @ 3 . Each term after the first is obtained by multiplying the preceding term by @ 1 and then subtracting 1. What is the 75th term of the sequence? (A) @ 73 (B) @ 3 (C) 2 (D) 4 (E) 73 9. 3, 5, -5, †¦ The first term in the sequence of numbers shown above is 3. Each even numbered term is 2 more than the previous term and each odd numbered term, after the first, is -1 times the previous term. For example, the second ` a term is 3 + 2, and the third term is @ 1 B 5 . What is the 55th term of the sequence? A) @ 5 (B) @ 3 (C) @ 1 (D) 3 (E) 5 10. The first two numbers of a sequence are 1 and 3, respectively. The third number is 4, and, in general, every number after the second is the sum of the two numbers immediately preceding it. How many of the first 1,000 numbers in this sequence are odd? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 333 500 665 666 667 11. @ 1, 0, 1, 2 A sequence is formed by repeating the 4 numbers above in the same order indefinitely. What is the sum of the first 28 terms of the sequence? 12. 1, 2, 1, @ 1, @ 2 , . . . The first five terms of a sequence are shown above.After the second term, each term can be obtained by subtracting from the previous term the term before that. For example, the third term can be obtained by subtracting the first term from the second term. What is the sum of the first 36 terms of the sequence? (A) 0 (B) 4 (C) 12 (D) 24 (E) 30 13. 5. 101001000100001†¦ The decimal number above consists of only 1's and 0's to the right of the decimal point. The first 1 is followed by one 0, the second 1 is followed by two 0's, the third 1 is followed by three 0's, and so on. What is the total number of 0's between the 98th and the 101st 1 in this decimal number? A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 288 291 294 297 300 14. 1,234, †¦ 1,920,21 †¦ ,484,950 The integer above is formed by writing the integers from 1 to 50, in order, next to each other. If the integer is read from left to right, what is the 50th digit from the left? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 0 1 2 3 9 15. R Y G W B R Y G Y G W B The figure above shows the remaining pieces of a paper chain from which a section has been removed. The first link of the original chain was re d and the colors of the links formed the repeating pattern of red (R), yellow (Y), green (G), white (W), and blue (B) from left to right.Which of the following could be the number of links in the section that was removed? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 60 61 62 63 64 16. The first term of a sequence is @ 3 and every term after the first is 5 more than the term immediately preceding it. What is the value of the 101st term? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 505 502 500 497 492 17. 1f f f After the first term, each term in a sequence is 3 greater than f of the 3 preceding term. If t is the first term of the sequence and t ? 0 , what is the ratio of the second term to the first term? t ffff ? 9 ffff fff (A) ffff 3 t ffff ? ff fff f3 (B) ffff 3 ffff ? ff fff f9 (C) ffff 3t t ffff ? ff fff f3 (D) ffff 3t 9fffff @ 2t fffff fffff (E) fffff 3 18. 8, a, 14, b, 20, †¦ The first term of the sequence above is 8. Which of the following could be the formula for finding the nth term of this sequence for any positive i nteger n ? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 2n + 6 3n + 5 5n + 3 6n + 2 6n + 5 19. 3, 6, 11, 18, †¦ The first four terms of a sequence are shown above. Which of the following could be the formula that gives the nth term of this sequence for all positive integers n ? (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) 2n 2n + 1 3n n2 ? 1 n2 ? 2

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 27

While I'd been pretty confident in telling Seth that Dante had likely skipped town, I nonetheless stopped by his shop the next day. It had never been very prosperous looking to begin with, but now the signs of abandonment were clear. The neon PSYCHIC sign was gone. The blinds were also gone, showing a room even barer than before. The FOR LEASE sign on the door was probably the most telling clue that Dante was gone for good. In the wake of what had happened with Seth, it was hard to know what to think about Dante. My heart almost didn't have the energy for it. I had cared about him, absolutely. He'd suited my decadent phase, and despite his blackened soul, there were parts of him that were likeable. And above all, it appeared that he'd cared about me, misguided or not. I wasn't happy about the deal he'd made with Grace, but I was glad he hadn't been there to face Jerome and Mei's punishment. No one deserved that, not even Dante. I hoped wherever he was, he'd try to start a new life-maybe one that could lighten his soul a little. I well knew, however, that humans with damned souls rarely recovered. Later that evening, I drove over to Capitol Hill. Peter and Cody were hosting a cocktail party to celebrate Jerome's return, though I half-suspected they simply wanted to drink away the sorrows of losing the sun. â€Å"How can we celebrate Jerome being back when he's not even here?† Tawny wanted to know. She was back to her normal, Amazonian blond self and was holding her martini glass in a precarious way. Peter couldn't take his eyes off it. I was nursing a gimlet out of politeness. The vampires had gone out of their way to get Grey Goose and fresh lime, but truthfully, I was a little burned out on alcohol. It seemed like I'd been perpetually drunk these last four months. I was not burned out on cigarettes yet, but I was trying very hard to break the habit once more. â€Å"Jerome's got plenty to keep himself busy,† I said. â€Å"We're just drinking in his honor.† â€Å"But he is staying, right?† asked Cody. We all turned to Hugh. Like the rest of us, Hugh'd had his abilities restored, and I'd honestly expected him to be a lot happier having his imp vision back. Instead, he seemed very serious, and I could have sworn he was watching me when I wasn't looking. â€Å"Yep. He and Mei schmoozed the corporate guy pretty good and pulled in enough favors to get backing from others. Cedric and Nanette both swore up and down that no one else was better qualified to run Seattle than him.† â€Å"Nanette finally caved, huh?† I swirled the ice around in my glass. â€Å"Of course, knowing Jerome owes her now probably makes her feel secure in her territory.† Cody shook his head. â€Å"Still. Grace went through an awful lot to try to pull this off, between the Canadians and all the wheeling and dealing. And Dante.† He shot me an apologetic look that I waved off. â€Å"I don't know,† said Peter. He finally seemed convinced that Tawny wasn't going to ruin his upholstery. â€Å"She's a middle management demon with so-so power. Doing what she did-seizing the opportunity when she thought Jerome looked weak-was probably the closest she'll ever get to ruling over an area like this.† â€Å"What do you mean? Would she be stuck forever? Never have her own domain?† asked Tawny, frowning. â€Å"She might have eventually gotten assigned control of some nonexistent town in middle America, but I doubt much more.† Hugh still looked oddly speculative. â€Å"Clearly, she didn't want to. Neither does Mei, from the looks of it.† â€Å"So much for it being better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven,† I said, pleased with my own wit. â€Å"Of course, I think we're going to see a lot more in Mei's career. She might be so-so in power, but she's got a plan.† â€Å"Have you noticed how she's a lot less scary alone?† asked Cody. â€Å"It was the matching clothes,† said Peter sagely. â€Å"When they dressed alike, it was too much like those girls from The Shining .† More laughter and conversation ensued, though I eventually grew quiet and simply listened. Maybe I could be the life of the party, like Seth had said, but this group could do okay without me. I took a certain amount of contentment by being back with them and having our lives returned to normal-such as they were. I could never be human again, but these were the people I wanted to be damned with. At one point, I got up to trade my empty glass for water and discovered Hugh had followed me into the kitchen. He still looked troubled. The others were laughing and talking, providing cover for our conversation. â€Å"What's going on?† I asked. â€Å"I thought you'd be happy.† â€Å"I am, I am,† he said. â€Å"Believe me, I am. God, that was miserable.† I couldn't help a smile. Hugh had hit his stride with being a lesser immortal. He was past the novice stages of Cody and Tawny and could fully reap the benefits of his position. However, he wasn't old enough to have acquired all the jaded centuries Peter and I had. Out of all of us, I didn't doubt that Hugh had suffered the most. â€Å"Then what's going on?† He hesitated, and again, I was struck by how out of character he was behaving. â€Å"Georgina, has Seth done anything†¦bad lately? Rob a bank? Cheat on taxes?† â€Å"Of course not,† I said, more confused than ever. â€Å"Has he†¦or well†¦did he do anything, uh, bad with you?† To my chagrin, I blushed. You'd think nothing would make a succubus self-conscious, but I still tried to maintain that line between my private and business sex lives. My silent response was enough for Hugh. â€Å"Fuck.† â€Å"What?† I asked. â€Å"We did it when I was in stasis. I didn't take any of his energy. I didn't shorten his life. And we haven't done it since Jerome came back. It's over. He's back with Maddie.† Hugh raised an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh?† â€Å"I realized how impossible it was for us and convinced him to go back to her. I really laid on the guilt.† Just mentioning what had happened made me ache all over again. â€Å"I'm sure you did,† Hugh said dryly. â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"Georgina†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"There's no easy way to explain this. When I first met Seth, his soul was like†¦a supernova. It lit up a room. That guy had such a generous spirit, it was insane.† Had. â€Å"And now?† The answer was slowly creeping in on me. â€Å"Now, there's a shadow on him. A stain on his soul. He cheated on Maddie with you†¦and is back with her, keeping that from her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The room started swaying, and I forced myself to focus on Hugh. â€Å"What we did, it wasn't sleazy. We are†¦were†¦in love. It was sweet-that is, it meant something.† â€Å"Maybe it did, sweetie. Maybe the planets aligned when you made love. But regardless of what happened between you, he wronged her-and he feels it now. That sin is darkening his soul.† â€Å"How dark?† I asked, my voice almost a whisper now. â€Å"If he were a hit by a car right now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hugh's face was both hard and sad. â€Å"He'd head right to Hell.† â€Å"Oh my God.† I collapsed back against the counter. â€Å"I didn't think†¦didn't realize†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Since I hadn't been a succubus, I hadn't been thinking like one. I hadn't worried about shortening his life or exhausting him because there was no need. While I'd known we were both deceiving Maddie and had felt a fair amount of guilt over it, I'd never considered it in terms of damnation. I'd turned off that part of my life, the part of being a succubus that counted and tallied souls-the main part of my job. Which was stupid of me. Humans didn't need us to sin. They did it all the time on their own and did just as good a job-if not better-than we could. I didn't have to be a succubus to make Seth sin. I could have been any woman, any woman he'd had an affair with. Sin was subjective, too, and different people would feel it differently. For someone like Seth, doing what he did would leave a harsh mark-and me making him feel guilty about it hadn't helped. â€Å"This is worse,† I said. I laughed, but it was the kind of hysterical laughter that could segue to tears at any moment. â€Å"It would have been better if we'd had sex when we were dating. I'd have taken years off his life, but his soul would have stayed pure-and that's what matters in the long run. Instead, I was so adamant about refusing to do it†¦and now look. Look what I did.† Hugh caught my hand and squeezed it. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Is there†¦is there any way he can undo it?† â€Å"You know the answer as well as me. Sure, he can eventually swing the pendulum the other way. But it's hard. Very hard.† â€Å"He's a good person,† I said stoutly. â€Å"Maybe, but that may not be enough anymore.† â€Å"He'd need a deal with God,† I muttered. I stared at the floor, studying the tiles absentmindedly. What had I done? How could I have been so stupid? Had I been so blinded by love and lust that I'd been oblivious to the principles that had dictated my immortal vocation these long centuries? â€Å"Georgina,† Hugh said hesitantly. I looked at him. â€Å"There's something else†¦just a heads up. You know this as well as I do. When upright people screw up like this†¦they do try to rebound in their way. The guilt's got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. Something tells me he'll be like that.† â€Å"Thanks for the warning,† I said. â€Å"Though I can't imagine he'd do something that could make this any worse.† The imp cut me a look. â€Å"Sweetie, he's human. Don't underestimate him.† Hugh was right. The next day, I went to the condo builder's office and talked more in-depth with the real estate agent that handled their sales. We chatted for a while and talked numbers, though I still couldn't shake the feeling that I was doing this without thinking it through. The pictures were nice, the floor plan was nice, and the options were nice. Yet, I didn't know if this was just some impulsive reaction to the ups and downs in my life. Then, when he took me to the unit itself and showed me the balcony, I knew. It was a beautiful day, one that wasn't true summer yet but could give us enough hope that winter was just about finished. Puget Sound was deep blue, and the downtown skyline gleamed in the sun against a cloudless sky. To the west, the Olympic Mountains were visible for the first time in over a month, their peaks still heavy with snow. As often happened with this kind of weather, people turned out in droves, treating it like it was high summer. Families came out, shorts came out. This part of Alki didn't have a true beach-that was at a park a little farther down-but the water was still just a stone's throw away from my building, separated only by the small road and narrow strip of grass. I watched the waves break against the shore and realized this was where I needed to be. â€Å"I want to make an offer,† I told him. I knew Maddie would want to know, so I made sure she was the first one I told when I ended up back in Queen Anne later that night. It was early evening, my last day before returning to a real full-time schedule, and I swung by the store to catch her and tell her. Only, she sought me out first, with news of her own. â€Å"Georgina!† I'd barely entered when she grabbed my arm and pulled me off into the cookbooks. â€Å"Hey,† I laughed. â€Å"Glad you're in a good mood. I've got news.† â€Å"Me too!† Her face was radiant, and after all that had happened, it made me happy to see her like this. I couldn't help a return grin. â€Å"What's up?† She glanced around covertly, then lowered her voice. â€Å"You were right.† â€Å"About what?† â€Å"About Seth needing time-about him being preoccupied.† Oh lord. He'd finally slept with her again, now that things had ended with us. I can't say I was happy to have this news delivered to me, but for her sake, I was at least glad she could stop worrying. â€Å"Wow, that's great, Mad-â€Å" â€Å"He was waiting to propose!† She shot her hand up to my face so quickly that for half a moment, I thought she was going to punch me. But, no, there was no impact-unless you counted the brilliant glitter of the engagement ring dazzling my eyes. â€Å"Oh my God. But it†¦it's so soon†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know,† she said, breathless from her excitement. â€Å"I can't believe it. And I mean, yeah, we've only been going out for about four months, but Seth says we can have a long engagement, that he just wanted to commit things between us.† Of course he did. When upright people screw up like this†¦they do try to rebound in their way. The guilt's got to be eating him. People like that try to do things to make up for it. Rash things. How could I be surprised? I'd become a succubus because I'd cheated on my husband and been caught. I'd sold my soul in an effort to blot that act out, to make him and everyone else I knew forget me. Why was this any different? â€Å"You don't think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Maddie turned uneasy, once more seeking my approval and advice. â€Å"You don't think it's too fast, do you? Have I made a mistake? I mean, even if we wait awhile for the wedding†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I kept smiling. â€Å"It's fine, Maddie. There's no time frame that's set for everyone. If it's what feels right to you, then you've got to do it.† Her grin lit back up. â€Å"Oh, thank you. I'm so glad to hear you say that. I mean, I said yes, and I've been excited†¦I just didn't want it to seem like I was rushing in.† She glanced back down, admiring the ring. I realized something. â€Å"It's a diamond.† She gave me a curious look. â€Å"Of course. Why wouldn't it be? Most engagement rings are.† Last year, I'd teased Seth about getting married, and he'd said that if he ever did, he'd give his bride-to-be a ruby because he thought diamonds were ordinary, and getting married was extraordinary. I stared into the stone's glittering facets, puzzled. â€Å"Did you pick it out? Had you told him you wanted a diamond?† â€Å"Nope. It had never come up. He just got it for me. Why?† I shook my head and tried to look happy for her. â€Å"No reason. It's beautiful. Congratulations.† I turned to leave. â€Å"I'll see you tomorrow.† â€Å"Georgina, wait.† I paused and looked back. â€Å"What was your news?† â€Å"Wh-oh. Yeah. I'm buying the place in Alki.† â€Å"Seriously?† I swear, she almost seemed more excited about that than the engagement. â€Å"When will it be done?† â€Å"July.† â€Å"Oh, wow. That's great. You could have such great summer parties.† â€Å"Yep. Let's hope it gets finished on time.† She sighed happily and gave me a quick hug. â€Å"Isn't this a great day? Good news for both of us.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed. â€Å"Great.† I walked home, too stunned over the engagement news to process it much. Considering Hugh's prediction, there wasn't much to process. I'd convinced Seth that he and I were a fantasy, that he needed to settle into reality and take what good he had with Maddie. Seth had believed me and tried to make it up to her-make it up to himself, even-with this hasty engagement. He was not a rash person usually, but the extreme circumstances had turned him into one. My phone rang about half a block from the store. I could recognize Vancouver's area code by now, but I didn't know the number. For all I knew, Evan wanted me to smuggle them some spray paint across the border. To my relief, it was Kristin. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"How's it going?† â€Å"Fine. Well, better than fine. Great actually.† There were a few awkward seconds of silence. â€Å"Me and Cedric†¦we're†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The first spark of enthusiasm I'd felt in a while leapt up in me. â€Å"Really? You guys are a†¦thing?† â€Å"Yeah.† There was wonder in her voice, like she could hardly believe it. â€Å"He told me that you were the one who said that he should go out with me.† â€Å"Oh, well. I†¦just suggested he was looking in the wrong places.† â€Å"Georgina, there is no way I can thank you enough for this.† Her voice was brimming with emotion, something I wouldn't have thought possible of the businesslike imp. â€Å"This is†¦I've wanted this for so long. Loved him for so long. And he never noticed me until you made him just pause and look. That's exactly how he said it too. That he'd been so busy chasing everything else that he'd never seen what was in front of him.† I thought I might get choked up too. â€Å"I'm glad for you, Kristin. Really. You deserve it.† She laughed. â€Å"Most would say us damned souls don't deserve anything.† â€Å"We're like anyone else, deserving both good and bad. I'm not sure being damned has anything to do with it.† She was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was low, almost hard to hear. I actually stopped walking and stepped off down a side street to get away from the din of traffic. â€Å"It's funny you mention that,† she said slowly. â€Å"Because†¦well, I did something for you.† I suddenly had an image of Tim Horton's donuts showing up on my doorstep. â€Å"Er, that's really not necessary. I didn't do that much.† â€Å"You did, though. To me, at least. And so†¦I wanted to do something just as big for you. I, uh, went and looked at your contract.† I caught my breath. â€Å"What?† â€Å"We've had a lot of paperwork to file, and I managed to work in a corporate trip.† â€Å"Corporate trip† was a nice way of saying she'd visited the inner offices of Hell. â€Å"Kristin†¦if you'd been caught†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I wasn't,† she said proudly. â€Å"And I found your contract and read it.† I'd come to a complete stop now. The world around me didn't exist. â€Å"And?† â€Å"And†¦nothing.† â€Å"What do you mean nothing?† â€Å"I mean, there's nothing wrong with the contract. I went over and over it. Everything's in order.† â€Å"It can't be! Niphon was trying so hard to mess with me†¦to get me recalled. Hugh was certain it meant he was trying to shift attention from the contract.† â€Å"I don't know about any of that,† said Kristin, sounding truly sympathetic. â€Å"All I know is what I read. You sold your soul and took on standard succubus servitude in exchange for every mortal you knew forgetting who you were. That sound right?† â€Å"Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's what it said. All the language was exactly as it should be.† I didn't really have any response, so I gave none. â€Å"Georgina, are you still there?† â€Å"Yeah†¦I'm sorry. I just thought†¦I'd been so certain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It had been a foolish hope, that maybe somewhere there was a loophole for me. But then, I seemed to fall for those things all the time, just like I had with Nyx's dream and the impossible chance of getting pregnant while in stasis. I was as naà ¯ve as Dante had said. â€Å"Thanks. I really appreciate you looking.† â€Å"I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted. If there's anything else I can do for you-that doesn't involve breaking into records-let me know.† â€Å"Thanks. I will.† We disconnected, and I stared bleakly at my surroundings, at the quiet residential block I'd stepped off onto. â€Å"There is no way,† I said out loud, â€Å"that this day can get any worse.† A rustle behind me made me jump, and I spun around. I had thought I was alone and now felt like an idiot getting caught talking to myself. I saw no one, though. Then, a bush by the sidewalk twitched a little. I took a few steps toward it and knelt down. Yellow eyes peered out at me, followed by a piteous meow. I made the clicking sound that's universal to cat owners, and after a few moments, my observer emerged. It was a cat, a very scraggly one-and a cat I was pretty sure I'd seen before. It was smaller than Aubrey, maybe younger, and I could see its ribs poking out underneath the fur, which was matted and dirty. When I petted the cat's head, I noticed a dry texture to the fur that often indicated fleas. The cat seemed unsure of me-but not enough that it ran away. It mostly seemed curious for now, like it was trying to figure me out-and maybe score some food. Which was fine, because I was trying to figure it out too. Clearly, this cat had no owner, or if it did, that ownership needed to be revoked. I studied its yellow eyes and every frail line of its body. The cat looked so different and yet†¦I was certain it was the one. And in a musing that was worthy of Carter, I suddenly wondered if the universe might not be done with me after all. I let the cat sniff my hand a bit longer, and then I reached out and picked it up. It was a she. She didn't fight me as I held her to my chest and walked home. In fact, she started purring. Maybe she knew me. Maybe she was just weary of fighting all the time too. When I shouldered open my door, Aubrey's head immediately jerked up from where she'd been napping. She made no noise, but all the fur on her back stood on end as she studied our new visitor with narrowed eyes. Roman, lying on the couch as usual, also studied us. He looked at the cat, taking in her orange and brown patched coat. Then, he looked up and met my eyes. I'm not sure what he saw, but it made him smile. â€Å"Let me guess. That's a tortie.† â€Å"Yes,† I agreed. â€Å"This is a tortie.†