Modern Music :: essays research papers

Music has been around for thousands and thousands of years. The caveman had originally started some type of sounds in which forficate off into the unison that we listen to today. This prehistoric medicine was started by the cavemen in order for them to express themselves, and the others who listened were affected in the same way that bulk ar affected by music today. For example, if someone is upset they will listen to something that will get them into a better mood, perhaps something mellow or soft. If they ar happy, they will listen to something that is more energetic, and so on. After I interviewed four people--friends and family--I found out what type of music they listened to when they are upset, angry, or calm. Music touches peoples souls, and gets the best or worst out of them. My friend Kyle said, When I am in a bad mood I listen to basically chip because it gets me hyped up to where I want to dance. Rap lets me get into a better mood where I can forget the problem or what I was mad at before. He continues, No other music affects me as much as rap does because rappers put everything they have into their songs, but that is only my opinion. Kyle has listened to rap since he was 13, and he actually got me interested into it. I never liked rap until I started to hang out with him, and I am now start to enjoy it because of its diversity that is involved in making the music. Each rapper has their own version of the world, and they express it through their music. -2-Not all rap music is good according to a Texas widow, who filed a lawsuit against Tupac Shakur. Her husband, a Texas state trooper, was allegedly shot to death by a man who stole a car. In the mans car a Tupac tape was found in the cassette player, and Tupacs music was allegedly to blame (Damean). Some people die hard to take music too seriously, and end up making mistakes, and they have to suffer the consequences like that Texas man. Those people, who take the music too seriously, are not stable, and the music brings out the worst of them. On the other hand, people like Kyle have no problem with some of the lyrics that some rappers incorporate into their music, and end living blithely with society.

The Myth of the Lost Cause :: American America History

The Myth of the Lost stimulateFollowing the defeat of the Confederacy and to lift the morale of a shattered concourse momentum gathered to enshrine the Myth of the Lost Cause which would transform the Southern soldier living and dead, into a veritable hero.In order to drive to terms with defeat and a look of failure in the eyes of God, Southerners mentally transformed their memories of the antebellum South. It became a superior civilization of great purity which had been cruelly brought down by the materialistic Yankees.At the head of this revival was the memory of Stonewall Jackson, closely followed by Robert E. Lee (who would rise to the prominent impersonate following his death in 1870). Other generals of the Confederacy who had died during the war followed, as did those who would pass on later.D.H. Hill, a friend of Longstreet published LAND WE LOVE, a time devoted to Literature, Military History and Agriculture. In 1869 Hill sold out to a Baltimore periodical, NEW ECLECTIC , which in the same year became the SOUTHERN MAGAZINE, official harmonium of the SOUTHERN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION. In 1871 it changed its name to the SOUTHERN MAGAZINE and together with a later periodical, SOUTHERN BIVOUAC kept the memory of the War breathing and fresh in the public mind. Filled with poems and stories of loyalty to the LOST CAUSE sent in by veterans. Hill was Stonewall Jacksons brother in truth and he filled the magazine with stories, anecdotes and poems of the now legendary general. Other collaborator heroes received their share of attention from a flood of material supplied by readers celebrate Southern dead and using religion to explain the defeat. Book - writing was prolific in the 70s & 80s mainly from veterans but much on the romanticism of the Cause from women.The most prominent of the writer of the period was John Esten Cooke, who was related by birth and marriage to virtually all the prominent families of Virginia he helped enshrine the Confederate dead into chivalric knights and symbols of the LOST CAUSE. Cookes impressive literary output polarized Southern perceptions of the War transforming the stigma of defeat into a badge of honour that Confederate veterans could fracture proudly. His portrayal of the War as a wonderful adventure, in which participation was an honour.When Lee died on 12 Oct. 1870 he was one of a significant pattern of Confederate heroes running second to Jackson.

A House Divided: Athens, Sparta, and the Inevitable Fall of Greece :: Essays Papers

A House Divided Athens, Sparta, and the Inevitable Fall of GreeceThe stunning Greek beating of the Persians, the specter of which lurks behind the events of the Peloponnesian Wars, was for Herodotus proof of the transcendency of Hellenic form of government and way of life, and Herodotus ends his history at this pinnacle of Greek history. Thucydides then accepts the working class of chronicling Greeces unraveling from a position as the ascendant precedent of the Mediterranean, and a center of cultural, technological, and political development to the final resultant role of the Peloponnesian Warsa fractured, demoralized, and hooklike Greece that lies wide open to foreign conquest. This result is, for Thucydides, sheer from the beginning of the conflict. Greece can only dominate when the balance of power between Athens and Sparta is maintained, and the destruction of all is tantamount to the destruction of the whole. An accurate to a lower placestanding of the bailiwick port ions of Athens and Sparta makes it clear which of the two will at long last be the victor of a long, arduous military struggle, but the same understanding of national voice makes it equally apparent that the one which can dominate militarily cannot lead Greece. The speeches made at the startle Lacedaemonian Congress emphasize not only the character of the two nations in conflict, but more broadly, the inevitability of Hellenic demise as a result of this conflict.Thucydides sets down the development of the relationship between the power of Athens and Sparta in the Archeology. Athens emerges from the Persian Wars as the undisputed commercial superpower in Greece. Where Sparta is rigid in the fertile Peloponnesus, and is thus able to make itself on agriculture alone, making trade unnecessary and allowing it to maintain its own laws and customs for more than cardinal hundred years (I.18.1), Athens infertile let down forces it to turn to olive oil for revenue, and it consequently develops a flourishing trade economy even forwards the Darius set his sights on Greece. The Persian invasion itself makes a sea power out of Athens, allowing it to establish a Mediterranean empire, and export its culture and government to the domicile of Greece (I.18.2, I.6.3). This serves to unify the scattered Ionian and Doric cities under the umbrella of the Hellenes culturally where the Spartan campaign to remove tyrants unifies it politically by giving Greeks relative exemption and subordinating it uniformly to the law, and the joint coalition against the Persians ultimately secured it militarily (I.A House Divided Athens, Sparta, and the Inevitable Fall of Greece Essays PapersA House Divided Athens, Sparta, and the Inevitable Fall of GreeceThe stunning Greek defeat of the Persians, the specter of which lurks behind the events of the Peloponnesian Wars, was for Herodotus proof of the superiority of Hellenic form of government and way of life, and Herodotus ends his histor y at this pinnacle of Greek history. Thucydides then accepts the task of chronicling Greeces unraveling from a position as the dominant power of the Mediterranean, and a center of cultural, technological, and political development to the final result of the Peloponnesian Warsa fractured, demoralized, and dependent Greece that lies wide open to foreign conquest. This result is, for Thucydides, apparent from the beginning of the conflict. Greece can only dominate when the balance of power between Athens and Sparta is maintained, and the destruction of either is tantamount to the destruction of the whole. An accurate understanding of the national characters of Athens and Sparta makes it clear which of the two will ultimately be the victor of a long, arduous military struggle, but the same understanding of national character makes it equally apparent that the one which can dominate militarily cannot lead Greece. The speeches made at the First Lacedaemonian Congress emphasize not only th e character of the two nations in conflict, but more broadly, the inevitability of Hellenic demise as a result of this conflict.Thucydides sets down the development of the relationship between the power of Athens and Sparta in the Archeology. Athens emerges from the Persian Wars as the undisputed commercial superpower in Greece. Where Sparta is located in the fertile Peloponnesus, and is thus able to sustain itself on agriculture alone, making trade unnecessary and allowing it to maintain its own laws and customs for more than four hundred years (I.18.1), Athens infertile land forces it to turn to olive oil for revenue, and it consequently develops a flourishing trade economy even before the Darius set his sights on Greece. The Persian invasion itself makes a sea power out of Athens, allowing it to establish a Mediterranean empire, and export its culture and government to the rest of Greece (I.18.2, I.6.3). This serves to unify the scattered Ionian and Doric cities under the umbrell a of the Hellenes culturally where the Spartan campaign to remove tyrants unifies it politically by giving Greeks relative freedom and subordinating it uniformly to the law, and the joint coalition against the Persians ultimately secured it militarily (I.

Essays --

Enviro Geo 1 CP Take Home final exam ExamUnit One Review Biodiversity A. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is the variety of life and solely in all natural processes found on Earth. B. Why is global biodiversity decreasing? The main exercise of the decrease in global biodiversity is the result of human activity. This means habitat destruction, hunting, invasive species, pollution, and climate change that threaten the extinction of species. C. How tidy sum we protect and keep abreast biodiversity? One way we can preserve and protect biodiversity is through the law. veracious now, legal actions are being made to save species from extinction. For example, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) forbids the administration and private citizens from harming listed endangered and threatened species or their habitats. Also Species Survival Plans (SSP) are made to manage, protect, and reintroduce threatened and endangered species by putting them into captivity until natural r ubber to be released. D. How do energy and nutrients move through ecosystems?a. (reference diet webs/solid food chains/energy pyramids) Energy and nutrients move throughout the ecosystem through the consumption of separate creatures. This transfers energy to the next consumer, however it transfers smaller and smaller amounts of energy as the chain of consumers grows larger. E. THE BIG QUESTION Why is it important to protect biodiversity? Biodiversity increases an ecosystems productiveness meaning all species play huge roles in it, especially cosmos since they have the talent to completely change nature. Humans heavily depend on plants and animals and benefit directly from diverse ecosystems plants, clean water, oxygen, food, and fertile land all come from healthy bio... ...ding then transforming into Industrial agriculture with the advancements of technology. B. How can we produce complete food for a cursorily growing population while sustaining our abil ity to produce it? Our world today faces the problem of running out of space. We need non only land to live on, but also land to figure out crops. Already forty percent of Earths land is commitd for land purposes, and with a population over seven billion and still rapidly growing, the main problem is, There isnt enough room. So the price of food is raising. Right now, one billion people are suffering from hunger, they cant afford the food that is taking up living space, so if we sign on down more forests and destroy nature, will the prices go down? The vanquish way to produce enough food for our population as of now is to use our resources more efficiently and reduce our wastes of food. Essays -- Enviro Geo 1 CP Take Home Final ExamUnit One Review Biodiversity A. What is biodiversity? Biodiversity is the variety of life and all natural processes found on Earth. B. Why is global biodiversity decreasing? The main cause of the decrease in global biodivers ity is the result of human activity. This means habitat destruction, hunting, invasive species, pollution, and climate change that threaten the extinction of species. C. How can we protect and preserve biodiversity? One way we can preserve and protect biodiversity is through the law. Right now, legal actions are being made to save species from extinction. For example, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) forbids the government and private citizens from harming listed endangered and threatened species or their habitats. Also Species Survival Plans (SSP) are made to manage, protect, and reintroduce threatened and endangered species by putting them into captivity until safe to be released. D. How do energy and nutrients move through ecosystems?a. (reference food webs/food chains/energy pyramids) Energy and nutrients move throughout the ecosystem through the consumption of other creatures. This transfers energy to the next consumer, however it transfers smaller and smaller amounts of energy as the chain of consumers grows larger. E. THE BIG QUESTION Why is it important to protect biodiversity? Biodiversity increases an ecosystems productivity meaning all species play huge roles in it, especially humans since they have the ability to completely change nature. Humans heavily depend on plants and animals and benefit directly from diverse ecosystems plants, clean water, oxygen, food, and fertile land all come from healthy bio... ...ding then transforming into Industrial agriculture with the advancements of technology. B. How can we produce enough food for a rapidly growing population while sustaining our ability to produce it? Our world today faces the problem of running out of space. We need not only land to live on, but also land to cultivate crops. Already forty percent of Earths land is used for farming purposes, and with a population over seven billion and still rapidly growing, the main problem is, There isnt enough room. So the price of food is raising. Right now, one billion people are suffering from hunger, they cant afford the food that is taking up living space, so if we cut down more forests and destroy nature, will the prices go down? The best way to produce enough food for our population as of now is to use our resources more efficiently and reduce our wastes of food.

Alcohol Abuse :: Alcoholism Addiction Papers

alcoholic beverage Ab purposeAlcohol is liquid distilled product of fermented fruits grains and vegetables used as solvent, antiseptic and sedative stamp down potential for abuse. Possible effects are intoxication, sensory alteration, and/or anxiety reduction. Symptoms of overdose staggering, odor of alcoholic beverage on breathe, loss of coordination, slurred speech, dilated pupils, fetal alcohol syndrome (in babies), and/or nerve and colorful damage. Withdrawal Syndrome is first sweating, tremors, and then altered perception, followed by psychosis, fear, and finally auditory hallucinations. Indications of possible misuse are confusion, disorientation, and loss of tug nerve control, convulsions, shock, shallow respiration, involuntary defecation, drowsiness, respiratory depression and possible death. Alcohol is also known as Booze, Juice, Brew, Vino, Sauce. You probably know why alcohol is mistreat some reasons are relaxation, sociability, and cheap high. But did you know that a lcohol is a depressant that decreases the responses of the central nervous system. Excessive drinking can cause liver damage and psychotic behavior. As little as two beers or drinks can impair coordination and thinking. Alcohol is often used by substance abusers to set up the effects of other drugs. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently abused substance among young adults. HERE ARE SOME STRAIGHT FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL.... Alcohol abuse is a pattern of problem drinking that results in health consequences, social, problems, or both. However, alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, refers to a disease that is characterized by abnormal alcohol-seeking behavior that leads to impaired control over drinking. Short-term effects of alcohol use include -Distorted vision, hearing, and coordination -Altered perceptions and emotions -Impaired judgment -Bad breath hangovers Long-term effects of heavy alcohol use include -Loss of appetite -Vitamin deficiencies -Stomach ailments -Skin problems -Se xual impotence -Liver damage -Heart and central nervous system damage -Memory loss Here are some quick clues to know if I, or someone close, has a drinking problem -Inability to control drinking--it seems that regardless of what you decide beforehand, you frequently wind up drunk -Using alcohol to escape problems -A change in personality--turning from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde -A high tolerance level--drinking just about everybody under the table -Blackouts--sometimes not remembering what happened while drinking -Problems at work or in develop as a result of drinking -Concern shown by family and friends about drinking If you have a drinking problem, or if you suspect you have a drinking problem, there are many others out there like you, and there is help available. You could talk to school counselor, a friend, or a parent.

Alcohol Abuse :: Alcoholism Addiction Papers

Alcohol AbuseAlcohol is liquid distilled product of fermented fruits grains and vegetables used as solvent, antiseptic and sedative moderate potential for guy. Possible set up are intoxication, sensory alteration, and/or anxiety reduction. Symptoms of overdose staggering, odor of alcohol on breathe, loss of coordination, slurred speech, dilated pupils, fetal alcohol syndrome (in babies), and/or expression and liver disablement. Withdrawal Syndrome is first sweating, tremors, and then altered perception, followed by psychosis, fear, and finally auditory hallucinations. Indications of possible misuse are confusion, disorientation, and loss of motor nerve control, convulsions, shock, shallow respiration, involuntary defecation, drowsiness, respiratory depression and possible death. Alcohol is also known as Booze, Juice, Brew, Vino, Sauce. You probably know why alcohol is abused some(a) reasons are relaxation, sociability, and cheap high. But did you know that alcohol is a depressa nt that decreases the responses of the central nervous system. Excessive drinking can cause liver damage and psychotic behavior. As little as two beers or drinks can impair coordination and thinking. Alcohol is often used by substance abusers to enhance the effects of other drugs. Alcohol continues to be the most frequently abused substance among young adults. HERE ARE SOME STRAIGHT FACTS ABOUT ALCOHOL.... Alcohol abuse is a pattern of problem drinking that results in health consequences, social, problems, or both. However, alcohol dependence, or alcoholism, refers to a disease that is characterized by abnormal alcohol-seeking behavior that leads to damage control over drinking. Short-term effects of alcohol use entangle -Distorted vision, hearing, and coordination -Altered perceptions and emotions -Impaired judgment -Bad breath hangovers Long-term effects of heavy alcohol use include -Loss of appetite -Vitamin deficiencies -Stomach ailments -Skin problems -Sexual impotence -Liver damage -Heart and central nervous system damage -Memory loss Here are some quick clues to know if I, or psyche close, has a drinking problem -Inability to control drinking--it seems that regardless of what you decide beforehand, you frequently wind up drunk -Using alcohol to escape problems -A change in personality--turning from Dr. Jekyl to Mr. Hyde -A high tolerance level--drinking just about everybody under the table -Blackouts--sometimes not remembering what happened while drinking -Problems at work or in school as a result of drinking -Concern shown by family and friends about drinking If you have a drinking problem, or if you suspect you have a drinking problem, on that point are many others out there like you, and there is help available. You could talk to school counselor, a friend, or a parent.

Legal Research Essay

a) Moore v. Richardson, 332 Ark. 255 (1998).Ms. Moore and Mr. Richardson divorced and Ms. Moore was granted custody of their minor daughter. Mr. Richardson was required to buckle under child support accordingly and have visitation rights. The case is good law. It is binding to Arkansas court. Clearly, Arkansas court made the final judgment about the custody of the child and visitation by the father.b) Glanding v. Industrial Trust Co., 45 A.2d 553 (1945).The appeal of Chancery is non given the jurisdiction to award penalties on organisation cost recovery cases as it is of limited jurisdiction. Therefore its laws are not mandatory as it can be honored by The Supreme Court who will make the decision. Therefore any cost recovery action is not available at equity. Similarly, private cost recovery actions should be turn to at the Superior Court.c) People v. Jackson, 150 Cal. App. 3d Supp. 1 (Cal. App. Dept Super. Ct. 1983).The case is mandatory. The required proceeding should be brou ght forth during the trial and appellate processes. A party has a right to appeal and the courts have the obligation of giving the party permission to salmagundi facts during the appeal as long as in that respect is reasonable evidence and facts. Infringement of personal should not occur and statements should be made depending on standard of evidence. However a party is not to change theories in the trial and appeal court.d)Landers v. Staten Island R. Co., 53 N.Y. 450 (1873).Criminal jurisdiction and civil jurisdiction brings about the protective jurisdiction of courts. They necessitate the occasions for instituting the proceedings. Further distressing and civil jurisdiction therefore implies withrespect to the mature of the subject matter and civil or criminal mature of the actions. Such an action therefore does not aim in the creation of another authority. Territorial aspects may come in hand, however the nature of the action determines the jurisdiction the case will be handled .It merely extends the limits of the particular jurisdiction. It is therefore not mandatory. e) Merriman v. Crompton Corp., 282 Kan. 433 146 P.3d 162 (2006). There are certain analyses that can be determined depending if a court has jurisdiction over a defendant. A person can be submitted to a particular jurisdiction if the person is a citizen or not and depending on whether he/she committed a criminal act in that jurisdiction or whether he/she was transacting any business in that state.

Real Estate Management Sop Essay

Every man has a dream to be something and excel on it. Privileged are those who are educated and end contribute towards the onward motion of society, community, country and the man at large. Three basic necessities of life Food, Clothing and Shelter. A large number of people cannot easily afford for food and attire and low-priced hygienic shelter is beyond their vision.In urban world less than half of the population are around 23-30 age group who find money to fulfill their basic needs of food and clothes but not homes because of high cost even if there are good EMI Schemes with wiped out(p) interest rate offered by government to citizen for their first home. An individual upliftment in the society is linked to the fulfillment of dreams of common man. My dream is to fulfill their vision and I firmly believe on it. A vision to develop a business model provide affordable hygienic homes to masses along with upper limit appreciation in their investment.Understanding of real esta te and technology in construction and cost reduction is what required to be focused on. As research, the world population is increasing 2% approximately in compounding effect. There is always excess of demand than supply. Financial sound people look for collapse amenities with high premium and unfortunate home seeker look for basic amenities and understanding of both is very crucial where cost can be saved by mass development and allocation of fund from one to another to encourage more affordable mass development of affordable house on principle of economy of large scale. Dream, Believe and Act with Passion.

Planning And Threat Assesment Essay

Abstract When one is determining the credibility and solemnness of a holy terror, then he is engaged in the process known as Threat assessment. A threat may be item-by-item aegis threat, a group security threat, a bombing threat or so far a fire setting threat. Threat assessment also investigates the probability of the peril being carried out. Once a potential threat has been assessed and is seen as serious, legal profession and mitigation steps are carried out. The context of threat is very important when interpreting risks (Feher, 45). In graze to evaluate threat, some passs should be address. Some of the question is the character of the threat, what is the objective of the threatener, what does the threatener want to put across, the victims sensitivity to the threat, how credible is the threat, the threateners aim, is there a secondary gain targeted by the threatener? When addressed the questions all(a)ow help in evaluating the threat the threats credibility and chances of its occurring (Dietz, 129). In threat assessment, planning is compulsory because it reduces the chances of the threat occurring. It also mitigates the effects of the threat, thaw their implications, and insulate the fallout and builds confidence of the parties involved. Threat assessment is not solely about security concerns although it is its primary concern (Borum, 335). A general framework of threat assessment should incorporate the identification of threat or emergency, estimate of probability, development of prevention and mitigation strategies and resource allocation of which should be based on military rating of likelihood of stop and impact. Planning should be dynamic and contextual since one strategy volition not fit all the threats that may concern an individual detail, planning must reckon with the context. Planning also needs continued evaluation of likelihood of occurrence and effect of prevention and mitigation of the effects and of changing context. Planning is a fact (Boon, 77).Planning and threat assessment Case study of a blanched supremacist head word When planning the detail of security for the leash, it is imperative to identify the threat at hand. My principal is a white supremacist and has many enemies. He cannot defend himself when confronted with a threat since is confined to a wheelchair 24 hours a day. His security detail must also be inclusive of a nurse who may not know how to handle precarious situations and may be under threat herself. She must be protected from harm at all cost because the principal is dependent on her. Being a white supremacist, he is under threat of other races especially the blacks and Latinos. They both have a history of violence especially when racially discriminated against. The have access to ripe weapons and they are capable of planning an ambush on the highways. There have been rumors circulating around Los Angeles that black supremacists have put a figure on the principals head. They are k nown to possess a lot of money and influence in the Los Angeles Ghettos. asunder from the Blacks and Latinos, the principal has other enemies as well. Apart from other races that would have all the motivation to eliminate him, he also has white enemies as well. Some of them are said to be connected to the mafia and so they could attack anywhere and anytime. They can also use the government officials to accomplish their desires. One of the other threats is that a rival white supremacist group is surmise of being behind a series of murders and the recent brutal beating of the principals assistant chief. The media has already speculated that they are fighting for political top executive in the State of California among the white supremacists movement. The main threat is outside the courthouse. He is to defendant to charges of murder and civil rights violation, especially to the non-whites races. This is because the many of the rival groups and extremists will be attending the heari ng. These include fundamentalists religious groups, civil rights activists, and other white supremacist groups among others. It is anticipated that the hearing will be very ablaze and might spark off angriness that could turn out to be violent. One concern that the security detail of the principal has is the withdrawal of police from his security detail. The chief of police has said that his men will not be responsible for the principals security. It is a concern because the principal want to advert a noble-minded entry to the court and also want to talk to the press. This is a major threat because the principal might spark off anger before entering the court, plus putting his numerous enemies on the picture, his life would be at a threat of gunning down by a corking shooter placed anywhere in the surrounding court environment. It is particularly hazardous because the court is surrounded by skyscraper buildings.Mitigation of threat In order to mitigate the chance of the threat that is currently facing the principal, it is important to bank note what could be done to avoid the threat from occurring at all. It is also important to note that at our disposal we have only eight security men covering the principal, and this against the very large force of enemies is a very little payoff of security expatiate. First we have to avoid the highways whenever possible. This is because the Blacks and Latinos have the tendency to lay an ambush on the highways and this may also be an incentive for other rivals to dumbfound ambush on the principals motorcade. An alternative means of transportation is paramount to evade the risk of the highways. It would be prudent to hire a pearly for the principal, the nurse another security man and to oversee that the principal travel from home to the courthouse grounds without the necessity to go through the highways. Since it is not practical for all the security detail to go with the helicopter, prior arrangement must be done so that the rest of the security detail get to court on time. It must be before the principals helicopter reaches court. They will be responsible for determining the threat that will be facing the principal and organizing for the general security of the principal when he arrives in court. There will also be the need for acquiring vehicles for the rest of the security detail. There will need to be enough vehicles for the transport of the entire security detail so a minimum of three vehicles will be needed. The vehicles should be pose in strategic places for the immediate departure should a necessity occur after the hearing. The same should apply to the helicopter. These vehicles will need to be unmarked and cannot by any chance be linked to the principal as this may compromise the security detail. If possible the vehicles should be new. Communication should be of high attribute so that the security detail on the ground monitoring the situation should in contact with helicopter at all time. The communication gadgets should be surrender off interference from outside parties and should be very alert of outside parties listening in. State of the art communication systems will be employed when In order to minimize the occurrence of threat, the security detail should be very particular on timing. Regardless of the principal wanting to make a grand entrance to the court, little contact should be encourage between the principal and outside parties particularly the press. More time being afforded to the principal and the outside parties increases the occurrence of threat.The timing should be that the time of arrival of the principal will minimize the time of contact with the outside parties. After hearing all the security detail should be on hand to ensure the minimal contact of the principal to the outside parties. I being the head of the security detail will relieve the importance of this to the principal should he need any explanations as to why he was not allowed maximum contact with the outside parties and press. More security details need to be hired to help the strained security details. There will be need to look for capable men of handling this appellation and so as to enhance the security of the principal.Resource Allocation After threat assessment, it is necessary to allocate some resources so that they can be utilize to avoid the threat from happening. In our case of the principal, there will be need to hire a helicopter but it would be more frugal to buy one because the principal will need to be traveling so more after the trip to the court. This will reduce the risk of being ambushed by the enemies on the highways. There is also the need to invest on new vehicles for the security detail. This is because the vehicles will need not to be linked to the principal as this could jeopardize the safety of the principal and the security detail as well. There is also the need for the investment in state of the art communication devices. This will enhance the effective security monitoring and the communication of possible threat from the ground to the helicopter.Conclusion Considering all the threats that face individuals and given the concern for mankind safety, there is a public wish to establish a threat assessment program for the pubic as well as individuals. Most disposed to these threats are public figures, celebrities, leaders of all sorts including fundamentalists and supremacists and witnesses among many more members of the public (Baxter, 194). Such programs require preparation, knowledge and deverness in order to be capable of identifying serious threats as well as intervening and addressing them in public. These should be done in such a manner as not to inappropriately focalize public fears and thus causing overreacting of the public.ReferencesBaxter, V. Margavio, A. (1996). Assaultive violence in the U.S. post office. Work and Occupation, 177 196Boon, J.C.W. Sheridan, L (2001). Stalker typologies A law enforcement perspective. Journal of Threat Assessment. 75 79Borum, R, Fein R, Vossekuil, B Berglund, J. (1999). Threat Assessment Defining an approach for evaluating risk of target violence. Behavioral Sciences and the Law. 323 337Dietz, P. E., Martell, D. A. (1989), Mentally Disordered Offenders in Pursuit of Celebrities and Politicians. National found of Justice Washington D.C. 125 150Feher, B. A., et al.(2002). Studies of U.S./ Navy Air Defense Threat Assessment Cue, Information Order, and Impact of Conflicting Data. San Diego, U.S. Navy Air Defense. 32 57

The Fatherless Family and Woman in Banana Yoshimoto’s Works

As Yoshimoto is a female novelist writing mainly about wowork force in contemporary Japan, it will be interesting and important to explore much deeply the type and usance of the wo hands she portrays. epoch she sees to describe the lives of independent women, she put them into a nighly traditionalistic backdrop in the house.As Banana Yoshimoto writes mainly about womens dealingships, feelings, and thoughts in relation to Japanese contemporary society from a womans perspective, the paper will research these aspects of her female protagonists lives with view to manipulation of bring forth in a family, family relationships in planetary and spiritual connection to the innovation that surrounds them. To comprehend the change that has make upn dumbfound at bottom the role of women in Japanese literature and possibly Japanese society, we must examine more closely the concept of family as it is in Japan today and in the literature of Banana Yoshimoto.For example, the family a nd its values is one of the bases for a society, thus, societal changes often find their reflection in the family concept. The Family and Father in Contemporary Japan near of her main characters ar radicalborn women who curb graduated from high school and argon either on their way into or out of university, and m all of them maneuver in part time jobs. This depiction of young and independent women at an succession in-between main stages of their lives is alike typical of shojo culture (Treat 359).In her stories, the traditional family structure seems to have dissolved, and the women, neither just housewives, nor established as equals, are just about floating in a diffuse area in-between. Yoshimotos women often do non follow the traditional ship canal in a society that was changed by the increasing influence from the West. Women in particular are odd alone and searching for new ways in a seemingly unstable world. Thus, neither Kazami nor Sui in N. P. , Tsugumi and Maria in Tsugumi, Mikage in Kitchen, Satsuki in bootleg Shadow nor Yayoi and Yukino in Kanashii Yokan lead a conventional school or work breeding.All of them are from unconventional families, most of them renderless. The narrator in N. P. , Kazami, lives with her m a nonher(prenominal), an English teacher, after her grow died in the US her child lives in England. Kazamis boyfriend, a translator of Japanese literary works into English who was many years her senior, committed suicide. Only her grandparents who live in Yokohama still seem to lead traditional Japanese lives however, they do not play an important role in the write up. The bewilder of Kazamis mysterious friend Sui, a famous Japanese writer, also committed suicide and leaving Sui to lead most of her life alone.Both young women are somewhat adrift. They are driven through life by upcoming events, and do not initiate the events that shape their lives. They are lost in this world without guidance or fatherly love in their live s. Different surveys conducted in 1983 in Japan revealed that one out of four couples who marry today divorce, and on that point is a divorce e precise 2 minutes and 57 seconds (Yamaguchi 246). While divorce in Japan has not reached the high percentages that exist in Western countries, it is obviously becoming more and more common.However, divorce is totally accountable for about half of the households that exist without a father. About 36% of these households are fatherless because of expiration (Yamaguchi 248). Both circumstanceors supply us with insightful background information and a practicable explanation for Banana Yoshimotos family settings. It has often been assumed that such public display of dissolution of the traditional nuclear family as portrayed in Yoshimotos and other women writers fiction is still uncommon in contemporary Japan.However, the statistics prove Yoshimotos fiction to be not quite a so far removed from populace in this respect and that her work migh t be considered a reflection on contemporary Japanese society. Another interesting factor in the 189,000 divorces in Japan in 1993, the highest number in history, is the so-c aloneed retirement divorce (Yamaguchi 248). Women divorce their husbands, who never spent any time at home firearm they were working, as soon as the husbands retire and end up spending most of their time at home.Couples married twenty years or more represented over 15 percent of the total figure moreover, in the majority of these cases the divorces were initiated by the wife (Yamaguchi 248). Although divorce is a relatively common phenomenon in Japan today, divorced women are still looked upon rather unsympathetically. However, they are at time respected as individuals since the concept of individualism has grown more prestigious and is slowly replacing the strict and traditional governance. Accordingly, a strong position of women single, married or divorced has become more common and more public.Hikami calls this the outlet of the strong wife strong to the point of being overpowering completely sure of herself and quick to give up on her husband for his shortcomings (Yamaguchi 249). As a burden of seeing uncooperative husbands and of witnessing wives abandon their careers to become full-time housewives in their parents generation, many young women are disillusioned and shy aside from jointure. The result is an age of nonmarriage (Yamaguchi 249). Thus, Yoshimotos characters are not completely in a fantasy land far removed from touchableity as Yokochi Samuel claims (229).While it is true that familyless children, lesbianism, incest, telepathy and violent demise are part of many of her stories, these situations are exaggerations that reflect a changing reality in Japan today (Samuel 229). They are set, however, before the background of the emotions of the protagonists, feelings of devastation, of hanker and a search for happiness on a personal level. These elements are qu ite common phenomena not only in fiction merely also in real life. In fact, her narrations are popular because many mass can very well relate to them and see connections to their own lives.While Yoshimotos fiction is not needfully a realistic depiction of Japanese everyday life, the observations so far seem to suggest that she captures some essence, undercurrent feelings and ideas, and societal tendencies of life in contemporary Japan in her stories (Samuel). The Fatherless Family in Yoshimotos Novels The topic of a lack of a father figure runs through all of Banana Yoshimotos fiction. In Kitchen, Mikage is an orphan confronted with the expiry of her grandmother who had been her last surviving family member.She is lost and lonely determination the sound of the refrigerator in their kitchen the only consolation until she meets some lot who take her in and thus save her from her immediate (physical) loneliness. Her new host family is not traditional either. Yuichis mother is dea d and his father had operations done which transform him into an attractive woman, Eriko. This is not described as something extraordinary, however. Rather this type of family seems to be working quite well and seems to give a loving environment to all members. While the family situation in N. P. is equally uncommon, this is not the case in all of Yoshimotos stories.The main characteristic of the family situations in Amrita, Tsugumi, Kanashii Yokan and Kitchen is still the origination of substitute families that be mainly of women. Thither exists a specific connection among the women, which allows for a special way in which they relate to each other. Left alone by the men in their lives (with or without this being their fault) in a world that is confusing, lonely and without guidance, they search for and often seem to find a bond mostly with other women, which provides them with a new live system. This makes them partners in the search for new ways to lead their lives.When descri bing Yoshimotos unconventional the so-called dysfunctional -family of which there is a plentitude in her stories, Treat remarks that this concept is very untypical in Japan. In Yoshimotos stories the family is assembled. Blood ties and genealogy are less important than circumstance and simple human simile (Treat 369). Traditionally, immense importance was placed on the family as the smallest unit that supports the bigger unit of the state in the Confucian state system and on line of credit ties within the Japanese society. Considering this Yoshimotos concept seems quite revolutionary.The concept of family that Yoshimoto describes in her novels is strikingly different. Her families are often not created by marriage and procreation and do not prevail because of blood bonds. Everybody can become a member of the family. As Yoshimoto remarks herself Wherever I go I end up turning people into a family of my own. ( ) What I call a family is still a group of fellow-strangers who have c ome together, and because theres nothing more to it than that we really form good relations with each other. Its hard for us to leave each other, and each time it does I think to myself that life is just saying good-bye. But while it lasts there are a lot of good things, so I put up with it. (Treat 370) These families seem to form almost accidentally, in a casual manner. The real bonds are created through coincidence and through spiritual bonds. These bonds, thus, just like most of the protagonists lives in Yoshimotos stories, are of the moment. They are created spontaneously or even somewhat accidentally as is the case for Mikage in Kitchen who is taken in by complete strangers. They can also be dissolved spontaneously as Marias fathers marriage in Tsugumi.Without a value judgment ever being made, the close personal bonds, even if deep at the time, are not necessarily lasting. This is how Sakumi, the young female narrator of the novel Amrita, describes her own family Blood ties see med unrelated to how we were living. ( ) I believe that as long as there is someone in attention of the household, someone who can maintain order among its members, someone who is clearly mature and established as a person, someone, in other words, like my mother, then at last all who live under the same roof, despite blood ties or lineage, will at one point become family.(Amrita 6) But Sakumi goes beyond this credit If the same people dont spend enough time in a home, even if they are connected by blood, their bonds will slowly fade away like a familiar landscape (Amrita 6). This hints at the typical Japanese family situation of the 20th century industrialized society in which the husband considers the bon ton he works for his family and spends hardly any time at all at home. People, even those connected by blood ties, are not necessarily an active and real part of a family anymore if they are never at home.Even if younger men are more open to change, they often are forced to put a preference on the company over their families. It is the corporate system itself and the culture to which it has given birth which controls the men who work within it. (Fujimura-Fanselow 231) As a result, men seem to have faded from family life, the result of which, a strong female community, can be seen in Yoshimotos stories. The real families here seem to be non-biological ones, consisting of people who care for each other and are often centered on one central person, who seems to hold everything together, most frequently the mother.Thus, while men are not necessary anymore for a functioning family apart from their financial support, women are vital to the family. This is also demonstrated in the fact that Yuichis father in Kitchen has a sex change after the death of his wife so that he can take on the role of the mother for his/her son. The fathers if existent -are reduced to the role of the bread-winner and are otherwise emotionally and spiritually completely unattache d to womens (or childrens) lives. This in no true recreation of the traditional family.Members of the new families ever so remain single individuals to some extent, which allows for the spontaneous creation and dissolution of family bonds. This is also the case in Tsugumi where the family of the young female narrator, Maria, consists only of her mother. Together they live with the family of her mothers sister (husband, wife and two missys), in Lzu, a small town at the ocean. Marias father is married to another woman and lives, separated from her, in Tokyo. However, in this story, the father eventually divorces his wife.He marries Marias mother and moves both Maria and her mother with him to Tokyo, trying hard to make up for the missed family life. Marias family consisted mainly of her mother and her aunts family in which the husband again played a minor role. It is a family of women who support each other and are best friends at the same time. While Maria and her mother are pai nfully aware of the fact that their busy and comfortable life among women before the marriage will always be missing from their new life in Tokyo, they both acknowledge the new husbands causas to create a comfortable and harmonious family home for all of them.However, this traditional family consisting of a father, a mother and a daughter appears to be an artificial construct (albeit a happy one) in comparison to the natural family both women lived in before. In Tokyo they all must make an effort to be a happy family together while this was a natural given before. Because the three of us were involved in such an uncommon situation, we handle each other so kindly like members of a typical happy family on a billboard. Every one of us tried not to show the mash of emotions that actually existed in the depths of our souls. Life is a play. (Tsugumi 42)Thus, the traditional family is an artificial construct in contrast to the new concept of a family of women or peers, which is presented as the natural one. Again, Yoshimoto plays with the reversal of the ordinary and the extraordinary. The traditional family here is, however, ground on love and care and thus, a positive one in this story. Marias father explains that such emotions and such constructs as families can be and often are temporary. During the long time that I was separated from you and during which I often felt very lonely, I learned how important to me are the people who are closest to me my family.It could happen, of course, that my opinion changed someday and that I will treat you and your mother unkindly but thats life Maybe someday the time will come when our hearts dont beat so closely together anymore, but exactly because of such times it is important to create many happy memories. (Tsugumi 43) Apart from the traditional family being something of an artificial construct, which all members have to work for in order to make it a happy one, here it also appears to be possibly a temporary one.Marias father talks of the fleetingness of emotions and attachments to other people, similar to the narrators remarks on various occasions. Marias father concludes that the temporariness of things forces people to live life to the fullest and enjoy the happiness and friendship at the time you have them because they might be gone soon. This is not said with any feeling of bitterness. Rather, it seems to be a simple statement about certain unchangeable facts of life. The happiness or harmony of a good family life, thus, has to be love and all members here are clearly aware of this.In accordance with the life of shojo as a stage in Japanese womens lives, Maria remarks on the temporariness of friendships and the existence of separate circles in ones life. She realizes that life consists of different stages and that you have to finish one stage in order to move on. One of these stages is her life at the seaside with Tsugumi and her family. When she returns to Tokyo for good after a wonderful summer with Tsugumi she realizes from this point onward my new life will begin (Tsugumi 170). The experience of living life in separate stages or chronological successions is also a topic in Kanashii Yokan.After Yayois parents die, the first episode of her life ends. She is adopted into a family with a younger son, Tetsuo. While Yayois cherish parents take good care of her, she also feels drawn towards her aunt Yukino, who later reveals herself as her older sister. Yayois following search for the memory of her lost family is a third episode in the life of Yayoi during which she manages to bring the past to closure with the help of Yukino. Yukino herself suffered tremendously from the loss of her parents. She was nearly an adult at the time of the accident and did not postulate to be adopted into a new family.After her parents death, she was not willing to form close bonds with people anymore. A similar change within the family life takes place in Kitchen and in Amrita. In Kitche n, Mikage goes from having no family at the beginning of the story when her grandmother dies, to a substitute family of a boy, Yuichi, who had befriended Mikages grandmother earlier in her flower shop and his father Yuji, who had an operation done which transformed him into a woman, Eriko, after the death of his belove wife. Eriko works in a nightclub. While highly unconventional, these strangers take Mikage in and make her feel completely at home.They become her family. The closeness of this family stems from an initial sympathy, compassion and under put forwarding for one another. On the other hand it is the result of a similarity of experiences of the two juveniles, the painful loss of a beloved family member and the difficulty of dealing with the resulting feeling of loss and loneliness. Both end up as orphans when a former customer in the second part of the story stabs Eriko to death. Both young people have to construct their lives completely anew, strictly based on their own emotions and intentions. Society does not seem to intrude into these spheres (of the characters lives).Society does not help these lonely young people, nor does it particularly obstruct their way of finding themselves and their way in life. It exclusively does not seem to exist anymore. There is no such all-embracing concept as a society anymore that has any lasting influence on the protagonists. People (at least the protagonists) exist only as individuals. Although they try to connect to other individuals and thus create new families, they still remain often lonely individuals. A group identity can rarely be detected, as every individual seems to struggle on their own lonely and sometimes happy path.The only element in their lives they have in common is the essential to deal with the death of a loved one and the awareness of their own loneliness. In this context it is remarkable how the news of the sex transformation of Yuichis father is received. Mikage is surprised but, in fac t, accepts this extraordinary fact quite easily. And Yuichi explains this surgery in a very calm and natural manner After my real mother died, Eriko quit her job, gathered me up, and asked herself, What do I require to do now? What she decided was, Become a woman. She knew shed never love anyone else. She says that before she became a woman she was very shy.Because she hates to do things halfway, she had everything done from her to face to her whatever, and with the money she had left over she bought that nightclub. She raised me a woman alone, as it were. He smiled. What an amazing life story (Kitchen 14) Again in Banana Yoshimotos stories, someone was confronted with an extreme situation, the death of a beloved family member, and she shows his unusual way of dealing with it. As a result of this situation, the protagonists once again create a fatherless family, with Yuichi, his mother/father Eriko and Mikage. Thus, the juveniles are thrown into adulthood.They are not children they just dream like children. Instead of fathers and mothers, there are surrogate fathers and brothers, dressed in womens clothes in Moonlight Shadow (Buruma 29). Cultural conventions and society are forces that are simply not taken into consideration the decision to make such an immense change is purely up to the individual. Nowhere is the reception of society in form of former co-workers, other family members or friends ever mentioned. Only Erikos death in the second part of the story hints at an unusual life an angry customer of the nightclub shoots her when he finds out she was formerly a man.Her violent death can also be related to the extreme extent and permanence of her change. Hiiragis cross-dressing in Moonlight Shadow on the other hand is less extreme as it is not permanent. In Kitchen the family life is surely not a traditional one and it does not closely resemble Japanese life in reality. However, it goes beyond reality in a somewhat logical way. The concept of the f ather- or man-less family also exists in Amrita. In this story a group of women share a household and the only male member is a little boy.Yukiko lives in an apartment with her daughter from her first marriage, Sakumi (22), and her son from her second marriage, Yoshio (10). Other members of the household are Yukikos niece (daughter of her younger sister), Mikiko, who is a student at a nearby womens college and Junko, a divorced childhood friend of Yukiko. This mostly female cast was created by unconventional situations as both the older adult women, Yukiko and Junko, are divorced single parents. Yukiko even divorced twice. Her first husband, who had died of cerebral thrombosis, was 21 years her senior, and six years after his death she remarried.Explicit reasons for the split-up with her second husband are hardly given. Just like Erikos sexual change in Kitchen, this is simply accepted as a fact of life. The pore of the story, thus, is on the home brought together nicely like a wom ans paradise. And the narrator Sakumi finds herself attracted to the lifestyle Blood-ties seemed unrelated to how we were living (Amrita 5). While this family situation does not claim to be ideal, it offers an alternative to the traditional lifestyle. The women in this story are not necessarily happier or more successful by living mainly with other women.It simply seems to be a concept that works better for them and that it is more convenient or harmonic. Premature death is also present in this story. Sakumis younger sister Mayu, a beautiful young movie actress, dies in a car accident at 18. It is after her death that the story starts, thus showing the reaction of the other family members to this death and the searching and the healing process connected to it. However, this process is hardly taking place as a group effort. Rather, each person struggles alone and leads his or her life individually and separately from others.The strain on this family, created by loss and emotional stress, eventually threatens to drive the family members apart. Part of the reason for this is the fact that they hardly ever meet as they did in the past sitting around the kitchen table in the middle of the night eating or drinkable coffee (Simon 34). This fits very well with the concept of the change of the role of the dine table in Japan. In the past (traditionally), all family members would sit around the dining table to communicate, exchange their thoughts and feelings. This exchange holds a family together.In the postmodern society this concept changed as the traditional family lost its strength. Yoshimoto describes different stages of this connectedness of a family using the image of assembling around a table. Each story focuses on a different aspect Tsugumi shows the more traditional concept, in Amrita the kitchen table as a symbol for the unity of the family is in danger of vanishing and in Kitchen it is virtually nonexistent at first but newly created by the new family member Mikage. overall this concept reveals the dissolution of traditional, and the new creation of alternative families.In the search for structures and new institutions, the kitchen table, thus, plays an important role it leads the way to a new unity among the family members who still stand somewhat alone as individuals. The desertions are in a sense balanced by new unions, though, ultimately, a sense of longing remains (Galef 23). refinement As a result of social, historical and economical developments and the internationalization of Japanese society, strict religious beliefs whether Buddhist or Shintoist and the Confucian value system are losing their significance within the lives of young Japanese.This generates a variety of problems including loss of a meaningful context of life and the lack of a social support system for the individual. Banana Yoshimoto describes the resulting feeling of instability in most of her novels, in which the individual often stands alone facin g a sometimes threatening world of tragedies to cope with and difficult choices to make. Her characters have to deal with the death of loved ones and other challenging situations without having any support from either family or society. Her real interest is a psychological one.Banana Yoshimotos characters have to endure hardships and suffering. This experience, however, also has its positive component it initiates the process of searching for ones own identity and enables the individual to grow mentally. Coping with problems and growing I believe, those are the things that shape the mental and spiritual development of a person, with all his hopes and possibilities. 182 Thus, her stories describe a healing process after a tragic disaster or difficult situation, which leads to personal growth.Yoshimoto makes the suffering of people who do not fit into the system of Japanese culture and norms and who, therefore, are confined to life at the coast of society, her cause. I wanted to com municate the notion that such (troubled) people should be able to live as they please, without interference from others. Anyone should, for that matter. (N. P. 194) She extends the struggle of her characters to a more general statement about the importance of individualist thinking and the denial of societys controlling function. By doing so she justifies also the dissolution of traditional gender roles in her stories.While it is possible in her stories for men and women to remain in the traditional roles, this is merely an option and not a very desirable one at that. As most of her characters face extreme challenges in their lives, they search for and eventually expose their innermost feelings, which as a result are often appropriately extreme. Without society as a regulating institution, people choose their individual paths, and it turns out that these paths include the discovery of a female side within the personality of some men.While this is based on purely individualist t hought, it incorporates the idea that closer mental contact and understanding between the sexes, which is developing within the younger generations, is also a necessity for interpersonal relationships as young women are not willing anymore to stay within their traditional roles. Accordingly, they do not care to accept men who stick to the traditional male role either. Thus, within her concept of individualism, Banana Yoshimoto supports not a radical but a very strong womens liberationist point of view. Her female characters stand alone and find their own way in life.

Flowers for Algernon †Qualities That Surpass Intelligence Essay

Flowers for Algernon, is a classic novel written by Daniel Keyes a young mentally challenged man named Charlie Gordon. This book chronicles, from a first person point of view, Charlies mental and physical struggles and achievements after undergoing a breakthrough procedure that is hoped to render him intelligent. passim the book, much of the focus is on Charlies academic progress while his emotional and personal development is not much of a concern. This becomes a enigma because Charlie realizes that it is important to demonstrate qualities other than intelligence to lead a emotional state that is oth happy and successful.Qualities shown to be to a greater extent important than intelligence in Flowers for Algernon are diligence, kind-heartedness and respect. Throughout Flowers for Algernon, patience is a lot shown to be a more important quality in character than intelligence. Starting from the beginning when Charlie was still mentally challenged, mickle never seemed to be pati ent with him. If they had taken the time to get to know and understand him they would have seen that he had a good heart and genuine personality. This also applies to our bothday life.We must be patient and try to understand others before we begin to judge them. Charlie also demonstrated the negative consequences of a lack of patience when his intelligence began to surpass that of those around him, I was afraid it would come to this, but I have no patience with her now. Im jealous of every moment away from the work- impatient with anyone(Keyes 295). You asshole clearly see that due to his lack of patience with anyone around him, he is in a state of flutter and distress. That is how patience is shown to be more important than ntelligence in this novel.Kindness is another quality shown to surpass intelligence in order of immenseness in Flowers for Algernon. precisely being kind to others can get you far in life and qualify others views and opinions of you in a positive way. Thi s is shown when Alice tells Charlie what made him such a smashing person before he had the operation, There was something in you before. I dont know a warmth, an openness, a kindness that made everyone akin you and like to have you around. (Keyes 122). Being kind makes both yourself and others feels good.While everyone may not be able to solve an algebraic equation or understand Shakespeare, we can all project, accept and appreciate kindness in all its forms. This is why kindness is shown to be a more valuable quality than intelligence in Flowers for Algernon. A third quality shown to be more important than intelligence in Flowers for Algernon is respect. Everyone wants to be valued and prize and when you behave in this way towards others, it is often reciprocated. Everyone should learn to respect each other for who they are and not try to change them.Each person is an individual with their own thoughts and feelings and we can not change them. In the novel, a bakery employee st resses the importance of respect when the other workers make fun of Charlie, He cant help what he is but for idols sake, have some respect Hes a human being (Keyes 199). Charlie also often feels that he is not being respected as a human being and that he is just being treated as an experiment. This has a negative impact on him and also demonstrates the importance of respect.Those are the ways that respect is shown to be a ore valuable quality than intelligence in this novel. If one looks between the lines in the novel Flowers for Algernon, they will interpret many messages and take away valuable lessons from it. One of which is that there are qualities that are much more valuable and important than intelligence. The qualities that are shown to be more important than intelligence in Flowers for Algernon are patience, kindness and respect. By possessing and utilizing these qualities a person can lead both a happy and successful life and better the lives of those around them.

A Review of a Beautiful mind and Its Depictions of Schizophrenia Essay

A Review of a Beautiful Mind and Its Depictions of schizophrenic derangement Introduction In the year 2001 the moving-picture show A Beautiful Mind was released as a biography of the life of John Nash. As the movie flows, we can easily see how his condition, schizophrenic disorder, interferes with his individualal life as well as with his home life and social life. The movie does a intimately job in describing Nashs experiences and whatsoever of the help that put him dorsum on his feet, and that motivated him to stay strong. Plot Review The movie A Beautiful Mind begins with an odd young mathematician by the name of John Forbes Nash juniorwho is attending Princeton University in 1948. There is where he meets his roommate Charles, which is his first hallucination, but we dont know that until later on. While at Princeton, Nash discovers a mathematical theorem and becomes a professor at MIT. John soon gets married to one of the graduate students by the name of Alicia, but shortl y after that is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Nash believes he is some sort of spy because one of his hallucinated agents told him he had to work for the government because his profile is very high.Nash believes his hallucinations are real and he has to be taken to special psychological hospital. Nash never loses the support from his wife Alicia. She does take over a hard time, but she tries to deal with his condition because of the love she has for him. Alicia and his baby are the only ones that are on that point to motivate him, but he suddenly gives in once again and fails to demonstrate that he is completely in the real world Nash parts from inn and has umteen hallucinations once again with Charles, Charles niece, and William, which is the man that makes Nash believe he is working for the government.Nash decides to give it his all for the love of his wife and son, after realizing that William and his other hallucinations are non real life. Nash works with his condition by a voiding and ignoring Charles, the niggling girl, and William although at first it seems very hard for him to do this, he manages to conquer the temptations he use to have to talk to his hallucinations. Nash, back in the real world again starts teaching in the 1970s and is awarded the Novel prize in economics in 1994. schizophrenia DiseaseSchizophrenia is a common disease in American life and it affects 4. 5 million of the adult population in the United States. This disorder Lasts for about six months and includes at least two of the following symptoms delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and decreased emotional expression (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538). Schizophrenia also brings in disorders of thought, disorders of attention, disorders of perception, labour disorders, and emotional disorders.There are three subcategories of schizophrenia paranoid, disorganized, and catatonic schizophrenia. Paranoid schizophrenia, deal Nash experienced i s, Characterized by auditory hallucinations or delusions, much(prenominal) as thoughts of existence persecuted by others or thoughts of grandeur (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538). Disorganized schizophrenia is Marked by bizarre ideas, often about ones body, confused speech, childish behavior, slap-up emotional swings, and often extreme neglect of soulfulnessal appearance and hygiene (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538).Catatonic schizophrenia is Characterized by periods of wild excitement or periods of rigid, prolonged phlegm sometimes that person assumes the same frozen posture for hours on end (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538). There is no real cure for this illness. Depictions of the disease in the movie In the movie, A Beautiful Mind, schizophrenia is well shown as it develops in Nashs life and as it interferes with his social, personal, and home life. Nash is in Princeton University when his disease first starts to appear. In the movie we see a character by the name of Charles, which is Nashs roommate.The movie makes us believe that Charles is real life a character until later on to better illustrate the condition that Nash has to face. We believe that Charles is real because the movie actually shows Charles its as if we are Nashs eyes because he actually sees Charles and that is what schizophrenia does to a person. A nonher character that we believe is real is William Parcher and the same thing happens with this character. Everything that William tells Nash to do feels so real and taunts Nash every day as his condition worsens.Nash doesnt believe that his hallucinations are not real life and is very upset when Alicia tells him that everything is in his mind. This can happen to a lot of state that have schizophrenia because in their mind everything is actually happening and the hallucinations that they are seeing seem so real. worry Alicia, many people who have a relative with schizophrenia suffer and find it hard to believe that their r elative has mental issues. Nash, diagnosed with schizophrenia had to start accepting the fact that he was ill from his mind.This not only affected his home life, but also his personal life, and his social life. Nash was at home most of the day so he didnt genuinely socialize with anyone, but his wife. He couldnt even be responsible for taking care of his own baby because Alicia didnt trust him that much. He at sea his job and was not able to cooperate in the relationship like a normal person. In some cases, like in Nashs case, a person with schizophrenia will be tempted to stop taking their medications and the hallucinations can reappear.Their hallucinations can impact their mind once again and their condition can worsen. Like it was shown in A Beautiful Mind, a family can slowly start to fall apart and the bond they use to have can slip away. Treatments for Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a disease or condition that still does not have a cure, but we do know that its factors are b iological, neurological, and environmental. Like many other diseases, schizophrenia does not have a cure, but there are chances of convalescence and medical treatments depending on the symptoms that are present within the person.Chances of recovery depend on the fiber of schizophrenia and their symptoms. Schizophrenia is classified as either schizophrenia type one, or schizophrenia type two. Type one, Includes having convinced(p) symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, which are a distortion of normal functions. In addition, this root word has no intellectual impairment, good reaction to medication, and thus a good chance of recovery (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538). Type two, Includes having negative symptoms, such as dulled emotions and little inclination to speak, which are a loss of normal functions.In addition, this group has intellectual impairment, poor reaction to medication, and thus poor chance of recovery (Plotnik & Kouyoumdjian, 2011, p. 538). Drugs suc h as haloperidol can be given to reduce symptoms such as delusions. Neuroleptic drugs, also called antipsychotic drugs, are used to treat serious mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, by changing the number of neurotransmitters in the brain (Downar and Kapur, 208, p. 541). The neurotransmitter that is affected by these drugs is dopamine.These drugs will reduce the symptoms of the person which most likely will help them recover faster and feel a little bit better. Inaccuracies in the portrayal of treatment measures I believe that a lot of what was trying to help Nash was very accurate, but it didnt look like he had enough support from anyone, but his wife. To me it seemed like motivation was the number one reason that he recovered. His wife told him, maybe its not in your brain, maybe its in our heart. Although motivation might have helped him, that isnt a real form to get a person with schizophrenia to replace fast. His medications and he beginning to socialize and teach again is what clearly helps him to start avoiding and ignoring his hallucinations. It almost looked like he did it all on his own, but a person with schizophrenia needs real attention. Conclusion A Beautiful Mind was very good at playing out demonstrating many actions and behaviors that a person with schizophrenia has to deal with.It showed in great details how such a disease change the life of a schizophrenic and their family. It portrayed schizophrenia type one and also some symptoms of type two. By watching this film I became a little more familiar with what the disease can do. Of pipeline not everything about the disease can be learned from watching a movie, but this film does have many great scenes that help us become a little more familiar with the negative effects of the disease. The movie did a great job and is capable of at least acquire people to have an idea of what schizophrenia is.

Case study Essay

Inuit was founded in 1983 by Scott Cook (Former Procter & Gamble employee) and Tom Proulx (Stanford University Programmer), that develops and sells financial and tax solution software for consumers and small to medium sized businesses. The company has unceasingly thrived to revolutionise peoples lives by solving their important business and financial management problems. Quicken was its product that was launched in 1984 and struggled the first year, but out-of-pocket to positive reviews in trade journals and print campaign strategies, compass got its first break and by 1988 Quicken was the best selling finance product on the market. Early 1990s saw Intuit gro getg due to success of Quicken, QuickBooks and Turbotax. These products made some significant contribution in small businesses.Porters five forces Analysis for InuitAny organization strategy that you develop needs to include gaining a thorough understanding of the external environment that the organization is operational in. The most widely tool that can help you to do this is Porters five force analysis. Porters model considers five forces that gear up the attractiveness of your market by analyzing the competitive intensity. Similarly Porters five forces will help Intuit the position of the market and how much do they really stand a chance in this competitive industry, with Microsoft trying to buy them dispatch.1. Threat of new entrantIntuits marketing strategies crap helped the company evolve. Positive word of mouth an exceptional customer services is its most effective marketing tools. Roughly 8 out of 10 customers wee bought Intuits product and hence engaging with customers directly and communicating with customers on a timely basis has helped distinguish its products. This leads to a very petty(a) threat of new entrants in the market. Due to this it is very difficult for new companys to enter the market and compete with Intuit.2. Bargaining Power of BuyersSince Inuit is non the only one in t he market, Microsoft being the biggest competitor it increases the bargaining power of buyers giving them more than one option to choose from. Intuit is very come up aware of this fact and hence spends significant amount of time and money on consumer research every year. It is very critical for Intuit to know how customers enforce and feel about their products. This is possible by adapting Site Visit, Lab Study and Remote study conducted by Intuit.3. Bargaining Power of SuppliersThe only product that Intuit needs is a compact disc and since there are many suppliers of compact disc in the market, the bargaining power of suppliers is very low. This leads to huge competitor between suppliers and Intuit has an advantage.4. Threat for Substitute ProductsThere is no substitute product available for tax and financial planning softwares obscure from hiring specialised people in your company in that field which is turns out to be very expensive and also time consuming. Hence there is no threat for substitute products for Intuit in the market.5. The intensity of contenderIntuit faces huge competition in the market for the products they offer. Microsoft, one of their biggest competitors has tried to buy off Intuit but failed and also withdrawn its money product line after a 18 year battle with Quicken. This has been a great win for Intuit over the software giant. There are many companies providing mobile devices which have become very popular among the younger consumers and hence this increases the intensity of rivalry in the market that will be faced by Intuit.Potential Market entry methods for IntuitIntuit has a very few slipway it can enter the potential market i.e. mobile devices. Depending on various factors, Intuit can adopt acquisition. This will be very quick and rapid way to enter the mobile devices industry. Intuit can acquire some firms that are already in the mobile devicebusiness, have a squiffy customer base and have all access to the companys netwo rk files.ReferencePearson Education Limited (2012). Marketing Management (14th ed.). Kotler Keller Author.Submitted byAnchal Pathak

Complete and Utter Idiots Guide to Sending an Email Essay

This whitethorn seem like a exclusively impossible task, but trust me, its easy. An everyday completely normal task for most people, but you are not most people, are you? Well, theres one thing you must do. We are assuming you already own a computer and capture an email, so the first thing that is vital in this break your computer. I know You seduce to beat out up, use those long things on the end of your body made for walking, and account. No thats the telly. We are looking at for something that looks like a smaller telly with a keyboard and a mouse. No, no, noNot a genuine mouse Now get down from your sofa and look for a screen. Yes, thats it Gosh, if it takes you this long to find your computer this is going to be a long day. Congratulations Now, as you are looking at the computer, sit down on the chair in front of it. Sit on the seat, not the top, back end or legs, on the actually seat. Yes, thats a bit more comfy isnt it? I hope your computer is in fully working order? Supposing that it is, you need to find a macro button that turns your computer on. No, that opens up the CD drive. Dont push it back in force per unit area the button again so you dont break it. Oh my, lookIts right in front of you on that big box. Woohoo You implant it, now login using your password that you thought up so you would remember it. Yes, it is the word written on the sticky note stuck to the wall above you. Now, the long simple in front of you, thats your keyboard. No, an oblong is another word for a rectangle a long unbent? Yes, the thing with the buttons. Now, press the buttons with the letters/numbers/punctuation that are identical to the ones written on your sheet. Yes, you have to write them in the same order, otherwise itswrong. Thank the lord, youve logged on Youve just achieved something in your lifeBe proud, be very, very proud. The next impossible task you have to face is finding the internet impression and using your mouse to click on it. We have alread y established that this is not a echt mouse, so calm down. Now, your computer screen will generally look like this This may look big and scary but its simple really, if you just listen. As you probably dont know, there are different types of internet service providers. The most common one is internet venturer which is automatically downloaded onto most computers. So we will just stick with that one. The symbol is a blue E. found it? No, thats not it yes, the blue E. Good.

The Golden Lily Chapter 12

WHEN I SHOWED UP for my dinner date, Brayden was sitting at a sales booth with a laptop. I got hither early, he explained. Figured I should pop bring by in roughly mildew. Did you get yours d one(a)?I did, truly. I was researching self-defense programmees. You wont believe what I found. I sat conquer on his slope of the booth so that I could use his laptop. Like usual, he smelled rail elan railway care coffee. Id neer get tired of that, I decided. I directed him to a website Id found expert before coming here. The site looked a manage one I could spend a penny do well-nigh ten eld ago and had a lot of ungodly animated images on it. Wolfe School of Defense Malachi Wolfe, instructor.Re totallyy? Brayden asked. Malachi Wolfe?He tusht help his name, I say. And look hes actually got a number of awards and commendations. Some of the awards were sluice recent. Most were from at least a a couple of(prenominal)er years ago. Heres the best part.I clicked on a link entitled Upcoming Classes. Malachi Wolfe had a pretty ill-tempered schedule, just there was one promising part. He was holding a four-week partition, starting tomorrow, that met at one eon a week.This isnt exactly the kind of instructor Id had in mind, I admitted, tho it starts right a mode.not a very(prenominal) long course, added Brayden. But itd give you a good intro. Why the interest? An image of the alley flashed choke off into my mind, the figures in the deplorable and the helpless feeling as I was shoved against the wall. My breath started to catch, and I had to remind myself that I was no longer in the alley. I was in a well-lit restaurant, with a boy who liked me. I was safe.Just, uh, almostthing I feel its important for a woman to learn, I say. Although its open to men and women rough(prenominal).Trying to c at one timentrate me up? At first I scene he was world serious, merely when I looked up, he was smiling.I grinned. If you extremity. I was mobilize ing of my brother. He wants to do this too.Probably best if I dont. Although, I was difference to take martial arts as a college elective. Brayden shut off his laptop, and I moved hindquarterswards eeryplace to the other side of the booth. Anyway, youve got a pretty tight-knit family. non sure if I should jampack myself into that.Probably a smart idea, I agreed, thinking that he didnt endure the half(a) of it.Dinner was good, as was our subsequent conversation round thermodynamics. Despite the compelling field, how ever so, I found my mind was wandering a lot. I had to keep tuning back into what Brayden was saying. The attack and Adrians offhand comment roughly vampire hunters had presumption me a lot to think virtually.Still, we stayed at the restaurant for a long judgment of conviction. So much so that when we left, I saw it was completely dark. I wasnt parked that far away and not level in a remote spot but suddenly, the anticipation of a walk alone in the da rk do me freeze up. Brayden was saying something or so canvassing me at the dance and then spy my reaction.Whats maltreat? he asked.I I stared off chain reactor the street. Two blocks. Thats how sozzled my car was. There were hatful disclose. And yet, I was choking up. Would you walk me to my car?Sure, he state. He didnt even think twice ab go forth it, but I was mortified the entire way. As Id told Eddie and Adrian, I didnt usually require help from others. Needing it for something like this was especially humiliating. Rose wouldnt need an escort, I eyeshot. Even Angeline wouldnt. Shed in all likelihood beat up a few pedestrians on the way, just to stay in coiffe.Here we are, say Brayden, once we reached Latte. I wondered if he conceit less of me for needing an escort.Thanks. Ill happen upon you Satur sidereal day?He nodded. You sure you want to meet there? I can extract you up.I know. And I wouldnt mind vent in your car. No offense, Latte. I gave the cars side a square pat. But Ill have to drive my brother and sister. Easier this way.Okay, he give tongue to. The smile he gave me was al more or less shy, contrasting with his anterior confidence in academic topics. Cant wait to see your uniform. I got mine from a theatrical comp some(prenominal).Not an ideal reproduction of Athenian garb, of course, but the best I could find. Id nearly forgotten that Id left my costume in the hands of Lia. Brayden wasnt the only one interested in seeing what Id be wearing.Looking forrard to it, I said.After a few moments, I wondered why he wasnt leaving. He still wore that bashfulness and uncertainty, as though he were trying to work up the nerve to say something. Only, as it cancelled out, speaking wasnt what he wanted to do. With a great show of courage, he stepped forward and kissed me. It was nice, though once again a dwarfish underwhelming.From the look on Braydens face, however, he power have been sent to naked as a jaybird heights. Why didnt I have the same reaction? Maybe Id done something wrong after all. Or maybe I was deficient?See you Saturday, he said.I made a mental score to add kissing to my list of research topics.I got back to Amberwood and schoolbooked Adrian as I was walking into my dorm. Theres a defense class that starts tomorrow night. $75. Despite his interest last night, I was a little atheistic of whether hed snapped out of his depression becoming to be up for something like this. I wasnt even sure if he was going to his art classes bothmore. A minute later, I got his answer Ill be there. This was followed by another text Can u spot me the cash?Jill was walking into the dorm, just as I was, both of us barely getting in before curfew. She didnt even notice me and instead looked troubled and pensive. Hey, I called. Jill? She fall in halfway finished the lobby and blinked in surprise upon seeing me. Oh, hey.Were you out with your boyfriend?I winced. Not sure Id call him that yet.How many snips have you gone out?Four.Hes taking you to the dance?Im run into him there.She shrugged. Sounds like a boyfriend to me.Sounds like youre quoting something from Kristin and Julias dating guidebook. That brought a fleeting smile, but it didnt last. I think its just common sense. I studied her, still trying to get a feel for her mood. ar you sanction? You looked like something was bothering you. Is it is it Adrian? Is he still annul? For a moment, I was actually more hard project about Adrian than her.No, she said. I mean, well, yes. But hes a little better. Hes excited about learning selfdefense with you. The bond would neer cease to amaze me. Id only communicated with Adrian a minute ago.Excited? I asked. That seemed like an astonishingly watertight reaction.Its a distraction. And a distractions the best thing for him in these moods, she explained.He is still upset, though. Hes still depressed over his dad.I shouldnt have taken him to San Diego, I murmured, more to myself than her. If Id refused, he wouldnt have been able to get there.Jill looked skeptical. I dont know. I think he wouldve found a way, with or without you.What happened between them was going to happen eventually. She sounded unco wise.I just feel terrible seeing Adrian like this, I said.These moods diminish and go for him. always have. Jill got a faraway look in her eyes.Hes laid off the drinking a little man for my sake. But then that just opens him up for well, its hard to explain. You know how spirit drives people insane? When hes down like this and sober, it makes him more vulnerable.Are you saying Adrians going crazy? That was not a complication I was ready for.No, not exactly. She pursed her lips as she thought. He just gets a little scatteredweird. Youll know it when you see it. He kind of makes sense but kind of not. Gets dreamy and rambles. But not in the way I do. Its got like a I dont know mystical feel. But its not actually magical. Its just him kind of losing it temporarily. It never lasts and, like I said, youll know it when you see it.I think I might have An unexpected memory flashed back to me, of just before Sonya and Dimitri had arrived. Id been at Adrians, and hed looked at me strangely, like he was just noticing me for the first date. Thinking about it still sent chills finished me.My God, Sage. Your eyes. How have I never noticed them? The color like molten gold. I could paint thoseGirls? Mrs. Weathers was at her desk, shutting things down for the night. You need to get to your rooms.We nodded obediently and moved toward the stairs. When we reached Jills floor, I stop her before she could leave. Hey if Adrians not the problem, then what was bothering you when you came in? Is everything okay?Huh? Oh, that. She flushed in a cute kind of way. Yeah. I guess. I dont know. Micahum, well, he kissed me tonight. For the first time. And I guess I was just kind of surprised at how I matt-up about it.I was surprised they hadnt kissed before and suppose d I should be grateful. Her words resonated with me. What do you mean? Did it feel a lot less exciting than you expected? Like you were just touching someones lips? Like you were kissing a relative? She gave me a puzzled look. No. Thats crazy. Why would you think that?Um, just guessing. I suddenly mat silly. Why had it entangle that way for me?It was great, actually. A faraway look came over her. Well, almost. I couldnt quite get into it as much as I wanted because I was worried about my fangs. Its easy to enshroud them talking and smiling. But not while kissing. And all I kept thinking was, What am I going to say if he notices? And then I started thinking about what you and everyone else said. About how this thing with Micah isnt a good idea and how I cant keep things hands-off forever. I like him. I like him a lot. But not nice to risk exposing the Moroi or endanger Lissa.Thats a noble attitude.I guess. I dont want to end things yet, though. Micahs so nice and I love all the friends Ive made by being with him. I guess Ill just see what happens but its hard. Its a wake-up call. She looked so sad as she went into her room. keep on to mine, I felt bad for Jill but at the same time, I was projecting. Id stressed over her casual dating of Micah, worried wed be facing some dramatic, romantic situation where she refused to give him up because their love was too great and transcended their races. Instead, I should have had more faith in her. She wasnt as childlike as I sometimes thought. Jill was going to realize the truth and resolve this on her own.Her words about Adrian also stuck with me, especially when I picked him up the next evening for our first self-defense class. He got into my car with a cheery attitude, seeming neither depressed nor crazy. He was, I noticed, dressed very nicely, in clothes that would have been an excellent choice for the visit to his father. He noticed my attire as well.Wow. I dont think Ive ever seen you in anything so casual. I had on olive green yoga pants and an Amberwood T-shirt.The class description said to dress in comfortable workout clothes like I texted you earlier. I gave his raw silk shirt a meaningful look.This is very comfortable, he assured me. Besides, I dont own any workout clothes. As I shifted the car into drive, I caught potty of Adrians left hand. At first, I thought he was bleeding. Then, I realized it was red paint.Youre painting again, I said in delight. I thought youd stopped.Yeah, well. You cant take painting classes and not paint, Sage.I thought youd stopped those too.He gave me a sidelong glance. to the highest degree did. But then I remembered Id prevail on _or_ upond some girl that if she gave me a chance and got me into those classes, Id follow finished on them.Thatll teach me.I smiled and pulled into traffic.Id left a little early so that Adrian and I had time to take care of our registration. When Id called the Wolfe School of Defense earlier today, an agitated man had told me to just show up with the money since we were down to the last minute. The address was removed of downtown, in a residence set on sprawling grounds that had made no attempts to go green and thwart the climate. The desert still held hire here, handsome the house a dismal, forlorn look. If not for WOLFE printed on the mailbox, I wouldve thought we had the wrong vagabond. We pulled up into the gravel drive no other cars were there and stared.This is the kind of place you see in movies, said Adrian. Where careless people run into serial killers.At least its still light out, I said. constantly since the alley, darkness had taken on a whole new menace for me. Cant be that bad.Adrian opened the car doorway. Lets find out.We rang the doorbell and were immediately met with the sounds of barking and scampering feet. I stepped back uneasily. I hate poorly trained dogs, I muttered to Adrian. They need to behave and be kept in line.Just like the people in your life, huh? asked Adr ian.The door opened, and we were met by a fifty-something man with a grizzled blond beard.He was wearing Bermuda shorts and a Lynyrd Skynyrd T-shirt. Also, he had an eye patch.This is incredible, I heard Adrian murmur. Beyond my wildest dreams. I was taken aback. The eye patch made me think of Keiths glass eye, which in turn made me think of my role in him acquiring it. It wasnt a memory I liked being reminded of, and I wondered at the odds of running into another one-eyed man. This guy nudged the herd of dogs aside which appeared to be some sort of Chihuahua mix and barely managed to step outside without them following before he shut the door.Yeah? he asked.Were, uh, here for the class. The self-defense class. I felt the need to clarify, in case he also taught about dog breeding or go the high seas. Im Sydney, this is Adrian. I called this morning?Ah, right, right. He scratched his beard. You got the money? Cash only. I produced one hundred and fifty dollars and handed it over. go forth of habit, I nearly asked for a receipt, but then thought better of it. He stuffed the cash into the pocket of his shorts.Okay, he said. Youre in. Go ahead and wait in the garage until the others show up. The side doors unlocked. He gestured to a large, industrial looking building twice the size of the house over on the far side of the lot. Without waiting or so to see if wed comply, he slipped back inside to the barking dogs.The garages interior, I was relieved to see, was the first thing here that looked like it had some semblance of legitimacy. There were clean mats on the floor and mirrors on some of the walls. A TV and VHS player sat on a cart, along with some defense-related tapes covered in dust. Slightly more disconcerting was some of the decor, like a pair of nunchucks break on the wall.Dont touch those I warned, seeing Adrian head toward them. Thats not the kind of guy whose stuff you want to mess with.Adrian stayed hands-off. Do you think well get to learn t o use these?Weapons werent in the class description. Its about staple self-defense and hand-tohand.Why bother then? Adrian strolled over to a glass case displaying several types of assurance knuckles. Thats the kind of stuff Castile does all day. He could have showed us.I wanted someone a little more approachable, I explained.What, like Captain McTropicalShorts back there? Where on earth did you find him in any case?Just did an Internet search. Feeling a need to defend my research, I added, He comes highly recommended.By who? Long John Silver? Despite myself, I laughed.Over the next half hour, the rest of our class trickled in. One was a woman who looked to be about seventy. Another was a mother whod just had her one-quarter child and decided she needed to learn to protect them. The last two women in the class were in their mid-twenties and wore T-shirts with angry girl-power catchphrases. Adrian and I were the youngest in the collection. He was the only man, not counting our in structor, who asked that we simply mend to him as Wolfe.I was beginning to get a bad feeling about all of this, particularly as class started. The six of us sat on the floor while Wolfe leaned against one of the mirrors and looked down upon us.If youre here, he began. You probably want to learn to use those right away. He pointed at the nunchucks.I caught sight of Adrians face in the mirror. His expression said, Yes, that is exactly what I want to learn.Well, too bad, said Wolfe. You arent ever going to use them. Not in this class, anyway.Oh, theyve got their uses, believe me. Saved my ass more than once when I was out bowhunting in Alaska a few years ago. But if you pay attention to what Im going to reassure you, you wont ever need to pick those up, seeing as we dont have a rabid moose problem here in Palm Springs.The new mom raised her hand. You used nunchucks on a moose? Wolfe got a haunted look in his eyes. I used all sorts of things on that bastard. But thats neither here nor now. Because heres the thing. With a little common sense, you wont need weapons. Or fists. You.To my shock, Wolfe pointed at me and fixed me with a steely, one-eyed stare.What did I tell you to do when you arrived?I gulped. Give you cash, sir.And after that?You told us to come wait out here.He nodded in satisfaction, so apparently my answering of the obvious had gone well.Were two miles from any other houses and about a mile from the highway. You dont know me, and lets face it, this place looks like something from a serial killer film. Out of the corner of my eye, Adrian flashed me a triumphant look. I sent you out into a remote building with scantily any windows. You went inside. Did you look around as you were walking over here?Did you scan the surroundings in here before coming all the way inside? Did you check the exits?I No, of course you didnt, he interrupted. No one ever does. And that is the first rule of self-defense. Dont assume anything. You dont have to live your life in fear, but know whats around you. Be smart. Dont go blindly into dark alleys or parking lots. And like that, I was hooked.Wolfe was astonishingly well prepared. He had lots of stories and examples of attacks, ones that kept reminding me humans are some of the most vicious creatures out there, not vampires. He showed us pictures and diagrams of various unsafe places, pointing out vulnerabilities and providing pretty mulish advice that shouldve been obvious to most people but wasnt. The more he spoke, the more foolish I felt about what had happened with Sonya. If those guys had wanted to attack Sonya badly enough, they wouldve found a way somehow.But there were a million things I could have done to be more cautious and possibly avoid the coming upon that went down that night. That idea turned out to be a huge part of Wolfes philosophy escape of danger in the first place.Even when he finally moved on to discuss some very basic moves, his emphasis was on using them to get away not to stick around and beat your attacker into the ground. He let us practice some of these moves in the last half hour of the class, having us pair up to work with classmates and a dummy since we didnt really want to excruciation each other.Thank God, said Adrian, when we broke out to practice. He and I were partners. I thought Id come to a fight class to learn how not to fight.But hes right, I said. If you can avoid the fight, so much the better.But what if you cant? asked Adrian. Like with your sword-wielding friends? What do you do once youre in trouble?I tapped our blank-faced stuffed practice dummy. Thats what this is for. Wolfes main move today was on how to break out of someones hold if we were grabbed from behind. He had a touch of techniques which werent much more complex than headbutting or stomping on feet. Adrian and I took turns being the attacker while the victim practiced the maneuvers in slow motion and with almost no contact on our partners. That was what the dummies were for. I was about five inches shorter than Adrian and seemed pretty implausible as an attacker, which made us both laugh each time I made a move. Wolfe chastised us for not being serious enough but gave us high marks for learning the techniques.This made me feel a little arrogant, enough so that when Adrian turned his back to get a water bottle, I sneaked up from behind and flung my arms around him, trap his arms in turn. Wolfe had shown us how to break that type of hold, and I honestly thought Adrian had seen me coming enough to slip away before I even touched him. Apparently not. He froze, and for one moment, we stood locked in time. I could feel the silk of his shirt against my skin and the warmth of his body. The lingering scent of the overpriced cologne he wore floated around me. No smoke for a change. Id always told him the cologne couldnt be worth what he spent, but suddenly, I reconsidered. It was amazing.I was so awash in sensory overload that I was caught compl etely unwitting when he did push me away.What are you doing? he exclaimed. Id thought hed be impressed at my sneak attack, but there was neither approval nor humor on his face. My own smile faded.Testing if you could handle a surprise attack. My tone was hesitant. I didnt know what Id done wrong. He looked uncomfortable. Almost upset. Whats the matter?Nothing, he said gruffly. For a moment his eyes locked onto me with an intensity that left me breathless. Then, he glanced away, as though he couldnt handle looking at me. I felt more confused than ever. Never thought Id see the day when youd throw your arms around a vam someone like me.I barely even noticed his public slipup. His words drew me up short. He was right. Id touched him without even thinking about it and not just a formal Moroi handshake, like usual.Sure, it was in the context of our class, but I knew that I never could have done this a few months ago. Touching him now had seemed perfectly natural. Was that why he was u pset?Was he worried about the Alchemists and me?Wolfe strolled by. Nice work, girl. He gave Adrian a teeth-rattling slap on the back. You were totally unprepared for her.This seemed to distress Adrian even more, and I couldve sworn I heard him mutter,Thats for damned sure.Some of Adrians swagger returned during the car ride radical, but he was still quiet and thoughtful. I again tried to figure out his shift in mood. Do you need to stop by Clarences for blood? Maybe the class had worn-out(a) him.Nah, he said. Dont want you to be late. But maybe maybe you can come by this weekend, and we can do a group trip over there?Ive got the dance on Saturday, I said apologetically. And I think Sonya was going to take Jill to Clarences tomorrow after school. Probably she can pick you up too.I suppose, he said. He sounded disappointed, but one day wasnt that long to wait for blood. Maybe he was afraid Sonya would recruit him for experiments again which wouldnt be a bad thing, I thought. Sudden ly, he straightened up from his slouch. oral presentation of Sonya I was thinking of something earlier. Something Wolfe said.Why, Adrian. Were you paying attention after all?Dont start, Sage, he warned. Wolfes crazy, and you know it. But when he was giving all his words of wisdom, he mentioned that stuff about not giving out individual(prenominal) info to strangers and how victims are often staked out in submit. Remember?Yeah, I was there, I said. Like, an hour ago.Right, so. Those guys who attacked you and Sonya seemed to know she was a vampire the wrong kind, but still. The fact that they showed up with a sword implies they did some research. I mean, its possible they just noticed her on the street one day and were like,Ooh, vampire. But maybe theyve been honoring her for a while. Noticed her on the street I gasped as a million pieces fell into place in my mind at once.Adrian, youre a genius.He flinched in surprise. Wait. What?The week before the attack. Sonya and I got dinner, and we were stopped by some random guy who claimed he knew her from Kentucky. She was pretty freaked out because she was a Strigoi the whole time she was there, and obviously, she didnt hang out with humans a lot back then.Adrian took a few moments to turn this over in his mind. So youre saying theyve been checking into her for a while.Actually, youre saying that.Right. Because Im a genius. More silence as we both considered the implications of Sonyas situation. When Adrian spoke again, his tone wasnt nearly so light. Sage last night. You never acknowledged my comment about vampire hunters.The Alchemists have no records of novel vampire hunters, I said automatically. My dad once said that occasionally, some random human discovers the truth. Id figured her attack was something like that not some huge unionized group or conspiracy.Is it remotely possible that somehow, somewhere, the Alchemists might have missed something? And what do you mean by modern exactly?Alchemist history had been drilled into me nearly as much as the philosophies that governed our actions. A long time ago like, back in the Middle Ages when the Alchemists were forming, a lot of factions had different ideas on how to deal with vampires. secret code thought humans should associate with them. Those who eventually formed my group decided the best way was to work with Moroi just enough to keep them separate from humans. But there were others who didnt take that approach. They thought the best way to keep humans free was to eradicate vampires through any means. I was relying on facts again, my old armor.If I reasoned away this argument, then I wouldnt have to acknowledge what it would mean if there were people actively hunting Moroi.Sounds like vampire hunters to me, Adrian pointed out.Yes, but they werent successful. There were just too many vampires, Moroi and Strigoi, for a group like this to take out. The last records we have of them are from, oh, Id say the Renaissance. Those hunters eventually faded away. Even I heard the uncertainty in my voice.You said that sword had alchemy symbols on it.Old ones.Old enough to be from the time that splinter group was breaking away? I sighed. Yes. That old.I wanted to close my eyes and sink into my seat. Cracks were appearing in my armor. I still wasnt entirely sure I could hire the idea of vampire hunters, but I could no longer rule out their possibility.I could see Adrian studying me out of the corner of my eye. Why the sigh?Because this is all stuff I should have put together sooner. He seemed very pleased at the acknowledgment. Well, you dont believe in vampire hunters. Makes it hard to really consider them an actual threat when you operate in a world of facts and data, huh? But then how would they have stayed under your radar for so long? Now that Adrian had given me the seeds, my mind was already works out the idea.Because theyre only killing Strigoi if these hunters exist. If some group were taking out Moroi, your p eople would notice. The Strigoi arent organized the same way, and even if they noticed, its not like theyre going to report killings to us. Plus, Strigoi are killed all the time by Moroi and dhampirs. A few dead ones would just be written off to you guys if anyone even found them. Toss a Strigoi out in the sun, and youd never even know theyd been there. Relief poured through me at my conclusion. If a group like this did exist, they couldnt be killing Moroi. Strigoi-hunting was still dangerous, however. Only Alchemists could be trusted to deal with those fiends deaths and keep them secret from comely humans.Could you ask other Alchemists about hunters? Adrian asked.No, not yet. I might be able to dig through some records, but I could never bring this up officially. Theyd stick to my dads theory that it was just some random, weird group of humans.Then theyd laugh me away.You know who wouldnt laugh you away?Clarence, we both said in unison.Not a conversation I look forward to, I sai d wearily. But he might really know something after all. And all his paranoia might pay off. All that home pledge? If this group really has it in their heads to come after Sonya, then she might be in even more danger than we realized.We need to tell Belikov. He excels at that protection thing. He wont sleep if we convince him shes in trouble which seems likely after the sword attack. I noticed that this was the first time Adrian had ever spoken about Dimitri without bitterness. In fact, Adrians words and praise sounded legitimate. He did believe in Dimitris skill. I said nothing about my observation, though. If Adrian was going to get over his hatred of Dimitri, it needed to come gradually and without any outside help.I dropped Adrian off with plans to talk later. When I got back to Amberwood, I was immediately flagged down by Mrs. Weathers. What now? I was ready to hear that Angeline had set something on fire. Instead, Mrs. Weatherss face looked calm pleasant, even and I dared to hope for the best.Some things came for you, dear, she said. From a small office behind her desk, she produced two hangers with zipped garment bags on them. A short, energetic woman dropped these off.Lia. I took the hangers, wondering what contents Id find inside. Thank you. I started to turn away, but Mrs. Weathers spoke again. One more thing. Ms. Terwilliger left something for you too.I tried to keep my face neutral. I was already drowning in Ms. Terwilligers latest assignments.What now? Mrs. Weathers handed me a large envelope that felt like it had a book in it.Scrawled on the outer side was Not classwork. Maybe you wont hate this. I thanked Mrs.Weathers again and took my haul up to my room. After depositing the costumes on my bed unopened, I promptly tore into the envelope. Something about her contrast made me feel uneasy.I wasnt entirely surprised to see it was another spell book. What did surprise me was that remote the others I pored over for her, this one was new. Modern . There was no publisher listed on it, so it was probably someones home project, but it had clearly been printed and bound within the last few years. That was startling. Id pointedly never asked Ms. Terwilliger about her magic-using pals and their lifestyle but had always assumed they were reading the dusty old volumes she had me translate and copy. That they might be working from their own, new, and updated books hadnt even crossed my mind though it should have.I had no time to beat myself up, though, not once I got a look at the books title. The Invisible Dagger Practical Spells for Offense and Defense. Flipping through the pages, I saw that the spells were exactly as the title suggested but written in a more modern way than I was used to. Their origins were cited, times and places. Those varied wildly, but what didnt was the spells efficiency. All were either the kind of spells that could be cast in very little time or ones that could be made in advance for immediate destructiv e effects like the fire charm.These were exactly the kinds of spells Id been asking Ms. Terwilliger about.Angry, I stuffed the book back in the envelope. How dare she try to lure me in with this?Did she think this would make up for everything shed put me through? Mrs. Weathers would still be downstairs, and I had half a mind to drop the book off and tell her it had been sent to me in error. Or I could simply leave it on Ms. Terwilligers desk first thing in the morning. I wished now I hadnt even opened it. Returning to sender unopened would have made a powerful statement, that she wasnt going to trick me into her magic ring by finding a topic of interest to me.Mrs. Weathers knew about my connection to Ms. Terwilliger, though, and would simply tell me to return it tomorrow if I tried giving it back tonight. So, Id have to hang on to this until the morning. I consoled myself by getting out some tape. I couldnt undo opening the envelope, but thered be something psychologically soothing about resealing it.Yet, as I started to unlax the tape, my mind spun back to my evening with Adrian and Wolfe. Wolfe had calmed me a bit in his constant reminders that most attacks were random and came from slovenliness on the victims part. Knowing that and what to look for had made me feel empowered. Hed offhandedly mentioned attacks of a more premeditated or personal nature, but those clearly werent his focus. Nonetheless, they brought me back to my discussion with Adrian. What if there was truth to Clarences stories? What if vampire hunters were real? Wed all known Sonyas attack wasnt random, but if she really was dealing with some faction that had existed since the Middle Ages well, then. My and Adrians fears would be correct. They would probably come for her again. No amount of avoiding isolated parking spots or walking confidently would stop them.I looked down at the envelope and decided not to seal it quite yet.